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The bias-dependent signal transmission of flexible synaptic transistors is investigated. The novel neuromorphic devices are fabricated on a thin and transparent plastic sheet, incorporating a high-performance organic semiconductor, dinaphtho[2,3-b:2&rsquo, 3&rsquo, f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene, into the active channel. Upon spike emulation at different synaptic voltages, the short-term plasticity feature of the devices is substantially modulated. By adopting an iterative model for the synaptic output currents, key physical parameters associated with the charge carrier dynamics are estimated. The correlative extraction approach is found to yield the close fits to the experimental results, and the systematic evolution of the timing constants is rationalized.

Tactile sensors are critical components in robotics fields. Recently, soft tactile sensor utilizing vision is actively developed for safe human machine interaction. Some researches use novel custom-made medium in order to achieve tactile sensing. Deep learning can recognize pattern from any vision data when it has sufficient dataset, i.e., the system does not require specific pattern embedded hardware for the pattern recognition. To achieve soft tactile sensor's economical application for robot fingers, this paper presents a fundamental experiment on contract position estimation on vision based dome-type soft tactile sensor utilizing ready-made silicon as a medium and convolutional neural network. In order to estimate and classify the contact position, convolutional neural network (CNN) was applied. The modified VGGNet architecture was coded using Tensorflow and Keras. 1000 images were taken to train the modified VGG network; 200 images were taken for each neutral, left, right, lower, upper direction. For each direction, fingertip, pencil, ruler, and table corner were utilized to capture various situations. After checking the results of the test set, the trained model was applied to the embedded board and checked the contact position estimation in real-time. The experiment showed high accuracy on classifying the con-tact position of the vision based dome-type soft tactile sensor in real time. This contact position estimation system will be critical for the finger-typed robots since the system is reasonably small and it will reduce significant amount of manufacturing cost for the safe human machine interaction system. For the future work, we will acquire more image data and apply more advanced network architecture to improve accuracy.

Perineural invasion (PNI) has emerged as an important factor related to colorectal cancer spread; however, the impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) on PNI remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the prognostic value of PNI, along with lymphovascular invasion (LVI), in rectal cancer patients treated with nCRT. This single-center observational study of pathologic variables, including PNI and LVI, analyzed 1411 invasive rectal cancer patients (965 and 446 patients treated with primary resection and nCRT, respectively). The overall detection rates of LVI and PNI were 16.7 and 28.8%, respectively. The incidence of LVI was significantly lower in patients treated with nCRT (8.1 vs. 20.6%, P

Background Microbial communities that inhabit the mosquito body play an import role in host biology and may have potential for mosquito control. However, the forces that shape these microbial communities are poorly understood. Methods To gain a better understanding of how host location influences the composition and diversity of mosquito microbiota, we performed a survey of microbial communities in mosquito samples collected from six USA states using HiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Results A total of 284 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 14 phyla were detected in nine mosquito species, with Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria accounting for 95% of total sequences. OTU richness varied markedly within and between mosquito species. The microbial composition and diversity was heavily influenced by the site of mosquito collection, suggesting that host location plays an important role in shaping the mosquito microbiota. Conclusions Variation in microbial composition and diversity between mosquitoes from different locations may have important implications on vector competence and transmission dynamics of mosquito-borne pathogens. Future studies should investigate the environmental factors responsible for these variations and the role of key bacteria characterized in this study on mosquito biology and their potential application in symbiotic control of mosquito-borne diseases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3036-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Maglev (magnetic levitation) system has been introduced as one of innovative technologies that transportation is able to move without contacting on the ground so that it has immensely beneficial in eliminating friction and generating high speed. Having some advantages of generating less friction and dusts in maglev technology, we design a high accuracy maglev tray system to carry organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. To carry OLED display in a stable condition, it is necessary to control precisely the levitation state. In our paper, a multi-degree of freedom model for a high precision maglev tray system analyzed to consider the stability and robustness of levitation performance. This model is then used to design a cascade control strategy and a combined optimal state-feedback controller–observer compensator for the heave, roll and pitch motion of maglev tray system. The proposed controllers demonstrate the excellent levitation performance under comparative simulations such as a large load disturbance and sensor installation error.

Although bacillus Calmette&ndash, Gu&eacute, rin cell wall skeleton (BCG-CWS) might function as a potential substitute for live BCG, its use in the treatment of bladder cancer remains limited owing to issues such as insolubility and micrometer-size following exposure to an aqueous environment. Thus, to develop a novel nanoparticulate system for efficient BCG-CWS delivery, liposomal encapsulation was carried out using a modified emulsification-solvent evaporation method (targets: Size, &lt, 200 nm, encapsulation efficiency, ~60%). Further, the liposomal surface was functionalized with specific ligands, folic acid (FA), and Pep-1 peptide (Pep1), as targeting and cell-penetrating moieties, respectively. Functionalized liposomes greatly increased the intracellular uptake of BCG-CWS in the bladder cancer cell lines, 5637 and MBT2. The immunoactivity was verified through elevated cytokine production and a THP-1 migration assay. In vivo antitumor efficacy revealed that the BCG-CWS-loaded liposomes effectively inhibited tumor growth in mice bearing MBT2 tumors. Dual ligand-functionalized liposome was also superior to single ligand-functionalized liposomes. Immunohistochemistry supported the enhanced antitumor effect of BCG-CWS, with IL-6 production and CD4 infiltration. Thus, we conclude that FA- and Pep1-modified liposomes encapsulating BCG-CWS might be a good candidate for bladder cancer treatment with high target selectivity.

To overcome the poor dissolution of telmisartan (TMS) at weak acidic pH, amorphous alkalinized TMS (AAT) was prepared by introducing sodium hydroxide as a selective alkalizer. AAT-containing polymeric solid dispersions were prepared by a solvent evaporation method; these solid dispersions were AAT-PEG, AAT-PVP, AAT-POL, and AAT-SOL for the polymers of PEG 6000, PVP K30, Poloxamer 407, and Soluplus, respectively. The characteristics of the different formulations were observed by differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. To compare the supersaturation behavior, a dissolution test was performed at 37 ± 0.5 °C either in 900 ml (plain condition) or 500 ml (limited condition) of pH 6.8-simulated intestinal fluid used as a medium. AAT-SOL exhibited enhanced dissolution, indicating the probability of extended supersaturation in the limited condition. AAT-SOL was further formulated into a tablet by introducing other excipients, Vivapur 105 and Croscarmellose, as a binder and superdisintegrant, respectively, using a direct compression method. The selected AAT-SOL tablet was superior to Micardis (the reference product) in the aspect of supersaturation maintenance during dissolution in the limited condition, suggesting that it is a promising candidate for practical development that can replace the commercial product in the future.

Metal-semiconductor junctions are indispensable in semiconductor devices, but they have recently become a major limiting factor precluding device performance improvement. Here, we report the modification of a metal/n-type Si Schottky contact barrier by the introduction of two-dimensional (2D) materials of either graphene or hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) at the interface. We realized the lowest specific contact resistivities (ρc) of 3.30 nΩ cm2 (lightly doped n-type Si, ∼ 1015/cm3) and 1.47 nΩ cm2 (heavily doped n-type Si, ∼ 1021/cm3) via 2D material insertion are approaching the theoretical limit of 1.3 nΩ cm2. We demonstrated the role of the 2D materials at the interface in achieving a low ρc value by the following mechanisms: (a) 2D materials effectively form dipoles at the metal-2D material (M/2D) interface, thereby reducing the metal work function and changing the pinning point, and (b) the fully metalized M/2D system shifts the pinning point toward the Si conduction band, thus decreasing the Schottky barrier. As a result, the fully metalized M/2D system using atomically thin and well-defined 2D materials shows a significantly reduced ρc. The proposed 2D material insertion technique can be used to obtain extremely low contact resistivities in metal/n-type Si systems and will help to achieve major performance improvements in semiconductor technologies.

Single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy (SIL-A) has recently become an option for treating appendicitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and surgical outcomes of SIL-A by residents and surgeons during the learning period. A total of 1948 consecutive patients who underwent SIL-A from May 2008 to November 2014 were studied retrospectively. Surgeries were performed by residents and eight surgeons. Prior to the first case, surgeons and residents had been trained in a training protocol during the learning period. Three initial cases of SIL-A were performed under the supervision of experienced surgeons. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (learning period, n = 483), the first 40 cases by each surgeon and resident; and group 2 (experienced period, n = 1465), cases after the 40th procedure performed by each surgeon. Surgical results were compared between the two groups by performing propensity score matching analysis. After propensity score matching, there was no significant difference in patient demographics and characteristics of appendicitis between the two groups. The operating time was longer in group 1 than in group 2 (45.3 ± 18.0 vs. 33.9 ± 16.1 min, p

Particles are main sources of defects in display manufacturing process and have to be minimized for better productivity. The developed passive magnetic levitation (Maglev) transport system generates no particle and is suitable for vacuum applications because it has a simple and passive moving carrier. All sensors and electromagnetic actuators are installed on the ground and activated automatically depending on the carrier position. However, sensor installation errors cause unwanted fluctuations of the carrier motion and should be compensated for better levitation accuracy. In this paper, we propose sensor offset compensation algorithms to reduce pitching motion of the carrier while actuators are switched on and off. The sensor offsets are estimated from sensor measurements by the linear relation between carrier and sensor geometry. The offset compensation algorithm has been tested and verified through simulations.

The objective of this study was to formulate once-a-day extended-release (ER) pellet system of imidafenacin (IDN), a recently approved urinary antispasmodic agent with twice-a-day dosing regimen. The sugar sphere pellets were firstly layered with IDN and hypromellose and then coated with Eudragit RS (copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic acid esters), employed as a release modifier, using a fluid-bed coater. Solid-state characterizations using solid-state X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimeter indicated that the antispasmodic agent was homogeneously layered onto the pellets in an amorphous state. Drug release from multiple-unit ER system was effectively retarded in proportion to the amount of Eudragit RS in the outer layer, with a high correlation value above 0.86. In a pharmacokinetic evaluation in beagle dogs, the plasma concentration profile of IDN was markedly protracted by ER pellets, exhibiting delayed the time needed to reach the maximum drug concentration and the elimination half-life in plasma, compared to the commercial immediate release form (Uritos® tablet, Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Japan). Therefore, the novel ER pellets can be a promising tool for oral IDN therapy, providing a once-a-day dosing regimen, and thus, improving patient compliance.

With the aim of producing hydrogen at low cost and with a high conversion efficiency, steam methane reforming (SMR) was carried out under moderate operating conditions in a Pd-based composite membrane reactor packed with a commercial Ru/Al2O3 catalyst. A Pd-based composite membrane with a thickness of 4–5 μm was prepared on a tubular stainless steel support (diameter of 12.7 mm, length of 450 mm) using electroless plating (ELP). The Pd-based composite membrane had a hydrogen permeance of 2.4 × 10−3 mol m−1 s−1 Pa−0.5 and an H2/N2 selectivity of 618 at a temperature of 823 K and a pressure difference of 10.1 kPa. The SMR test was conducted at 823 K with a steam-to-carbon ratio of 3.0 and gas hourly space velocity of 1000 h−1; increasing the pressure difference resulted in enhanced methane conversion, which reached 82% at a pressure difference of 912 kPa. To propose a guideline for membrane design, a process simulation was conducted for conversion enhancement as a function of pressure difference using Aspen HYSYS®. A stability test for SMR was conducted for ∼120 h; the methane conversion, hydrogen production rate, and gas composition were monitored. During the SMR test, the carbon monoxide concentration in the total reformed stream was

RIPL peptide-conjugated liposomes (PEG-RIPL-Ls) were sterically stabilized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to prevent recognition by the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) and prolong their systemic circulation in vivo. PEG-modified maleimide-derivatized liposomes were prepared by a thin-film hydration method and RIPL peptide was conjugated via a thiol-maleimide reaction. To optimize the system, different chain lengths of PEG were used to prepare PEG-RIPL-L. PEG-RIPL-Ls were positively charged nanodispersions and docetaxel (DTX) was successfully encapsulated by pre-loading with an encapsulation efficiency and drug loading capacity of 31–35% and 15–20 μg/mg, respectively. DTX release showed a biphasic pattern, with rapid release in the initial period of 6 h, followed by sustained release for up to 72 h. Additionally, 5 mol% PEG3000-grafted RIPL-L (PEG3K-RIPL-L) showed enhanced anti-adsorption compared to 5 mol% PEG2000-grafted RIPL-L (PEG2K-RIPL-L). Confocal microscopy and flow cytometry using a fluorescence probe (FITC-dextran) demonstrated the greatest stealth effect of PEG3K-RIPL-L. Further analysis of cellular uptake showed that PEG3K-RIPL-L maintained target-selective intracellular delivery capacity. Cytotoxicity analysis demonstrated that PEG3K-RIPL-L had a 1.8-fold lower IC50 value than DTX-Sol. Steric stabilization of RIPL-L was successfully achieved by surface modification with PEG3K, and thus PEG3K-RIPL-L shows potential as a nanocarrier for targeted drug delivery in blood circulation.

Herein, a methane steam reforming (MSR) reaction was carried out using a Pd composite membrane reactor packed with a commercial Ru/Al2O3 catalyst under mild operating conditions, to produce hydrogen with CO2 capture. The Pd composite membrane was fabricated on a tubular stainless steel support by the electroless plating (ELP) method. The membrane exhibited a hydrogen permeance of 2.26 × 10−3 mol m2 s−1 Pa−0.5, H2/N2 selectivity of 145 at 773 K, and pressure difference of 20.3 kPa. The MSR reaction, which was carried out at steam to carbon ratio (S/C) = 3.0, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) = 1700 h−1, and 773 K, showed that methane conversion increased with the pressure difference and reached 79.5% at ΔP = 506 kPa. This value was ∼1.9 time higher than the equilibrium value at 773 K and 101 kPa. Comparing with the previous studies which introduced sweeping gas for low hydrogen partial pressure in the permeate stream, very high pressure difference (2500–2900 kPa) for increase of hydrogen recovery and very low GHSV (

Maglev (Magnetic levitation) technology is an effective way for transport to move without contacting with the ground so that it reduces friction and allows high speeds compared to any other vehicles. One of applications using maglev technology is the maglev tray system which has been introduced for carrying OLED displays. In the maglev tray system, 20 gap sensors are installed at the right and left side to measure the vertical displacement between the tray and sensor. Due to inevitable sensor installation error, fluctuated pitching motion of the tray occurs at high speed and it is hard to obtain the accurate gap measurement. Moreover, fluctuated pitching motion of the tray affects a negative effect on transport of OLED displays. In this paper, we develop an algorithm to estimate the sensor installation error and calibrate sensor offset. The measurements from gap sensor are used to estimate the mathematical correlation between its amplitude in the frequency domain and sensor offset. Using the iteration method, the accurate parameters in a linear equation are computed. The results show that our algorithmic process has been verified and we successfully obtain the results of calibrating the sensor offset.

Nutritional risk screening (NRS) score has been reported as a predictor of postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing abdominal surgery, although the correlation between NRS and anastomotic leakage (AL) after rectal cancer surgery is uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the association between NRS score and AL following rectal cancer surgery. We retrospectively reviewed data of rectal cancer patients from a tertiary referral center in South Korea, and included 1063 patients with primary rectal cancer who underwent sphincter-preserving surgery between January 2011 and December 2015. We utilized the Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital-Nutritional Risk Screening Tool (CNUHH-NRST), which was developed and cross-validated on the basis of the NRS 2002 and MST, as a screening tool of nutritional risk. Patients with NRS scores ≥4 were compared with those with NRS scores

The ability to improve and to modulate the heterogeneous charge transfer kinetics of two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, such as MoS2, is a major challenge for electrochemical and photoelectrochemical applications of these materials. Here we report a continuous and reversible physical method for modulating the heterogeneous charge transfer kinetics at a monolayer MoS2 working electrode supported on a SiO2/p-Si substrate. The heavily doped p-Si substrate serves as a back gate electrode; application of a gate voltage (VBG) to p-Si tunes the electron occupation in the MoS2 conduction band and shifts the conduction band edge position relative to redox species dissolved in electrolyte in contact with the front side of the MoS2. The gate modulation of both charge density and energy band alignment impacts charge transfer kinetics as measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Specifically, cyclic voltammograms combined with numerical simulations suggest that the standard heterogeneous charge transfer rate constant (k0...

This paper presents the analysis and experimental of the effective normal force and power consumption in a maglev vehicle. A maglev vehicle employs the electromagnets as suspension and linear motors for propulsion. These components give the higher ride comfort but suffered from energy efficiency. Therefore, a vector control-based algorithm and various air gaps are employed to increase the propulsion efficiency and lower the system energy consumption. The effective levitation load according to the levitation gap and normal force of a linear induction motor is calculated by power consumption in a levitation system and compared with finite-element analysis results. The experiment is carried out with the full-scaled train in test line and the efficiency of a propulsion system is also presented.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of lymph node distribution (LND) in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Methods A total of 519 patients with primary rectal cancer who underwent curative resection after neoadjuvant chemoradiation were included. LND was classified into four groups: LND0, no lymph node metastasis (368/519, 70.9%); LNDp, lymph node metastasis along the inferior mesenteric artery (proximal) (15/519, 2.9%); LNDm, lymph node metastasis at the mesorectum (109/519, 21.0%); and LNDpm, lymph node metastasis at both the proximal and mesorectal areas (27/519, 5.2%). Clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed to identify independent prognostic factors. Results In patients with positive lymph nodes, LND showed superior discrimination for 3-year DFS (LNDp 67.7%, LNDm 48.9%, and LNDpm 26.8%, P = 0.003) and 3-year LRFS (LNDp 93.3%, LNDm 81.4%, and LNDpm 60.5%, P = 0.009) compared to ypN stage (3-year DFS, N1 47.8%, N2 40.0%, P = 0.184; 3-year LRFS, N1 79.4%, N2 75.2%, P = 0.527). On multivariate survival analysis, LND was an independent prognostic factor for LRFS (P = 0.030) in patients with positive lymph nodes. Conclusions LND may improve the prognostic value of the ypTNM staging system for patients with node-positive rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation, particularly in terms of local recurrence.

In this paper, a multi-stage catalyst-adsorbent reactor consisting of a series of catalyst and adsorbent beds is proposed for an effective tetrafluoromethane (CF4) abatement and conversion of corrosive hydrogen fluoride (HF) to CaF2, a useful chemical. Experimentally, enhanced CF4 conversions were observed in multi-stage catalyst-adsorbent reactors compared to a zero-stage reactor (catalyst bed only) confirming sorption-enhanced CF4 hydrolysis due to selective removal of HF during reaction. In addition, some useful design guidelines to select the number of stages and a proper time to replace adsorbents are presented. To develop a process simulation model to represent experimental data, Aspen HYSYS®, a commercial process simulator, was used providing a proper model to match experimental data quite reasonably. Based on experimental and simulative studies, a three- or four-stage catalyst-adsorbent reactor is recommended for CF4 abatement considering both reactor performance and capital/operating expenditures. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In this paper, the robust control method is proposed for air-gap positioning of magnetic levitation systems considering levitation disturbance forces caused by propulsion systems. Even though the disturbance effect occurs inevitably by propulsion systems, it is very difficult or impossible to be measured by sensors in real time. In order to maintain the constant air-gap position according to the reference command in the propulsion state of the vehicle, robust control for electromagnetic suspension against levitation disturbance force is highly required. The disturbance force caused by propulsion systems is predicted by the finite-element method analysis of the magnetic flux distribution. Based on the analyzed result, the robust and optimal levitation controller is designed by the convex optimization method for the proposed proportional integral derivative controller with the inner feedback compensator stabilizing the nonlinear plant. The proposed controller has the formulation of the conventional full-state feedback optimal controller based on state-output matching for the unmeasured state. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is verified by simulation and finite-element method analysis.

The potential for gut microbiota to impede or enhance pathogen transmission is well-documented but the factors that shape this microbiota in mosquito vectors are poorly understood. We characterized and compared the gut microbiota of adult females of Culex restuans (Theobald; Diptera: Culicidae) from different parents. Cx. restuans larvae from nine field-collected egg rafts were reared on a common diet and gut microbiota of newly emerged adult females characterized by MiSeq sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. Bacterial diversity and evenness in individuals from one egg raft were significantly lower compared to those of three of the other eight egg rafts. The gut microbiota of adult females reared from seven of the nine egg rafts clustered together suggesting that individuals from most egg rafts had similar profiles of gut microbiota. These findings suggest that the microbiota of adult females from the same parents do not differ appreciably from the microbiota of adult females from different parents. However, additional studies using mosquitoes separated by geographic distances greater than those studied here and estimating the genetic distances between populations from different egg rafts are needed to provide further insights into the influence of host genetics on gut microbiota. Also worthwhile are studies evaluating how individuals from different egg rafts and harboring different gut microbiota compare in relation to vector competence for different pathogens.

// Dong Woo Yeom 1, * , Bo Ram Chae 1, 2, * , Jin Han Kim 1 , Jun Soo Chae 1 , Dong Jun Shin 1 , Chang Hyun Kim 1 , Sung Rae Kim 1 , Ji Ho Choi 1 , Seh Hyon Song 2 , Dongho Oh 2 , Se Il Sohn 2 and Young Wook Choi 1 1 College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea 2 Daewon Pharm. Co., Ltd, Seoul 04994, Republic of Korea * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Young Wook Choi, email: ywchoi@cau.ac.kr Keywords: valsartan; SMEDDS; solid carrier; tablet; optimization Received: June 27, 2017 Accepted: September 20, 2017 Published: October 09, 2017 ABSTRACT In order to improve the dissolution and oral bioavailability of valsartan (VST), and reduce the required volume for treatment, we previously formulated a supersaturable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SuSMEDDS) composed of VST (80 mg), Capmul ® MCM (13.2 mg), Tween ® 80 (59.2 mg), Transcutol ® P (59.2 mg), and Poloxamer 407 (13.2 mg). In the present study, by using Florite ® PS-10 (119.1 mg) and Vivapur ® 105 (105.6 mg) as solid carriers, VST-loaded solidified SuSMEDDS (S-SuSMEDDS) granules were successfully developed, which possessed good flow properties and rapid drug dissolution. By introducing croscarmellose sodium (31 mg) as a superdisintegrant, S-SuSMEDDS tablets were also successfully formulated, which showed fast disintegration and high dissolution efficiency. Preparation of granules and tablets was successfully optimized using D-optimal mixture design and 3-level factorial design, respectively, resulting in percentage prediction errors of

To produce hydrogen with a low CO concentration, steam methane reforming (SMR) was conducted in a Pd membrane reactor containing a methanation catalyst on the permeation side. Pd membranes were prepared by electroless plating (ELP) on porous stainless-steel and Inconel supports to achieve methanation. Compared with stainless-steel, Inconel support reduced the CO concentration by methanation. However, the membranes prepared by one-step ELP exhibited low selectivity and high CO concentrations, which was not suitable for use in low-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (LT-PEMFCs). To increase the hydrogen selectivity, a two-step vacuum-assisted ELP (VA–ELP) method was established. Hydrogen selectivity was increased by ~5 times (from 70 to 335) with this method, and hydrogen could be produced with a CO concentration of 200 ppm. However, for use in LT-PEMFCs, the CO concentration in the fuel stream is required to be below 10 ppm to prevent anode poisoning. Therefore, to further reduce the CO concentration, Ni/Al2O3, a methanation catalyst, was introduced on the permeation side of the Pd membrane reactor. SMR tests were conducted at 723 K, membrane pressure difference of 507 kPa, and gas hourly space velocity of 1200 h−1. The permeate stream produced under these conditions contained 4 ppm of CO with 97.7% H2, which is suitable for use in LT-PEMFCs.

Intravesical instillation of a poloxamer 407 (PLX)-based hydrogel offers advantages such as thermo-sensitivity and sol-to-gel transition, but its utility is limited by urinary obstruction and insufficient bladder residence time. To overcome these obstacles, a floating PLX-hydrogel (FPH) was developed using sodium bicarbonate (BC) as a floating agent and hyaluronic acid (HA) as a gel strength modulator. The FPH composition was optimized using the Box-Behnken design with three independent variables: X1 [PLX concentration, 23.91%], X2 [BC concentration, 5.15%], and X3 [HA concentration, 3.49%]. The quadratic model was the best fit (desirability function, 0.623), resulting in response parameters of Y1 [floating time, 53.7 s], Y2 [gelation temperature gap, 20.3°C], and Y3 [duration time of gel, 396.7 min]. Rheological observations revealed the mechanical rigidity (storage modulus > loss modulus at elevated temperature) of the optimized FPH (phase transition temperature, 15.08°C). Gel erosion and drug release studies were performed using the gravimetric method; the remaining FPH fraction decreased exponentially with time, and gemcitabine release was biphasic and surface erosion-controlled. In vivo buoyancy was evaluated in rats using ultrasonography; these results were similar to those of the in vitro floating behavior. Thus, optimized FPH for intravesical instillation is a prospective option for bladder cancer treatment.

Organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) based electronics has been under extensive investigation over the last three decades. Dramatic improvements have been made during this time in terms of basic device performance and stability, yet a formidable challenge remains as to how to disentangle highly complex interplays between the materials properties, device layouts, and final circuit topologies, knowing that there are simply too may possible choices for synthetically diverse, solution-processable organic electronics. In this presentation, we highlight some of our latest researches on robust simulation-based design and realization of novel organic semiconductor logic systems. We first demonstrate the possibility of guided data-level matching at the organic lateral heterojunction ternary inverters that utilize a charge anti-ambipolarity. Here, it is found that controlling the energetic diffusion barrier and minority carrier mobility is the key to obtain the evenly distributed logic values. We then switch the topic to the recently reported 3-D complementary inverter circuits where the p-type and n-type transistors are vertically integrated with a reduced circuit footprint. We focus on the critical effects of the charge injection barriers into the unintentionally doped organic semiconductors, and reveal that the systematic contact efficiency variation leads to a largely improved signal amplification gain, as well as un unusual development of the multi-valued logic behaviors up to the quaternary level. Such results clearly demonstrate that physically-based device simulation has a strong capability of correlating various influential parameters at relevant focus levels, thus paving the way toward a totally predictive engineering paradigm of new materials-based electronics platforms.

In this paper, a direct link between contact properties of the transistor and electrical behaviors of the display system is established. Employing a liquid-crystal display driven by organic thin-film transistors as a model platform, systematic simulation of the image pixel circuit is performed to investigate this critical relationship. An elevated contact resistance at the transistor level is found to have a profound impact on charging dynamics of cell capacitors, revealing the importance of rendering such effects in designing advanced display electronics.

In this paper, a series of processes are performed to assess the degree of infection in a subject’s blood infected with malaria. This process improves the existing testing method’s inefficiencies to assess the results obtained of the infected blood. Image processing algorithm was constructed to establish a standardized test procedure as a way to process the information. The algorithm is built to process the images obtained from the microscopic image of the infected blood and detect the extent of Plasmodium infection which is the cause of Malaria Disease. The images obtained from the infected red blood cells and uninfected red blood cells are processed using the image processing algorithm to distinguish the number of cells infected by malaria in the infected blood. A quantitative analysis is carried out using the results to evaluate the extent of the infection in the blood cells. To establish the relationship between the number of infected and uninfected cells, the algorithm was constructed based on color image processing through HSV color space and morphological image processing techniques. The key configuration for the proposed algorithm is the morphological image processing technique which clearly divide the red blood cells in the micrograph based on the extent of penetration of plasmodium in the blood cells using the clamp splitting method and categorize the infected blood cells.

Background We aimed to elucidate the effects of arachnoid plasty (ARP) on chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) occurrence following clipping surgery. Methods In total 217 patients (ARP, n = 97; non-ARP, n = 120) who had undergone unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) surgical clipping via the pterional approach were retrospectively assessed. Predisposing factors for CSDH development following the surgery were investigated. Thickness and volume of the subdural fluid collection (SDFC) were measured to determine whether ARP affects postoperative SDFC. Results The occurrence of postoperative CSDH was higher in patients without ARP compared to those with ARP (12.5 vs. 3.1%; P = 0.01). In multivariate analyses, having an SDFC volume ≥15 mL on postoperative day (POD) 8, (odds ratio [OR] = 15.113; range = 3.159–72.290), and male sex (OR = 4.274; range = 1.291–14.148) were identified as independent predictive factors. Having had ARP (OR = 0.228; range = 0.056–0.927) was, as an independent variable, negatively correlated with the occurrence of CSDH (P < 0.05). Moreover, SDFC volume ≥15 ml on POD 8 was significantly less common in the ARP group compared with the non-ARP group (P = 0.03). Conclusion Patients who underwent ARPs developed fewer CSDHs following UIA clipping surgery. The factors that predicted the development of CSDH included male sex, SDFC volume on POD 8, and ARP. In addition, the ARP patients had lower SDFC volumes (

Objective An experiment was conducted to isolate and identify new methanogens in Korea from an anaerobic digester that uses pig slurry. Methods An anaerobic digestate sample was collected from an anaerobic digester using pig slurry. Pre-reduced media were used for the growth and isolation of methanogens. Growth temperature range, pH range, NaCl concentration range, substrate utilization, and antibiotic tolerance were investigated to determine the physiological characteristics of isolated methanogens. The isolates were also examined microscopically for their morphology and Gram-stained. Polymerase chain reaction of 16S rRNA and mcrA gene-based amplicons was used for identification purpose. Results Four strains, designated KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6, were isolated and were non-motile, irregular coccoid, and 0.5 to 1.5 μm in diameter. Moreover, the cell walls of isolated strains were Gram-negative. KOR-3 and KOR-4 strains used acetate for methane production but did not use H2+CO2, formate, or methanol as a growth substrate KOR-5 and KOR-6 strains utilized acetate, methanol, and trimethylamine for methanogenesis but did not use H2+CO2 or formate as a growth substrate. The optimum temperature and pH for growth of four strains were 39°C and 6.8 to 7.2, respectively. The optimum concentration of NaCl for growth of KOR-3, KOR-5, and KOR-6 were 1.0% (w/v). The optimum NaCl concentration for KOR-4 was 0.5% (w/v). All of the strains tolerated ampicillin, penicillin G, kanamycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline; however, chloramphenicol inhibited cell growth. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and mcrA genes demonstrated that strains KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6 are related to Methanosarcina mazei (M. mazei, 99% sequence similarity). Conclusion On the basis of physiological and phylogenetic characteristics, strains KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6 are proposed to be new strains within the genus Methanosarcina, named M. mazei KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6.

Background and Aims The CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) is found in approximately 30% of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases. However, the role of CIMP status in predicting oncologic outcomes in curatively resected CRC is still unclear. Study Between January 2006 and December 2006, we retrospectively reviewed 157 consecutive patients who underwent curative surgery for CRC. Prognostic significance of CIMP status was evaluated using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Results CIMP-high (H) and CIMP-none/low (N/L) tumors were found in 50 cases (31.8%) and 107 cases (68.2%), respectively. CIMP-H tumors were significantly associated with female sex, colonic location, poorly/mucinous histologic type, higher T category, perineural invasion, and MSI-high status (P = 0.001). During a median of 64.5 months, tumor recurrence developed in 47 (29.9%) patients. The 5-year disease-free survival for CIMP-H and CIMP-N/L was 61.4% and 76.3% (P = 0.018). In addition, multivariate analysis showed that CIMP-H was also a significant prognostic factor (P = 0.042). When analysis was performed according to anatomical location, more marked survival differences were observed in patients with colon cancer (P = 0.026) than in patients with rectal cancer (P = 0.210). Similarly, the role of CIMP status as a prognostic indicator was more prominent in patients with stage I/II (P = 0.006) than in patients with stage III/IV CRC (P = 0.65). Conclusions DNA methylation status can be considered as a useful predictor of survival after CRC surgery, particularly for patients with stage I/II disease or colon cancer.

Mitochondrial dynamics are associated with the development of porcine embryos. However, little is known about the effects of mitochondrial dynamics-related genes (Drp1 and pDrp1-Ser616) on early porcine embryo development. Here, we investigated the effect of Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission signaling on the development of porcine embryos using the mitochondrial fission inducer, tyrphostin A9 (TA9). We determined that TA9 (1μM) treated embryos were increased the mitochondrial functions, blastocyst development rate and quality, as well as decreased mitochondria-specific superoxide and mitochondrial apoptosis. Thus, TA9-induced appropriate mitochondrial fission improved the developmental competence via maintenance of a balance in mitochondrial dynamics in porcine embryo.

In this study, we developed a three-stage catalyst-adsorbent reactor for the catalytic hydrolysis of CF4. Each stage is composed of a catalyst bed followed by an adsorbent bed using Ca(OH)2 to remove HF. The three stages are connected in series to enhance the hydrolysis of CF4 and eliminate a scrubber to dissolve HF in water at the same time. With a 10 wt-% Ce/Al2O3 catalyst prepared by the incipient wetness method using boehmite and a granular calcium hydroxide as an adsorbent, the CF4 conversion in our proposed reactor was 7%–23% higher than that in a conventional single-bed catalytic reactor in the temperature range of 923–1023 K. In addition, experimental and numerical simulation (Aspen HYSYS®) results showed a reasonable trend of increased CF4 conversion with the adsorbent added and these results can be used as a useful design guideline for our newly proposed multistage reactor system.

Dissolving microneedle (DMN), a transdermal drug delivery system in which drugs are encapsulated in a biodegradable polymeric microstructure, is designed to dissolve after skin penetration and release the encapsulated drugs into the body. However, because of limited loading capacity of drugs within microsized structures, only a small dosage can be delivered, which is often insufficient for patients. We propose a novel DMN application that combines topical and DMN application simultaneously to improve skin permeation efficiency. Drugs in pretreated topical formulation and encapsulated drugs in DMN patch are delivered into the skin through microchannels created by DMN application, thus greatly increasing the delivered dose. We used 4-n-butylresorcinol to treat human hyperpigmentation and found that sequential application of serum formulation and DMNs was successful. In skin distribution experiments using Alexa Fluor 488 and 568 dyes as model drugs, we confirmed that the pretreated serum formulation was delivered into the skin through microchannels created by the DMNs. In vitro skin permeation and retention experiments confirmed that this novel combined application delivered more 4-n-butylresorcinol into the skin than traditional DMN-only and serum-only applications. Moreover, this combined application showed a higher efficacy in reducing patients' melanin index and hyperpigmented regions compared with the serum-only application. As combined application of DMNs on serum-treated skin can overcome both dose limitations and safety concerns, this novel approach can advance developments in transdermal drug delivery.

A turbopump is used to pressurize propellants to gain high thrust in a projectile and consists of two pumps and a turbine. The pumps usually employ an inducer upstream to prevent performance deterioration by lowering net positive suction head required of the main impeller. However, several types of cavitation and instabilities take place in the flow field. Therefore, numerous experiments and CFD analysis for turbopumps have been conducted. Especially, there were some previous studies on inducer tip clearance, but they were limited to inducer regions due to the complexity of simulating the entire pump. In this study, the flow through an oxidizer pump in a turbopump was numerically investigated with four different sizes of inducer tip clearances. ANSYS CFX 13.0 with Rayleigh–Plesset equation was used to test flows in both non-cavitating and cavitating conditions. In the non-cavitating condition, the pump with the largest inducer tip clearance showed the worst head rise, efficiency and huge size of backflow arose near inducer casing. Also, the vortex was generated between the inducer blades in the case of large inducer tip clearance due to weak tip leakage flow. In the cavitating condition, the inducer with large tip clearance was found to be vulnerable to low suction pressure and floating cavity was observed between the inducer blades. However, the heads of the pumps with different inducer tip clearances were broken down at similar cavitation numbers due to the blade cavitation near the impeller throat. In addition, the transferred cavity from the inducer region also induced head breakdown of the pump.

Targeted drug delivery systems using nanocarriers for anticancer drugs have been investigated for over several decades. Among the many nanocarrier systems, lipid-based nanocarriers such as liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers have afforded attention as a carrier system to improve the efficacy of anticancer drugs. Recent efforts have focused on cancer cell-specific drug delivery through the functionalization of the surface of lipid-based nanocarriers with various ligands such as targeting moieties, cell-penetrating peptides, and cell-penetrating homing peptides to overcome non-selectivity, minimize side effects, and enhance antitumor efficacy. However, the use of ligand modification has been limited because the nanocarriers were easily recognized by the mononuclear phagocyte system and thus rapidly removed from the blood circulation. To achieve prolonged systemic circulation, nanocarriers were further modified with protective polymers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG). Unexpectedly, this presented a PEG dilemma, as the interaction of ligands with the target was hindered and induced poor cellular uptake. Recently, stimuli-sensitive cleavage of the PEG coat, following recognition of the cancer cell microclimate, such as low pH, redox-potential, and over-expressed enzymes, was established to solve this problem. This review presents a comprehensive overview on the current state of surface-modified lipid-based nanocarriers for the improved delivery of anticancer drugs.

In this study, we present an intermetallic diffusion barrier coating using a newly developed blowing coating method for a thermally stable Pd-based composite membrane on porous stainless steel (PSS). A tubular PSS sample with 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) in diameter and 450 mm in length was used for the support. The support was welded with a stainless-steel cap and a 450-mm-long stainless-steel tube for each end. Before the diffusion barrier coating, the large-sized entrance pores were gradually blocked with sub-micron (∼500 nm) and nano (50–80 nm) yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ). 8YSZ, i.e., 8wt.% YSZ, was used for the interdiffusion barrier material and dispersed on the surface of the pre-treated PSS using the blowing coating method. The blowing coating method has 4 steps: (i) spraying the 17 wt. % 8YSZ paste on the surface of the PSS tube, (ii) blowing the paste using compressed air, (iii) drying at room temperature, and (iv) heat treatment at 923 K for 2 h in air. Steps (i) and (ii) were repeated 3 times to have a ∼240 nm thick 8YSZ layer. A thin palladium layer (∼3 μm) was deposited on the pre-treated PSS using electroless plating, and the membrane stability was tested at 673–773 K for ∼ 200 h. A hydrogen permeation flux of 9.86 × 10 −2 mol m −2 s −1 and an H 2 /N 2 selectivity of 595 were obtained at 773 K and a transmembrane pressure difference of 20 kPa. The surface and cross-sectional SEM/EDX analysis confirmed that the 8YSZ layer sufficiently prevented the interdiffusion between Pd and PSS elements, such as Fe, Cr and Ni.

Metal oxide (MOx) dielectric materials are considered to be a key element for diverse thin-film electronic systems owing to their superior electrical and mechanical properties. While the vast majority of conventional methods for processing these materials rely on vacuum-based deposition, which seriously limits their potential for practical applications, the solution-based deposition of sol-gel MOx materials can ideally reduce both material and processing costs by introducing large-area printing methods. Nonetheless, the fundamental understanding of their film-forming mechanisms and optimum device architectures is still immature, and significant efforts should be devoted to reducing both temperature and duration for MOx polycondensation and film densification. This article reviews recent advances in solution-based MOx dielectric materials, with a specific focus on the extensive categorization of their structures/compositions and on advanced approaches for realizing ultimate material properties and next-generation device platforms. We expect that this review will manifest the strong potentials of sol-gel MOx dielectric materials toward all-solution-processed low-voltage transparent electronics with freedom in mechanical form factors along with unrivaled performance.

Recently, the demand of maglev systems in the manufacturing industry for LCD and OLED display panels, which are required to be very clean and possess vacuum systems, has been increasing due to their characteristics such as being non-contact, noise free and eco-friendly. However, it is still a challenge to simultaneously control both the propulsion and levitation for their interactive effect difficult to be exactly measured. In this paper, we proposed a new tuning method for controlling the magnetic levitation force robustly against the levitation disturbance caused by a propulsion system, based on LQ servo optimal control. The disturbance torque of the LSM propulsion system is calculated through FEM analysis in such a way that the LQ servo controller is determined in order to minimize the effect of the disturbance. The robust performance of the proposed LQ servo control method for the in-track type magnetic levitation systems is demonstrated via simulations and experiments.

OBJECTIVE For patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs), the information transfer that precedes informed consent needs to be in-depth and detailed, as most patients with a UIA have no symptoms, yet the risks related to treatment are relatively high. Thus, in this study an educational and interactive program was proposed for patients with UIAs to improve the informed consent process and assess the level of comprehension. METHODS A total of 110 patients with UIAs underwent the proposed educational and interactive informed consent (EIIC) process and were enrolled in this study. The EIIC process combines patient education using information booklets, a cartoon book, a video, an initial physician-patient interview, answering a questionnaire, a second physician-patient interview based on the questionnaire results, and finally consent. After the first physician-patient interview that provides the patient with specific information, including his or her angiographic characteristics, medical condition, and recommended treatment, the patient is requested to answer a questionnaire composed of 3 parts: demographic information, including the patient's age, sex, and years of education; 13 medical questions to assess the patient's knowledge about his or her UIA; and an evaluation of the usefulness of the educational resources. The control group consisted of 65 patients from 3 other tertiary university hospitals where the EIIC process was not used. RESULTS The questionnaire scores of the EIIC group ranged from 7 to 13 (mean ± SD: 11.9 ± 1.3) and were significantly higher than those for the controls (10.2 ± 1.9, p < 0.001). The better comprehension of the patients in the EIIC group was remarkable as they were significantly older than those in the control group (62.7 ± 8.3 years vs 55.9 ± 10.5 years, respectively; p < 0.001). For both the EIIC group and the control group, a Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation (r = 0.232 for the EIIC group, r = 0.603 for controls) between the years of education and the questionnaire score (p = 0.015 for the EIIC group, p < 0.001 for the controls), whereas no correlation was found between the patient age and the questionnaire score. For the EIIC group, the verbal information from the attending physician was selected by 90 patients (81.8%) as the most useful and informative educational method, while the most effective reinforcement of this verbal communication was the video (n = 86; 78.2%), information booklets (n = 16; 14.5%), the Internet (n = 7; 6.4%), and the cartoon book (n = 1; 0.9%). CONCLUSIONS The proposed standardized EIIC process resulted in good patient comprehension about UIAs. The verbal information from the attending physician was the most informative, and the video was the most effective reinforcement of the verbal communication. The patient level of comprehension was shown to be correlated with years of education.