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Purpose: This study investigated the effects of shoulder protraction exercise according to weight by examining the surface electromyog raphy (EMG) amplitude in the serratus anterior (SA), upper trapezius (UT), and pectoralis major (PM) as well as the activity ratio of each muscle. Methods: Twenty three winging scapula subjects participated in the study. The subjects performed scapula protraction at shoulder 90˚ flexion and 60˚ horizontal abduction with up to four (none, 1kg, 1.5kg, and 2kg) dumbbells in the supine position. The EMG data were collected from the dominant side muscles during a shoulder protraction exercise according to weight in the supine position. One way re peated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the normalized activities of the SA, UT, and PM and the ratios of PM/SA and UT/SA. Results: The results showed that the activities of both the SA and UT were highest for the shoulder protraction exercise at 2kg in the su pine position. The UT/SA ratio also was the lowest for exercise at 2kg. On the other hand, the activities of both the UT and PM/SA ratio were similar under all conditions. Conclusion: These results show that there is a need to selectively strengthen the SA muscle in the case of patients with the shoulder dysfunction. In particular, it is necessary to weigh 2kg when performing shoulder protraction exercises in the supine position to activate the SA muscle in patients with a winging scapula.

An approach for various programmable 3D structures based on commercially available perfluorinated sulfonic-acid ionomers (PFSAs) is presented. The uniaxial stretching induces the hydrophilic channe...

Context: Several factors, such as balance and respiration training programs, have been identified as contributing to a shooting performance. However, little is known about the benefits of these programs on the shooting records of adolescent air rifle athletes. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether balance and respiration training can contribute to the shooting performance required for adolescent air rifle shooting athletes. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Shooting range. Participants: A total of 21 adolescent air rifle athletes were recruited from the local school community and assigned to an experimental (n = 11; EG) or control (n = 10; CG) group. Intervention: The EG performed respiration and balance training for 30 minutes 3 times a week for 6 weeks, and the CG performed balance training only. Main Outcome Measures: Data were collected on the respiratory function, muscle activity, and shooting record before and after the 6-week intervention. Results: The forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expired volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1 as a percentage of FVC, peak expiratory flow, and maximum voluntary ventilation were significantly increased in the EG, and FEV1 as a percentage of FVC was significantly increased in the CG (P P P P P Conclusions: The clinical significance of this study is the balance and respiration training affected the respiration function capacity and muscle activity, but did not affect the shooting record. Nevertheless, these training are a potential approach method to improve athletes’ shooting record.

An attempt has been made to use an instrumented TUG (iTUG) that complements the limitations of the traditional “timed up and go” (TUG). However, the variables that represent the characteristics of a faller have been reported to be different among preceding studies with iTUG. Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop a fall prediction model based on three years follow-up study with iTUG. Total 69 subjects participated in this experiment: 26 fallers (4 male and 22 female) who fell within 12 months from the first year measurement date and those newly fallen within 12 months from the second and third year measurement day were added up, and 43 non-fallers (11 male and 32 female) who had no falls. ITUG was performed once a year (two experiments per year) for three consecutive years using IMU sensor system (APDM Inc.). Among 30 variables, the final fall prediction model with logistic regression analysis consisted of five variables such as the duration of the total and the sit-to-stand phase, peak velocity of trunk sagittal plane and range of motion of trunk horizontal plane during gait phase and peak turn velocity during the turn-to-sit phase. Prediction accuracy using the receiver operation characteristic curve was 69.9 %. It is necessary to develop a more accurate fall prediction model by increasing the follow-up period and adding the numbers of the fallers. Further, it is important to identify meaningful variables by consecutive years rather than simple annual comparison.

This paper evaluates the NVH characteristics of an air compressor for fuel cell electric vehicles(FCEVs) by conducting experimental as well as on-road tests. For the experiment, five eddy-current-type displacement sensors measured the vibration amplitudes of the shaft at the impeller and thrust runner ends, one three-axis accelerometer measured the acceleration of the compressor housing, and one microphone placed 1 m away from the test air compressor measured the acoustic pressure during rotor speed-up and coastdown up to 100 k r/min. For the on-road test, the air compressor was installed under the stack frame of a proto-type FCEV. The stack frame supports a fuel cell stack and is fixed on the sub-frame of the FCEV. In addition to five eddy-current-type displacement sensors and one three-axis accelerometer installed in the air compressor housing, two three-axis accelerometers installed on the stack frame and the sub-frame measured their accelerations during FCEV speed-up and break-down up to 115 km/h. One microphone installed 30 cm behind the air compressor recorded the acoustic pressure. All measured displacements, accelerations, and acoustic pressures were analyzed in the frequency domain. The test results revealed that the air compressor has the highest rotor vibrational amplitude and housing acceleration at the maximum rotor speed of 100 k r/min. However, the vibrations of the air compressor are well dampened while transmitteed to the sub-frame of the FCEV.

End-group cross-linked sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) membranes were prepared using thiol capped SPAES (SH-SPAES) with different amounts of vinyl polysulfone (VPSf) as a polymeric cross-linker. The cross-linked membranes showed remarkably improved physicochemical stabilities compared to the corresponding linear SPAES membrane. Although the proton conductivity of the SPAES membrane composed of SPAES with the degree of sulfonation (DS) as 70 mol% could not be measured due to its low physical stability under the measurement condition, those of the cross-linked membranes were repeatedly evaluated due to the enhanced stability through the formation of cross-linked structures. The obtained proton conductivity values from cross-linked membranes are larger than those of the linear SPAES membrane which composed of SPAES with DS of 50 mol% having the ion exchange capacity (IEC) similar to that of the cross-linked membranes, especially at relative low humidity conditions. Furthermore, the fuel cell performance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) prepared with the cross-linked membrane, showing the optimized physicochemical stabilities and proton conductivity exhibited a maximum power density of 692 mW cm−2, which was larger than that with Nafion 212 (603 mW cm−2) at 80 °C under fully humidified H2/Air condition.

An experimental and theoretical approach toward enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of N-doped BiVO4 synthesized by facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal process was investigated. The photocatalytic efficiency was determined by the degradation of ibuprofen. The degradation attains 90% with an N-dopedBiVO4 (BVO-U1.25) sample, which is 19% higher than that with an undoped BiVO4. Moreover, the degradation pathways and intermediate byproducts were determined by HRQTOF-ESI/MS technique. The enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of N-doped BiVO4 was explained by the first principle density functional theory calculations. The reduction of the bandgap by lowering the conduction band, the formation of the impurity state as well as an increase in the density of states at the top of the valence band as a result of N-doping reduced the recombination rate of the charge carrier and thus enhanced the overall photocatalytic degradation.

The title compound, C22H22N2O4S2, was synthesized by the reaction of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride with 3-(methylsulfanyl)propylamine. The whole molecule is generated by an inversion operation of the asymmetric unit. This molecule has an anti form with the terminal methylthiopropyl groups above and below the aromatic diimide plane, where four intramolecular C—H...O and C—H...S hydrogen bonds are present and the O...H...S angle is 100.8°. DFT calculations revealed slight differences between the solid state and gas phase structures. In the crystal, C—H...O and C—H...S hydrogen bonds link the molecules into chains along the [2\overline20] direction. adjacent chains are interconnected by π–π interactions, forming a two-dimensional network parallel to the (001) plane. Each two-dimensional layer is further packed in an ABAB sequence along the c-axis direction. Hirshfeld surface analysis shows that van der Waals interactions make important contributions to the intermolecular contacts. The most important contacts found in the Hirshfeld surface analysis are H...H (44.2%), H...O/O...H (18.2%), H...C/C...H (14.4%), and H...S/S...H (10.2%).

Background: Forward head posture (FHP) is a postural alignment of the cervical vertebrae that leads to increased gravitational load on cervical segmental motions. The overhead arm lift test assesses the ability to actively dissociate and control low cervical flexion and move the shoulders through overhead flexion. Objects: The purpose of this study was to explore muscle activities in the upper trapezius (UT), serratus anterior (SA), sternocleidomastoid (SCM), and lower trapezius (LT) alongside changes in head position during the overhead arm lift test in individuals with FHP. Methods: Fifteen subjects with forward head posture and fifteen subjects with normal subjcects were enrolled in this study. The patients performed the overhead arm lift test, and muscle activities of the UT, SCM, SA, and LT were measured using surface electromyography and by evaluating changes in head position. Independent t-tests were used to detect significant differences between the two groups and Cohen’s d was calculated to measure the size of the mean difference between the groups. Results: The FHP group demonstrated significantly increased muscle activity of the UT (32.46±7.64), SCM (12.79±4.01), and LT (45.65±10.52) and significantly decreased activity in the SA (26.65±6.15) than the normal group. The change in head position was significantly higher in the FHP group (6.66±2.08) than the normal group. Effect sizes for all parameters assessed were large between the two groups. Conclusion: The subjects with excessive FHP displayed were unable to fix their heads in position during the overhead arm lift test. The overhead arm lift test can thus be used in clinical settings to confirm control of the neck in these subjects.

Introduction Teneligliptin, an antidiabetic agent classified as a class III dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, has a unique structural feature that provides strong binding to DPP-4 enzymes. We investigated the efficacy and safety of switching patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who had inadequate glycemic control on a stable dose of other DPP-4 inhibitors to teneligliptin. Methods Patients with T2DM whose glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were ≥ 7% despite taking DPP-4 inhibitors other than teneligliptin, with or without other hypoglycemic agents, for at least 3 months were enrolled. The DPP-4 inhibitors taken before participating in the study were switched to 20 mg qd teneligliptin, and this was to be maintained for 52 weeks. The primary end point was the change in HbA1c levels after 12 weeks. Metabolic parameters including fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and blood lipids were assessed also. To assess safety, adverse and hypoglycemic events were monitored. The data from baseline to week 12 were used for analysis in this interim report. Results The mean change in HbA1c levels from baseline to week 12 was − 0.44%. At week 12, the percentage of patients achieving HbA1c

Iron oxide (Fe2O3) aerogel powders were prepared by solvent exchange method using n-butanol without a supercritical fluid drying. The obtained aerogel powders have a porosity of 94%, a BET specific surface area of 421.1 m2/g, and an average pore size of 7.9 nm. The aerogel powders possessed a BET specific surface area of 51.8 m2/g even after calcination at 500 °C for 2 h despite the effect of pore shrinkage and particle coagulation. Initially, the Fe2O3 aerogel was amorphous, but some parts of it were changed to a crystalline structure after heat treatment.

The abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) exercise has been commonly applied to recover lumbopelvic stability and normal movement in the clinical field. Although many researchers investigated its effects using several methods, there is further need for comparing those methods. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of ADIM with three different methods including a pressure biofeedback unit, a foam-roller, and the quadruped posture on lumbopelvic rotation and muscle activities. Twenty-five healthy participants (14 males, 11 females) who volunteered for this study were randomly divided into three intervention groups. We obtained pre- and postintervention data through application of a three-dimensional motion analysis system and a surface electromyography. Results showed that lumbopelvic rotation degree was significantly decreased in all groups (P0.05). The muscle activity of internal oblique of the right side showed significant differences (P

Hydrothermal process was employed to synthesize the Yb3+/Tm3+, Yb3+/Ho3+ and Yb3+/Tm3+/Ho3+ doped BaMoO4 octahedron microcrystals (0.50–5.0 µm). The synthesized phosphors have scheelite tetragonal structure. The elemental mapping suggests the uniform distribution of elements in the samples. The oxidation state of samples were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) which indicates the existence of Ba2+, Mo6+, O, Yb3+, Tm3+ and Ho3+ in samples. The presence of rare earth ions was also verified by observation of specific absorption peaks in diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS). The tunable multicolor upconversion (UC) emissions were successfully obtained under 980 nm NIR excitation by precisely adjusting the concentration of rare earth ions. The as prepared sample exhibits blue, green and red emission as a result of energy transfer from the Yb3+ to Tm3+ and Ho3+ ions. The power dependent UC emission spectra show the two photonic processes. The energy transfer mechanism from Yb3+ to Tm3+ and Ho3+ was explained via an energy level analysis.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) monolayer is one of the most promising materials for next-generation electronic/optoelectronic devices because of its prominent piezoelectric property that can modulate Schottky barrier height and control transport behaviors without applying any external gate bias. In this work, we systematically investigated temperature dependence of piezotronic effect of chemical vapor deposition grown MoS2 monolayer by measuring transport behaviors under strains from 0% to 0.3% with various sample temperatures ranging from 270 K to 320 K. It was found that piezoelectric effect in MoS2 monolayer significantly depends on sample temperature. Due to less screening effect of piezoelectric potential generated in MoS2 with a mechanical strain at low temperature, the piezotronic effect is significantly enhanced when the sample temperature is decreased from 320 K to 270 K, revealing that the piezoelectric effect becomes stronger at lower temperature.

Background/Aims Gastrointestinal glandular stem cells renew every 8 years. New stem cells with impeded housekeeping gene methylation have unstable phenotypes and are prone to transform into malignant cells. Age-related changes in methylation in the gastric mucosa were evaluated to define the period of cancer-prone stem cell replacement.Materials and Methods Endoscopic biopsy specimens of normal-appearing gastric mucosa were obtained from 148 Helicobacter pylori-negative controls, 124 H. pylori-positive controls, and 69 gastric cancer patients with closed-type mucosal atrophy. Methylation-variable sites of two stomach-specific genes (TFF2 and TFF3) and four housekeeping genes (CDH1, ARRDC4, MMP2, and CDKN2A) were analyzed using radioisotope-labeled methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Age-related methylation was evaluated depending on the gastric mucosal atrophy at 2-year intervals. Results TFF2 methylation peaked periodically at 40 to 41, 48 to 49, 56 to 57, and 64 to 65 years of age in H. pylori-negative controls. Periodic peaks of TFF2 methylation were also found in H. pylori-positive controls. Housekeeping-gene methylation troughed at 48 to 49, 56 to 57, and 68 to 69 years of age in cancer patients. Trough methylation of CDH1 and ARRDC4 was lower in cancer patients than in H. pylori-positive controls. Conclusions Methylation peaks of stomach-specific TFF2 in controls and methylation troughs of housekeeping genes in cancer patients were found every 8 years. Periodic methylation patterns may be used to identify individuals at high risk for gastric cancer.

Although, the use of hydrocarbon membranes is one of the ways to reduce the cost of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, it cannot be practically adopted due to its low mechanical durability under a dynamic wet/dry operation. Here, we present an externally-reinforced hydrocarbon membrane achieved by a three dimensional interlocking interfacial layer which forms a strong interfacial bonding between the hydrocarbon membrane and the catalyst layers. Although a conventional hydrocarbon membrane is easily delaminated from gas diffusion electrodes, the use of the three dimensional interlocking interfacial layer, prepared with a polystyrene nanoparticle template method, enhances the interfacial adhesion by 207 times. The hydrocarbon membrane, tightly connected to the gas diffusion electrodes by the three dimensional interlocking interfacial layers, has a humidity cycling durability that is 1.9 times higher in the membrane electrode assembly level by restricting the dimensional change of the membrane. Furthermore, due to the proton conducting property of the three dimensional interlocking interfacial layer, the external reinforcement does not cause any power performance losses.

Novel nitrogen-functionalized multimodal porous graphite felt (GF) electrodes for all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) have been developed using a simple binder-free fabrication method. We synergistically combined a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM), as a carbon and nitrogen precursor, with vapor-induced phase separation. The GF with a carbonized PIM skin layer showed a high surface area and multimodal pore architecture featuring interconnected micro-, meso-, and macropores. The enhanced electrochemical reactivity and wettability , and excellent electronic conductivity of the prepared electrodes successfully improved the overall kinetics of the redox reactions of the vanadium ion species by providing highly active catalytic sites and efficient ion and electron transport pathways. This resulted in the outstanding performance of VRFB single cells using this material as electrodes.

When a material crosses its critical point or a pseudocritical temperature at which the specific heat of the material at a constant pressure is maximal, the thermal and hydraulic properties vary significantly. Buoyancy, induced by a great density variation of near-wall fluid, results in asymmetric heat transfer coefficients at the top and bottom walls of a horizontal circular channel. However, flow acceleration, which occurs in the flow direction because of significant density variations, has an identical effect on heat transfer regardless of the flow direction. For this reason, only the acceleration effect can be investigated in terms of a turbulent shear stress variation for horizontal flows. Therefore, a study on the buoyancy effect for horizontal flows is required with respect to not the shear stress variation but different aspects between the top and bottom walls. In this study, semi-empirical and empirical heat transfer models were proposed based on a mixed convection. The models were evaluated using experimental data. The semi-empirical model has a mean absolute difference (MAD), the average error, of 21.73% for the top wall and 22.35% for the bottom wall. However, the empirical model has a MAD of 10.00% for the top wall and 10.44% for the bottom wall. The proposed models significantly improve the prediction accuracy of the Nusselt number at each wall, as well as for the average Nusselt number compared to the previous correlations.

The Gyrotonic expansion system comprises three-dimensional (3D) spinal motion that not only improves functional spinal motion but also increases muscular strength and flexibility around the spine. This study aimed to demonstrate the clinical effect of Gyrotonic exercise on patients with chronic low back pain by comparing between Gyrotonic and trunk stability exercises. This study included 26 subjects with chronic low back pain patients and who were randomly assigned to the Gyrotonic exercise group or trunk stability exercise group. Each group performed their exercises 3 times a week for 4 weeks. All subjects were measured before and after the exercise for muscles activity of the erector spinae (ES), rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), and internal oblique (IO) using surface electromyography. Lumbar stability was measured using a 3D spine tester, and functional disability was measured using the Korean Oswestry disability index. In the Gyrotonic exercise group, ES and EO muscle activity significantly increased (P

Background Stroke patients have a lower quality of life than other people. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of balance and gait function of stroke patients on their quality of life. Methods Twenty-seven subjects participated in the experiment. Balance ability was assessed using a SpaceBalance 3D and a Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Gait function was measured with a Biodex Gait Trainer 2 treadmill system. The quality of life of the subjects was assessed through the Stroke specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QOL). Results Correlation analysis between balance and quality of life showed that weight bearing distribution and BBS are positive correlated with quality of life. In addition, gait speed, step length of the paretic limb, and step length of the non-paretic limb were also found to be correlated with quality of life. Conclusion Balance and gait function must all be considered in order to improve the quality of life of stroke patients.

Ether-free poly(p-phenylene)-based anion exchange membrane materials with outstanding vanadium ion blocking properties are reported. The synthesized ionomers with a rigid backbone structure show small dimensional variations despite the high ion exchange capacities. Among the synthesized membranes, the QPPP-2 membrane with ion exchange capacity of 2.1 meq·g−1 exhibits high anion (OH−, SO42−, and Cl−) conductivity. The QPPP-2 membrane shows an extremely low diffusion coefficient (2.12 × 10−9 cm2 min−1) for VO2+, which is much lower than that of Nafion 115 (2.88 × 10−6 cm2 min−1), indicating the vanadium ion blocking property of QPPP-2. Moreover, the chemical and operational stabilities of the membranes are investigated via ex situ soaking tests in 0.1 M VO2+ solution and in situ operation tests for 100 cycles, respectively. The vanadium redox flow battery single cell assembled with the QPPP-2 membrane exhibits a coulombic efficiency of 99%, voltage efficiency of 87%, and energy efficiency of 86% during 100 cycles at 80 mA cm−2. The excellent chemical, morphological, and electrochemical properties of the QPPP-2 membrane make it suitable for use in vanadium redox flow battery.

A poly(ethylene)-reinforced anion exchange membrane based on cross-linked quaternary-aminated polystyrene and quaternary-aminated poly(phenylene oxide) was developed for reverse electrodialysis. Although reverse electrodialysis is a clean and renewable energy generation system, the low power output and high membrane cost are serious obstacles to its commercialization. Herein, to lower the membrane cost, inexpensive polystyrene and poly(phenylene oxide) were used as ionomer backbones. The ionomers were impregnated into a poly(ethylene) matrix supporter and were cross-linked in situ to enhance the mechanical and chemical properties. Pre-treatment of the porous PE matrix membrane with atmospheric plasma increased the compatibility between the ionomer and matrix membrane. The fabricated membranes showed outstanding physical, chemical, and electrochemical properties. The area resistance of the fabricated membranes (0.69–1.67 Ω cm2) was lower than that of AMV (2.58 Ω cm2). Moreover, the transport number of PErC(5)QPS-QPPO was comparable to that of AMV, despite the thinness (51 μm) of the former. The RED stack with the PErC(5)QPS-QPPO membrane provided an excellent maximum power density of 1.82 W m−2 at a flow rate of 100 mL min−1, which is 20.7% higher than that (1.50 W m−2) of the RED stack with the AMV membrane.

Pyrolysis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to produce metal nanoparticles embedded inside a porous carbon matrix (M@PC) has drawn a lot of attention in recent years. Notably, Fe nanoparticles trapped in a carbon matrix (Fe@PC) have been reported to efficiently promote oxygen evolution and reduction reactions (OER/ORR). However, research on the effect of doping in Fe particles has been scarce because of the difficulty in synthesizing alloys of small size at elevated temperature. Herein, we focus on the development of bimetallic MOFs composed of Fe and a second metal M (M = Cr, Ni, Co, and Mn) made from a preassembled cluster and their sacrificial use to synthesize FeM@PC composites. After optimising the pyrolysis conditions and determining the optimal structure of an MOF template, the materials were used in the electrocatalytic OER and ORR in 0.1 M KOH aqueous solution. Results showed that Co-Fe alloy composites exhibited the best activity for the OER with a 210 mV cathodic shift to achieve 10 mA cm-2 compared to that of pure Fe@PC. On the other hand, the oxygen reduction reaction most efficiently proceeded on the Mn-Fe alloy composite, showing an 80 mV anodic shift in comparison with all other doped materials.

A visible light-induced, Cu-doped BiVO4 photocatalyst was synthesized by a microwave hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic efficiency was investigated in the degradation of model water pollutants like Methylene Blue (dye) and ibuprofen (pharmaceuticals), as well as the inactivation of Escherichia coli (bacteria). The Cu-doped BiVO4 samples showed better efficiency than undoped BiVO4, and the 1wt.% Cu-doped BiVO4 sample showed the best efficiency. The degradation of Methylene Blue reached 95%, while the degradation of ibuprofen reached 75%, and the inactivation of E. coli reached 85% in irradiation with visible light. The appearance of additional absorption band shoulders and widening of the optical absorption in the visible range makes the prepared powder an efficient visible light-driven photocatalyst. Moreover, the formation of an in-gap energy state just above the valance band as determined by density functional theory (DFT) first principle calculation, facilitates the wider optical absorption range of the doped system. Similarly, this in-gap energy state also acts as an electron trap, which is favorable for the efficient separation and photoexcited charge carriers' transfer process. The formation of oxygen vacancies due to doping also improved the separation of the charge carrier, which promoted the trapping of electrons and inhibited electron hole recombination, thus increasing the photocatalytic activity. No decrease in the efficiency of the 1wt.% Cu-doped BiVO4 photocatalyst in the degradation of ibuprofen over three consecutive cycles revealed the stability of the photocatalyst towards photocorrosion. These findings highlight the multifunctional applications of Cu-doped BiVO4 in wastewater containing multiple pollutants.

This paper presents a technique for tracking of oil slicks movement using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and external force data with optimal coefficients. The detected oil from the SAR image is used as input data for tracking model, and wind and tidal current data are used as external forces to determine the displacement of oil slick. Forward and backward trackings were performed using a set of 4 SAR images observed at the time of the Hebei Spirit accident in 2007. The movement vectors are calculated using wind and tidal current with various coefficients. All tracking results show more than 56% accuracy. The new linear equations were calculated using coefficient values with the highest accuracy and velocity values of wind and tidal current. The modified equations were used to back-track from the satellite observation time to the accident occurrence time. The simulation results shows that most of the particles of the spread oil traced back around the point of the accident with little exceptions to some particles which shifted more than the oil spill. This is because the spill time of the particles are different from each other. Thus, the proposed method will contribute to the quick response activities and the estimation of location for the source of oil pollution.

Water channel formation of non-perfluorinated proton exchange membranes (PEMs) under a low humidifying condition is a very important issue, due to weaker phase separation between hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties than in the case of perfluorinated PEMs such as Nafion. In this study, we performed Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of hydrated sulfonated polyimide (SPI) models, one of the representative non-perfluorinated PEMs, under different temperature and humidifying conditions by removing water molecules continuously, reflecting experimental conditions of actual low humidifying fuel cell. The water channel morphology of sulfonated polyimide (SPI) models had no apparent temperature dependence. The hydrated SPI models show weak water channel formation even in a fully hydrated condition (λ = 16.4), consistent with our previous study, and they do not display significant temperature dependence on the water molecule distribution. As the λ value decreases from 16.4 to 2 (i.e., low humidifying conditions), the water molecules in the hydrated SPI models are evenly reduced. In particular, when the λ value of the hydrated SPI model decreases from 8.5 to 6, the size of the water clusters is significantly narrowed and the clusters become segregated, and this is also confirmed by an X-ray scattering analysis. As a result, the proton conducting performance of hydrated SPI models shows similar behavior with the change in water channel morphologies, which will be very important to design a novel non-perfluorinated hydrocarbon PEM with high performance for practical fuel cell systems.

In most inorganic phosphors, increasing the concentration of activators inevitably causes the concentration quenching effect, resulting in reduced emission intensity at a high level of activator doping and the conventional practice is to limit the activator concentration to avoid the quenching. In contrast, SiAlON ceramics preserve their chemical composition over a very wide range of doping of activator ions, which favors the adjustment and optimization of the luminescence properties avoiding concentration quenching. Here, we investigate the photoluminescence properties of Ho-doped SiAlON (Ho-SiAlON) ceramics phosphors prepared by the hot-press method. Ho-SiAlON ceramics show strong green visible (554 nm) as well as infrared (2046 nm) broadband downshifting emissions under 348 nm excitation. It is shown that there is no concentration quenching, even at a very high level of Ho doping. The emission intensity of the 554 nm band increased two-fold when the Ho concentration is doubled. The results show that the Ho-SiAlON ceramics can be useful for efficient green phosphors.

Several detectors have been developed to measure radiation doses during radiotherapy. However, most detectors are not flexible. Consequently, the airgaps between the patient surface and detector could reduce the measurement accuracy. Thus, this study proposes a dose measurement system based on a flexible copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar cell. Our system comprises a customized CIGS solar cell (with a size 10 × 10 cm2 and thickness 0.33 mm), voltage amplifier, data acquisition module, and laptop with in-house software. In the study, the dosimetric characteristics, such as dose linearity, dose rate independence, energy independence, and field size output, of the dose measurement system in therapeutic X-ray radiation were quantified. For dose linearity, the slope of the linear fitted curve and the R-square value were 1.00 and 0.9999, respectively. The differences in the measured signals according to changes in the dose rates and photon energies were