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Cooling devices are often used with power electronics systems to allow them to operate stably over long periods of time, they help guarantee not only thermal performance but also reliability. To understand the performance of these cooling devices it is important they are verified by various types of testing, also the test results themselves should be quantified and analyzed using recognized statistical methods. For this paper, we investigated an air-cooled heat sink with heat pipes by conducting heat load, high/low temperature storage limits, accelerated life, and transport vibration tests. The collected experimental data were analyzed by statistical methods such as the independent samples t-test, the paired samples t-test, correlation analysis, process capability analysis, and the tolerance interval analysis. A newly manufactured power conditioning system had one heat sink on which the two power electronics modules were attached while providing a heat load of up to 3.2 kW. It was found that there was no deterioration in the thermal performance of the heat sink due to vibrations while being transported from the Republic of Korea to the United States. If such a heat sink is used over 20 years, it is anticipated that there will be a performance degradation of 6.2% over those years with a 95% confidence level for a B10 life. Based on our accelerated life testing, the heat sink is capable of dealing with a heat load of up to 3.1 kW over the design lifetime of 20 years. Thermal engineers should eventually introduce design margins in consideration of the reduction in quality and reliability that can occur over the lifetime of a cooling device.

Friction torque is an important parameter affecting the servo system, which will decrease with the increase of service time. With the change of friction torque, the control characteristics of the servo system will change, resulting in the servo dynamic and static performance can not meet the system requirements. On the basis of expounding the composition and working principle of gun pitching servo system, a control method of gun servo system based on fuzzy adaptive control is proposed. The problem of system performance change caused by the change of servo system parameters is solved. Through MATLAB simulation, it shows that the method can eliminate the influence of friction torque change on the system, make the system insensitive to the change of torque parameters, and meet the use requirements under various parameter conditions.

We attempted to repair full-thickness defects in the articular cartilage of the trochlear groove of the femur in 30 rabbit knee joints using allogenic cultured chondrocytes embedded in a collagen gel. The repaired tissues were examined at 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks after operation using histological and histochemical methods. The articular defect filling index measurement was derived from safranin-O stained sections. Apoptotic cellular fractions were derived from analysis of apoptosis in situ using TUNEL staining, and was confirmed using caspase-3 staining along with quantification of the total cellularity. The mean articular defect filling index decreased with time. After 24 weeks it was 0.7 (sd 0.10), which was significantly lower than the measurements obtained earlier (p < 0.01). The highest mean percentage of apoptotic cells were observed at 12 weeks, although the total cellularity decreased with time. Because apoptotic cell death may play a role in delamination after chondrocyte transplantation, anti-apoptotic gene therapy may protect transplanted chondrocytes from apoptosis.

Mash seam (MS) tailored blank (TB) welding is a production method for blanks involving welding together blanks of different material, thickness, and coating and is an attractive method for manufacturing car bodies because it leads to lighter parts, and can save cost and time in manufacture. However, quantified criteria to evaluate the quality of TB welds have not been developed. In the present work, the failure height ratio (FHR) was introduced to assess the weldability of MS welds, and the applicability of the FHR was confirmed via actual auto body forming and forming limit diagram tests. Furthermore, a new parameter, namely, a heat number based on the heat input calculated according to Q=I2Rt, was proposed and assessed. It was found that this heat number could be used to evaluate the soundness of MS welds.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether steroids inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines by the inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation in fibroblast-like rheumatoid synoviocytes (FLSs) under inflammatory conditions, and to determine whether steroids stimulate the induction of synthesis of the inhibitory protein IkappaB-alpha in the anti-inflammatory immune response of these cells. METHODS Expression of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) genes was measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the secreted IL-6 was measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Inhibition of the NF-kappaB activation was examined with the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). In order to study dexamethasone (DEX)-dependent regulation of IkappaB-alpha expression, we performed Western blotting before and after stimulation with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). RESULTS The inflammatory cytokine study showed that DEX suppressed gene expression and the production of protein in FLSs. EMSA demonstrated that identical amounts of NF-kappaB were present in the nucleus of the FLSs stimulated by TNF-alpha, with or without pretreatment with DEX. Treatment of FLSs with DEX did not induce an increase in IkappaB-alpha sufficient to prevent nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB on stimulation with TNF-alpha. CONCLUSION DEX may suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-1beta, but it neither prevents the translocation of NF-kappaB to the nucleus nor induces the synthesis of IkappaB-alpha protein in FLSs stimulated by TNF-alpha.

Pretransplant imatinib can improve the outcome of nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation without increasing the morbidity in Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia

Thermal annealing of a polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) is shown to result in a remarkable improvement in the long-term stability of the device. The annealing for such a PLED has to be layer-specific in that the annealing should be carried out for the layer with the lowest glass transition temperature (Tg) to harvest the benefits of annealing. Annealing of this key layer, which is usually the emitting layer, can enhance the thermal stability of the device. The best half-life is obtained at an annealing temperature above the Tg of emitting polymer. It is shown that the annealing of the emitting polymer layer results in a more than an order of magnitude increase in the half-life, in spite of a decrease in the efficiency of the device as the annealing temperature increases.

Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) delta by GW501516, a specific PPARdelta ligand, significantly inhibited interleukin (IL)-1beta-induced proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). This effect of GW501516 was dependent on transforming growth factor-beta, and was mediated through the up-regulation of IL-1 receptor antagonist. The inhibitory effect of GW501516 on VSMC proliferation was associated with cell cycle arrest at the G1 to S phase transition, which was accompanied by the induction of p21 and p53 along with decreased cyclin-dependent kinase 4 expression. Inhibition of cell migration by GW501516 was associated with the down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in IL-1beta-treated VSMCs. Inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase significantly reduced the GW501516-mediated inhibition of IL-1beta-stimulated VSMC proliferation. These results suggest that PPARdelta plays an important role in the pathophysiology of diseases associated with the proliferation and migration of VSMCs.

Moire´ interferometry is a full-field optical method that has high displacement, strain and spatial resolution. The method has been used extensively for deformation analyses in the various fields of mechanics. Special considerations arise when deformation measurements of tiny specimens or tiny regions of larger specimens are sought. The relative displacements within a small field of view will be small (even if the strains are not small), so the number of morie´ fringes might not be enough for an accurate analysis.

The main causes of failure after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) are graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), infection and graft failure, often exacerbated by large numbers of transfusions and prolonged disease duration before transplant. This study retrospectively analyzes the outcome and factors related to survival or graft failure in high-risk patients with SAA receiving HSCT in our institution.Between January 1995 and December 1999, 40 consecutive adult patients who were multi-transfused (more than 40 units of red blood cells +/- platelets) and/or had a 3 years or longer period prior to transplant were enrolled. Their median age was 27.5 years (range, 16 to 43) and 21 (52.5%) were women. All donors were human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched siblings. Before transplant, 29 patients (72.5%) received a course of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporin A (CsA). The median interval from diagnosis to transplant was 59 months (range, 2 to 216). The median number of transfusions was 115 units (range, 10 to 480). All patients received a conditioning regimen of cyclophosphamide, ATG, and procarbazine. Our patients received either bone marrow (BM) alone (n=20) or BM+peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) (n=20) as a stem cell source. T-cells of PBSC were depleted using the CD34 enrichment method. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of CsA and short-term methotrexate.In the BM+PBSC group, neutrophil recovery to 0.5 x 10(9)/L and platelet recovery to 20 x 10(9)/L were achieved more rapidly than in the BM group (p=0.005 and 0.039, respectively). The incidences of graft failure, grade II to IV acute GVHD, and chronic GVHD were 22.5%, 12.8% and 23.1%, respectively. Graft failure occurred in 2 of 20 patients (10%) receiving BM+PBSC and in 7 of 20 (35%) receiving BM alone (p=0.069). Seven of 9 patients who had graft failure received a booster treatment and recovered normal marrow function. GVHD incidence was comparable between the BM+PBSC and BM groups. Six patients (15%) died from graft failure (n=2), interstitial pneumonia (n=2), cyclophosphamide-induced heart failure (n=1), and chronic GVHD followed by pneumonia (n=1). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of survival was 83.7% with a median follow-up duration of 40.5 months (range 8-67). In multivariate analysis only chronic GVHD adversely influenced survival (p=0.042).These results suggest that HSCT is an effective treatment for multi-transfused SAA patients with prolonged disease duration. It is highly possible that the infusion of a large number of stem cells leads to a reduction of graft failure and a faster speed of engraftment. Booster treatment is successful in achieving engraftment in patients with graft failure.

Abnormal immune complex clearance is a feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Polymorphisms of the Fc gamma receptor type IIa (Fc gammaRIIa) genes (the receptor binds IgG2 and IgG3) are important disease susceptibility factors in some populations. This study sought to determine the effects of these polymorphisms among Korean patients with SLE.Polymerase chain reaction of genomic DNA and allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization were used to determine Fc gammaRIIa genotypes in Korean patients with SLE and healthy control subjects. Clinical manifestations were analyzed in each patient and correlated with the genotypes.Among the 73 SLE patients, there was an abnormal distribution of Fc gammaRIIa alleles when compared with 64 controls: 11.0% of the SLE patients were homozygous for Fc gammaRIIa-H131 compared with 34.4% of the controls (odds ratio [OR] 0.20, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.04-0.95, chi2 = 5.7, P = 0.01699). The allelic frequency of Fc gammaRIIa-H131 was significantly lower in the SLE patients than in the controls (49.3% versus 63.3%; P = 0.02019), and it was also significantly lower in lupus patients with nephritis compared with the normal population (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.29-0.95, chi2 = 5.15, P = 0.02330), but was not significantly lower in lupus patients without nephritis (P = 0.13663 versus controls). Clinically, the level of proteinuria was significantly higher in the lupus nephritis patients who had R/R131 than in those who had H/H131 or R/H131.An abnormal distribution of Fc gammaRIIa polymorphisms was associated with SLE in Korean patients. There was a significant decrease in the Fc gammaRIIa-H/H131 genotype and H131 allelic frequency in SLE patients, particularly in those with nephritis. This suggests that the H131 allele confers some protection from SLE in this population.

In May 2009, a severe bacterial disease of arecanut (Areca catechu L.) with an incidence of 100% was observed in a plantation of about 8,400 plants in Wenchang City, Hainan Province, China (19°47.171′ N, 110°54.335′ E). Symptoms consisted of small circular to elongated brown lesions, ranging from 1 to 105 mm in length and 1 to 21 mm in width, surrounded by yellow halos. White colonies, without fluorescent or diffusible pigments, were consistently recovered on King's B Medium plates from lesions surface-sterilized in 70% ethyl alcohol for 1 min. All isolates were gram-negative and each had a single, polar, sheathed flagellum. Isolates were identified as a Burkholderia sp. based on physiological and biochemical tests: oxidase and catalase positive, negative for arginine dihydrolase, gelatin hydrolysis and starch hydrolysis, and negative for acid production from levan (1,3). Sequences (approx. 1,400 bp each) of the 16S rRNA gene amplified from four isolates using primer pair 27F/1492R (2) (GenBank Accession Nos. JX415481, JX415479, JX415482, and JX415483) shared 99% sequence identity with that of Burkholderia andropogonis strain 6369 (DQ786951). Representative isolates Y11 (China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center No. CGMCC 1.12337), Y30 (CGMCC 1.12338), W15, and W20 were compared with B. andropogonis strain NCPPB No. 1012 and all caused a hypersensitive reaction on leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. Isolate pathogenicity was tested twice with a total of three replications per isolate. Two young leaves each of 2-year-old arecanut plants were infiltrated with a bacterial suspension of 108 CFU/ml, then covered individually with plastic bags for 48 h, and incubated at 100% relative humidity with 16 h of daylight at 25°C by day and 8 h of darkness at 20°C by night. After 7 days, small water-soaked spots with yellow halos were observed and 60 days after inoculation, lesions developed similar to those caused by B. andropogonis in the field. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by reisolating bacteria from typical lesions on inoculated plants. These bacteria were identical to inoculated strains in colony morphology and sequences of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. andropogonis infection on betel in Hainan Province, mainland China. This disease was first reported in Taiwan, a province of China. Conditions of high humidity and high temperature support disease outbreaks and infection can result in severe economic losses. In 2012, this disease also appeared on a number of plantations located in other counties. As betel is, economically, the second most important crop in Hainan Province, measures should be required to control this disease, especially in typhoon seasons. References: (1) S. H. Hseu et al. Plant Pathol. Bull. 16:131, 2007. (2) D. J. Lane. In: E. Stackebrandt, et al. Nucleic acid techniques in bacterial systematics. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, United Kingdom, pp. 115-175, 1991. (3) X. Li and S. H. De Boer. Plant Dis. 89:1132. 2005.

Cyclosporin A (CsA) inhibited interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-3, interferon gamma (IFN gamma), GM-CSF and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) mRNA expression in spleen cells stimulated with concavalin A (Con A) when determined by the semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. FK506 which has a similar immunosuppressive mechanism to that of CsA also showed the same inhibitory effects except for decreased IL-5 and IL-6 mRNA expression. In contrast, both CsA and FK506 enhanced transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) and IL-1 beta mRNA expression. Another immunosuppressant KM2210 did not show any inhibitory effects on cytokine gene expression but rather enhanced IL-10, IL-6, TGF beta and IL-1 mRNA expression, thus suggesting that KM2210 has a completely different immunosuppressive mechanism from that of CsA and FK506. Anti-TFG beta 1 antibody abrogated the suppression by KM2210 of BALB/c anti-3H/He mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) whereas this antibody did not abrogate the suppression by CsA and FK506 of BALB/c anti-C3H/He MLR. These results indicate that TGF beta is one of the major cytokines in KM2210 immunosuppression, in addition to IL-10, but not in immunosuppression by CsA and FK506.

Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed that interleukin 3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, interferon-gamma and stem cell factor mRNA expression were higher in 15-deoxyspergualin-treated spleen cells than in control spleen cells. Increased IL-2 and IFN-gamma mRNA expression were observed in 15-deoxyspergualin-treated bone marrow cells. On the other hand, increased platelet counts in BALB/c--C3H/He bone marrow chimeras were observed from days 20 to 33 in our previous work, when they were treated with 15-deoxyspergualin from days 14 to 25. In contrast, marked leukocytopenia and anemia were simultaneously observed, although a marked leukocytosis and a rapid recovery of anemia were observed on day 33 and thereafter. To analyze effects of 15-deoxyspergualin on hematopoiesis and the immune system, we examined mRNA expression in bone marrow and spleen cells from BALB/c--C3H/He bone marrow chimeras treated with 15-deoxyspergualin from days 14 to 25. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed that IL-3, IL-4, IL-6, stem cell factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNA expression were higher in 15-deoxyspergualin-treated chimeras than in control chimeras, indicating that these cytokines are responsible for an enhancement of hematopoiesis. It was conceivable that IL-6 supported thrombopoiesis in concert with other cytokines. On the contrary, increased IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, and IL-10 mRNA expression may play an immunosuppressive role in vivo.

Between March 1983 and December 1992, we performed 178 allogeneic BMTs for patients with hematopoietic stem cell disorders: 48 acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 27 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 40 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), 55 severe aplastic anemia (SAA), 6 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), 1 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 1 hybrid leukemia. Twenty-five of 48 AML are in disease-free survival (DFS). Fifteen of 27 ALL are in unmaintained remission. Twenty-four of 40 CML are in DFS. Forty-four out of 55 SAA patients are alive and well. Comparing the survival between standard (or = CR1: 21 of 31 (68%)) and high risk (or = CR2: 4 of 17 (24%)) AML, our data suggest that the preparative regimen for high risk AML was not potent enough to eradicate the residual disease in advanced AML. Although our cases are limited and the follow-up period is short, the result of ALL (overall: 56%, standard risk (adultor = CR1, childrenor = CR2: 10 of 14 (71%) and high risk (adultor = CR2, childrenCR2): 5 of 13 (38%)) and CML (overall: 60%; CP: 19 of 27 (70%), AP or BC: 5 of 13 (38%)) are promising. The probability of 5 year survival of SAA was 80 +/- 4 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

An active-matrix organic light emitting diode (OLED) display employing a hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistor prefers a cathode-contact structure to an anode-contact structure. A new normal top-emitting OLED employing cathode-contact structure is proposed. To implement normal OLED structure, the cathode layer on top is separated as sub-pixels by a negative photoresist separator. The current of the cathode-contact structure is maintained 20% higher after 20 h than that of the anode-contact structure during the accelerated life test.

A logic-based fuzzy controller (LFC), which is constructed with the aid of AND and OR fuzzy neurons, is proposed. The fuzzy neurons exhibit learning abilities and interpretabilities. For the development of the LFC, two-step optimisation is considered. The LFC has been successfully applied to an inverted pendulum.

A bottom gate a-Si:H thin film transistor (TFT) with tetraethooxysihme (TEOS) oxide as a gate insulator has been made for the first time. TEOS oxide film of 2000 A has high breakdown strength as twice as the SiNx film of 2000 A prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). A proper thickness combination of SiNx / TEOS oxide double layer for the high production yield will be discussed. and the characteristics of a-Si:H TFT fabricated with SiNx / TEOS oxide will be presented. The pixel charging properties and the Ωvalues of the SiNx / TEOS oxide double layered a-Si:H TFT-LCD will be compared with those Of the SiNx/Al2O3 double layered a-Si:H TFT-LCD by panel simulation.