Search

Introduction Oesophago-pleural fistula (OPF) is an infrequent but highly complex complication of pneumonectomy with a mortality of up to 63%. There is a paucity of data on the optimal treatment strategy. Method Systematic review was conducted in line with PRISMA guidance concerning OPF following pneumonectomy. Demographic, operative and management data were analysed. Results 30 full manuscripts of the 76 abstracts were included in the analysis. Data was limited to case reports or small series. In total, information for 58 patients was included. Median age was 59 years, with a median follow up time was 18 months. Most authors adopted sepsis control with chest drainage and pleural lavage and the mean number of interventions was 1.6. Overall mortality was 31% (18/58). There was no significant difference between the time to presentation following left (29.2+/-39.28 months) and right pneumonectomy (66.24+/-110.62) (p = 0.2271) nor any significant difference between successful outcomes following intervention for OPF after left (11/14) compared to right pneumonectomy (31/41) (p = 0.8219) or 90-day mortality (p = 0.4571). However, 26% of patients had synchronous broncho-pleural fistula and 90-day mortality was significantly higher in these patients (6/15 vs 6/43. p = 0.0395). 25 patients who underwent additional pericardial, oesophageal or a nodal resection or intervention at the time of pneumonectomy had a significantly reduced mean time to presentation with OPF (21.49+/-60.15 vs. 84.99+/-114.31. p = 0.0148) and a higher 90-day mortality (8/25 vs 3/32. P = 0.0414). Conclusions Major heterogeneity of management hinders the introduction of standardised guidance of post-pnuemonectomy OPF. An MDT approach involving Oesophago-gastric and Cardio-Thoracic Surgery is vital.

Increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is associated with an increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Cutaneous surgery can be negatively influenced by UVR, causing delayed wound healing, hyperpigmentation of the scar, and an increased incidence of additional skin cancers. By changing sun protection behavior, these risks can be limited. Therefore, this study evaluates changes in patients' sun protective behavior after Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). Patients undergoing MMS between December 2017 and November 2019 were included. Patients were asked to complete the FACE-Q Skin Cancer - Sun Protection Behavior checklist before and 3 months and 1 year post-surgery. A total of 125 patients completed the pre-operative and 3-months post-operative checklists, and 89 (71.2%) completed the 1-year post-operative checklist. Reported sun protective behaviors increased post-surgery at all time points (p0.001). Patients with a prior history of facial skin cancer demonstrated a larger increase in sun protection behaviors after surgery than patients without a history of facial skin cancer (p = 0.04). Patients with defects located on the ear or scalp demonstrated a lesser increase in sun protection behaviors than patients with defects located in more conspicuous areas as the face (p = 0.02). Our study demonstrates a change in sun protection behavior, with an increase in sun protection behavior over time in patients after MMS. However, more improvement is possible. Targeted counseling can increase sun protection behavior in patients without a history of facial skin cancer and patients with skin cancer located on the ears or scalp.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults may be due to age-related T-cell immunosenescence. Thus, we evaluated CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses during RSV infection in adults across the age spectrum. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected during RSV infection in adults, age 26–96 years, were stimulated with live RSV and peptide pools representing F, M, NP, and G proteins and analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: There were no significant age-related differences in frequency of CD4(+) T cells synthesizing interferon (IFN)γ, interleukin (IL)2, IL4, IL10, or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α or in CD8(+)IFNγ(+) T cells. IL4(+)CD4(+) T-cell numbers were low, as were IL13 and IL17 responses. However, in univariate analysis, CD4 T-cell IFNγ, IL2, IL4, IL10, and TNFα responses and CD8(+)IFNγ(+) T cells were significantly increased with more severe illness requiring hospitalization. In multivariate analysis, viral load was also associated with increased T-cell responses. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence of diminished RSV-specific CD4 or CD8 T-cell responses in adults infected with RSV. However, adults with severe disease seemed to have more robust CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses during infection, suggesting that disease severity may have a greater association with T-cell responses than age.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of zinc pyrithione (ZnPT) and pyrithione (PT) in shampoos. The method consisted of a liquid–liquid extraction for sample preparation. The mass spectrometer was operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode via the positive electrospray ionization interface. A linear regression (weighted 1/x) was used to fit calibration curves over the concentration range of 50–2000 ng/mL for both ZnPT and PT. Excellent linearity (r 2 ≥ 0.9996) was achieved for all. The method was validated and found to be accurate (95.9–108.2% for ZnPT and 94.9–110.4% for PT), precise, and selective. Analytes in shampoos were found to be stable in the autosampler (6 °C for 6 h), in room temperature (for 6 h), and after three freeze–thaw cycles, and recovery of analytes was reproducible (90.8–94.6% for ZnPT and 90.2–96.3% for PT).

Background With the growing demand for long-term care (LTC) services, it is increasingly important to explore experience with care. This study examined care satisfaction in a nursing home and at home among low-income elders in South Korea. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted with 246 elderly recipients of welfare benefits using a proportional stratified sampling method. Two self-reported versions of a questionnaire developed for users of nursing home care and homecare were used. Results Those at home reported higher care satisfaction than those in nursing homes did. Both users of nursing home care and homecare were less satisfied with the food served. Users of nursing homes had comparatively less satisfaction regarding the daily activities available to them and less autonomy concerning their care decisions. Factors that influenced satisfaction with nursing home care and homecare were the quality of caregivers, care facilities, and physical wellbeing. Conclusions An approach focused on improving the quality of the care facilities and caregivers could help enhance care satisfaction among low-income Korean elders receiving LTC.

The Pohang Accelerator Laboratory X-ray Free Electron Laser project, a new worldwide-user facility to deliver ultrashort, laser-like x-ray photon pulses, will begin user operation in 2017 after one year of commissioning. Initially, it will provide two beamlines for hard and soft x-rays, respectively, and two experimental end-stations for the hard x-ray beamline will be constructed by the end of 2015. This article introduces one of the two hard x-ray end-stations, which is for hard x-ray pump-probe experiments, and primarily outlines the overall design of this end-station and its critical components. The content of this article will provide useful guidelines for the planning of experiments conducted at the new facility.

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) technology is among the lowest cost 3D printing technology for processing thermoplastic and composite materials. FDM has been highly used in additive manufacturing due to its ability to process complex parts with accurate dimension and lowest cost possible. FDM technology has limited working temperature; hence the materials used in FDM such as polylactic acid (PLA) have a relatively low melting temperature. The drawback of these thermoplastic printed through FDM is the lack of mechanical strength and properties such as thermal and electrical conductivity to print functional part. These problems have led to the development of new composite filament for FDM technique. In this research, polymer-matrix composite (PMC) with 25 wt.% and 80 wt.% of copper reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) specimens have been printed with different infill patterns (Rectilinear, Grid, Concentric, Octagram-spiral, and Honeycomb) to study its flexural properties. The flexural test was carried out according to ASTM D790. This study found that there is a significant effect of the two parameters towards flexural properties. From the flexural test, the preliminary result of flexural strength and flexural modulus were obtained. The flexural strength is 25.98 MPa achieved by the 25 wt.% Cu composition specimens with Concentric infill pattern. The flexural modulus is 0.3306 GPa achieved by the 80 wt.% Cu composition specimens with Concentric infill pattern.

Plant proteins are important functional ingredients in many processed food products. In particular, globular proteins from various sources play an important role in many food products. In the current study, 11S globulin protein from white sesame seeds, amandin protein from almond seeds, and cucurbitin protein from pumpkin seeds were extracted by means of ammonium sulfate precipitation and purified by anion-exchange chromatography on a DEAE-Sephadex column (20 × 30 cm). Amandin protein of almond and cucurbitin protein of pumpkin seeds both belong to the 11S globulin family. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of protein samples treated with reducing agents revealed that the isolated 11S globulin from white sesame seeds was composed of an acidic (30－33 kDa) and basic (20－24 kDa) polypeptide, amandin from almond seeds was composed of an acidic (40－42 kDa) and basic (15－20 kDa) polypeptide, and cucurbitin from pumpkin seeds was composed of an acidic (35－42 kDa) and basic (20－25 kDa) polypeptide. The alpha amylase-inhibiting activities of the three proteins was determined. Cucurbitin of pumpkin seeds had a greater alpha amylase inhibitory effect (－86%) than 11S globulin of sesame (82.6%) and amandin protein of almond seeds (76%). The antihypertensive effect of the three proteins was evaluated by a chrioallantoin membrane assay in chick embryos, which revealed that cucurbitin protein showed higher vasodilatation activity than the other two proteins.

Eosinophils are multifunctional leukocytes that reside in the gastrointestinal (GI) lamina propria, where their basal function remains largely unexplored. In this study, by examining mice with a selective deficiency of systemic eosinophils (by lineage ablation) or GI eosinophils (eotaxin-1/2 double deficient or CC chemokine receptor 3 deficient), we show that eosinophils support immunoglobulin A (IgA) class switching, maintain intestinal mucus secretions, affect intestinal microbial composition, and promote the development of Peyer's patches. Eosinophil-deficient mice showed reduced expression of mediators of secretory IgA production, including intestinal interleukin 1β (IL-1β), inducible nitric oxide synthase, lymphotoxin (LT) α, and LT-β, and reduced levels of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor gamma t-positive (ROR-γt(+)) innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), while maintaining normal levels of APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand), BAFF (B cell-activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family), and TGF-β (transforming growth factor β). GI eosinophils expressed a relatively high level of IL-1β, and IL-1β-deficient mice manifested the altered gene expression profiles observed in eosinophil-deficient mice and decreased levels of IgA(+) cells and ROR-γt(+) ILCs. On the basis of these collective data, we propose that eosinophils are required for homeostatic intestinal immune responses including IgA production and that their affect is mediated via IL-1β in the small intestine.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, has a titanium science observation tray (o-tray), upon which portions from drilled and scooped Martian samples can be delivered for analyses by the Alpha-Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS). The standard APXS calibration approach to derive elemental concentrations cannot be applied to samples on the o-tray because they (1) have a nonuniform three-dimensional distribution within the APXS field of view and (2) are thin ( 90 µm). To develop techniques for interpreting MSL-APXS o-tray measurements, we conducted laboratory measurements of thin particulate basalt samples on Ti metal with the Flight Equivalent APXS Unit. The experiments demonstrate that, relative to an “infinitely thick” sample, increasing areal coverage of particulates on a Ti metal substrate results in a proportional decrease in the Ti signal and increase in the sample signal. Count rates for heavier elements (Mn and Fe) drop with decreasing sample thickness because the mean thickness is smaller than the APXS information depth. Similar effects were seen in the MSL-APXS o-tray measurement of Rocknest fines on Martian solar day 95, an aliquot of material delivered to Sample Analysis at Mars and Chemistry and Mineralogy. The thin layer effect caused a drop in Mn and Fe signals, which cannot be quantitatively compared to the in situ Rocknest target “Portage” because sample thickness was unknown. Otherwise, Rocknest fines on the o-tray had no significant compositional differences from Portage, except for slight increases in S and Cl.

Although multiple-input multiple-output antenna transmission is advantageous on orthogonal frequency division multiple access system, it may not be possible that practical systems have more than two antennas because of its size and cost. Therefore, cooperative communication has been recently studied as a way to solve this problem in a wireless environment. However, if cooperative communication system selects relay in a bad channel environment between source and relay, the relay has a bad effect on the bit error ratio performance. Thus, selective relay technique is proposed in this paper. The proposed system can select the best relay which has the best SNR between source and relay among the candidates. The proposed system also easily finds the best relay with low complexity.

SummaryBackground Asthma is characterized by chronic airway inflammation triggered by various allergens in the environment. Defects in the bronchial epithelial interface with the external environment are the hallmark of asthma. Apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA1) or ApoA1 mimetics have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity and preventive effects in mouse models. Objective We investigated airway levels of ApoA1 in asthmatics and the possible role of ApoA1 in protection of the bronchial epithelium and in resolution of inflammation in cellular and animal models of asthma. Methods ApoA1 levels were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from asthmatics and healthy controls. With treatment of ApoA1, mouse model of house dust mite (HDM)-driven asthma and cultured primary bronchial epithelial cells obtained from asthmatics were examined. Tight junction (TJ) expression in the bronchial epithelial cells was assessed by using confocal microscopy and immunoblot. Results Asthmatics showed significantly lower ApoA1 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid than did healthy controls. Local ApoA1 treatment significantly decreased lung IL-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin levels in HDM-challenged mice and inhibited allergen-induced production of these cytokines in cultured primary bronchial epithelial cells. ApoA1 promoted recovery of disrupted TJ proteins zonula occludens-1 and occludin in cultured primary bronchial epithelium obtained from asthmatics. ApoA1-induced increases in the TJ proteins were dependent on increased production of lipoxin A4 (LX A4). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance ApoA1 enhances resolution of allergen-induced airway inflammation through promoting recovery of damaged TJs in the bronchial epithelium. ApoA1 could be a therapeutic strategy in chronic airway inflammatory diseases that are associated with a defective epithelial barrier, including asthma.

Pinus parviflora Siebold et Zucc. on Ulleung Island, Korea, has been proposed to be more closely related to P. armandii Franch. because both have long leaves and seeds that are either wingless or have very short wings. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers using nine primers and sequence analysis of the trnG gene and the matK gene and morphological characteristics of seeds and cones were used to assess the genetic relatedness of this taxon on Ulleung Island with P. armandii in China and P. parviflora in Japan. This current study showed that Pinus armandii from China, P. parviflora from Japan, and P. parviflora populations of Ulleung Island formed distinct groups that were separated from each other. P. parviflora from Ulleung Island grouped with P. parviflora from Japan, rather than P. armandii from China based on the RAPD dendrogram and SNPs in matK. It is believed that P. parviflora on Ulleung Island is genetically well differentiated, indicating limited gene flow from Japan, although cones and seeds of P. parviflora on Ulleung Island are more similar to var. parviflora in southern Japan than P. armandii in central China. It seems that the entities that comprise P. parviflora exhibit widely overlapping ranges in morphological attributes except leaf length.

The change in electrical characteristics of a-Si:H thin-film transistors (TFTs) was determined in the presence of electrical gate bias stress, gamma radiation, and both simultaneously, simulating the harsh environment of space. Multiple TFTs were tested under each condition, and the current-voltage characteristics were measured. The results show the gate bias stress increasing the threshold voltage (VT) with power law time dependence while the gamma irradiation decreases threshold voltage for all working transistors. When both the irradiation and gate bias stress were applied simultaneously, the VT initially increased with electrical stress and then decreased as the gamma radiation dominated. Changes in effective mobility were also extracted and detailed analysis of the current-voltage characteristics indicated that the gamma radiation creates interface traps and electron-hole pairs whereas the gate stress produces defect states in the amorphous silicon.

Top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (TEOLEDs) with a thin semitransparent conducting cathode (STCC) of Ba∕Ag/indium tin oxide (ITO) were fabricated and their electric/optical characteristics were investigated. At the wavelength of 520nm, optical properties of STCC of the Ba(3nm)∕Ag(15nm)/ITO (100nm) structure showed the transmittance of 63% and the reflectance of 37%. The light out-coupling properties of the TEOLED, which is composed of glass/Ag(150nm)/ITO (130nm)∕4,4′,4″-tris[2-naphthylphenyl-1-phenylamino]triphenylamine (2-TNATA, 30nm)/4,4′-bis[N-(1-napthyl)-N-phenyl-amino]-biphenyl (18nm)/tris(8-quinolinolato)aluminum (III) (62nm)∕Ba (xnm,x=3,2,and1nm)∕Ag(15nm)/ITO (100nm), was increased as the deposition thickness of Ba is increased. This driving performance of the devices could be interpreted on the base of carrier injection barrier by measuring built-in voltage as well as both the optical properties and electric properties of the cathode. The optical properties (e.g., transmittance and reflec...

Current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements on MOS structures with hafnium gate oxide (HfO 2 ) prepared by atomic layer deposition were conducted to determine the dominant current conduction in the Al/HfO 2 /Si structure. In n-type substrate MOS structures, electron injection from Al into HfO 2 is observed when the Al electrode is negatively biased. Whereas in p-type MOS capacitors at negative biasing, no hole injection can be detected and the current in the insulator is again due to the electron injection from Al. These results unambiguously indicate that in both p- and n- type substrates and at both biasing polarities only electronic current conduction in the Si/HfO 2 /Al is significant.

The development of vitrification strategy for cell-biomaterial constructs, particularly biologically inspired nanoscale materials and hydrogels mimicking the in vivo environment is an active area. A cryopreservation strategy mimicking the in vivo environment for cell-hydrogel constructs may enhance cell proliferation and biological function.To demonstrate the efficacy of vitrification as a platform technology involving tissue engineering and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs).Microcarriers made from alginate coated with chitosan and collagen are used. Conventional freezing and vitrification were compared. The vitrification strategy includes 10 min step-wise exposure to a vitrification solution (40% v/v EG, 0.6M sucrose) and immersion into liquid nitrogen.Confocal imaging of live/dead staining of hMSCs cultured on the surface of microcarriers demonstrated that vitrified cells had excellent appearance and prolonged spindle shape morphology. The proliferation ability of post-vitrified cells arbitrated to protein Ki-67 gene expression was not significantly different in comparison to untreated control, while that of post-freezing cells was almost lost. The ability of hMSCs cultured on the surface of microcarriers to proliferate has been not affected by vitrification and it was significantly better after vitrification than after conventional freezing during continuous culture. Collagen II related mRNA expression by 4 weeks post-vitrification and post-freezing showed that ability to differentiate into cartilage was sustained during vitrification and reduced during conventional freezing. No significant difference was found between control and vitrification groups only.Vitrification strategy coupled with advances in hMSC-expansion platform that completely preserves the ability of stem cells to proliferate and subsequently differentiate allows not only to reach a critical cell number, but also demonstrate prospects for effective utilization and transportation of cells with their support system, creating demand for novel biodegradable materials.

The Pohang Light Source upgrade (PLS-II) project has successfully upgraded the Pohang Light Source (PLS). The main goals of the PLS-II project are to increase the beam energy to 3 GeV, increase the number of insertion devices by a factor of two (20 IDs), increase the beam current to 400 mA, and at the same time reduce the beam emittance to below 10 nm by using the existing PLS tunnel and injection system. Among 20 insertion devices, 10 narrow gap in-vacuum undulators are in operation now and two more in-vacuum undulators are to be installed later. Since these narrow gap in-vacuum undulators are most likely to produce coupled bunch instability by the resistive wall impedance and limit the stored beam current, a bunch by bunch feedback system is implemented to suppress coupled bunch instability in the PLS-II. This paper describes the scheme and performance of the PLS-II bunch by bunch feedback system.

After preparing aqueous suspensions from magnetite particles with a poly-acrylic acid, we investigated the effects of several experimental parameters. We characterized the stability of the suspensions using visual inspection, sedimentation, adsorption, and thermal stability of the dispersant. The dispersion stability is affected by the solution pH, the concentrations of magnetite particles, the molecular weight, the concentration of the dispersants, and the temperature. The stability of the suspensions increased as the concentration of the dispersant and the temperature increased. In terms of the molecular weights of the dispersant, the suspensions with dispersant of low-molecular weight (1800) were more stable than those of high-molecular weight (250000) at room temperature. However, at high temperature the suspensions with high-molecular weight showed stability. The adsorption efficiency of the dispersant was very low. The dispersant of high-molecular weight showed a higher thermal integrity than that of low-molecular weight. From this work, we obtained the optimum conditions for stable aqueous suspensions of magnetite particles.

The replication process is a good method to fabricate passive optical devices. Silicon-based fabrication technology provides an efficient way to fabricate a replication master with an optically smooth surface roughness. As silicon-based technologies are often two-dimensional processes, the replication requires sophisticated fabrication steps for a master structure. For this, a vertically curved structure, which is essential for a passive optical device, is hard to fabricate. Special processes, such as x-ray lithography, laser ablation, and gray-scale lithography, can overcome the conventional two-dimensional fabrication process challenges. But these processes need additional steps, machines, and masks. This study demonstrates an easy way for fabricating a silicon master structure for vertically curved mirrors. This fabrication method is roughly divided into two steps. During the first step, a silicon wafer is etched using an inductively coupled plasma system to form optical waveguide structures in the mas...

Photonic devices based on polymer materials have been fabricated mainly by using conventional lithography and etch processes. However, the fabrication method through these processes is complex and expensive. We fabricated 1310∕1550nm demultiplexer using an embossing technique, which was able to reduce the fabrication cost. The mold is an elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and resists used as the core and the cladding layers are ZP 51 (ChemOptics) and ZP 49 (ChemOptics), respectively, which are thermal curable polymers. The fabrication process is summarized as follows: (1) manufacturing the photoresist master by lithography process, (2) forming the PDMS mold from the master, and (3) replicating the device using the mold. There is no observation of any noticeable pattern difference between the master and the replica in microscaled dimension. In this work, we also investigated the durability of a PDMS mold for mass production and successfully fabricated the 50th replica with the same mold. The replicate...

• We investigated the effects of elevated soil temperature and atmospheric CO 2 on soil CO 2 efflux (SCE) during the third and fourth years of study. We hypothesized that elevated temperature would stimulate SCE, and elevated CO 2 would also stimulate SCE with the stimulation being greater at higher temperatures. • The study was conducted in sun-lit controlled-environment chambers using Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings grown in reconstructed litter-soil systems. We used a randomized design with two soil temperature and two atmospheric CO 2 treatments. The SCE was measured every 4 wk for 18 months. • Neither elevated temperature nor CO 2 stimulated SCE. Elevated CO 2 increased the temperature sensitivity of SCE. During the winter, the relationship between SCE and soil moisture was negative but it was positive during the summer. The seasonal patterns in SCE were associated with seasonal changes in photosynthesis and above-ground plant growth. • SCE acclimatized in the high-temperature treatment, probably because of a loss of labile soil carbon. Elevated CO 2 treatment increased the temperature sensitivity of SCE, probably through an increase in substrate availability.

We have used a bioinformatics approach to evaluate the completeness and functionality of the reported human immunoglobulin heavy-chain IGHD gene repertoire. Using the hidden Markov-model-based iHMMune-align program, 1,080 relatively unmutated heavy-chain sequences were aligned against the reported repertoire. These alignments were compared with alignments to 1,639 more highly mutated sequences. Comparisons of the frequencies of gene utilization in the two databases, and analysis of features of aligned IGHD gene segments, including their length, the frequency with which they appear to mutate, and the frequency with which specific mutations were seen, were used to determine the reliability of alignments to the less commonly seen IGHD genes. Analysis demonstrates that IGHD4-23 and IGHD5-24, which have been reported to be open reading frames of uncertain functionality, are represented in the expressed gene repertoire; however, the functionality of IGHD6-25 must be questioned. Sequence similarities make the unequivocal identification of members of the IGHD1 gene family problematic, although all genes except IGHD1-14*01 appear to be functional. On the other hand, reported allelic variants of IGHD2-2 and of the IGHD3 gene family appear to be nonfunctional, very rare, or nonexistent. Analysis also suggests that the reported repertoire is relatively complete, although one new putative polymorphism (IGHD3-10*p03) was identified. This study therefore confirms a surprising lack of diversity in the available IGHD gene repertoire, and restriction of the germline sequence databases to the functional set described here will substantially improve the accuracy of IGHD gene alignments and therefore the accuracy of analysis of the V-D-J junction.

Short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate are considered potential alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters. The efficacy of butyric acid on performance and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens was tested in two studies. The effect of dietary butyrate on the ability to withstand coccidial oocyte challenge also was investigated. In experiment 1, male broiler chickens were fed diets supplemented with 0 or 11 ppm virginiamycin or 0.2 or 0.4% butyric acid (as mono-, di-, and triglyceride). In experiment 2, broilers were fed bacitracin methylene disalicylate or 0.1 or 0.2% butyric acid. In another trial, birds vaccinated against coccidiosis were challenged with oocytes at 21 d and examined 6 d later. In experiment 1, diet treatments had no effect on body weight gain. Feed intake of the birds fed 0.4% butyric acid was decreased (P < 0.01) compared with birds fed the nonmedicated diet during the starter period, whereas birds fed 0.2% butyric acid had similar feed intake to the control birds. In experiment 2, diet treatments did not affect the performance of broiler chicks while carcass weight and breast meat yield increased (P < 0.01) in birds fed 0.2% butyric acid. With oocyte challenge, birds that had received butyric acid before challenge showed higher growth rate following the challenge compared with birds that received nonmedicated feed. Bacitracin decreased (P < 0.05%) duodenal villi crypt depth, whereas villus length was similar in birds fed butyric acid or the nonmedicated control diet. These results show that 0.2% butyric acid can help to maintain the performance and carcass quality of broilers, especially in vaccinated birds challenged with coccidiosis.

We present the results of our development of a deep silicon etching technique, the modified Bosch-type process. Its feasibility was also investigated. This modified Bosch-type process is based on the well known Bosch-type process, but our modified Bosch-type process consists of the etching/passivating time, process transition step, and ion energy control. This modified Bosch-type process has been characterized with respect to ion energy, substrate temperature, and feature size. We found that the etching and deposition characteristics of passivating film were closely related to the resulting deep silicon etch profile. Up to a 40–50 μm deep silicon structure with vertical and positively sloped profiles was realized by the modified Bosch-type process, depending on a few parameters. In this work, this modified Bosch-type process was applied to silicon mold fabrication used for a structuring microarray and optical power splitter. Replication results confirm that this process is promising for achieving high-yie...

The charge transport in the amorphous Si3N4 is studied experimentally and theoretically. We have found, that widely accepted Frenkel model of the trap ionization gives the unphysical low value of the attempt to escape factor, and the enormously high value of the electron tunnel mass. Experimental data are well described by theory of the two-bands conduction and the phonon-assisted trap ionization in Si3N4.

Coccidiosis continues to affect caged layers worldwide despite keeping them on wire all their productive lives. Coccidiosis in caged layers, diagnosed either in clinical or subclinical forms, has one feature in common, unpredictability. Until recently, despite the use of vaccine, coccidiosis remained problematic, particularly at the beginning of lay, likely related to the low protective immunity for a lack of vehicle for recycling. An approach for using paper plates, both for vaccination as well as recycling is described. Caged layers that were vaccinated once with gel-puck coccidiosis vaccine laid at over 90% continuously for over 24 wk with little or no problem of coccidiosis.

The comparison of simulated write/erase characteristics of silicon–oxide–nitride–oxide–silicon (SONOS) nonvolatile memory with different oxides SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 as a top dielectric was made. We demonstrate, that an application of high- k dielectrics allows to decrease the write/erase programming voltage amplitude or programming time from 1 ms to 10 μs. The ZrO 2 suppresses parasitic electron injection from polysilicon gate. Also the design of SONOS memory based on high- k dielectrics is promising for terabit scale using hot carriers injection EEPROM and DRAM memory.

To modify the porosity of PAN-4A composite beads, PVP polymer was used. The optimum viscosity of the dope for the preparation of spherical beads is 470≈480 cP. The porosity of composite beads was increased up to 75 percent (by volume) at the ratio of PVP/PAN=1.0. PAN-4A composite beads were stable in acid solution of pH=2 and radiation dose up to 1.89 MGy. The ion exchange tests showed that PAN-4A composite ion exchanger was selective for Sr2+. Distribution coefficients for Sr2+ and Cs+ at pH=2 were 2×104 mL/g and 280 mL/g, respectively. Ion exchange capacities (Qm) modelled by Dubinin-Polanyi equation were 3.92 meq (Sr2+)/g and 2.47 meq (Cs+)/g, respectively. The uptake rates of PAN-4A for Sr ions were improved by PVP addition. The total effective diffusivities were of the order of 10−8 cm2/sec for both strontium and caesium ions.

This study was carried out to obtain conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) producing lactic acid bacteria for further study on the enzymes related to the production of CLA which has gained considerable attention and on the development as a probiotic culture. Total 34 lactic acid bacteria were isolated from 19 feces samples of healthy babies. CLA forming ability was measured spectrophotometrically by the modification of linoleate 12-cis, 11-trans-isomerase activity measuring method, and CLA of the cultures were extracted, methylated, and examined by HPLC analysis. CLA methyl ester of only one culture showing the highest value of CLA forming ability could be detected by HPLC analysis. The culture was found to be Gram positive, rods and catalase negative. It grows at 45°C but not at 15°C, and was identified to be Lactobacillus fermentum on the basis of the biochemical characteristics and the utilization of substrates. These results provide an efficient experimental method to screen CLA producing lactic acid bacteria. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 7 : 1031-1035)

Changes in days to flowering (DTF) were observed among reciprocal F1 progeny of Brassica napus ‘RaideRR’ with other B. napus and also with weedy B. rapa. Changes in DTF are presented as factors to consider in evaluating the potential of crop to weed gene flow in different geographies.Key words: Brassica, canola, genetically modified crop, hybrid, flowering phenology

A vapor–liquid equilibrium apparatus has been developed and used to obtain data for the binary HFC-143a+HFC-134a system. Fifty-four equilibrium data are obtained for the HFC-143a+HFC-134a system over the temperature range from 263.15 to 313.15 K at 10 K intervals. The experimental data were correlated with the Carnahan–Starling–De Santis (CSD) and Peng–Robinson (PR) equations of state. Based upon the present data, the binary interaction parameters for the CSD and PR equations of state were calculated for six isotherms for the HFC-143a+HFC-134a system. The binary interaction parameters for both equations of state were fitted by a linear equation as a function of temperature. The present data were in good agreement with the calculated results from the CSD equation of state, and the deviations were less than 1.0% with the exception of two points.

Grazing incidence x-ray scattering and x-ray diffraction techniques have been employed to investigate the microstructures in various ZnSe-based semiconductor thin films grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition methods. The results are also used for a comparison of the interfacial roughness and overall quality of the II–VI thin films prepared by these two different growth methods. Structural parameters such as the interfacial roughness and layer thickness obtained from the scattering measurements and lattice constants obtained from the x-ray diffraction pattern around the GaAs(004) peak can be correlated with the film deposition rate, compound composition, and lattice strain in the epilayers. We thus demonstrate that x-ray scattering techniques in conjunction with diffraction measurements are useful tools for nondestructive characterization of buried interfaces in semiconductor layer materials.

Using a high-temperature superconducting resonator, measurements of the dielectric properties of ferroelectric films at microwave frequency ( GHz) are performed. The variation in dielectric constant, , of film under the influence of an applied dc voltage, , at liquid-nitrogen temperature affects the value of the capacitance, C, and loss tangent, , of the ferroelectric capacitor. In order to evaluate the values of C and of the capacitor, we used the resonator which has a planar ferroelectric capacitor in the break of the microstrip line. The couplings of each microwave input and output port are designed in the resonator, including the bias circuits of the zero-field points. ferroelectric capacitors with values of the capacitance of about 0.5 pF and less than 0.01 successfully control the tunability of the resonance frequency in the resonator with a factor of .

p-i-n photodiodes were fabricated on nitrogen ion implanted undoped ZnSe/n-type ZnSe epilayers grown on n+GaAs (100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. To obtain a quasi-uniform p layer doping profile, nitrogen ions at multiple energies and ion doses were implanted at room temperature. The activation of implanted species was carried out by an optimized post-annealing in a nitrogen ambient. Optical studies were performed on the implanted/annealed devices by photoluminescence spectroscopy at 10 K, which indicated donor–acceptor pairs at an energy of 2.7 eV and its phonon replicas with 30 meV intervals. The circular p-i-n diodes with a 1 mm diam contact area showed a device breakdown voltage to be linearly dependent on the thickness of the undoped ZnSe epilayer. For p-i-n diodes fabricated on an initial 0.5 μm thick undoped ZnSe layer, an ideality factor of 1.19 and a reverse bias breakdown voltage of 12 V was observed. A large photocurrent, good linearity with light intensity, and low dark current were o...

The grating light valve (GLV) is a micro-electromechanical reflection phase grating that operates on the electrostatic deflection of microbeams. In a conventional GLV, each beam is coated with a surface electrode that spans its length. In this paper, a GLV with partial electrode coverage is studied. An analysis is presented of the deflection profile and switching voltage for a series of electrode lengths. These results are compared with the performance of a conventional GLV.

La marbrure chlorotique du feuillage est un des principaux indices de dommages causes par l'ozone chez les coniferes. Nous avons eu recours a l'analyse a une ou plusieurs variables pour verifier s'il y avait des correlations significatives entre la marbrure chlorotique des aiguilles et 38 caracteristiques connues pour etre associees aux dommages causes par l'ozone chez le pin ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws). Les mesures des caracteristiques morphologiques, physiologiques et celles du plus proche voisin ont ete comparees sur le meme arbre pour leur contribution relative dans la determination du nombre minimum de caracteristiques requises pour evaluer les dommages causes par l'ozone tels qu'indiques par la marbrure chlorotique. Neuf caracteristiques etaient significativement correlees avec les differentes intensites de marbrure chlorotique: le nombre de verticilles verts restant, la proportion, sur la base de sa longueur totale, de la partie du rameau avec des aiguilles, le diametre du rameau et du tronc, la croissance radiale, le contenu en chlorophylle et en azote des aiguilles, le contenu en saccharose des grosses racines et la proximite du pin voisin le plus proche. L'analyse discriminante appliquee aux composantes principales standardisees a demontre que les six premieres caracteristiques etaient presque aussi adequates que l'ensemble des neuf pour classer les cotes de dommages foliaires visibles. Les nombreuses analyses qui ont ete faites confirment la validite de certaines des caracteristiques en usage et en suggerent d'autres qui devraient etre inclues dans l'evaluation des dommages causes par l'ozone chez le pin ponderosa.

The use of a gel-immunization technique with Immucox vaccination was compared and evaluated against other immunization methods in battery and floor-pen immunization trials. Gel immunization was found to be superior to immunization by gavage, by spray cabinet, or by the conventional delivery method of Immucox in a battery trial. Significantly enhanced protection as measured by weight gain, coupled with the establishment of a more uniform primary immunizing infection as evidenced by greater intestinal lesions and increased oocyst shedding, was seen in gel-immunized birds. In addition, cross-protective battery trials determined that the strain of Eimeria maxima found in the Immucox vaccine failed to elicit protection against a recent field isolate of E. maxima as measured by average weight gain and lesion scores. A reformulation of the Immucox vaccine that included the field isolate of E. maxima was required to elicit a protective immune response against challenge by the field strain. A floor-pen experiment demonstrated that gel immunization of 1-day-old roaster chickens resulted in performance parameters of average weight gain, average bird weight, and feed conversion that did not differ significantly from those recorded for medicated nonimmunized birds.

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an obligatory intracellular bacterium which infects macrophages and monocytes. Double immunofluorescence labeling was used to characterize the nature of E. chaffeensis inclusion in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line THP-1. E. chaffeensis was labeled with dog anti-E. chaffeensis serum and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated anti-dog immunoglobulin G (IgG). Lissamine rhodamine-conjugated anti-mouse IgG was used to label various mouse monoclonal antibodies. Ehrlichial inclusions did not fuse with lysosomes, since they were not labeled with anti-CD63 or anti-LAMP-1. The ehrlichial inclusions were slightly acidic, since they weakly accumulated 3-(2,4-dinitroanilino)-3'-amino-N-methyldipropylamine and stained weakly positive for vacuolar type H+ ATPase. Some ehrlichial inclusions were labeled positive with antibodies against HLA-DR, HLA-ABC, and beta2 microglobulin, while other inclusions in the same cell were labeled negative. The inclusions were labeled strongly positive for transferrin receptors (TfRs) and negative for the clathrin heavy chain. Time course labeling for TfRs showed that up to 3 h postinfection, most of the ehrlichial inclusions were negative for TfRs. After 6 h postinfection, 100% of the ehrlichial inclusions became TfR positive and the intensity of labeling was increased during the subsequent 3 days. Reverse transcription-PCR showed a gradual increase in the level of TfR mRNA postinfection, which reached a peak at 24 h postinfection. These results suggest that ehrlichial inclusions are early endosomes which selectively accumulate TfRs and that the ehrlichiae up-regulate TfR mRNA expression.

Detection of female premutation (PM) carriers of fragile X syndrome may be important in that a PM allele from the mother can expand to a full mutation (FM) when transmitted to the fetus. Although the PM carrier frequency might be different in varying populations, there is a little data on the Korean population. Furthermore, the risks of expansion to FM have not been studied in Korean PM carriers. In this retrospective study, we estimated the female PM carrier frequency and the risks of expansion to FM in Korean diagnostic samples collected for FMR1 gene testing. Of 10,241 pre-conceptional or pregnant women, 13 PM [1 in 788; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1/1,250-1/455] and 75 intermediate allele carriers (1 in 137; 95% CI, 1/172-1/110) were identified. In 26 prenatal diagnoses cases, the PM allele was transmitted to the fetus in 13 pregnancies (50%), and five of these expanded to FM. All of the maternal alleles exceeding 70 repeats expanded to FM. In conclusion, the PM frequency in Korean diagnostic samples was lower than that reported in Western populations, while the risk for FM expansion in alleles exceeding 70 repeats might be higher than expected based upon previous reports.

The automotive industry has been pressed to satisfy more rigorous fuel efficiency requirements to promote energy conservation, safety features and cost containment. To satisfy this need, high strength steel has been developed and used for many different vehicle parts. The use of high strength steels, however, requires careful analysis and creativity in order to accommodate its relatively high springback behavior. An innovative method, called local warm forming with near infrared ray, has been developed to help promote the use of high strength steels in sheet metal forming. For this method, local regions of the work piece are heated using infrared ray energy, thereby promoting the reduction of springback behavior. In this research, a V-bend test is conducted with DP980. After springback, the bend angles for specimens without local heating are compared to those with local heating. Numerical analysis has been performed using the commercial program, DEFORM-2D. This analysis is carried out with the purpose of understanding how changes to the local stress distribution will affect the springback during the unloading process. The results between experimental and computational approaches are evaluated to assure the accuracy of the simulation. Subsequent numerical simulation studies are performed to explore best practices with respect to thermal boundary conditions, timing, and applicability to the production environment.