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Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): A consortium of six companies in Korea (Daiichi Sankyo, Boston Scientific, Terumo, Biotronik, Qualitech Korea, and Dio). Background Patients with coronary artery disease and impaired renal function are at higher risk for both bleeding and ischemic adverse events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Purpose We assessed the efficacy and safety of a prasugrel based de-escalation strategy in patients with impaired renal function. Methods We conducted a post-hoc analysis of the HOST-REDUCE-POLYTECH-ACS study. Patients with available estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (n=2,311) were categorized into three groups. (high eGFR: ≥90 mL/min; intermediate eGFR: ≥60 and Results With respect to net adverse clinical events, prasugrel de-escalation was beneficial regardless of baseline renal function (p for interaction = 0.508). The relative reduction in bleeding risk from prasugrel de-escalation was higher in the low eGFR group compared with that from both the intermediate and high eGFR groups (relative reduction: 64% [HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.15–0.83] vs. 50% [HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.28-0.90] and 52% [HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.21-1.13] for low, intermediate, and high eGFR groups, p for interaction=0.646). Ischemic risk from prasgurel de-escalation was not significant in all eGFR groups ([HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.47-2.98], [HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.53-1.69], and [HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.26-1.39)], respectively, p for interaction=0.119). The probability risk ratio was highest in low eGFR group (1.06 vs. 1.26 vs. 1.36, for high, intermediate, and low eGFR groups, respectively, p for trend Conclusion The beneficial effect of prasugrel-based de-escalation strategy was consistent regardless of the baseline renal function, which was mostly driven by a reduction in bleeding risk which was greatest in those with low eGFR.

This work presents the effect of carbon black (CB)/multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) hybrid filler system on the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of natural rubber (NR) based nanocom...

This work describes the effect of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) addition in natural rubber (NR). Firstly, RGO was synthesized based on the improved Hummer's method then characterized by Fou...

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. OnBehalf on behalf of the HOST-EXAM investigators Background The HOST-EXAM randomized clinical trial recently performed a comparison of clopidogrel monotherapy vs. aspirin monotherapy in patients requiring indefinite antiplatelet monotherapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study randomized 5,438 patients who maintained dual antiplatelet therapy without clinical events for 6–18 months after PCI with drug-eluting stents (DES) to receive a monotherapy agent of clopidogrel 75 mg once daily or aspirin 100 mg once daily for 24 months. During the 24-month follow-up, the primary outcome (a composite of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, readmission due to acute coronary syndrome, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) bleeding type 3 or greater) rate was significantly lower in the clopidogrel group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.73 [95% CI 0.59–0.90]; p = 0.0035). However, it is uncertain whether the beneficial effect of clopidogrel will be consistent in patients with high ischemic risk or those with high bleeding risk. Methods This is a post-hoc analysis of the HOST-EXAM trial. A high ischemic risk was defined as those who had at least 1 of the following procedural features: 3 vessels treated, ≥3 stents implanted, ≥3 lesions treated, bifurcation PCI, total stent length >60 mm, or left main PCI. Patients with high bleeding risk were defined according to the Academic Research Consortium for High Bleeding Risk (ARC-HBR) criteria. The co-primary outcome were thrombotic endpoints (a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, readmission due to acute coronary syndrome, and definite or probable stent thrombosis) and bleeding endpoints (BARC type ≥2 bleeding events) at 24-month follow-up. Results Among the total population, 22.1% had high ischemic risk and 21.4% had high bleeding risk. Complex PCI was not associated with a higher risk of thrombotic endpoints, nor bleeding endpoints. For patients with a high bleeding risk, these patients had a higher risk of both thrombotic endpoints (HR 1.545, 95% CI 0.141-2.092, p = 0.005) and bleeding endpoints (HR 3.418, 95% CI 2.413-4.840, p Conclusion The current post-hoc analysis of the HOST-EXAM trial will evaluate the efficacy of clopidogrel monotherapy vs. aspirin monotherapy during the chronic maintenance period after PCI, in patients with high ischemic risk or those with high bleeding risk.

Background/Introduction Recent evidence has confirmed low bleeding risk with double antithrombotic therapy, combining oral anticoagulant (OAC) and single platelet inhibitor, in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Among the Asian AF population, most of the patients received dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) without OACs, even after the introduction of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs). Purpose The current nationwide study assessed 3-month ischemic and bleeding risks of DAPT in comparison to triple antithrombotic therapy among the Korean AF population undergoing PCI. Methods We analyzed the claims records of 11,039 patients (mean age 70 years, 66.3% male, and mean CHA2DS2-VASc score 3.2) between 2013 to 2018. Patients were categorized into triple therapy group with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs-TT), or NOACs (NOACs-TT), and DAPT group according to the antithrombotic therapy after PCI. 3-month risks of ischemic stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction, any in-hospital death, and major bleeding were compared between groups after baseline adjustment using inverse probability weighting. Results A total of 1,786, 1,997, and 7,256 patients were allocated to the VKAs-TT, NOACs-TT, and DAPT groups. The DAPT group had a higher prevalence of prior MI and coronary revascularization, but had lower thromboembolic and bleeding risks than the triple antithrombotic therapy groups (mean CHA2DS2-VASc score 3.8, 4.1, and 3.5; and mean HAS-BLED score 3.3, 3.4, and 3.1 for VKAs-TT, NOACs-TT, and DAPT groups, respectively). The NOACs-TT group was associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio [HR] 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20–0.70) and any in-hospital death (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.49–0.98) compared with the VKAs-TT group. The DAPT group showed a lower risk of ischemic stroke (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.27–0.63) and major bleeding (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.37–0.84) than the VKAs-TT group, especially in patients without prior OAC treatment. The DAPT group showed a comparable ischemic risk against the NOACs-TT group, although the risk of major bleeding was lower in the DAPT group, especially among old age (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.29–0.78) or OACs-naive patients (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.29–0.86). Conclusion Among the Asian AF population, using short-term DAPT for 3-month after PCI was associated with a lower risk of bleeding without increasing ischemic risk compared to triple antithrombotic therapy with OAC. This may be a therapeutic option in very high bleeding risk patients who have had complex PCI necessitating focus on DAPT in the initial 3 month period. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): This study was supported by grant no 3020200200 from the Seoul National University Hospital Research Fund, by the Korea Medical Device Development Fund grant funded by the Korea government (the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) (Project Number: 202013B14), and by the Korea National Research Foundation funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (grant 2020R1F1A106740). Figure 1Figure 2

We investigate two types of avoided crossings in a chaotic billiard within the framework of information theory. The Shannon entropy in the phase space for the Landau--Zener interaction increases as the center of the avoided crossing is approached. Meanwhile, that for the Demkov interaction decreases as the center of avoided crossing is passed by with an increase in the deformation parameter. This feature can provide a new indicator for scar formation. In addition, it is found that the Fisher information of the Landau--Zener interaction is significantly larger than that of the Demkov interaction., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures; Close to published version

Crop production in arid regions is characterized with high temperature, drought and salinity which decrease water and nutrient use efficiency. This study was conducted to investigate the ef...

This work presents silicon reliability characterization of Intel’s Foveros three-dimensional (3D) logic-on-logic stacking technology implemented on the 22FFL process node. Simulations and data demonstrate mechanical strain safe zones around Through Silicon Vias (TSVs). Evaluations of TSV impact on transistor, interconnect, and defect reliability are reported with a Si technology focus. TSV and bump architectures pass thermomechanical assessments on the final optimized process flow. Foveros 3D stacking technology is shown to exhibit robust silicon reliability.

Enabling CPU with the highest possible frequency requires substantial study and optimizations beyond traditional product reliability methods. Extending on our IRPS 2019 report [1], we describe five additional enhancements from throughout the product life cycle. This contributed to increasing client CPU performance with undiminished reliability.

This paper describes the transistor reliability of Intel's 22FFL FinFET technology, which includes an extensive variety of device offerings to enable high performance and low power design options. Detailed evaluations of BTI, TDDB, self-heating, and HCI are included to demonstrate the impact from the various device's pitch, channel length, and threshold voltage. Process integration details are included to highlight the interaction with reliability mechanisms. In addition, modeling results are shown to be well matched to silicon on both discrete devices and benchmark circuits.

Essential tremor is an involuntary trembling of body limbs in people without tremor-related disease. In previous study, suppression of tremor by sensory electrical stimulation was confirmed on the index finger. This study investigates the effect of sensory stimulation on multiple segments and joints of the upper limb. It denotes the observation regarding the effect's continuity after halting the stimulation. 18 patients with essential tremor (8 men and 10 women) participated in this study. The task, "arms stretched forward", was performed and sensory electrical stimulation was applied on four muscles of the upper limb (Flexor Carpi Radialis, Extensor Carpi Radialis, Biceps Brachii, and Triceps Brachii) for 15 seconds. Three 3-D gyro sensors were used to measure the angular velocities of segments (finger, hand, and forearm) and joints (metacarpophalangeal and wrist joints) for three phases of pre-stimulation (Pre), during-stimulation (On), and 5 minute post-stimulation (P5). Three characteristic variables of root-mean-squared angular velocity, peak power, and peak power frequency were derived from the vector sum of the sensor signals. At On phase, RMS velocity was reduced from Pre in all segments and joints while peak power was reduced from Pre in all segments and joints except for forearm segment. Sensory stimulation showed no effect on peak power frequency. All variables at P5 were similar to those at On at all segments and joints. The decrease of peak power of the index finger was noted by 90% during stimulation from that of On phase, which was maintained even after 5 min. The results indicate that sensory stimulation may be an effective clinical method to treat the essential tremor.

Summary Echinochloa species are amongst the most problematic weeds in rice fields of Korea. The steady reliance on the Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) and acetolactate synthase inhibiting herbicides for control of these weeds has led to resistance to these herbicides. The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity among populations of ACCase inhibitor-resistant and -susceptible Echinochloa crus-galli and E. oryzicola in Korea, to better understand their population structure and possible origins of resistance. Seven simple sequence repeat markers were applied to assess the genetic diversity between resistant and susceptible E. crus-galli and E. oryzicola from 12 populations in Korea. Genetic diversity was slightly higher in the resistant group. The Unweighted Pair Group Method using Arithmetic algorithm (UPGMA) dendrogram generated two distinct clades. One clade consisted of Echinochloa spp. from three populations, i.e. Anmyeondo, Gimje 4 and Gongju, which are resistant and differentiated from the susceptible populations, and the other clade contained the rest of the populations. Structure modelling supported two clades of UPGMA clustering. Based on these data, we can infer that some resistant populations are greatly differentiated, whereas other resistant biotypes are still building up resistance in rice fields in Korea. Resistance traits will be fixed and continue to spread over time without proper control measures.

Adipogenesis can be spatially and temporally regulated by extracellular matrix (ECM). We hypothesized that the regulation of hyaluronic acid (HA), a component of the ECM, can affect adipogenesis in fat cells. The effects of HA on adipogenesis were investigated in vitro in 3T3-L1 cells and in vivo in high-fat diet-feeding C57BL/6J mice.We investigated the effects of HA by degradation of pre-existing or synthesized HA and artificial inhibition of HA synthesis in adipogenesis.In vitro adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells was inhibited by treating them with exogenous hyaluronidase (HYAL) and with 4-methylumbelliferone, which inhibited the synthesis of HA in a concentration-dependent manner. In vivo, abdominal fat accumulation in high-fat diet-feeding C57BL/6J mice was suppressed by exogenous HYAL 10(4) IU injections, which was associated with reduction of lipid accumulation in liver and increase of insulin sensitivity.Changes in the ECM such as accumulation of high molecular weight of HA by HAS and degradation of HA by endogenous HYAL were essential for adipogenesis both in vitro and in vivo.

The transistor reliability characterization of a 14nm System-on-Chip (SoC) node optimized for low power operation is described. In-depth assessments of reliability and performance for Core and I/O devices are performed on Logic and SoC nodes, and clear trends with scaling are identified. Insight is provided into hot carrier and off-state aging, and self-heat effects. Technological advancements across process nodes demonstrate the ability to achieve matched or improved reliability in conjunction with robust generational performance gains. The 14nm SoC node is shown to be robust for all transistor reliability modes. Process monitor data are used to demonstrate the stability of the production line in high-volume manufacturing.

Background Ethnic diversity between different populations may affect treatment safety and efficacy. Aims and methods A subanalysis to a global trial (study 326) was carried out to ascertain the safety and efficacy of donepezil 23 mg/day compared with donepezil 10 mg/day in Asian patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease. Changes in cognition and global functioning were measured by the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) and Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change Plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-Plus), respectively, at week 24. Results Cognitive improvement measured by SIB score was greater with donepezil 23 mg than with donepezil 10 mg (+1.36 vs −1.56]; difference, 2.92). There was no difference between the groups in global function measured by the CIBIC-Plus (3.94 and 3.95, respectively). Overall, 119 patients (82.1%) receiving donepezil 23 mg and 56 (71.8%) receiving donepezil 10 mg experienced ≥1 treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs). In the donepezil 23 mg group, the incidence of TEAEs was higher among patients of lower weight (

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The method of treating an HIVD in the lumbar spine may depend on the integrity of the PLL. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the MR imaging findings of extraligamentous and subligamentous HIVDs in the lumbar spine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred seventeen patients (M/F = 71:46; mean age, 47 years; age range, 15–79 years) underwent lumbar spine MR imaging and disk surgery (extraligamentous/subligamentous = 66:51) from May 2003 to November 2006. Two radiologists in consensus retrospectively reviewed all MR images, focusing on 10 criteria. RESULTS: The following 5 criteria are suggestive of extraligamentous HIVD in the lumbar spine: 1) spinal canal compromised for more than half its dimension, 2) internal signal difference in the HIVD, 3) an ill-defined margin of the HIVD, 4) disruption of the continuous low-signal-intensity line covering the HIVD, and 5) the presence of an internal dark line in the HIVD (P < .05). When we combined these 5 MR imaging criteria, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and odds ratio were 77.3%, 74.5%, 76.1%, and 9.93 (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our proposed 5 MR imaging criteria will be helpful in differentiating extraligamentous and subligamentous HIVDs in the lumbar spine.

SUMMARY Phosphorus is essential for the growth of poultry, particularly for bone development. Eighty percent or more of the total P is in the form of phytate. Monogastrics, such as chickens and pigs, do not secrete the enzyme that breaks down phytates and separates P in grains or oil meals. Organic acids (OA) effectively check the growth of mold and bacteria. Furthermore, adding OA to feed can lower the gastric pH. Low gastric pH accelerates the conversion of pepsinogen to pepsin, which improves the absorption rate of proteins, amino acids, and minerals. This experiment was performed to examine the effect of adding OA to feeds with different available P (AP) levels in terms of egg productivity, egg quality, and IgY levels. Results suggest that the AP level in feed does not have to be higher than 0.3%, when compared with 0.4% AP in the diet. Supplementation of 0.2% OA to the 0.3% AP diet showed the best results in hen-housed egg production, soft-shell plus broken egg production, FCR, and egg yolk IgY. However, the best eggshell color was obtained in the 0.4% AP and 0.2% OA diet.

Microvias of 50 μm diameter in a Si chip were filled with Zn or Sn-Zn to form through-silicon vias by means of an electroplating/reflow process or a dipping method. In the case of the electroplating/reflow process, Zn was electroplated on a Cu seed layer in via holes, and a reflow was then performed to fill the via holes with the electroplated Zn. In the case of the dipping method, Zn via-filling and Sn-Zn via-filling were performed by dipping a via hole specimen into a molten bath of Zn or Sn-Zn. A filling pressure greater than 3 MPa during the via-filling is essential for ensuring that the via holes are completely filled with Zn or Sn-Zn and for preventing voids from being trapped in the vias. The melting temperature and electrical conductivity of the Sn-Zn alloys increases almost linearly with the content of Zn, implying that the thermal and electrical properties of the Sn-Zn vias can be easily controlled by varying the composition of the Sn-Zn vias. A chip-stack specimen was fabricated by flip-chip bonding of three chips with Zn vias.

Xenotransplantation of pig organs into humans is a potential solution for the shortage of donor organs for transplantation. However, multiple immune barriers preclude its clinical application. In particular, the initial type of rejection in xenotransplantation is an acute cellular rejection by host CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) cells that react to donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class 1. The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein Unique Short (US) 2 specifically targets MHC class I heavy chains to relocate them from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane to the cytosol, where they are degraded by the proteasome. In this study we transfected the US2 gene into minipig fetal fibroblasts and established four US2 clonal cell lines. The integration of US2 into transgenic fetal cells was confirmed using PCR and Southern blot assay. The reduction of Swine Leukocyte Antigen (SLA)-I by US2 was also detected using Flow cytometry assay (FACS). The FACS analysis of the US2 clonal cell lines demonstrated a substantial reduction in SLA-I surface expression. The level (44% to 76%) of SLA-1 expression in US2 clonal cell lines was decreased relative to the control. In cytotoxicity assay the rate of CD8 + T cell-mediated cytotoxicity was significantly reduced to 23.8±15.1% compared to the control (59.8±8.4%, p

We used nuclear transfer (NT) to develop transgenic female pigs harboring goat beta-casein promoter/human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (hGM-CSF). The expression of hGM-CSF was specific to the mammary gland, and the glycosylation-derived size heterogeneity corresponded to that of the native human protein. Although various cell types have been used to generate cloned animals, little is currently known about the potential use of fibroblasts derived from a cloned fetus as donor cells for nuclear transfer. The developmental potential of porcine cloned fetal fibroblasts transfected with hGM-CSF was evaluated in the present study. Cloned fetal fibroblasts were isolated from a recipient following the transplantation of NT embryos. The cells were transfected with both hGM-CSF and the neomycin resistance gene in order to be used as donor cells for NT. Reconstructed embryos were implanted into six sows during estrus; two of the recipient sows delivered seven healthy female piglets with the hGM-CSF gene (confirmed with PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization) and microsatellite analysis confirmed that the clones were genetically identical to the donor cells. The expression of hGM-CSF was strong in the mammary glands of a transgenic pig that died a few days prior to parturition (110 d after AI). These results demonstrated that somatic cells derived from a cloned fetus can be used to produce recloned and transgenic pigs.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding diets supplemented with β-glucan products on the performance, small intestinal microflora and immune response in laying hens. The β-glucan products used in the experiment were BetaPolo ® ; soluble β-glucan of microbial cell wall origin, HiGlu ® ; microbial cell wall origin, OGlu ® ; oat origin, BGlu ® ® , T5 ; BGlu ® . Each treatment was replicated 4 times with 36 birds/replicate housed in 2 bird cages, and arranged according to completely randomized block design. Feeding trial lasted 40ds under 16 h lighting regimens. There were significant differences among treatments in hen-house egg production feed intake and feed con- version. HiGlu treatment was significantly higher than OGlu treatments in hen-house egg production. β-glucan supplemented treatments were lower than the control in feed intake and feed conversion ratio. All β-glucan supplemented treatments were significantly higher than the control in eggshell strength. Eggshell color and Haugh unit tended to be lower in the supplemented group than the control. IgY concentration was not significantly affected by treatments. At 5 th week of experiment, however, IgY concentration tended to increase in the supplemented groups. Among the leucocytes parameters, WBC, heterophil, lympho- cytes, monocyte and eosinophil concentration were lower in the supplemented groups than those of the control. Among ery- throcytes, HCT(hematocrit) and MCV(mean corpuscular volume) were significantly affected by treatment. MCV of supple- mented groups were higher than that of the control. Immunoglobulin concentrations in the birds were not significantly different among treatments. However, IgA concentration tended to be low in the supplemented groups than the control. The cfu of small intestinal microflora were not significantly different among treatments, but that of Cl. perfringens tended to be lower than the control. The result of this experiment indicateted that feeding β-glucan to laying hens improve feed conversion ratio and eggshell strength. Also intestinal microflora and immune responses are modified.

Since Chang et al. reported the pioneering concept of micro-column, researches on the micro-column have been devoted to its application to low energy electron beam lithography with high throughput capabilities using arrayed micro-column structure [E. Kratschmer, H.S. Kim, M.G.R. Thomson, K.Y. Lee, S.A. Rishton, M.L. Yu, S. Zolgharnain, B.W. Hussey, T.H.P. Chang, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 14(6) (1996) 3792; T.H.P. Chang, M.G.R. Thomson, E. Kratschmer, H.S. Kim, M.L. Yu, K.Y. Lee, S.A. Rishton, B.W. Hussey, S. Zolgharnian, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 18(6) (1996) 3774; L.P. Muray, J.P. Spallas, C. Stebler, K. Lee, M. Mankos, Y. Hsu, M. Gmur, T.H.H. Chang, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 18(6) (2000) 3099; H.S. Kim, D.W. Kim, S. Ahn, Y.C. Kim, J. Cho, S.K. Choi, D.Y. Kim, Microelectron. Eng. 55 (2005) 78-79]. Also, developing inspection systems using micro-columns can be a promising technology for the production of next generation devices with narrow line-width since the low energy (

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. AD is the most common cause of dementia worldwide, and its incidence is increasing in line with population aging. The primary feature of AD is progressive cognitive decline, and severe AD is characterized by reduced communication skills and mobility. However, successful treatment can substantially improve quality of life. Donepezil is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor approved for use across the full spectrum of mild, moderate, and severe AD. Donepezil has been available at doses of 5 or 10 mg once daily for more than a decade and, more recently, a single high once-daily sustained-release 23-mg dose has been approved for treatment of patients with moderate to severe AD. The rationale for the higher dose formulation was the expected increase in acetylcholinesterase inhibition given the dose-response relationship of donepezil, with the benefits of the higher dose being most apparent in patients with more advanced AD. Donepezil 5 and 10 mg/day have been well studied in mild-to-moderate AD, and a clinical trial has confirmed the benefits of donepezil 23 mg/day in patients with moderate to severe AD, particularly for language and visuospatial ability. This review presents an overview of the evidence for donepezil across the spectrum of AD, with a focus on dose optimization for disease progression.

Summary An accession of Camelina microcarpa suspected to be resistant to sulfonylurea herbicides was identified in Oregon in 1998 field experiments. Greenhouse research confirmed that the putative resistant biotype was resistant to chlorsulfuron and metsulfuron on a whole plant level. Compared with the resistant (R) biotype, the susceptible (S) biotype was 1000 and 10 000-fold more sensitive to metsulfuron and chlorsulfuron respectively. The R biotype was also resistant to other sulfonylurea, sulfonylaminocarbonyl-triazolinone, imidazolinone and triazolopyrimidine herbicides. An in vivo enzyme assay indicated that acetolactate synthase (ALS) from the R plants required 111 times more chlorsulfuron to inhibit activity by 50% compared with the amount required to have a similar effect on ALS from S plants. Analysis of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences demonstrated that a single-point mutation from G to T in the als1 gene conferred the change from the amino acid tryptophan to leucine at position 572 in the resistant biotype. This research confirmed that ALS inhibitor resistance in an Oregon accession of C. microcarpa is based on an altered target site conferred by a single-point mutation.

Summary Primisulfuron-resistant (AR and MR) and -susceptible (AS and MS) Bromus tectorum biotypes were collected from a Poa pratensis field at Athena, Oregon, and in research plots at Madras, Oregon. Studies were conducted to characterize the resistance of the B. tectorum biotypes. Whole plant bioassay and acetolactate synthase (ALS) enzyme assay revealed that the AR biotype was highly resistant to the sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides, primisulfuron and sulfosulfuron and to a sulfonylaminocarbonyltriazolinone (SCT) herbicide, propoxycarbazone-sodium. However, the AR biotype was not resistant to imazamox, an imidazolinone (IMI) herbicide. Results of the whole plant bioassay studies showed that the MR biotype was moderately resistant to all ALS inhibitors tested. However, there were no differences in ALS sensitivities between the MR and MS biotypes. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence analysis of the als gene demonstrated a single-point mutation from C to T, conferring the exchange of the amino acid proline to serine at position 197 in the AR biotype. However, this mutation was not found in the MR biotype. Results of this research indicate that: the resistance of the AR biotype to SU and SCT herbicides is based on an altered target site due to a single-point mutation; resistance in the MR biotype is not due to a target site mutation.

To assess the histological response and the reinforcing effects of bone ingrowth within porous hydroxyapatite (HA) implants depending on pore geometry, four kinds of cylindrical-type with parallel linear pores phi50, 100, 300, 500 microm), one kind of sponge-type with irregular interconnecting pores (phi250 microm) and one cross-type with crossing linear pores (phi100 x 120 microm) of porous HA were prepared. Eighty-four rabbits were divided into six groups, and a 5 x 5 x 7 mm sized porous HA block was inserted through the medial cortical window of the proximal tibia. Histomorphological changes were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. A biomechanical compression test was performed using material test machines. After implantation, the implants showed different histological changes depending on pore geometry. Active osteoconduction was also found in the phi50 microm sized cylindrical-type porous HA. Evidence of remodeling of new bone and bone marrow formation within porous HA was found in the larger cylindrical-types (phi300, 500 microm), and the sponge- and cross-types. The biomechanical test showed that the ultimate compressive strength increased significantly in the phi300 microm sized cylindrical-type, and in the sponge- and cross-types eight weeks after implantation. Porous HA with cylindrical pores could be a useful graft material due to its strength, osteoconductivity and the ease with which its pore geometry can be controlled.

Soluble polyimides were synthesized and characterized from two diamines and four dianhydrides by the two- and the one-step method. Most of the polyimides could be soluble by one-step method except α,α'-bis(4-aminophenyl)-1,4-diisopropyl benzene/3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride system in limited organic solvents. Glass transition temperatures ranged from 186 to 233°C and crystalline melt temperatures were not observed. All the soluble polyimides showed good thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. The polyimides did not have crystalline structure and limited solubilities. The effective solvent had a medium dispersion component associated with weak polar and hydrogen components. The polymer from one-step polymerization had a narrower molecular weight distribution than the two-step method. Polyimide synthesized with 4,4'-oxydiphthalic anhydride and bis[4-(3-aminophenoxy)phenyl]sulfone by two-step method could only be prepared by the typical phase inversion method. Other membranes except this polyimide membrane could not be prepared by the typical phase-inversion method because of poor solubility about polar solvents. The flux of this ultrafiltration membrane was very high, and this membrane could especially retain polymer having a molecular weight 20,000 to above 90%.

Midgut volvulus with or without intestinal malrotation can occur in fetal life. Several reports have described congenital midgut volvulus showing non-specific sonographic findings of intestinal obstruction and perforation in utero. None of the previously reported cases, however, were definitively diagnosed as midgut volvulus by fetal sonography. We report two cases both exhibiting the sonographic 'whirlpool' sign, in utero. Color Doppler interrogation provided a clue to the viability of the involved intestinal segment.

Parsley can be stored for long periods using modified atmosphere(MA) storage; 77 days at 0°C and 35 days at 5°C. Weight loss during storage was found to be lower than 5% in all treatments except for the 20 μm ceramic film packing. Carbon dioxide and ethylene accumulations in film packages were higher at 5°C and with the 60 μm LDPE film. Best chlorophyll preservation was obtained at 0°C and with the 40 μm ceramic film. Petiole firmness maintained the highest value in 40 μm ceramic film packing at both 0°C and 5°C. There also was little loss of vitamin C content at 0°C. Vitamin C content stayed above 80 mg/100 g FW for all treatments even 77 days after storage. Therefore 40 μm ceramic film packing at 0°C storage temperature is highly recommended for MA storage of parsley in terms of shelf life and quality.

Our study centred on the uptake of sodium selenate and sodium selenite by vegetables and the accumulated contents of selenium in vegetables in nutrient solution culture. Effects of selenate and selenite ion on the growth and internal quality of celery were also studied. Accumulated Se contents in 'Seoul' celery increased with increasing rates of Se added to the nutrient solution in both sodium selenate and sodium selenite treatments. However, when Na 2 SeO 4 and Na 2 SeO 3 treatments were compared more Se was found to have accumulated in leaves and petioles by the Na 2 SeO 4 treatment. The celery leaves accumulated higher amounts of Se than petioles at the same concentrations of Na 2 SeO 4 and Na 2 SeO 3 . Even though growth was not severely affected by Se concentrations of up to 6 mg.L -1 , Se contents were very high (57.3 mg Se.kg -1 dry matter). Selenite uptake by plants exhibited similar patterns, though overall accumulated contents were lower than for selenate treatments. In the case of selenate treatments, total vitamin C contents gradually increased with the increase of selenate concentrations in both leaves and petioles. Nitrate and protein contents of edible parts (petioles) decreased with the increase of selenate and selenite concentrations. Chlorophyll contents in leaves increased in 2 and 4 mg.L -1 treatments. These results suggest that selenate treatments of up to 4 mg.L -1 did not adversely affect celery growth, and that treatments below 4 mg.L -1 of sodium selenate or of sodium selenite to celery can be recommended.

We have measured the azimuthal correlation of hadrons produced in e(+)e(-) annihilations at root s=58 GeV. In perturbative QCD these correlations are sensitive to the interference between soft gluons emitted at large angles with respect to the event axis. However, Monte Carlo calculations incorporating QCD-inspired hadronization models in which the correlation of interjet particles is treated in a phenomenological manner describe the data well. We also observe that angular ordering of the parton showering in the LUND Monte Carlo program improves the agreement with the data.

Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder that includes postural tremor and action tremor. This study investigates whether sensory electrical stimulation (SES) is effective on the action tremor in patients with ET. One task in the clinical testing of action tremor, “Archimedes spiral drawing”, was performed in 18 patients for three sessions, which were named as pre-stimulation (PRE), stimulation on (ON), and 5[Formula: see text]min after stimulation (POST). SES (sub-motor threshold) was applied on the muscles of the elbow and wrist only at ON session. Three-dimensional (3D) angular velocities were measured on three segments (index finger, hand, and forearm) from which movements of metacarpophalangeal (MP) and wrist joints were derived. Average tremor intensity in each session was represented by root mean square of the vector sum of 3D angular velocities. Tremor intensities in ON session were smaller than in PRE session in one segment (finger) and two joints (MP and wrist) ([Formula: see text]). Tremor intensities in POST session were even smaller than in ON session in all segments and one joint (wrist) ([Formula: see text]). The results indicate that SES suppresses action tremor and the effect continues and even improves 5[Formula: see text]min after the termination of stimulation. The findings of this study may contribute to the improvement of the quality of life in patients with ET.

We present a study of differential two jet ratios in multi-hadronic final states produced by e(+)e(-) annihilation in the AMY detector at TRISTAN. The data are compared to the predictions of the next-to-leading logarithm parton-shower (NLL PS) Monte Carlo and the O(alpha(s)(2)) matrix element QCD models. We determine the strong coupling strength alpha(s)(57.3 GeV) = 0.130 +/- 0.006.

With data corresponding to 142 pb−1 accumulated at s = 57.8 GeV by the AMY detector at TRISTAN we measure the cross section of the reactions e+e− → μ+μ− and e+e− → τ+τ− and the symmetry in the angular distributions. For the lowest order cross section we obtain σμμ = 27.54 ± 0.65 ± 0.95 pb and σττ = 28.27 ± 0.87 ± 0.69 pb, and for the forward-backward asymmetry, Aμμ = 0.303 ± 0.027 ± 0.008 and Aττ = −0.291 ± 0.040 ± 0.019. These measurements agree with the standard model. Assuming e−μ−τ univrsality we extract the vector and axial coupling constants | gν| = 0.00 ± 0.09 and |gA| = 0.476 ± 0.024. A fit of data to composite models places lower bounds (95% confidence level) on the compositeness scale of 2–4 TeV.

Using 773 muons found in hadronic events from 142 pb-1 of data at a c.m. energy of 57.8 GeV, we extract the cross section and forward-backward charge asymmetry for the e+e- --> bbBAR process, and the heavy quark fragmentation function parameters for the Peterson model. For the analysis of the e+e- --> bbBAR process, we use a method in which the behavior of the c quark and lighter quarks is assumed, with only that of the b quark left indeterminate. The cross section and asymmetry for e+e- --> bbBAR are found to be R(b) = 0.57 +/- 0.06(stat) +/- 0.08(syst) and A(b) = -0.59 +/- 0.09 +/- 0.09, respectively. They are consistent with the standard model predictions. For the study of the fragmentation function we use the variable [x(e)], the fraction of the beam energy carried by the heavy hadrons. We obtain [x(E)]c = 0.56(-0.05-0.03)+0.04+0.03 and [x(E)]b = 0.65(-0.04-0.06)+0.06+0.05, respectively. These are in good agreement with previously measured values.

We report on a measurement of the forward-backward charge asymmetry in e+e- --> qqBAR at KEK TRISTAN, where. the asymmetry is near maximum. We sum over all flavors and measure the asymmetry by determining the charge of the quark jets. In addition we exploit flavor dependencies in the jet charge determination to enhance the contributions of certain flavors. This provides a check on the asymmetries of individual flavors. The measurement agrees with the standard model expectations.

We present cross section measurements for inclusive jet production in almost-real photon-photon interactions at TRISTAN using the AMY detector. The results are compared with leading-order QCD calculations for different parameterizations of the parton density in the photon.

We present a study of the third moment of the inclusive momentum distribution of particles within jets produced by e+e- annihilation at TRISTAN. In this analysis, the QCD coupling strength alpha(s) is determined by fits to the prediction of the Next-to-Leading Logarithm Parton-Shower model. The measured value of alpha(s) (57.9 GeV) = 0.134(-0.005)+0.006.

Lipoblastoma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor of embryonal fat that occurs almost exclusively in infants and children. This study was done to determine the clinical and pathologic characteristics of lipoblastoma.Nine cases of pathologically proven lipoblastoma from 1979 to 1997 were reviewed. There were 6 boys and 3 girls ranging in age from 3 months to 29 months.A soft tissue mass was the chief complaint in 7 patients, abdominal distension in 1 patient with a retroperitoneal mass, and defecation difficulty in 1 patient with a perirectal mass. In 4 patients, tumors occurred on the back. Other tumor location includes the neck, scrotum, retroperitoneum, perirectal area, and buttock in 1 patient each. Lesions measured 2.3 to 19.5 cm. Complete excision was done in 8 patients. One perirectal tumor was removed by both the posterior sagittal approach and the intraabdominal approach but incompletely resected. Two tumors located on the back recurred with intraspinal extension 12 months and 18 months after resection. Second resection and second resection with laminectomy were done. Leg pain and urinary incontinence developed in 1 patient but improved on conservative treatment.Lipoblastoma is a benign neoplasm but can frequently recur (25%) in spite of complete excision. Lipoblastomas occurring on the back had a high recurrence rate (50%) and associated with intraspinal extension. J Pediatr Surg 36:905-907.

The analysis of electro-optical properties of 635 nm InGaP/InGaAlP resonant-cavity light-emitting diodes (RCLED) with AlGaAs mirrors is presented. We show that including the periodic gain medium with slightly p-doped electron stop layer in both side of active layer improves the efficiency of such device due to increasing the electron capture efficiency in the quantum wells and decreasing the electrical field across the active layer.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Oral sodium phosphate (NaP) solution is widely used for colonoscopy bowel preparation and it may cause aphthous ulcers in the colon. Our aim was to evaluate whether oral NaP solution is associated with gastric mucosal lesions. METHODS: A total of 20 070 individuals underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with colonoscopy, and 4271 individuals underwent EGD without colonoscopy, for cancer screening. Oral NaP solutions were used for bowel preparation prior to colonoscopy. Hemorrhagic gastropathy was graded using a five-point scale for erosive mucosal injury. The effect of NaP bowel preparation on hemorrhagic gastropathy was estimated using multiple logistic regression analysis with odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The incidence of hemorrhagic gastropathy was 1.6 % (70/4271) in the EGD only group and 4.0 % (809/20 070) in the EGD with colonoscopy group ( P < 0.001, unadjusted OR 2.55, 95 %CI 1.99 - 3.27). The ORs for mild (grade 1 - 2), moderate (grade 3), and severe (grade 4) hemorrhagic gastropathy according to NaP use were 1.92 (95 %CI 1.45 - 2.54), 4.72 (95 %CI 2.65 - 8.47), and 5.99 (95 %CI 1.46 - 24.63), respectively. After adjustment for confounding factors, NaP solution was a significant risk factor for acute hemorrhagic gastropathy in the multivariate analysis (OR 1.92, 95 %CI 1.34-2.74). In addition, male sex, a body mass index (kg/m 2 ) of less than 20, concurrent use of antihypertensive or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and duodenal ulcers were independently associated with the development of hemorrhagic gastropathy. HELICOBACTER PYLORI infection and atrophic gastritis were negatively associated with hemorrhagic gastropathy. CONCLUSION: Oral NaP bowel preparation for colonoscopy was associated with hemorrhagic gastropathy.