Search

The objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of sodium long chain polyphosphate (SLCPP) and effect of dietary supplementation of SLCPP on growth performance, organ characteristics, blood metabolites, and intestinal microflora of broilers. Antimicrobial activities of SLCPP were observed against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica ser. Pullorum, Shigella sonnei, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in agar well diffusion assay. In addition, SLCPP demonstrated good anti-biofilm activity against K. pneumonia and P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, to investigate the dietary effect of SLCPP, a total of 480 1-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to three dietary treatment groups (4 replicates per group, 40 birds in each replicate): an antibiotic-free corn-soybean meal basal diet (NC); basal diet + enramycin 0.01% (PC); and basal diet + 0.1% SLCPP (SPP). The experiment lasted for 35 days. Results showed that birds fed with SLCPP had higher body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), and lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the grower phase (days 7 to 21) (p < 0.05). Except for blood urea nitrogen, all other blood biochemical parameters remained unaffected by the dietary supplementation of SLCPP. Compared to the control group, lengths of the duodenum and ileum in the SPP group were significantly shorter (p < 0.05). Moreover, counts of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), total aerobes, and Streptococcus spp. in jejunum as well as LAB in cecum were increased in the SPP group than in the PC group (p < 0.05). These results suggest that dietary supplementation of SLCPP might promote the growth of broilers in their early growth phase.

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the supplementary effect of a phytogenic blend (SPA: a mixture containing fermented Schisandra chinensis pomace, fermented Pinus densiflora needle extract, and Allium tuberosum powder in the ratio of 2:2:1) on egg production, egg quality, blood constituents, and visceral organs in laying hens.Methods: A total of 135 Hy-line brown laying hens (48-wk-old) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments with 5 replicates of 9 hens. The control group (CON) was fed a basal diet (no exogenous SPA addition) and the experimental groups were fed the basal diet containing SPA at the level of 0.1% and 0.3% for 6 weeks.Results: The feed intake was significantly improved in SPA supplemented groups as compared with the control (p0.05). For egg quality traits, only Haugh unit (HU) was significantly improved in SPA (0.3%) (p0.05). Furthermore, SPA supplementation did not affect the blood biochemical constituents except for the phosphate content, which was significantly higher in SPA groups than the CON group (p

We present a simple liquid-assisted processing (LAP) method, to be used in situ during pulsed laser deposition growth to give both rapid growth rates (50 Hz deposition leading to >250 nm min���1 with a single plume) and strong pinning (improved ��5���10 at 30 K and below, over plain standard YBCO films grown at similar rates). Achieving these two important features simultaneously has been a serious bottleneck to date and yet for applications, it is critical to overcome it. The new LAP method uses a non-stoichiometric target composition, giving rise to a small volume fraction of liquid phase during film growth. LAP enhances the kinetics of the film growth so that good crystalline perfection can be achieved at up to 60�� faster growth rates than normal, while also enabling artificial pinning centres to be self-assembled into fine nanocolumns. In addition, LAP allows for RE mixing (80% of Y with 20% of Yb, Sm, or Yb + Sm), creating effective point-like disorder pinning centres within the rare earth barium cuprate lattice. Overall, LAP is a simple method for use in pulsed laser deposition, and it can also be adopted by other in situ physical or vapour deposition methods (i.e. MOCVD, evaporation, etc) to significantly enhance both growth rate and performance., Grant from SuNAM Co. Ltd. Henry Royce Institute Equipment Grant: EP/P024947/1

The mortality risk showed a positive correlation as the number of subsequent fractures increased. Hip fracture showed the greatest association with mortality risk, followed by vertebral fracture. For the combination of hip and vertebral fracture, a hip fracture after a vertebral fracture showed the highest mortality risk.It is unclear whether subsequent fractures or a certain location and sequence of subsequent fractures are associated with mortality risk in the elderly. We aimed to investigate the relationship between subsequent fractures and mortality risk.Using the Korean National Health Insurance Research Database, we analyzed the cohort data of 24,756 patients aged 60 years who sustained fractures between 2002 and 2013. Cox regression was used to assess the mortality risk associated with the number, locations, and sequences of subsequent fractures.Mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for women and men were shown to be associated with the number of subsequent fractures (one, 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48-1.80) and 1.42 (95% CI, 1.28-1.58); two, 1.75 (95% CI, 1.47-2.08) and 2.03 (95% CI, 1.69-2.43); three or more, 2.46(95% CI, 1.92-3.15) and 1.92 (95% CI, 1.34-2.74), respectively). For women, the mortality risk was high when hip (HR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.80-3.44) or vertebral (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.03-1.90) fracture occurred as a second fracture. Compared with a single hip fracture, there was a high mortality risk in the group with hip fracture after the first vertebral fracture (HR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.86-4.54), followed by vertebral fracture after the first hip fracture (HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.12-3.22).The mortality risk showed a positive correlation as the number of subsequent fractures increased. Hip fracture showed the greatest association with mortality risk, followed by vertebral fracture. For the combination of hip and vertebral fracture, a hip fracture after a vertebral fracture showed the highest mortality risk.

1. Phosvitin, a major phosphoprotein found in egg yolk, has strong antioxidant activity. Activation of elastase, collagenase, and hyaluronidase by reactive oxygen species are related to the degradation of ECM and skin aging. The objective of this study was to determine the anti-elastase and anti-hyaluronidase activity of phosvitin.2. Elastase from porcine pancreas and hyaluronidase from bovine testes were used to study the inhibitory activity of phosvitin. To elucidate the mechanism of enzyme inhibition, a Lineweaver-Burk plot was constructed.3. Phosvitin inhibited elastase and hyaluronidase activity in a dose-dependent manner. The IC

The earlier study of [Jeon et al., Phys. Rev. Spec. Top.--Accel. Beams 12, 054204 (2009)] discovered 4 σ = 360 ° fourth-order particle resonance in linear accelerators (linacs) for any non-KV distributions (such as Gaussian and waterbag) and found that this particle resonance was predominantly manifested over the envelope instability. Several experiments have since been performed and demonstrated that fourth-order resonance indeed occurred for σ 90 ° and σ < 90 °. Self-consistent multi-particle simulations using TraceWin and PARMILA codes are performed with initially well-matched Gaussian beams to observe the emittance growth originating from the fourth-order particle resonance. It is found that the emittance growth rate varies depending on σ0 and tune depression (or equivalently beam current). It transpires that the region in which the envelope instability develops is consistent with the envelope instability stop band. The fourth-order particle resonance stop band is wider than the envelope instability stop band, and the envelope instability is induced following fourth-order particle resonance only within the envelope instability stop band in the tune-depression space.

To investigate the optimal combined 2-[A total of 74 patients (M:F=34:40; age, 53±13.2 years) who underwent FDG PET/CT for the initial work-up of RPMs were included. The maximum standardised uptake value (SUVThe final pathological diagnoses included 52 malignant and 22 benign tumours. High SUVThe combination of SUV

Environmental policy instruments could be of great help to the regional economy if they are implemented in conjunction with proper economic policy options. In other words, the environment could also be an economic opportunity in a more fundamental way, using the several main drivers that could be identified to create economic value from ports. For example, the domain of port industrial development and maritime clusters could be the area in which the environment presents new economic opportunities. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the usefulness of implementing these policy instruments with the conceptual model that is based upon the system dynamics (SD) technique. With this model, a good business case resulting in greening ports will be examined.

A bidet has been proposed as a replacement for the sitz bath. Like a sitz bath, it brings water into contact with the perineum. However, the high force of water from commercially used electronic bidets may harm the anus. We developed a new electronic bidet and evaluated its effects on anal resting pressure compared with a warm sitz bath. Forty volunteers used the electronic bidet and sitz bath on separate days. The electronic bidet was newly designed with warm (38 °C) water and very low force (10 mN) with a fountain type of flow. Anal resting pressure at the high-pressure zone was measured before (control) and after the electronic bidet and sitz bath. Pressure changes after bidet or sitz bath were expressed as percentages compared with control. Water temperatures and rectal temperatures were also recorded. The anal resting pressures before the electronic bidet and sitz bath were 90.2 ± 24.6 and 88.1 ± 16.8 mmHg, respectively. At 3 min after the electronic bidet and sitz bath, the anal resting pressures were 71.3 ± 23.4 and 69.6 ± 19.8 mmHg, respectively. The pressure changes compared with the control were 78.2 ± 12.9 and 78.1 ± 12.5 %, respectively, which were not significantly different. The maximal increase and minimal decrease were not significantly different. The rectal temperature was not elevated, and the water temperature decreased significantly with the sitz bath (p

Background: The industry of companion animalhas been growing steadily in Korea. However, alongside this rapid growth, insufficient knowledge and immature civic awareness of theresponsibilities of companionanimal ownership has resulted in an increase in the number of stray animals. Aim: The aim of this study was to form a strategy for reducing the number of stray dogs andreturning the existing stray dogs to human homes in the community by comparing the difference of behavioral characteristics between stray dogs and house dogs. Methodology: A total of 36 house dogs (HD) and stray dogs (SD) were enrolled in the study.The frequencies of and differences in aggressive, anxious, fearful, and friendly behaviors were analyzed. Various stimuli were used in five sections (section 1: appearance of a human; section 2: direct toughby a human; section 3: relationship with a dog;section 4: relationship with a human; section 5: extreme stimulation arousing fear). The dogsresponses were categorized according to the aforementioned classes of OriginalResearch Article

The rated power of a motor is highly dependent on heat transfer capability of its own cooling system. This paper addresses numerical investigations on thermal-flow characteristics of a totally enclosed fan cooled induction motor. Parameter sensitivities for cooling design are examined with computational fluid dynamics based on finite volume method. Fin array -height, thickness and pitch-attached to frame surface is determined by considering air flow rate of fan and temperature rise of insulated winding. The number of channels embedded in frame is selected as parameter to look into how effective does inner-circulated-air cool down. Also, sensitivities of ducts through rotor-core and distance between fan-cover and frame are investigated. With the parametric studies, we have raised level of cooling performance to accommodating the highest power density in industrial motor maker. Then we performed thermal-flow characteristics tests of the motor and verified accuracy of the numerical investigations.

Radiotherapy is frequently indicated to treat cerebral gliomas. Accurate response evaluation after radiotherapy is essential to determine the efficacy of treatment. We retrospectively analyzed the volumetric tumor response after simultaneous integrated boost-intensity modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) in patients with gliomas. Thirty-five patients (Grade II, 7 patients; Grade III, 12; and Grade IV, 16) were treated with SIB-IMRT with a median total dose of 55.9 Gy/26 fractions for Grade II and 60 Gy/25 fractions for Grade III-IV tumors. Tumor responses were evaluated for enhancing volume on post-gadolinium T1-weighted images (Vgd) and hyper-intensity volume on T2-weighted FLAIR images (Vfl) on serial MRIs. With the median follow-up of 24.0 months, overall response rates (RRs) were 57% for Vgd and 51% for Vfl. Tumor grade was predictive of response favoring the lower grade in Vfl with RRs of 86% for Grade II, 75% for Grade III, and 19% for Grade IV tumors (p = 0.004). Time to 50% or greater volume reduction (T50) in Vgd was 8 months for grade III. The T50 in Vfl was approximately 24 months both for Grade II and III tumors. Majority of Grade IV tumors continued to progress and never reached the T50 in Vgd or Vfl. Responders survived longer than non-responders for Vgd and Vfl. Volume response after radiotherapy was dependent upon tumor grade and time. LGGs are very responsive to radiotherapy with the RRs of 86% in Vfl. The response of Vfl is more protracted compared to Vgd. Further investigation is needed to determine the clinical significance of volumetric response evaluation.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Although endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided transmural drainage (EUD) is preferred over conventional transmural drainage (CTD) of pancreatic pseudocysts by endoscopy in many centers, its superiority with -respect to technical success and clinical outcome has not yet been demonstrated in a prospective randomized trial. We conducted this prospective randomized trial to compare the technical success and clinical outcomes of EUD and CTD in treating pancreatic pseudocysts. Patients and methods: A total of 60 consecutive patients with pancreatic pseudocysts were randomly divided into two groups to undergo either EUD (n = 31) or CTD (n = 29) of pancreatic pseudocysts. The technical success rate, complications, and short-term and long-term results were prospectively evaluated. RESULTS: The rate of technical success of the -drain-age was higher for EUD (94 %, 29 / 31) than for CTD (72 %, 21 / 29; P = 0.039) in intention-to-treat analy-sis. In cases where CTD failed (n = 8), because the pseudocysts were non-bulging, a crossover was made to EUD, which was successfully performed in all these patients. Complica-tions occurred in 7 % of the EUD and 10 % of the CTD group (P = 0.67). During short-term follow-up, pseudocyst resolution was achieved in 97 % (28 / 29) in the EUD group and in 91 % (19 / 21) in the CTD group (P = 0.565). Long-term results analyzed on a per-protocol basis showed no significant difference in clinical outcomes be-tween EUD (89 %, 33 / 37) and CTD (86 %, 18 / 21, P = 0.696). CONCLUSIONS: We found that EUD and CTD can both be considered first-line methods of endo-scop-ic transmural drainage of bulging pseudocysts, whereas EUD should be preferred for non-bulging pseudocysts.

An experiment was carried out to investigate whether variations in chill water temperature affect muscle shortening and meat quality in duck breast. Three chill water temperatures were applied to duck carcasses at 20 min postmortem for 30 min, including in ice water at 0 degrees C, in cold water at 10 degrees C, and in water at 20 degrees C. Results revealed that carcass temperatures were different (P0.05) at 50 and 120 min of postmortem with lower temperatures at the 0 degrees C treatment (P0.05). The pH over the first 24 h postmortem was not different (P0.05) among treatments, with the exception of 50 min postmortem. The pH of breast meat in the 0 degrees C treatment was higher (P0.05) than that of 20 degrees C treatment at 50 min postmortem (just after chilling). No other differences (P0.05) in pH existed among treatments. Drip loss, cooking loss, and moisture content were not different for breast meat samples that were chilled at different temperatures. Differences (P0.05) were found in CIE (L, a, and b) color values. Lightness (L) increased, whereas redness (a) decreased as the chill water temperature increased. Lower yellowness (b) was found in the breast meat samples at the 10 degrees C chill water temperature. However, shear force, sarcomere length, and protein solubility were not different (P0.05) among the breast meat samples chilled at different chill water temperatures. It may be concluded that chilling duck carcasses at different temperature ranges from 0 to 20 degrees C did not influence muscle shortening or meat quality, except in regard to breast meat color.

Groundwater was contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons (toluene and xylenes) and chlorinated solvents (PCE, TCE) at a Korean national groundwater monitoring station (NGMS). The shallow groundwater was also very alkaline (pH 11–12) with a very high electrical conductivity (EC) of over 3000 μS cm −1 . Extensive diagnostic investigation of potential contamination sources and groundwater and stream water quality for the whole surrounding area revealed that the groundwater contamination was spatially restricted to a small area of the monitoring station. Detailed investigation of the small area uncovered the existence of many waste asphalt emulsion containers and various road construction waste materials within a 15 m distance from the monitoring station. All relevant diagnostic and detailed investigation results, including contamination history (coincidence of road construction period with contamination period), vertical EC distribution and surrounding groundwater and stream water quality, indicated that the shallow groundwater contamination of the NGMS was caused by illegal dumping of the road construction waste on the surface at the site. A pulse input of liquid waste containing solvents and petroleum hydrocarbons is suspected as the most plausible cause for the contamination. Sustained high pH of groundwater indicates the possible existence of raw cement product in the subsurface, which requires further investigation.

This study aimed to provide basic information as the foundation for further studies on the assessment of velvet antler quality by investigating the changes in fatty acid, vitamin A and E, minerals and GAGs contents by development stage of antler in spotted deer (Cervus nippon). Twelve stags (aged 4 to 5 years) were divided into two groups and velvet antler harvested 40 days (FDG) and 60 days (SDG) after casting of the buttons from the previous set. Total saturated fatty acid was lower in FDG than SDG (p

Serum biochemical values were measured in blood samples collected from 8 fasted stags from both jugular and femoral veins at 18-day intervals during antler growth. Samples were analyzed for blood substrate, enzyme activity values, minerals and electrolyte. There were no significant differences in total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine, triglyceride, glucose or cholesterol concentration between veins or sampling dates. However, total-bilirubin concentration in the jugular vein on the casting date was three times higher than on the other sampling dates (p

The paper presents the investigations into the decline in groundwater level recorded at national groundwater monitoring stations in Daegu Metropolitan City, Korea. The effect of precipitation and the pumping of wells in nearby areas was considered, but it was concluded that the main influence was the construction of a 1,110 m subway line some 250 m from the monitoring station. This was checked using a simplified conceptual model, which gave results consistent with field observations and suggested that groundwater levels may be depressed for a period of 10 years or more.

The aim of this study was to provide basic information to allow improved feeding management for velvet antler production by investigating the effects of dietary protein level on production and chemical composition of velvet antler in spotted deer (Cervus nippon ). Eighteen male spotted deer of 5~6 years old were assigned to 3 unreplicated groups by production record of the previous year. Deer were fed on experimental diets at different protein level of 10% (T1), 15% (T2) and 20% (T3). Dry matter intake, crude protein intake and daily gain were increased with increasing the protein level in diets and there were significant differences (P

We studied the structural and magnetic properties of Ti1−xCoxO2 powder samples synthesized by the sol–gel method. In order to study the post annealing effect on the magnetic properties, the same precursor was annealed at 770 K for 5 h in air and in the pressure of 10−6 Torr. In the case of samples annealed in vacuum, enhanced ferromagnetism was observed at room temperature, while only paramagnetic behavior was observed in samples annealed in air. Moreover, the magnetization of the vacuum-annealed sample sharply decreased around 650 K while measuring in air, but such decrease in the magnetization was almost absent while measuring in He gas up to 750 K. The structural studies showed dominant anatase and minor rutile phases in vacuum-annealed samples, while an additional nonmagnetic CoTiO3 phase was observed in air-annealed samples. We attribute the enhanced magnetization in the vacuum-annealed sample to the oxygen deficiency which prevents the formation of non-magnetic CoTiO3 complexes. It is also possible that the reduced oxygen environment can promote the clustering of Co-rich clusters as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy in samples of x = 0.1, thus giving rise to an enhanced ferromagnetic behaviour. However, no direct observation of Co clusters in samples for x ≤ 0.05 was made. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The purpose of this experiment was to assess seasonal variation of feed utilization by feed sources and to obtain information on the use of feed resources by comparing seasonal changes of dry matter intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and feeding behavior in spotted deer (Cervus nippon) fed forest by-product silage (FBS) and corn silage (CS). Dry matter intake (DMI) of FBS was higher than that of CS in both winter and summer. While DMI of both diets was higher in summer, this was not significant at the 5% level. In contrast to DMI, digestible dry matter intake (DDMI) was higher for CS than for FBS in both seasons, but the difference was not significant. Digestibility of dry matter and crude protein was significantly higher (p 0.05) was found between the two seasons and diets for nitrogen intake (NI), 18.7 g/d in summer and 19.4 g/d in winter for FBS, 17.7 g/d in summer and 17.7 g/d in winter for CS. Fecal nitrogen was higher (p

The efficiency of two lypolytic enzymes (fungal cutinase, yeast esterase) in the degradation of di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) was investigated. The DEHP-degradation rate of fungal cutinase was surprisingly high, i.e. almost 70% of the initial DEHP (500 mg/l) was decomposed within 2.5 h and nearly 50% of the degraded DEHP disappeared within the initial 15 min. With the yeast esterase, despite the same concentration, more than 85% of the DEHP remained even after 3 days of treatment. During the enzymatic degradation of DEHP, several DEHP-derived compounds were detected and time-course changes in composition were also monitored. During degradation with fungal cutinase, most DEHP was converted into 1,3-isobenzofurandione (IBF) by diester hydrolysis. In the degradation by yeast esterase, two organic chemicals were produced from DEHP: IBF and an unidentified compound (X). The final chemical composition after 3 days was significantly dependent on the enzyme used. Fungal cutinase produced IBF as a major degradation compound. However, in the DEHP degradation by yeast esterase, compound X was produced in abundance in addition to IBF. The toxic effects of the final degradation products were investigated, using various recombinant bioluminescent bacteria and, as a result, the degradation products from yeast esterase were shown to contain a toxic hazard, causing oxidative stress and damage to protein synthesis.

To determine nutritive value and suitability of deep-stacked broiler litter for deer, the influence of supplementary levels of broiler litter on digestibility, dry matter intake, and nitrogen balance was investigated in male spotted deer ( Cervus nippon ) fed a commercial mixed(complete) ration. The deep-stacked and ground broiler litter was supplemented at the level of 0%(Control), 15%(T1) and 30%(T2) on the basis of fresh matter to the mixed ration. All treatments had similar palatability at about 3% body weight of dry matter intake. Dry matter digestibility was highest in Control and lowest in T2(P

We have recently developed a technique for fabricating SNS junctions in MgB2 thin films using a focused ion beam. These junctions show a strong modulation of the critical current by applied magnetic field and microwaves. They also show large IcRN products in excess of 1 mV at 4.2 K making them attractive candidates for a range of superconducting electronics applications. We have made SQUIDs with directly coupled pick-up loops using this technique which show large voltage modulations (175 μV at 10 K) and noise comparable to HTS SQUIDs. Here we will present an overview of our devices along with our latest results.

Forest by-product silage (FPS) comprised of foliage, shrubs, and wild grasses was prepared to examine feeding value as sole roughage source for spotted (sika) deer. This diet was compared with imported oak leaf hay (OLH) and a commercial mixed ration (CMR) in digestion balance trials with spotted deer. Dry matter intake was highest (p 0.05). Digestibility of dry matter was highest (p

Several groups have recently demonstrated junction formation by masked ion damage in which ions from a broad beam ion source locally damage regions of superconductor to form the junction barriers.However, the difficulties of preparing successful mask structures have meant the progress to date has been relatively slow.Using masks of high electron density metals such as Au and protons as the irradiating species, we have shown in a series of studies that irradiation of YBa2Cu3O7� d (YBCO) with ions of energy in the range of 30–350 keV can be used to create highly localised damage regions in the films.This technique has been successfully employed to create high quality Josephson junctions in YBCO.The fabricated devices show clear dc and ac Josephson effects.This technique is very promising in terms of simplicity and flexibility of fabrication and has potential for high density integration. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.All rights reserved.

We have shown in a series of studies that irradiation of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ (YBCO) with ions of energy in the range of 30–350 keV through a suitable mask can be used to create highly localized damage regions in the films. This technique has been successfully employed to create high quality Josephson junctions in YBCO with an ion beam implanter capable of in situ low temperature electrical measurement during implantation and focussed ion beam nanolithography. The fabricated devices show a clear dc and ac Josephson effects. This technique is very promising in terms of simplicity and flexibility of fabrication and has potential for high density integration.

A comparison of intake, digestibility and nitrogen balance in spotted deer(Cervus nippon) fed forest by-product silage(FBS), arrowroot silage(ARS) and oak leaf hay(OLH) was made to examine the feeding value of forest by-product silage. Dry matter digestibility of ARS was significantly higher(p$

Large epitaxially grown YBa2Cu3O7-? (YBCO) films (50?mm in diameter) were prepared on MgO and CeO2-buffered r-cut sapphire (CbS) substrates, for which homogeneity in the microwave surface resistance (RS) and the crystal structures were studied. An automated measurement system based on a sapphire-loaded TE01? mode cavity resonator was used for investigating the positional dependence of the RS at low temperatures. The positional dependence of the RS appeared to be strongly correlated with that of the in-plane alignments of YBCO grains in each YBCO film, with low RS observed at the positions where the full width at half maximum of the ?-scan of (113) peak appeared small. However, no such correlation was observed between the RS and the degree of the c-axis orientation of YBCO grains in each YBCO film. With the difference in the c-axis constant as small as ~0.01???over the film area for both YBCO/CbS and YBCO/MgO, the homogeneity in the RS still appeared correlated with that of the c-axis constant for YBCO/CbS. For YBCO/MgO, correlation between the RS and the c-axis constant appeared less clear. Our results show that the in-plane orientation of YBCO grains is one of the most important structural factors to be controlled to reduce the RS of YBCO films and to improve the homogeneity in the RS of large c-axis oriented YBCO films.

Double-sided YBa2Cu3O7-? (YBCO) thin films were prepared on LaAlO3 substrates 50?mm in diameter by an off-axis pulsed laser deposition method. The surface of the YBCO films appeared to have low a boulder density with a surface roughness of about 3?nm. Spiral growth was observed at both sides of the thin films. X-ray diffraction data showed that the YBCO thin films had grown epitaxially on LaAlO3 with c-axis orientation and a full width at half maximum for the (005) rocking curve of 0.15?. The transition temperature was in the range of 86-88?K and the critical current density at 77?K was 2.4-3.7?106?A?cm-2 at various positions on both sides of the film. The surface resistance of the YBCO films was estimated to be as low as ~1.0?m? at 19.57?GHz and 77?K on both sides of the YBCO films, which corresponds to a value of ~250??? at 10?GHz and 77?K.

The potential market for lactic acid as the feedstock for biodegradable polymers, oxygenated chemicals, and specialty chemicals is significant. L-lactic acid is often the desired enantiomer for such applications. However, stereospecific lactobacilli do not metabolize starch efficiently. In this work, Argonne researchers have developed a process to convert starchy feedstocks into L-lactic acid. The processing steps include starch recovery, continuous liquefaction, and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Over 100 g/L of lactic acid was produced in less than 48 h. The optical purity of the product was greater than 95%. This process has potential economical advantages over the conventional process.

p53 is an important tumor suppressor gene which is activated in response to DNA damage. The induced expression of p53 causes either cell cycle G1 arrest or apoptosis. The recently cloned p21 gene (WAF1/CIP1/SDI1) is known to be directly activated by wild-type but not mutant p53 and can suppress the growth of human cells in G1 by inhibiting the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). As p21 is activated by p53 and is a negative regulator of the cell cycle, it is possible that p21 could be a sensitive marker to monitor p53 function. To investigate the mRNA expression level and mutation status of p53 and p21 genes, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct cDNA sequence analysis were performed. mRNA expression levels of p53 and p21 genes relative to the β-tubulin gene were examined in 32 ovarian tumors (24 carcinomas, six low malignant potentials (LMPs), two benigns) and six normal ovaries. Of 13 ovarian tumors with p21 underexpression, nine p53 mutated cases (69%) and one polymorphism case were found. Among nine p53 mutated cases, three cases showed p53 overexpression, another three cases showed p53 underexpression and a further three cases showed normal expression of p53. These findings suggest that mRNA underexpression of p21 may be a more useful indicator of p53 dysfunction than mRNA expression of p53.

YBCO thin films were prepared on LaAlO/sub 3/ (100) single-crystal substrates using the metal-organic deposition of trifluoroacetates (TFA-MOD). Unlike the normal TFA-MOD process, TFA-based solutions were prepared dissolving YBCO powder into the trifluoroacetic acid solvent. The solutions were coated on the substrates by spin coating, fired at the temperature up to 400/spl deg/C in 4.2% humid and oxygen atmosphere, fired again at the temperature region of 725-850/spl deg/C for 2 h in 4.2% humidity and 1000 ppm oxygen partial pressure, and finally oxygenated at 450/spl deg/C for 1 h. Similar to the normal TFA-MOD process, both microstructure and superconducting properties of YBCO films were highly sensitive to the firing temperature. Optimally processed YBCO films of /spl sim/250 nm thickness exhibited T/sub C,zero/ of 90 K and J/sub C/ of 2.9 MA/cm/sup 2/ at 77 K in a self-field. The present results clearly evidence that our cost-effective modified TFA-MOD process is applicable to the fabrication of YBCO coated conductors.

The rutile polycrystal Ti_(0.99)(57)^Fe_(0.01)O₂ prepared with (57)^Fe enriched iron have been studied by Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and VSM. The Mossbauer spectrum of Ti_(0.99)(57)^Fe_(0.01)O₂ consists of a ferromagnetic and a paramagnetic phase over all temperature ranging from 4 to 300 K. Isomer shifts indicate Fe²+ for the ferromagnetic phase, but Fe³+ for the paramagneic phase of Ti_(0.99)(57)^Fe_(0.01)O₂ sample. It is noted that the magnetic hyperfine field of ferromagnetic phase had the value about 1.48 times as large as that of α-Fe. The XRD data for Ti_(0.99)(57)^Fe_(0.01)O₂ showed a pure rutile phase with tetragonal structures without any segregation of Fe into particulates within the instrumental resolution limit. The magnetic hysteresis (M-H) curve at room temperature showed an obvious ferromagnetic behavior and the magnetic moment per Fe atom under the applied field of 1T was estimated to be about 0.71 μ_B, suggesting a low spin configuration of Fe ions.

The aim of this chapter is to identify factors that have been affecting the increase of transhipment (T/S) cargoes of the port of Busan and to explore how these factors can be utilised more effectively to attract and increase T/S cargoes through the development of a port choice model using the technique of system dynamics (SD). To clarify the reason why T/S cargoes have increased in the port of Busan, several steps have been taken as follows. The first step was to design a quantitative model to explain the development of T/S cargoes during the last decade. The second step was to define dependent and independent variables for multiple regressions after testing variable significance. For this, data collection and the accuracy of validation have been achieved by using the direct interview procedure involving experienced experts from both Korean and foreign shipping companies. After validating the model with the collected data, the final step was to find variables that confidently explain the model. It is found that two variables are clearly identified as core factors that describe well the development of T/S cargoes in the port of Busan: ‘Mohring effect’ and total cost. Further, it is strongly recommended, through this empirical study, that an incentive scheme be changed to the way in which more feeder vessels rather than mother vessels can reduce their direct costs to call at the port of Busan. Based on regression analysis, it is also found that the sensitivity model for transhipment cargo is useful for dynamic forecasting in changing the cost factor and Mohring factor with time-series technique.

The reflectivity of superconducting MgB 2 (T c = 39 K) has been measured on a randomly oriented thin film at room temperature over a wide-range of frequencies, 20 ≤ ω < 100000 cm -1 . The conductivity shows highly metallic behavior but cannot be explained with a simple Drude model alone. The electronic contribution is analyzed by a generalized Drude model. The scattering rate 1/τ (ω) and the mass renormalization ratio m * (ω)/m = 1 +λ(ω) exhibit clear frequency dependence. The electron-phonon coupling strength is estimated to be λ ∼ 1.5 ± 0.5 while the plasma frequency ω p is 2.4 eV.

Superconducting MgB2 thin films were prepared on Al2O3(0001) and MgO(100) substrates. Boron thin films were deposited by the electron-beam evaporation followed by post-annealing process with magnesium. Proper post annealing conditions were investigated to grow good superconducting MgB2 thin films. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed randomly orientated growth of MgB2 phase in our thin films. The surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). Critical current density (Jc) measured by transport method was about 10^7 A/cm^2 at 15 K, and superconducting transition temperature (Tc) was ~ 39 K in the MgB2 thin films on Al2O3., 13 pages, 4 figures, submitted on Apr. 4, 2001, only one pdf file

Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been associated with the risk of restless legs syndrome (RLS), suggesting that dysregulation of serotonergic neurotransmission may provoke or exacerbate RLS. Methods: We compared the availability of serotonin transporter (SERT) between 16 drug-naive patients with RLS and 16 healthy controls. SERT was measured in the pons and medulla via [ 123 I]-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl) tropane (β-CIT) SPECT. A ratio of specific to nonspecific brain uptake (V 3 ″) was used for all comparisons. RLS was diagnosed according to the criteria proposed by the National Institute of Health, and its severity was measured using the International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG) Severity Scale. Results: The availability of SERT was similar in the RLS group and the control group with regards to the pons (1.24 ± 0.31 vs 1.24 ± 0.25, p > 0.1) and the medulla (0.99 ± 0.25 vs 1.00 ± 0.23, p > 0.1). However, IRLSSG Severity Scale scores increased with decrease of SERT availability in both the pons (β = −0.50, t = −3.19, p = 0.009) and the medulla (β = −0.42, t = −2.44, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Although serotonin transporter (SERT) availability in pons and medulla was similar in the restless legs syndrome (RLS) group and the control group, the severity of RLS symptoms increased as the availability of SERT decreased. These data partially support the hypothesis that an increase of serotonergic neurotransmission in the brainstem may exacerbate RLS, possibly via dual modulations on striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission and on the activities of spinal motor and sensory neurons.