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Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) originating from the outflow tract (OT) is usually considered a benign condition. However, in some rare cases, patients with the malignant OT-VT suffer from syncope or even sudden cardiac death (SCD). Objectives The purpose of this study was to clarify the long-term clinical outcome of catheter ablation for malignant OT-VT with no sturctural heart disease (no SHD). Methods Fifty two consecutive patients (28 women and 24 men; mean age, 45 years; range, 20-77 years) ablated or implanted cardiac defibrillator (ICD) for malignant OT-VT were followed for median 5 years from 2001 to 2019. Primary end point defined recurrent VT/VF episodes. Result All 52 patients underwent electrophysiologic study (EPS). Among these patients, catheter ablation successfully elimiated VT focus in 37 (71.2%), partially suppressed VT in 9 (17.3%), and failed to controll VT in 6 (11.5%) [5 of 6 failed to induce clinical tachcyardia and 1 of 6 failed to ablate VT due to multipe PVC]. There was no acute procedureal complication. ICDs were implanted in 16 patients. 12 of these 16 patients were presented with VF or SCD. One of these 16 patients had recurrent VT in 3 years after ablation and three of 16 patients failed to induce clinical tachcyardia. During a mean follow up 58 months (range, 6-161 months), 19 (36.5%) of 52 patients suffered from recurrent VT/VF episodes. Among the 37 patients with successful ablation, 10 (27.0%) patients reached primary endpoints. More importantly, two patients (with only syncope and no prior VF) experienced SCD, one at 6 years after a successful ablation and the other at 3 years after partially modification of VT focus. Conclusion Catheter ablation for the malignant OT-VT in patients with no SHD showed safe and tolerable outcomes. It may consider as an early treatment option for these patients. However, even after the successful ablation, a periodical follow-up is crucial in some patients for preventing sudden cardiac deaths.

ABSTRACT: The deep geological repository is one of the most preferred disposal methods in many countries for high-level radioactive waste materials and spent fuel after nuclear energy production. The engineered barrier system (EBS) in the repository holds the nuclear waste-containing canister in place. However, it is known that the EBS can be readily dried near the canister due to the heat emitted from the spent fuel inside the canister, which could induce the generation of cracks in the EBS. Inorganic microfiber can be an alternative to mitigate such cracks, and thus, enhance the performance of the engineered buffer material. This study investigated the coupled effect of glass microfiber reinforcement on the swelling and compressibility characteristics of sodium bentonite at both ambient (22°C) and elevated (50°C) temperatures. By using the one-dimensional consolidation test setup with temperature controls, the swelling pressure test was performed to investigate the swelling pressure, compression, and swelling indices for 0.0% and 3.0% glass fiber contents by weight. A unique coupled relationship between the fiber inclusion and temperature elevation for the bentonite can better explain the engineering performance of the deep geological repository to safely store the high-level radioactive waste materials and spent fuel. 1. INTRODUCTION Nuclear energy is one of the main sources of energy utilized across the globe. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (2021), the United States of America generated 809 BkWh of total annual nuclear electricity last 2019. This amount translates to 30.5% of the total world nuclear electricity generation. At present, the United States has 94 nuclear reactors in operation, in which 30 of its states house many commercial nuclear power plants (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2021). According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2022), fossil fuel accounts for 65% of global greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, nuclear power currently represents more than half of all low-carbon electricity generation in the U.S. and 30% of the world’s low-carbon electricity (Hsu, 2021). With that, nuclear energy is gaining traction due to its non-production of greenhouse gas emissions during operation (World Nuclear Association, 2022). However, given the national and global reliance on this energy, its production entails a huge amount of nuclear waste generated afterward.

Background The combined use of antiplatelet agents (APT) and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in patient with atrial fibrillation (AF) is commonly encountered in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes between combination therapy (NOAC and APT) and monotherapy (NOAC only). Methods and results We analyzed patients who were prescribed NOACs between January 2012 and December 2016. The primary outcome was major or any bleeding events and the secondary outcomes were stroke/systemic embolism (SE) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Of 1,068 participants, there were 264 (24.7%) patients in the combination group. The prevalence of diabetes (p=0.017) and history of stroke and transient ischemic attacks (p Conclusions The combination therapy had higher incidences of any bleeding events compared to the monotherapy. However, there was no difference in stroke/SE and MACE. The bleeding risk in patients taking the combination of NOACs and APT should be carefully evaluated. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Figure 1. Primary and secondary outcomes

The porosity formation in cold metal transfer (CMT) gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of zinc coated steel is studied over a wide range of the heat inputs (160–250 J mm− 1), which shows low porosity in weld bead ( 350 J mm− 1) heat inputs and maximum at medium (250–350 J mm− 1) heat inputs. The high speed imaging of weld pool shows that the highest frequency of zinc vapour escapes at high heat inputs compared to other conditions. Numerous experiments show that size and location of pores along with escaping of zinc vapour are the results of competition of viscosity of weld pool against buoyancy and vapour pressure within the time required to reach solidification temperature. Based on this concept, mechanisms involved in porosity formation, growth and escape phenomena are disclosed, which can help select the optimised welding conditions to obtain porosity free welds in CMT-GMAW of zinc coated steels.

Exploiting the field response of magnetic tracers, magnetic particle imaging (MPI) allows direct, local quantification of the tracer concentration in bulk structures. Here, we investigated the use of characteristic field response functions to spatially resolve the absolute concentration of multiple nanoparticle species by simulation. In particular, using various drive and selection field strengths, we devised color MPI (i.e. cMPI) to quantify and disentangle MPI signals from the mixed Langevin particles of variable concentration and magnetic susceptibility. Specifically, the drive field strength was optimized to distinguish individual field responses from differently sized iron-oxide nanoparticles without compromising the image quality. The proposed cMPI technique is implementable on an existing MPI setup and can be used to quantify biophysical parameters including size-dependent bio-distribution and altered magnetic property of particles. The current study result, simultaneous visualization of the multiple magnetic tracers, theoretically validates the potential feasibility of cMPI as a versatile biosensor and contrast imaging method.

BACKGROUND: Pyrazinamide (PZA), one of the most effective anti-tuberculosis drugs, becomes toxic to Mycobacterium tuberculosis when converted to pyrazinoic acid by pyrazinamidase (PZase). PZA resistance is caused mainly by the loss of enzyme activity by mutation. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the patterns of pncA mutations in PZA-resistant mycobacteria isolated from South Korean patients. METHODS: Mycobacterial isolates with clinically proven drug resistance were cultured to determine susceptibility to anti-tuberculosis agents. pncA mutations were recognised by sequencing and compared with the relevant wild-type DNA sequence. RESULTS: Among 108 isolates, 102 were successfully cultured and underwent drug susceptibility testing; all were multidrug-resistant (MDR). pncA mutations were found in 86 cultured isolates (85.1%): 55 (84.6%) in MDR and 31 (86.1%) in extensively drug-resistant isolates. Substitution of a single nucleotide was most common. The most frequent mutations were a deletion that caused a frameshift at nucleotide (nt) 71, a substitution at nt 403 and a substitution at nt 11. Combined, these accounted for ≈ 40% of all mutations. However, 15 samples (14.9%) with defective PZase activity showed no mutation. CONCLUSION: pncA mutation in M. tuberculosis is a major mechanism of PZA resistance in MDR isolates from patients in South Korea. The patterns of mutation might be more scattered and diverse. DNA-based diagnosis of PZA resistance has potential for the rapid detection of drug resistance.

Aims: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a significant cause of human gastrointestinal disorders and is transmitted through ingestion of raw or undercooked contaminated seafood. We used the groEL gene for the species-specific detection of V. parahaemolyticus from artificially inoculated shellfish, fish and seawater. Methods and Results: The nucleotide sequences of 24 Vibrio and seven non-Vibrio spp. were compared, and less conserved regions were selected for the designing of primer sets. To detect V. parahaemolyticus specifically, PCR conditions were standardized and tested to evaluate the specificity of primers. A 510-bp band was appeared only from V. parahaemolyticus by PCR. Notably, the detection was shown to be functional at high annealing temperature above 68°C. The groEL primers detected 100 pg and 1 ng of DNA purified from V. parahaemolyticus culture and artificially infected oyster tissue, respectively. Conclusions: The groEL gene is a potential marker for the species-specific detection of V. parahaemolyticus and could be used to detect this bacterium in contaminated food by PCR. Significance and Impact of the Study: PCR using primers designed from groEL gene provide an efficient method for the accurate identification of V. parahaemolyticus from contaminated samples.

Femoral shaft fractures after total hip arthroplasty (THA) remain a serious problem, since there is no optimal surgical repair method. Virtually all studies that examined surgical repair methods have done so clinically or experimentally. The present study assessed injury patterns computationally by developing three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models that were validated experimentally. The investigation evaluated three different constructs for the fixation of Vancouver B1 periprosthetic femoral shaft fractures following THA. Experimentally, three bone plate repair methods were applied to a synthetic femur with a 5 mm fracture gap near the tip of a total hip implant. Repair methods were identical distal to the fracture gap, but used cables only (construct A), screws only (construct B), or cables plus screws (construct C) proximal to the fracture gap. Specimens were oriented in 15° adduction to simulate the single-legged stance phase of walking, subjected to 1000 N of axial force, and instrumented with strain gauges. Computationally, a linearly elastic and isotropic 3D FE model was developed to mimic experiments. Results showed excellent agreement between experimental and FE strains, yielding a Pearson linearity coefficient, R2, of 0.92 and a slope for the line of best data fit of 1.06. FE-computed axial stiffnesses were 768 N/mm (construct A), 1023 N/mm (construct B), and 1102 N/mm (construct C). FE surfaces stress maps for cortical bone showed Von Mises stresses, excluding peaks, of 0–8 MPa (construct A), 0–15 MPa (construct B), and 0–20 MPa (construct C). Cables absorbed the majority of load, followed by the plates and then the screws. Construct A yielded peak stress at one of the empty holes in the plate. Constructs B and C had similar bone stress patterns, and can achieve optimal fixation.

Optimal surgical positioning of cable-screw pairs in repairing periprosthetic femur fractures near the tip of a total hip implant still remains unclear. No studies in the literature to date have developed a fully three-dimensional finite element (FE) model that has been validated experimentally to assess these injury patterns. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the biomechanical performance of three different implant–bone constructs for the fixation of periprosthetic femoral shaft fractures following total hip arthroplasty. Experimentally, three bone–plate repair configurations were applied to the periprosthetic synthetic femur fractured with a 5 mm gap near the tip of a total hip implant. Constructs A, B, and C, respectively, had successively larger distances between the most proximal and the most distal cable-screw pairs used to affix the plate. Specimens were oriented in 15° adduction, subjected to 1000 N of axial force to simulate the single-legged stance phase of walking, and instrumented with strain gauges. Computationally, a linearly elastic and isotropic three-dimensional FE model was developed to mimic the experimental setup. Results showed excellent agreement between experimental versus FE analysis strains, yielding a Pearson linearity coefficient, R2, of 0.90 and a slope for the line of best data fit of 0.96. FE axial stiffnesses were 601 N/mm (Construct A), 849 N/mm (Construct B), and 1359 N/mm (Construct C). FE surface stress maps for cortical bone showed maximum von Mises values of 74 MPa (Construct A), 102 MPa (Construct B), and 57 MPa (Construct C). FE stress maps for the metallic components showed minimum von Mises values for Construct C, namely screw (716 MPa), cable (445 MPa), plate (548 MPa), and hip implant (154 MPa). In the case of good bone stock, as modelled by the present synthetic femur model, optimal fixation can be achieved with Construct C.

The pavement network represents a visible and expensive component of a highway agency’s total transportation investment and, thus, requires proper management. Historically, the agencies managing these investments have relied on manual distress surveys carried out by personnel who drive the network and provide subjective condition assessments. Surveys completed by a highly instrumented vehicle driven at standard travel speeds have become a viable alternative. Questions regarding accuracy and consistency with existing survey protocols still remain with these automated survey methods. This paper reports on the findings from a study to evaluate automated distress surveys. Vendors and manual survey teams have evaluated the distresses along a test loop in North Carolina using two survey protocols: (1) an agency’s standard network level survey, and (2) the long-term pavement performance survey. Communication between the vendor and agency is the single most important factor that allows for the proper utilization ...

Objective. Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenol, which possesses chemotherapeutic potential through its ability to trigger apoptosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the major determinant for the apoptotic cell death induction by resveratrol in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) derived from patients with RA. Methods. The effect of resveratrol on apoptotic cell death was quantified in a population of subG1 in RA FLS by flow cytometry. The underlying signalling mechanism for apoptotic death was examined by analysing mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of the caspase cascade and translocation of Bid. Results. We show that activation of caspase-8 is essential for triggering resveratrol-induced apoptotic signalling via the involvement of the mitochondrial pathway in RA FLS. Our findings also suggest that this enhanced apoptosis caused by resveratrol occurred in RA FLS irrespective of p53 status. Exposure to resveratrol caused extensive apoptotic cell death, along with a caspase-dependent (activation of caspase-9 and -3, poly ADPribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage and mitochondrial cytochrome c release) or caspase-independent [translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) to the nucleus] signalling pathway. Analysis of upstream signalling events affected by resveratrol revealed that the activated caspase-8 triggered mitochondrial apoptotic events by inducing Bid cleavage without any alteration in the levels of Bax, Bcl-xL or Bcl2. The caspase-8 inhibitor or over-expression of crmA abrogated cell death induced by resveratrol and prevented processing of the downstream cascade. Conclusion. The results suggest that resveratrol causes activation of caspase-8, which in turn results in modulation of mitochondrial apoptotic machinery to promote apoptosis of RA FLS.

Rice cake was produced with a thermostable 4-alpha-glucanotransferase from Thermus scotoductus (TS alpha GTase). Starch molecular fine structure, texture, and retrogradation for the enzymatically prepared rice cake were investigated and compared to those for control rice cake. The amylose content in TS alpha GTase-treated rice cakes decreased, whereas branched and linear malto-oligosaccharides ranging from maltose to maltoheptaose increased slightly. The average molecular weight of the enzyme-treated rice starch in rice cake decreased as amylopectin macromolecules were cleaved and reorganized into small amylopectin clusters. The number of shorter side chains (degree of polymerization [DP]9) increased, whereas the number of longer side chains (DP10) decreased through the disproportionation reaction of TS alpha GTase. After 24 h of storage at 4 degrees C, the enzyme-treated samples demonstrated significantly lower melting enthalpy of retrograded starch (0.4 mJ/mg) compared to that of the control (1.4 mJ/mg). The results indicated that TS alpha GTase treatment effectively inhibited starch retrogradation in rice cakes. It is suggested that the reduction of amylose content, the rearrangement of amylopectin, and the production of malto-oligosaccharides caused by TS alpha GTase treatment are responsible for the ineffective molecular reassociation of rice starch in rice cake.

The freezing behavior of corn starch gels (40% starch solids) with 11 different sugars and sugar alcohols (10 or 30% based on starch weight) was investigated using time domain 1H NMR spectroscopy. As estimated from the liquid signal intensity curve, the ice melting temperature linearly decreased and the relative amount of solid glass formed increased with the molar concentration of the added sugars. The observed ice melting temperatures were low (approximately −10 °C for non-sugar gel), because of the non-equilibrium state produced by rapid cooling (20 °C/min) and the large sample size. Sugar addition (up to 30%) depressed the ice melting temperature of the gel system by more than 10 °C. Sugar addition and rapid-cooling promoted solid glass formation in the freeze-concentrated solution with a consequent reduction in liquid mobility. The unfrozen liquid levels resolved from the relative liquid signal intensity data were not colligatively governed, showing a dependence on sugar structure. Among the sugars tested, the unfrozen liquid level produced by a sugar corresponded in the order: hexose>pentose, isomaltose>sucrose>trehalose>maltose. The sugar alcohols exhibited higher unfrozen liquid levels than did the corresponding sugars.

Summary Cryoprotection of protein by highly concentrated branched oligosaccharides (HBOS) was investigated by using a model solution containing bovine serum albumin (BSA). The glass transition temperature of the BSA solution with HBOS, determined by modulated differential scanning calorimetry, was −16.1 °C, which is higher than that of sucrose at either 4 or 8% concentration by weight (−27.2 °C). Also, changes in the unfrozen water fraction and their mobilities, determined by nuclear magnetic resonance, were used as indices of protein stabilization. The results revealed that the amount of unfrozen water increased whereas the mobility was decreased by addition of HBOS. Thus we propose that the cryoprotection effect can occur by preserving the protein in a rigid structure formed by the water and the cryoprotectant HBOS.

The development of prediction methods for the remaining life of flexible pavements using falling-weight deflectometer (FWD) multiload-level deflections is presented. Pavement response models and pavement performance models were used in developing this procedure. The pavement response models were designed to predict critical pavement responses from surface deflections and deflection basin parameters. The pavement performance models were used to develop the relationships between critical pavement responses obtained from pavement response models and actual pavement performance. Pavement distress data and FWD multiload-level deflection data obtained from the Long-Term Pavement Performance database were used to verify the performance prediction procedure. It was found that the performance of fatigue cracking can be predicted using the proposed procedure except for pavements with high and rapidly increasing cracking in wet-freeze regions. Such trends may be due to environment-induced distresses such as low-temperature cracking, permanent deformation of unbound layers, or both, during the spring thaw period. Predicted rut depths using both single-load and multiload-level deflections show good agreement with measured rut depths over a wide range of rutting potentials. However, the procedure using single–load-level deflections consistently underpredicts the rut depths. This observation demonstrates that the rutting prediction procedure using multiload-level deflections can estimate an excessive level of rutting quite well and thus improve the prediction quality of rutting potential in flexible pavements.

Stroke studies employ experimental models of cerebral ischemic and reperfusion injury in rodents. MRI provides valuable supravital data of cerebral blood flow and brain tissue damage. This paper presents MRI applications for cerebral blood flow research in mice lines with impaired nitric oxide production by endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Our data demonstrates that specific modifications of MRI methodology in transgenic mouse models help to evaluate the role of eNOS in the brain-blood barrier function.

An efficient method of fitting Prony-series models to viscoelastic experimental data with power-law presmoothing is presented. A direct fitting of a Prony-series function to experimental data without appropriate presmoothing is difficult when the data have significant variance. A power-law series comprising multiple power-law terms is found capable of portraying a globally smooth, broadband viscoelastic behavior with minimal impact from local variance in the data. However, from a computational point of view, a Prony series representation is preferred to a power-law series representation because of the computational efficiency associated with the exponential basis functions of a Prony series. In this paper, a procedure involving presmoothing of experimental data via power-law-series representation followed by fitting of a Prony-series model to the presmoothed data is discussed and illustrated. Discussion focuses on how experimental data with significant variance can be effectively presmoothed through power...

Methods of interconversion between relaxation modulus and creep compliance for linear viscoelastic materials are discussed and illustrated using data from asphalt concrete. Existing methods of approximate interconversion are reviewed and compared for their approximating schemes. A new approximate interconversion scheme that uses the local log-log slope of the source function is introduced. The new scheme is based on the concept of equivalent time determined by rescaling the physical time. The rescaling factor, which can be interpreted as a shift factor on a logarithmic time axis, is dictated by the local slope of the source function on log-log scales. The unknown target function at a given time is obtained by taking the reciprocal of the source function evaluated at an equivalent time. Although the method is developed using a mathematical relationship based on the power-law representations of relaxation modulus and creep compliance, the method is not limited to material functions characterized by power-laws but can be applied to general, non-power-law material functions as long as the relevant material behaviors are broadband and smooth on logarithmic scales. The new method renders good results especially when the log-log slope of the source function varies smoothly with logarithmic time.

Dielectric properties of baked dough samples of various moisture contents, temperatures and densities were measured at 27 MHz with a parallel plate capacitor connected to an Impedance Analyzer (HP 4194A). As a basis for the dielectric prediction model, statistical equations were developed from measurements of the solid density and the solid dielectric properties of flour-water mixtures at various moistures between 2% and 100% moisture. A square root dielectric mixture equation was selected and combined with the regression equations to give modified prediction equations for the dielectric properties of baked dough as functions of moisture content and bulk density at room temperature. These prediction models were further developed by introducing temperature correction terms. These developed models successfully predicted the dielectric properties ofbaked dough at different moisture content, density and high temperature.

During processing of some coated fiber-reinforced metal-matrix composites, a reaction zone develops between the matrix and the coating. Since this reaction zone is usually very thin compared to coating thickness, its presence is not accounted for while evaluating the residual stresses generated due to mismatch between the thermal expansion coefficients of the constituent phases, during cool down of the composites. Residual stress analyses of composites have been reported using at the most a four-phase model ignoring the effect of reaction zone layer. This paper presents a comparison of residual stresses predicted from a four-phase model (without considering reaction zone) and five-phase model (including reaction zone as a separate phase). As the magnitudes of the stresses obtained from the two models are observed to be significantly different, the results are quite suggestive of the need to use five-phase model for the residual stress analysis, incorporating the reaction zone as a distinct phase with its appropriate properties. A sensitivity study of the residual stresses with respect to coating thickness, coating modulus and reaction zone modulus is also included, based on the regression analysis using least square fit. Results of the sensitivity analysis are consistent with the observations made on the basis of residual stress plots, and convey the need of including the reaction zone as a separate phase. The relative influence of reaction zone modulus, compared to the coating thickness and coating modulus, is observed to be very significant on all the stress components in the coating as well as in the matrix.

In this paper, Schapery’s nonlinear elastic-viscoelastic correspondence principle based on pseudostrain concept is introduced as a means of separately evaluating important mechanisms of asphalt concrete under cyclic loading, including time dependence, damage growth, and fracture healing. Earlier work by Kim and Little and the findings from the present study have demonstrated that the correspondence principle can be applied to most of the testing conditions encountered in testing of asphalt concrete. The importance of using proper analytical representation of relaxation modulus in course of calculating pseudostrain is demonstrated using the cyclic data. At the loading frequencies typically used in asphalt-concrete testing (faster than 10Hz), the creep or relaxation data must be represented in a form that can accurately describe the short time behavior, such as the modified power law. It is concluded that the correspondence principle provides a means of more accurately modeling the damage growth and fracture healing of asphalt concrete under complex cyclic loading.

The impact resonance (IR) test is a nondestructive test method that is used to characterize the linear viscoelastic behavior of asphalt concrete. This method is preferred over other methods because the setup of the IR test is simpler, more efficient, and less expensive than standard axial compression dynamic modulus (|E*|) tests. Researchers originally developed the IR test method for cylindrical specimens of asphalt mixtures and concluded that this method can serve as an alternative to |E*| tests. However, the geometry (100 mm in diameter by 150 mm in height) of the cylindrical specimens used in these tests prohibits the use of IR tests for field cores. Therefore, researchers began to consider thin disk-shaped specimens for IR testing because thinner geometry of such specimens better represents slices of field cores. In this study, a test procedure was developed to evaluate the use of thin disk-shaped specimens for IR tests in order to determine the |E*| values of asphalt mixtures. The IR test protocol was optimized using 2 IR test methods (referred to as Case 1 and Case 2 in this work) under various test conditions to ensure the highest possible quality of the data. Optimal test methods were proposed based on the repeatability and variability of the resonant frequency and phase angle data and the ability of the different test conditions to provide data that best match the |E*| values obtained from standard axial compression |E*| tests. The results demonstrate that the |E*| values of thin disk-shaped specimens determined from the optimized IR tests are similar to the |E*| values of long cylindrical specimens determined from conventional |E*| AASHTO T 342-11 tests and IR tests.

In this study, effect interfacial bonding strength on pattern density was evaluated. The Silicon oxide(SiO 2 ) on parallel patterned Cu lines wafer can be removed by using a solution of buffered oxide etch and sulfuric acid (BOE/H 2 SO 4 ) to improve the bonding quality of Cu-Cu pattern direct bonds. Two 8-inch Cu wafers were bonded at 400°C via the thermocompression method. The interfacial adhesion energy of Cu-Cu pattern direct bonding was quantitatively measured by the four-point bending method. After BOE for 2 min/H 2 SO 4 for 1 min wet pretreatment, the interfacial adhesion energies with pattern density of 0.06, and 0.23 were 7.9, and 4.1 J/m2, respectively. Therefore, the CMP planarization is critical to have reliable bonding quality of Cu pattern direct bonds.

Aims To develop an effective multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the simultaneous detection of three important Vibrio species, Vibrio cholerae (Vc), V. parahaemolyticus (Vp) and V. vulnificus (Vv) using the groEL gene, a potential phylogenetic marker. Methods and Results Three species-specific primer sets were designed to target Vc, Vp and Vv. A total of 131 Vibrio and non-Vibrio strains were used to determine the specificity and sensitivity of primers. The primers produced specific PCR fragments from all target species strains and did not cross-react with other Vibrio and non-Vibrio species. This PCR method showed good efficiency in detecting coexisting target species in the same sample with a detection limit of 100 pg of Vc, Vp and Vv from mixed purified DNA. Detection of three target species was also possible from artificially inoculated shellfish, flounder and sea water. Conclusions The groEL gene is a potential marker for accurate simultaneous detection of Vc, Vp and Vv and could be used to detect these species in environmental and clinical samples. Significance and Impact of the Study This newly developed multiplex PCR is a useful and cost-effective method that is applicable in a disease-outbreak prediction system and may provide an effective tool for both the epidemiologist and ecologist.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a significant cause of human gastrointestinal disorders and is transmitted through ingestion of raw or undercooked contaminated seafood. We used the groEL gene for the species-specific detection of V. parahaemolyticus from artificially inoculated shellfish, fish and seawater.The nucleotide sequences of 24 Vibrio and seven non-Vibrio spp. were compared, and less conserved regions were selected for the designing of primer sets. To detect V. parahaemolyticus specifically, PCR conditions were standardized and tested to evaluate the specificity of primers. A 510-bp band was appeared only from V. parahaemolyticus by PCR. Notably, the detection was shown to be functional at high annealing temperature above 68°C. The groEL primers detected 100 pg and 1 ng of DNA purified from V. parahaemolyticus culture and artificially infected oyster tissue, respectively.The groEL gene is a potential marker for the species-specific detection of V. parahaemolyticus and could be used to detect this bacterium in contaminated food by PCR.PCR using primers designed from groEL gene provide an efficient method for the accurate identification of V. parahaemolyticus from contaminated samples.

Femtosecond infrared coherent transients have been measured for the stretch vibration of CO on Cu(111). The free induction decay exhibits a dephasing time (T2) of 2±0.3 ps (and 2±0.1 ps assuming a single exponential decay between 2 and 3 ps). The decay was best fit by exponential relaxation, thereby suggesting that the CO vibrational band is almost entirely homogeneously broadened. The surface sum frequency spectrum was also measured at two coverages (0.10 and 0.45 L) using spectrally narrowed pulses. Interferences were observed leading to a determination of the relative phase and amplitude of the resonant and nonresonant second‐order susceptibility in this system. The magnitude of the nonresonant susceptibility was only weakly dependent on coverage, suggesting that the nonresonant polarizability originates in the bulk Cu. Time and frequency domain results were in good agreement.

We report on time-correlated single photon counting studies of the sigma conjugated polysilane, poly(di-n-hexylsilane), at 2 K. The emission processes of Raman and dephased flourescence are distinguished. It is shown that the risetime of flourescence and the decay time of the Raman polarization are similar and that energy transfer occurs on a tens of picosecond timescale. Simultaneous depolarization of the emission suggests energy transfer along a twisted chain. The energy transfer time is several times longer than the ( T 1 ) dephasing time derived from hole burning studies of the polymer.

This paper presents laboratory test results demonstrating the effects of aggregate type and gradation on fatigue and permanent deformation of asphalt concrete. Diametral fatigue tests and uniaxial incremental static creep tests were performed under varying temperatures and mixture variables, including aggregate type and gradation. The effects of aggregate type and gradation on permanent deformation were evaluated under test combinations with changing asphalt type, asphalt content, air voids content, temperature, and applied stress level. For the fatigue study, the effect of aggregate type was evaluated by changing asphalt content, air voids content, and temperature. The test results were analyzed using statistical analysis and graphical comparison of data. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were performed to investigate the main effects and interactions of the test variables with the aggregate type or gradation. The analysis revealed that, with the size of experimentation used in this study, aggregate type has significant effects on fatigue resistance and permanent deformation of asphalt concrete. Gradation had no significant effects on permanent deformation. Interactions of aggregate type with gradation, asphalt type, air voids, and temperature were found to be significant for the permanent deformation of asphalt concrete, whereas no interaction appeared to be significant for fatigue. For the covering abstract see IRRD 858225.

The vibrational energy relaxation times (T1) of the antisymmetric stretch (ν3) of the azide ion (N−3) in various protic solvents have been measured to be 3 ps using transient two-color infrared spectroscopy.

Various ways in which the anisotropy can be used to understand ultrafast processes are presented and discussed. Examples include molecular reorientation, energy transfer between identical systems, excitation dynamics in polymers, reactant product alignment, protein dynamics and internal motions in fluxional molecules.

This paper presents a methodology based on deflection basin parameters and artificial neural networks (ANNs) for processing dynamic falling weight deflectometer (FWD) measurements to estimate layer moduli and condition. Two-dimensional, dynamic, finite element analysis using the ABAQUS program was employed to develop the deflection information for this study. This proposed method first determines the subgrade modulus by means of two deflection basin parameters, and then applies the estimated subgrade modulus and other parameters as input variables to a trained ANN to estimate the upper layers' moduli. Procedures in predicting layer moduli for both two- and three-layer pavement systems are presented.

The vector control of an induction motor by speed estimation using an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is described. The rotor speed is regarded as a parameter, and the composite state is composed of the original state and the rotor speed. The EKF is employed to identify the speed of an induction motor and rotor magnetic flux based on the measured quantities such as stator currents and DC link voltage. The estimated speed is used for vector control and overall speed control. The current control is performed in the synchronous rotating reference frame, and the estimated speed information is used for reference frame transformation of the current controller. Computer simulation of the speed control has been carried out to confirm the usefulness of the speed estimation algorithm. The error between the real speed and the estimated speed is within a few RPM even in the low speed range of about 20 RPM. >

The objective of this paper is to develop an advanced material characterization model for asphalt aggregate mixtures. Two prerequisites that are required for developing the model are the decomposition of the strain response into its constituent components and the validation of the time-temperature superposition principle for asphalt concrete with growing damage, both of which are presented. Constitutive models for characterizing the viscoelastic response based on the work potential theory coupled with the correspondence principle and the viscoplastic response based on the strain hardening model are developed separately, and later integrated to form the final model. The model was successful in predicting the strain response for constant crosshead rate tests in tension to the point of localization. For the covering abstract see ITRD E117423.

To investigate whether the p53 codon 72 polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its clinical features.A polymerase chain reaction of genomic DNA-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to determine genotypes of the p53 codon 72 in 114 patients with RA and 114 healthy controls. Clinical/serological manifestations were analyzed in each patient and correlated with the genotypes.The genotype distribution of the p53 codon 72 did not differ between patients with RA and controls (Arg/Arg, Arg/Pro, Pro/Pro genotypes 38, 58, 18 vs 37, 60, 17 controls, respectively; chi-square = 0.08, 2 df, p = 0.96). No significant difference was found in allele frequencies between the groups. Clinically there was no significant difference in age at onset, functional class, physician's global assessment, ESR, CRP, RF titer, extraarticular and cervical spine involvement, frequencies of joint operation, and admission in RA patients according to the p53 codon 72 genotypes. However, the number of patients within each group was extremely small, for example only 5 patients with cervical spine involvement. No firm conclusions could safely be reached about clinical manifestations from this study.No association was found between the p53 codon 72 polymorphism and RA. Studies are needed to clarify the role of the p53 polymorphism in the pathogenesis of RA.

To evaluate whether the polymorphism of Fas promoter -670 is associated with susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their clinical features.A polymerase chain reaction of a genomic DNA-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to determine genotypes of the Fas promoter -670 in 87 patients with SLE, 87 with RA, and 87 healthy controls. A second cohort of SLE patients (n = 85) was included. Clinical manifestations were analyzed in each patient and correlated with the genotypes.The genotype distribution of the Fas promoter -670 did not differ between patients with SLE and control subjects (AA, GA, GG genotypes 31, 54, 15% vs 30, 55, 15% controls, respectively; chi-squared = 0.03, 2 df, p = 0.99) and between RA patients and controls (AA, GA, GG genotypes 38, 44, 18% vs 30, 55, 15% controls, respectively; chi-squared = 2.30, 2 df, p = 0.32). Regarding the clinical status of lupus patients according to Fas promoter -670 genotypes, there was no significant difference in age at onset, anti-dsDNA titer, C3, C4 level, renal involvement, number of American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria met, SLE Disease Activity Index, SLE International Collaborating Clinics/ACR Damage Index, or autoantibody profiles. However, the frequency of anti-RNP antibody was significantly different in the AA, GA, and GG groups (71, 25, 30%; chi-squared = 13.29, 2 df, p = 0.001). To confirm this finding, the Fas promoter -670 genotype was examined in a second cohort of SLE patients (n = 85). The result in the second cohort replicated the association shown in the first. In patients with RA, there was no significant difference in clinical and laboratory findings according to the Fas promoter -670 genotypes.Our data suggest that the Fas promoter -670 polymorphism is associated with development of anti-RNP antibodies in SLE.

Engineered single-chain monellin (SCM) proteins were constructed by recombinant technology without disrupting the topology and sweet activity of native protein. Data from 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid fluorescence, size-exclusion chromatography, and heteronuclear NMR strongly suggest the presence of a folding intermediate at 1.5 m GdnHCl for SCM protein. The structural feature of the folding intermediate from NMR data reveals that the secondary structures became mostly unstable, and protein experiences a dynamic equilibrium between native and unfolded state. All backbone amide protons exchange within 10 min, which imply that no stable hydrogen bonds exist in the secondary structural regions in the folding intermediate. From equilibrium unfolding and mutagenesis studies, the unfolding transition midpoints of mutant proteins gradually shifted toward lower denaturant concentration, indicating stability reductions of mutant proteins. Our results suggest that stability and folding pathways of SCM proteins could be regulated by a combined study of spectroscopy and mutagenesis, and these studies will provide useful information for understanding the folding kinetics of novel engineered proteins.