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The increasing demand in structural engineering now extends beyond collapse prevention to encompass business continuity planning (BCP). In response, energy dissipation devices have garnered significant attention for building response control. Among these, buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) are particularly favored due to their stable hysteretic behavior and well-established design provisions. However, BCP also necessitates the prevention of furniture overturning—an area that remains quantitatively underexplored in the context of buckling-restrained braced frames (BRBFs). Addressing this gap, this research designs BRBFs using various design criteria and performs incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) with artificially generated seismic waves. The results are compared with previously developed fragility curves for furniture overturning under different BRB design conditions. The findings demonstrate that the fragility of furniture overturning can be mitigated by a natural frequency shift, which alters the threshold of critical peak floor acceleration. These results, combined with hazard curves obtained from various locations across Japan, quantify the mean annual frequency of furniture overturning. The study reveals that increased floor acceleration in stiffer BRBFs can lead to a 3.8-fold higher risk of furniture overturning compared to frames without BRBs. This heightened risk also arises from the greater hazards at shorter natural periods due to stricter response reduction demands. The probabilistic risk analysis, which integrates fragility and hazard assessments, provides deeper insights into the evaluation of BCP.

Abstract Background Although intraoperative hypotension (IOH) has been emerging as a serious concern during general anesthesia, the incidence of IOH has not been demonstrated clearly in the Japanese population. Methods This single-center retrospective study investigated the incidence and the characteristics of IOH in non-cardiac surgery at a university hospital. IOH was defined as at least one fall of MAP during general anesthesia, which was categorized into the following groups: mild (65 to

Recent catastrophic earthquake events have reinforced the necessity of evaluating the seismic performance of buildings. Notably, the buildings can go into the plastic phase during a striking earthquake disaster. Under this condition, the current design codes assume seismic response reduction by virtue of the energy dissipation capacity of the structural members. In the strong-column–weak-beam design, which involves I-shaped beams and boxed columns, the mechanism is defined as a standard design scheme to prevent the building from collapsing. Therefore, energy dissipation relies highly on the I-shaped beam performance. However, the I-shaped beam performance can differ depending on the loading history experienced, whereas this effect is untouched in the prevailing evaluation equation. Hence, this study first performs cyclic loading tests of 11 specimens using different loading protocols. The experimental results clarify the fluctuation in the structural performance of I-shaped beams depending on the applied loading hysteresis, proving the necessity of considering the stress history for proper assessment. Furthermore, the database of experimental results is constructed based on the previous experimental studies. Ultimately, the novel evaluation equation is proposed to reflect the influences of the loading protocol. This equation is demonstrated to effectively assess the member performance retrieved from the experiment of 65 specimens, comprising 11 specimens from this investigation and 54 specimens from the database. The width–thickness ratio, shear span-to-depth ratio, and loading protocols are utilized as the evaluation parameters. Moreover, the prediction equation of the Bauschinger effect coefficient is newly established to convert the energy dissipation capacity under monotonically applied force into hysteretic energy dissipation under the cyclic forces.

Non-structural members, such as roofs and ceilings, become affixed to main beams that are known as structural members. When such main beams experience bending or compressive forces that lead to lateral buckling, non-structural members may act to restrain the resulting lateral buckling deformation. Nevertheless, neither Japanese nor European guidelines advocate for the utilization of non-structural members as lateral buckling stiffeners for beams. Additionally, local buckling ensues near the bolt apertures in the beam–roof folded plate connection due to the torsional deformation induced by the lateral buckling of the H beam, thereby reducing the rotational stiffness of the roof folded plate to a percentage of its ideal stiffness. This paper conducts torsional experiments on roof folded plates, and with various connection methods between these plates and the beams, to comprehend the deformation mechanism of roof folded plates and the relationship between their rotational stiffness and the torsional moment. Then, the relationship between the demand values against restraining the lateral buckling of the main beam and the experimentally determined bearing capacity of the roof folded plate is elucidated. Results indicate the efficacy of utilizing the roof folded plate as a continuous brace. The lateral buckling design capacity of H beams that are continuously stiffened by roof folded plates is elucidated via application of a connection method that ensures joint stiffness between the roof folded plate and the beam while using Japanese and European design codes.

Abstract Background Unplanned ICU admission after surgery has been validated as a measure of a quality indicator of perioperative management because it may put surgical patients at risk of increased morbidity and mortality. Postoperative unscheduled admission to the ICU is usually determined either in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) or in the general surgical ward; however, it could be expected patient outcomes after ICU admission would be affected by the circumstances. The purpose of this retrospective observational study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and the outcome of unplanned admission to the ICU directly from the PACU or from the ward within 7 days after PACU discharge. Methods Forty-three thousand, five hundred fifty-three patients admitted to the PACU after general anesthesia were included in the study. Unplanned ICU admission was defined as the admission which was not anticipated preoperatively but was due to adverse events in the PACU (PACU group) or the ward after discharge from the PACU (Ward group). The following parameters were compared between the groups: patient characteristics, surgical characteristics, length of ICU and hospital stay, the principal adverse event for ICU admission, treatments in the ICU, and in-hospital mortality. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and the second was the length of ICU and hospital stay. Results Among 43,553 patients, 109 patients underwent unplanned ICU admission directly from the PACU (n= 73, 0.17%) or subsequently from the ward (n= 36, 0.08%). The length of both ICU and hospital stay was significantly longer in the Ward group than in the PACU group (1.4 and 19 days vs. 2.5 and 39 days, respectively). There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality between the groups (4.1% vs. 8.3%, respectively). Conclusions The incidence of unplanned ICU admission after PACU stay was low, however, delayed admission to the ICU from the ward may prolong the length of both ICU and hospital stay compared to those directly from the PACU.

With demand for the long-term continued use of existing building facilities, structural health monitoring and damage detection are attracting interest from society. Sensors of various types have been practically applied in the industry to satisfy this need. Among the sensors, piezoelectric sensors are an extremely promising technology by virtue of their cost advantages and durability. Although they have been used in aerospace and civil engineering, their application for building engineering remains limited. Remarkably, recent catastrophic seismic events have further reinforced the necessity of rapid damage detection and quick judgment about the safe use of facilities. Faced with these circumstances, this study was conducted to assess the applicability of piezoelectric sensors to detect damage to building components stemming from concrete cracks and local buckling. Specifically, this study emphasizes structural damage caused by earthquakes. After first applying them to cyclic loading tests to composite beam component specimens and steel frame subassemblies with a folded roof plate, the prospective damage positions were also found using finite element analysis. Crack propagation and buckling locations were predicted adequately. The piezoelectric sensors provided output when the concrete slab showed tensile cracks or when the folded roof plate experienced local buckling. Furthermore, damage expansion and progression were detected multiple times during loading tests. Results showed that the piezoelectric sensors can detect the structural damage of building components, demonstrating their potential for use in inexpensive and stable monitoring systems.

Abstract Background Conventional coagulation tests, such as prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, are not sensitive to anticoagulation by apixaban. We evaluated the antithrombotic effect of apixaban using a Russell viper venom (RVV) test for a patient who underwent posterior spine fusion surgery. Case presentation An 84-year-old man was scheduled for percutaneous posterior spine fusion. He continued apixaban until the night before surgery and resumed it on the first day after surgery. We performed an RVV test as point-of-care coagulation monitoring in combination with chromogenic anti-activated factor X (anti-Xa) activity, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time. Clotting time with the RVV test was prolonged according to the anti-Xa activity of apixaban, which was in the therapeutic range during surgery. Conclusions An RVV test might be useful as a point-of-care assay for estimation of the anti-Xa level induced by apixaban during the perioperative period.

Abstract I‐shaped beams installed in a braced structure are subjected to reversed axial forces during earthquakes. Previously, we have derived the evaluation index and formulae for beams that collapsed with dominant local buckling. In this paper, we present additional experiments and numerical analyses conducted to clarify the influences of lateral‐torsional buckling on structural performances. Based on the results obtained, a new evaluation index is proposed by employing the normalized slenderness ratio introduced in this research. Finally, the applicability of the previous equation of Bauschinger effect coefficient is investigated to calculate the hysteretic energy dissipation.

Abstract During earthquakes, I‐shaped beams installed in a braced structure are subjected to a bending moment and compressive and tensile axial forces transmitted from the braces. The buckling behavior of a beam under the impact of an earthquake is thereby more complex than that under no axial force or constant compressive axial forces considered in previous studies. In this paper, cyclic loading tests and numerical analyses are presented with emphasis on cyclic buckling behavior and moment and deformation capacity of the beams subjected to synchronized flexural and axial loading. As a result, it is confirmed that the I‐shaped beams originate local buckling under compressive axial force, whereas the strength is regained up to the full plastic bending moment under tensile force. Based on the results obtained, this paper presents evaluation formulae for estimating the ultimate strength, plastic deformation capacity, and cumulative plastic deformation capacity. Finally, an empirical formula to convert cumulative plastic deformation capacity into hysteretic energy dissipation is proposed.

Background An enhanced renin‐angiotensin system causes hypertensive renal damage. Factor Xa not only functions in the coagulation cascade but also activates intracellular signaling through protease‐activated receptors (PAR). We investigated the effects of rivaroxaban, a factor Xa inhibitor, on hypertensive renal damage in hypertensive mice overexpressing renin (Ren‐TG). Methods and Results The 12‐ to 16‐week‐old Ren‐TG and wild‐type mice were orally administered with or without 6 or 12 mg/kg of rivaroxaban for 1 or 4 months. Plasma factor Xa was significantly increased in the Ren‐TG compared with the wild‐type mice and was reduced by 12 mg/kg of rivaroxaban (P

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We report experimental tests of whether non-rigid, π-conjugated luminophores in the photoexcited (S1) and ground (S0) states dissolved in achiral liquids are mirror symmetrical by means of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Herein, we chose ten oligofluorenes, eleven linear/cyclic oligo-p-arylenes, three binaphthyls and five fused aromatics, substituted with alkyl, alkoxy, phenyl and phenylethynyl groups and also with no substituents. Without exception, all these non-rigid luminophores showed negative-sign CPL signals in the UV-visible region, suggesting temporal generation of energetically non-equivalent non-mirror image structures as far-from equilibrium open-flow systems at the S1 state. For comparison, unsubstituted naphthalene, anthracene, tetracene and pyrene, which are achiral, rigid, planar luminophores, did not obviously show CPL/CD signals. However, camphor, which is a rigid chiral luminophore, showed mirror-image CPL/CD signals. The dissymmetry ratio of CPL (glum) for the oligofluorenes increased discontinuously, ranging from ≈ −(0.2 to 2.0) × 10−3, when the viscosity of the liquids increased. When the fluorene ring number increased, the glum value extrapolated at [η] = 0 reached −0.8 × 10−3 at 420 nm, leading to (–)-CPL signals predicted in the vacuum state. Our comprehensive CPL and CD study should provide a possible answer to the molecular parity violation hypothesis arising due to the weak neutral current mediated by the Z0-boson.

We previously showed that phospholipase C (PLC)-δ1 activity was enhanced by 3-fold in patients with coronary spastic angina (CSA). We also reported that p122Rho GTPase-activating protein/deleted in liver cancer-1 (p122RhoGAP/DLC-1) protein, which was discovered as a PLC-δ1 stimulator, was upregulated in CSA patients. We tested the hypothesis that p122RhoGAP/DLC-1 overexpression causes coronary spasm.We generated transgenic (TG) mice with vascular smooth muscle (VSM)-specific overexpression of p122RhoGAP/DLC-1. The gene and protein expressions of p122RhoGAP/DLC-1 were markedly increased in the aorta of homozygous TG mice. Stronger staining with anti-p122RhoGAP/DLC-1 in the coronary artery was found in TG than in WT mice. PLC activities in the plasma membrane fraction and the whole cell were enhanced by 1.43 and 2.38 times, respectively, in cultured aortic vascular smooth muscle cells from homozygous TG compared with those from WT mice. Immediately after ergometrine injection, ST-segment elevation was observed in 1 of 7 WT (14%), 6 of 7 heterozygous TG (84%), and 7 of 7 homozygous TG mice (100%) (p

Saccharification of cellulose is a promising technique for producing alternative source of energy. However, the efficiency of conversion of cellulose into soluble sugar using any currently available methodology is too low for industrial application. Many additives, such as surfactants, have been shown to enhance the efficiency of cellulose-to-sugar conversion. In this study, we have examined first whether cattle saliva, as an additive, would enhance the cellulase-catalyzed hydrolysis of cellulose, and subsequently elucidated the mechanism by which cattle saliva enhanced this conversion. Although cattle saliva, by itself, did not degrade cellulose, it enhanced the cellulase-catalyzed degradation of cellulose. Thus, the amount of reducing sugar produced increased approximately 2.9-fold by the addition of cattle saliva. We also found that non-enzymatic proteins, which were present in cattle saliva, were responsible for causing the enhancement effect. Third, the mechanism of cattle saliva mediated enhancement of cellulase activity was probably similar to that of the canonical surfactants. Cattle saliva is available in large amounts easily and cheaply, and it can be used without further purification. Thus, cattle saliva could be a promising additive for efficient saccharification of cellulose on an industrial scale.