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Background To overcome a shortage of donors, cadaveric pediatric en bloc kidneys can be used to expand the donor pool. Recent evidence shows that en bloc kidney transplantation (EBKT) has better outcomes than standard-criteria deceased adult donor kidney transplantation. We reviewed our experiences of EBKT and their outcomes. Methods From September 1996 to January 2016, 15 EBKTs were performed in Asan Medical Center. The characteristics of donors and recipients were analyzed. Graft survival was analyzed by means of serum creatinine levels. Results Nine male and 6 female donors were used. The mean age and body weight of donors was 2.79 years (range, 0.25–14) and 13.14 kg (range, 5.5–35). The mean weight of en bloc kidneys was 117.43 g (range, 36–146). Recipient median age was 39.13 years and body weight was 49.47 kg. Ureteral anastomosis was performed by means of side-to-side anastomosis and then bladder anastomosis in 9 patients and by bladder patch anastomosis in 4 patients. Serum creatinine levels at discharge and latest follow-up were 0.97 mg/dL (range, 0.7–1.54) and 0.89 mg/dL (range, 0.44–2.58). Delayed graft function developed in 3 patients and clinical rejection developed in 2 patients. We performed graftectomy on post-operative day 1 because of graft thrombosis. The rest maintained their graft function well. Graft survival was comparable with that of kidney transplantation from standard donors. Conclusions EBKT showed excellent graft function and outcomes at our center. As an approach to expand the donor pool and improve graft utilization, EBKT is acceptable and should be more widely used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effect of scour depth on the flow around a circular cylinder in a gravity current. In order to simulate the gravity current flow past a circular cylinder placed above a scour, we solved the incompressible Navier–Stokes and concentration transport equations based on the finite volume method. Vorticity fields, hydrodynamic forces, and pressure distributions on the cylinder and streamlines with regard to scour depth are examined to investigate the effect of scour depth on the flow over the cylinder. As the scour depth increases, the first maximum at the impact stage and mean drag during the quasi-steady state stage subsequently decrease. In particular, the first maximum drag at the impact stage is almost 2.5 times greater than the mean drag during the quasi-steady state stage, regardless of the scour depth. For a smaller scour depth, a root mean square (RMS) lift value of approximately zero reveals that no periodic vortex shedding occurs, indicating that the scour effect on vortex shedding is significant. However, as the scour depth increases, the RMS lift increases, resulting in an increase in the strength of the vortex shedding. For a larger scour depth, Kármán vortex shedding occurs near the cylinder. However, due to the existence of the scour, only negative vortices separated from the top side of the cylinder move farther downstream, resulting in a single vortex row on the smooth bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For improved discrimination of a ballistic warhead from a decoy, a simple 3D feature vector (3DFV) is proposed that is composed of the fundamental frequency, the bandwidth, and the sinusoidal moment of the time–frequency image. Compared to two existing methods, the 3DFV was more efficient and gave results that were less sensitive to noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The presence of metastatic cervical lymph nodes (MCNs) is an unfavorable prognostic factor in head and neck cancer. The total volume of MCNs (MNV) and the lymph node ratio (LNR) may be superior to conventional nodal staging in cervical metastasis from an unknown primary tumor (CUP). We evaluated the prognostic value of MNV and LNR in CUP patients. Methods: Thirty-nine patients with CUP who underwent surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy were reviewed. MNV was measured by preoperative computed tomography and LNR was determined using neck dissection samples. The association of clinicopathologic factors, MNV, and LNR with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. Results: Five-year DFS and OS were 68.4 and 70.8%, respectively, for a median follow-up of 49 months. In multivariate analysis, MNV (>30 ml) was an independent prognostic factor for both DFS and OS (p = 0.004 and p < 0.001, respectively). LNR (>0.14) was identified as an independent predictive factor for DFS (p = 0.041). Conclusion: MNV and LNR are independent prognostic factors in patients with CUP and could facilitate the identification of high-risk patients requiring intensive treatment and surveillance. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two experiments (Exp.) were conducted to evaluate the effects of β-glucan inclusion in the diet on growth performance and immune function after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. In Exp. 1, a total of 40 weaned pigs (progeny of Landrace×Yorkshire sows by Duroc) with an initial body weight (BW) of 7.89±0.84kg (21±2d) of age) were used in a 28-day (d) experiment to determine the effects of dietary β-glucan on growth performance. Pigs were allotted randomly to two treatments consisting of addition of 0 or 0.1gβ-glucan/kg diet with four replicate pens per treatment and five pigs per pen. Growth performance was not affected by β-glucan supplementation throughout the experiment. However, dietary β-glucan reduced (P<0.05) the number of fecal Escherichia coli. In Exp. 2, a total of 20 weaned barrows (6.22±0.25kg of BW and 21±2d of age) individually raised in metabolic cages were used to evaluate immunological responses following LPS challenge. Pigs were fed 0 or 0.1gβ-glucan/kg diet for 42d. At the end of the trial, half of the pigs (n =5) from each treatment were injected intraperitoneal with E. coli LPS at a concentration of 100μg/kg BW and the other half were injected with sterile saline solution. Treatments were arranged as a 2×2 factorial, with the main effect of LPS challenge (saline vs. LPS) and β-glucan supplementation (0g/kg vs. 0.1g/kg). After LPS injection, blood was taken at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 hours (h) for the blood cell counts and blood inflammatory response. Dietary β-glucan increased (P<0.05) leukocytes counts at 4, 6 and 8h, and blood lymphocyte concentrations at 2, 4 and 6h and LPS challenge increased (P<0.05) counts of leukocytes at 2, 4, 6 and 8h and blood lymphocyte at 2 and 4h post-challenge. The rectal temperature was increased (P<0.05) at 2, 4, 6 and 8h after LPS challenge. Dietary β-glucan reduced (P<0.05) and LPS challenge increased (P<0.05) blood plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentration at 2 and 4h post-challenge. Dietary β-glucan increased (P<0.05) the concentration of the cluster of differentiation antigens 4 cells (CD4+) at 2, 4 and 6h, and of 8 (CD8+) at 4 and 6h post-challenge, respectively. The LPS challenge increased (P<0.05) CD4+ and CD8+ cell concentrations at 2, 4 and 6h post-challenge. The CD4+:CD8+ ratio was reduced (P<0.05) by LPS challenge but was increased (P<0.05) by dietary β-glucan at 2, 4, 6 and 8h post-challenge. In conclusion, dietary β-glucan decreased E. coli numbers but did not affect growth performance in weaned pigs and may offer benefits on immune function in weaned pigs challenged with LPS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study aims at investigating the effect of the vertical baffle height on the liquid sloshing in a laterally moving three-dimensional (3D) rectangular tank. To simulate 3D incompressible viscous two-phase flow in a tank partially filled with liquid, the volume of fluid (VOF) method based on the finite volume method has been utilized. The ratio of baffle height (h B ) to initial liquid height (h) has been changed in the range 0≤h B /h≤1.2. The critical baffle height is h B /h=0.3 beyond which liquid does not reach the roof of the tank at any instant and consequently does not lead to roof impact. When h B /h>1, the liquid no longer goes over the baffle and the liquid sloshing is restricted to within half of the tank and an almost linear behavior of the free surface is observed in each section. The vortex generated by the flow separation from the baffle tip becomes weaker and smaller with increasing baffle height, leading to a diminished damping effect of the tip vortex on the liquid sloshing. The time variation of pressure, the mean maximum pressure and the free surface elevation in relation to the baffle height have been highlighted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The increasing interests in magnetic nanoparticles has prompted research on ferritin, which is naturally a well-defined iron-storage protein in most living organisms. However, the exact magnetic behavior of ferritin is not well understood, because the crystal structures of ferritin and ferrihydrite, its major component, are not fully understood. Briefly, we discuss the previous magnetization models of ferritin and ferrihydrite and we present a new model (Σ3L) of the initial magnetization of ferritin, considering its different phases. The new model includes three Langevin-function terms, which represent three different magnetic moments provided by the likely hydroxide and oxide mineral phases in ferritin. Compared to previous models, our simple model fits the experimental data 12 times better in terms of the sum of least squares. The magnetic independence of each component supports the multi-phase compositional model of the mineral core of horse-spleen ferritin. This Σ3L model gives a quantization of the amounts of the different phases within horse-spleen ferritins that matches other published experimental data: 60–80% ferrihydrite, 15–25% maghemite/magnetite, and 1–10% hematite. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is a non-protein amino acid that plays a rate limiting role in the process of heme biosynthesis. In this study, the effects of supplementation of the diet with ALA on growth performance, hematological status, and immune responses in early-weanling pigs were evaluated. A total of 144 weaned castrated male pigs (6.37±0.52kg, 21d of age) were blocked by BW and litter and allocated to pens, and, then, pens were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments. There are 6 pigs per pen and 6 pens per treatment. The experiment were arranged as a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments with the inclusion of 2 levels of ALA (0 or 10mg/kg) and antibiotics (0 or 40mg/kg of apramycin). Blood samples were collected on d 0 and 42 to determine the hematological status and lymphocyte subpopulations via flow cytometry. Treatments with apramycin had greater ADG during d 7 to 21 (P <0.05), whereas ALA had no effect on growth performance throughout the experiment. The serum hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) values increased in response to ALA supplementation (P <0.05). The total iron concentration and iron binding capacity (TIBC) were not affected by ALA or apramycin. The interaction between ALA and apramycin resulted in higher levels of cluster of differentiation antigens positive cells (CD) 8+ (CD8+), B cell, and majority histocompatibility complex cells I (MHC-I) (P <0.01). The addition of ALA to the diet increased (P <0.01) CD2+, CD8+, B-cell, MHC-I, and MHC-II compared with the group without ALA addition. Overall, the results of this study indicate that dietary supplementation with ALA had no effect on the growth performance of weanling pigs, but it improved iron status and affected the immune responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Time delay control (TDC) for non-linear systems has rapidly drawn attention as a result of its unusually robust performance and yet its extraordinarily compact form. In many real applications, TDC has been implemented digitally and the time delay, λ, was set to the sampling period of the control system, which is a constant during the control process. The existing stability analysis, however, has been made based on the assumption of the continuous-time TDC and infinitesimal time delay (λ→0). The assumption not only fails to reflect the reality that the closed-loop system (CLS) is a sampled-data system, but also leads to a stability criterion in which important parameters, such as λ, are absent. In this paper, therefore, sufficient stability criteria for a non-linear system based on the premise of discrete-time TDC and λ that is equal to the sampling period are presented. To this end, we have first proposed a discretization method to derive the approximate discrete-time model of CLS. Then by using the model and the concepts of consistency and Lyapunov stability, we have derived stability criteria for the exact discrete-time model of CLS. The suggested criteria consist of the sampling period and other parameters of TDC. These criteria have been verified by simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of electric fields and temperatures on the carrier mobilities in organic layers and at electrode/organic interfaces were investigated by using three-dimensional Monte-Carlo simulation. The mobility variations in the organic layers and at the electrode/organic layer interfaces were described on the basis of the calculated results. The density of deep sites significantly affected the difference in the mobility behavior between the organic layers and the electrode/organic interfaces. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigate the effect of oxygen annealing on magnetic, electric and magnetodielectric properties of Ba-doped BiFeO3, Bi0.75Ba0.25FeO3 (BBFO) bulk. Magnetization, resistivity, polarization and magnetodielectric measurements reveal that as-grown BBFO shows weak ferromagnetism, leaky dielectric behavior with activation energy of 0.40eV and 0.06% change of dielectric constant at 60kOe. However, oxygen-annealed BBFO at 850°C shows antiferromagnetism, leaky dielectric behavior with activation energy of 0.73eV and 0.04% change of dielectric constant at 60kOe. These differences are discussed by the formation of Fe3+ valence with oxygen vacancy in as-grown BBFO, and the formation of mixed Fe3+ and Fe4+ valences without oxygen vacancy for oxygen-annealed BBFO. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CdTe thin films were grown on GaAs (100) substrates by using molecular beam epitaxy at various temperatures. The bright-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and the high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) images showed that the crystallinity of CdTe epilayers grown on GaAs substrates was improved by increasing the substrate temperature. The result of selected-area electron diffraction pattern (SADP) showed that the orientation of the grown CdTe thin films was the (100) orientation. The lattice constant the strain, and the stress of the CdTe thin film grown on the GaAs substrate were determined from the SADP result. Based on the SADP and HRTEM results, a possible atomic arrangement for the CdTe/GaAs heterostructure is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The three-dimensional electronic structure in the Si inversion layer of nanoscale metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) were calculated by using a self-consistent method. The electronic energy states and the probability density functions in a three-dimensionally confined quantum structure were determined. The energy states strongly depended on the thickness of the thin oxide layer and the applied gate voltage. The few electrons occupying the Si inversion layer significantly affected the electric potential profile of the inversion layer, and a small variation in the oxide thickness dramatically changed the electronic properties in the Si inversion layer. These results can help in understanding the electronic structures in Si inversion layers of nanoscale MOSFETs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have reported the Raman scattering and infrared absorption results on a t2g orbital ordered Ca2RuO4. At 10K, a strong and clear peak was observed in Raman scattering near 1360cm-1 with x′x′ geometry. In contrast to optic phonon modes, the peak does not show any frequency shift but rapidly decreases with increasing temperature. In addition, the peak is not observed in infrared absorption measurement. By comparing the previous Raman scattering results for several transition metal oxides, we have discussed the possible origins and ambiguities of the intriguing peak in Ca2RuO4. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We measured reflectivity spectra of polycrystalline Mg1−xB2 samples, which show a metal–insulator transition with x. After performing the Kramers–Kronig analysis, the obtained optical conductivity spectra σ(ω) of MgB2 show a narrow Drude peak in the far-infrared region and a broad peak in the mid-infrared region. As x increases, the spectral weight of the Drude peak is strongly suppressed and that of the broad peak becomes enhanced a little. The existence of the broad mid-infrared peak in the insulating sample suggests that this peak might not be related to the free carriers in MgB2. In the far-infrared region, we also observe that the low energy dielectric constant of Mg1−xB2 diverges near the metal–insulator phase boundary (i.e. x=0.08). This result implies the possibility of a phase separation and a percolative metal–insulator transition in Mg1−xB2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The DC conductivity (σDC) of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) with various organic solvents was measured. The solvents used were dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and H2O (as pristine solvent). Room temperature DC conductivity [σDC(RT)] of a free standing film of PEDOT/PSS with H2O was measured to be ∼0.8 S/cm. Through a change of solvents used, σDC(RT) of the samples increases from ∼0.8 to ∼80 S/cm. The temperature dependence of DC conductivity [σDC(T)] of PEDOT/PSS with H2O followed a quasi one-dimensional variable range hopping model, while that of PEDOT/PSS prepared from DMSO, DMF, and THF followed a power law (σDC ∝ Tβ). From X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments, the doping concentration of the systems with different solvents was approximately the same. We analyzed that the screening effect of the solvent plays an important role for the variation of σDC of the PEDOT/PSS systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Organ shortage has led us to use grafts from expanded criteria donors (ECD). Dual kidney transplantation (DKT) using organs from an ECD, which are not acceptable for single kidney transplantation (KT), may overcome the insufficient functioning nephron mass. We performed DKTs in two recipients, the first DKT to be reported from Korea. In case 1, the donor was a 36-year-old man with hypertension. The cause of his brain death was intracranial hemorrhage. He had no known underlying renal disease; his serum creatinine level was 4.2 mg/dL. Despite the relatively young age of the donor, a biopsy revealed mild interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy with moderate arteriolar narrowing. The recipient''s postoperative course was uneventful over the 69-month follow-up; her last serum creatinine was 1.3 mg/dL. In case 2, the 80-year-old male donor with a history of hypertension had a normal creatinine. The donor biopsy revealed mild glomerular sclerosis, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis with moderate arteriolar narrowing. The recipient had undergone a previous KT 14 years previously on the right side of the abdomen, but had resumed dialysis 2 years previously due to chronic allograft nephropathy. There was no delayed graft function. At month 4 posttransplantation, lymphoceles were treated by fenestration. At 6-month follow-up, her creatinine was 1.0 mg/dL. In our experience with these two cases, DKT with ECD kidney grafts seemed to be a successful strategy to avoid poor graft outcomes and overcome the donor organ shortage. Further studies including histological criteria for DKT, should be performed to determine the safest means to utilize ECD grafts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this Letter, a high-gain sub-terahertz lens horn antenna with a metal guide is proposed. In this antenna, high gain is achieved by using a metal guide and dielectric lens. The experimental results show that the impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna is above 200 GHz, and the measured peak gain of the antenna is 39 dBi at 240 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We numerically investigated the effect of a duct on propeller performance. Numerical simulations were performed for a wide range of diameters ( 0.7 D ≤ D D ≤ 1.0 D ) and angles of attack of the duct ( 0 ° ≤ θ ≤ 20 ° ), where D is the propeller diameter. The duct profile is NACA0015 whose chord length is 0.3 D and trailing edge is located 0.2 D upstream from the center of the propeller. The propeller force coefficients presented the same increasing pattern and the rate of the propeller efficiency with the duct to the bare propeller augments with increasing θ , irrelevant to D D . However, the net thrust reflecting the total drag, including the duct, depends on the duct size. Hence, there is a critical value of θ such that the magnitude of the total drag becomes maximum for a relatively large duct size. A certain size of duct leads two regions of the inflow into the propeller, which is originated by the duct. One is the inner region of the duct where the high-speed flow exists because of the contraction of the duct. Another is the outer region of the duct where the flow decelerates due to the duct wake. The circumferential locality of the axial velocity becomes weaker with increasing θ due to the accelerated flow along the axial direction. Eventually, lower and higher pressure coefficients on the suction- and pressure-side surfaces, respectively, cover a much wider area than those of the case without the duct, leading to greater thrust and torque. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "Chronotropic effect of cilostazol on left ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction," by S. H. Lee and colleagues is presented.

Numerical study of three-dimensional unsteady flow behind the double wavy (DW), singe wavy (SW), and smooth circular (SC) cylinders geometry at subcritical Reynolds number (R e = 3.0 × 10 3) using large-eddy simulations based on the finite volume method are investigated in this study. This study contributes to the understanding of the effects of geometric disturbances as a passive flow control method to reduce the hydrodynamic forces exerted by the fluid flow on the cylinders. The DW and SW cylinders with spanwise wavelength ratios as λ / D m = 3.79 − 6.82 and with fixed wave amplitude ratio as a / D m = 0.152 are investigated and compared with SC cylinder in terms of flow variables such as drag, lift coefficients, Strouhal number, vortex formation length, and vorticity contours of the cylinders. Furthermore, an investigation was also carried out to quantify the differences in the fluid flow properties behind SC and SW cylinders compared to DW cylinders. When compared to the SC and SW cylinders, the findings indicated that the DW cylinder reduces drag and lift coefficients significantly for every λ / D m. A maximum reduction in fluid forces is observed at λ / D m = 6.06 for DW cylinder; 16.63% and 94.99% reduction in mean drag and lift fluctuations respectively compared to SC cylinder. The DW cylinder also showed a longer vortex formation length than SC and SW cylinders for every λ / D m. The flow separation angle and mean streamwise velocity distributions are also investigated and compared between the SC, SW, and DW cylinders. The present study reveals that the geometric surface waviness of the cylinder can be used to minimize force coefficients at a sub-critical flow regime. The obtained conclusions could provide some references to the engineering field for the design stage of slender marine structures. • Five different cylinders, each for single wavy and double wavy, were modeled based on wavelength ratios. • Flow around the single wavy, and double wavy cylinders were numerically investigated. • Hydrodynamic coefficients and flow features were compared between smooth, single wavy and double wavy cylinders. • An optimal wavelength each for single wavy and double wavy cylinders is presented. • The double wavy cylinder achieved more reduction in hydrodynamic coefficients than single wavy and smooth circular cylinders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the changes in serum creatinine and total CO2 levels in patients receiving metformin during administration of contrast medium.Materials and Methods: Patient records from January 2012 to December 2012 after the administration of contrast medium were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 924 patients were included for the final analysis. Of them, 105 received metformin during contrast medium administration, 112 were taking other oral hypoglycaemic agents, and 707 patients were not diabetic (controls).Results: No significant change in total CO2 levels was detected (p=0.678). Metabolic acidosis was present in 33 (31.4%) metformin users, 31 (28.6%) other oral hypoglycaemic agent users, and 153 (21.6%) control patients. In the present logistic regression analysis, age, baseline levels of creatinine, and total CO2 levels were associated with metabolic acidosis after contrast medium exposure.Conclusion: These data indicate the presence of a coexisting risk factor, other than metformin use, associated with metabolic acidosis after contrast medium exposure. No relationship was found between the use of metformin and metabolic acidosis during contrast medium exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background ABO-incompatible organ transplants are good options for expanding the living donor pool; however, the necessary pre-conditioning to remove ABO antibodies before surgery can evoke critical infectious complications after surgery. Methods Between February 2009 and July 2013, we performed ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation on 182 patients. We analyzed the first 85 patients for post-operative infectious complications in a cross-sectional cohort of patients (group 1, n = 85) who had received an ABO-incompatible kidney transplant and, in light of the results, amended the pre-conditioning (lower dose of rituximab, selective use of calcineurin inhibitors, anti-metabolite reduction, and prophylactic strategy) given to a prospective cohort (group 2, n = 97). Results The characteristics of the two groups did not differ significantly. Infectious complications decreased significantly in group 2, including cytomegalovirus (anti-genemia 64.7% vs 27.8%, P < .001) and BK viremia (35.2% vs 18.6%, P = .008). The acute rejection rate and death-censored graft survival were similar in both groups. Notably, with the modified protocol, there were no deaths (8.2% vs 0.0%, P = .03). Conclusions Pre-conditioning for ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation is a prerequisite for successful outcome; its drawbacks can be limited with the use of a modified immunosuppressive strategy. If immunosuppression is modified according to host conditions, ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation can be performed safely with a successful graft outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report the annealing temperature dependence of global and local structures of hydrothermally grown KNbO3 nanorods. With increasing annealing temperature, the amount of hydroxyl groups in the KNbO3 nanorods decreased and finally disappeared at about 800°C. Morphology of the nanorods seemed not to change significantly, however, X-ray intensity ratio between (022) and (200) planes, i.e., I 022/I 200, increased with decreasing lattice hydroxyl group contents. This result could be attributed to the fact that the hydroxyl groups were desorbed more effectively along the [011] direction than in other directions due to the elongated nanorod along the [011] direction. The frequencies of external and bending modes, besides stretching mode, showed red-shift with decreasing lattice hydroxyl group contents. This result implied that the lattice hydroxyl groups existed as interstitial defects near K ions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigate the structural and phase transition characteristics of hydrothermally grown KNbO3 and KTaO3 nanocrystals. Field emission scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope measurements clearly show that the KNbO3 crystal has a nanorod shape while the KTaO3 crystal has a nanocube shape. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurement reveals the existence of a hydroxyl group in both nanocrystals. The hydroxyl group seems to be related to the enlarged lattice constants, the lowered structural phase transition temperatures, the broad phonon width and the increased number of Raman-active phonon modes in KNbO3 and KTaO3 nanocrystals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electrodialysis (ED) is one of a number of attractive options in the desalination of secondary effluent, but membrane fouling is still an issue that needs to be resolved. This study investigated potential foulants and the fouling control of ED during desalination. Cation and anion exchange membranes were found to be fouled with different components in secondary effluent. Protein and calcium ion were the most responsible for the fouling of anion and cation exchange membranes, respectively. Pretreatment using iron oxide particles (IOPs) as an adsorbent contributed greatly to the reduction of irreversible fouling caused by organic matter present in the secondary effluent. IOP pretreatment also improved the quality of the treated water significantly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, a competition between a ferromagnetic metal and a charge/orbital-ordered insulator has been investigated for RE1− x AE x MnO3 () with RE and AE being rare earth elements, ranging from La to Gd, and alkaline earth elements, Ca, Sr and Ba, respectively. A phase diagram is deduced in the plane of the effective one-electron bandwidth versus the magnitude of quenched disorder, which can be controlled by the averaged value and the variance of the RE/AE ionic radii, respectively. In the vicinity of the phase boundary, the ferromagnetic transition temperature is critically suppressed, and the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) is enhanced. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

One patient experienced erythema after the third NB-UVB session and discontinued the therapy. Although interruption of fasting before phototherapy can be a confounding bias, our data demonstrated that the treatment duration of NB-UVB was shorter than that of other treatments. The patients in this manuscript have given written informed consent to the publication of their case details. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: To investigate whether the use of metformin during computed tomography (CT) with radiocontrast agents increases the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and metabolic acidosis after CT in type 2 diabetes patients with mild to moderate renal failure.Materials and Methods: Patient records from January 2015 to December 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. A total of 374 patients were included in the final analysis. Of them, 157 patients received metformin, and 217 patients were taking other oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHAs) during radiocontrast administration.Results: No significant difference in CIN incidence was observed between the metformin use group and the other OHAs group (p=0.085). Metabolic acidosis after CT was seen in 91 (58%) patients who used metformin and 141 (65%) patients who were taking other OHAs. There was no relationship between metabolic acidosis after CT and the use of metformin (p=0.195). Metabolic acidosis after radiocontrast agent exposure was associated with malignant disease, low serum albumin level, and low serum total CO2 level at baseline.Conclusion: These data show that other factors, but not metformin use, are associated with metabolic acidosis after radiocontrast agent exposure in patients with reduced renal function. These data support current recommendations that there is no need to discontinue metformin before CT using radiocontrast agents in patients with mild to moderate renal failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Introduction of oxygen vacancy in NaNbO3 sub-micron cube through the thermal annealing with Zr foil in vacuum. [•] Confirmation of the Pmc21symmetry for oxygen-deficient NaNbO3−δ . [•] Observation of coexistence of piezoelectricity and electric conduction in oxygen-deficient NaNbO3−δ sub-micron cubes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Synthesis of BaTiO3/ZnFe2O4 core/shell nanoparticles. [•] Nanoparticles are ferromagnetic with spontaneous magnetization of 8emu/g. [•] Dielectric constant is found to increase with temperature. [•] About 1.3% change, in dielectric constant at 1T of magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]