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In this study, the relationship between solidification cracking and epitaxial growth behavior with the high-speed laser surface melting of a directionally solidified 247LC superalloys was fundamentally and metallurgically investigated, to develop a successful welding procedure for the next generation of gas turbine blades. Under typical laser surface melting conditions (scan speed: 50 mm/s, heat input: 40 J/mm), severe solidification cracking phenomena occurs. The key metallurgical factors of solidification cracking have been identified as solidification segregation-assisted pipeline diffusion behavior at the solidification grain boundary, and in the randomly formed polycrystalline melting zone microstructure. In addition, under extremely low heat input and high-speed laser beam scan conditions (scan speed: 1000 mm/s, heat input: 2 J/mm), an effective surface melting zone can be obtained within a single directionally solidified grain under a relatively high-energy beam density (65 J/mm2) using the characteristics of single-mode fiber lasers. Results reveal that the laser melting zone successfully shows a 99.9% epitaxial growth achievement ratio. Because of the superior epitaxial growth ratio within the laser surface melting zone, and the rapid solidification phenomena, formation of a solidification grain boundary and solidification segregation-assisted pipeline diffusion behavior can be suppressed. Finally, a solidification crack-free laser melting zone can thus be achieved.

Patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) are generally known to be at greater risk for thrombosis, with arterial thrombosis-related complications being relatively rare compared to venous thrombosis-related complications. This report describes a 46-year-old male with historically proven minimal change disease (MCD) complicated by acute aortoiliac thrombosis. He had been diagnosed with MCD 8 months previously and was treated successfully with steroids. He was prescribed a second course of high-dose steroids (prednisolone 1 mg/kg/day) due to a relapse of MCD at the outpatient clinic 8 days before the emergency department visit. The patient presented with severe pain in both lower limbs and was diagnosed with aortoiliac thrombosis that developed during high-dose steroid treatment. He subsequently underwent surgical thromboembolectomy. Hypoalbuminemia has the strongest association with the risk of thromboembolism. According to international clinical practice guidelines, anticoagulant therapy is recommended when serum albumin is ≤2-2.5 g/dL. However, as serum albumin levels may be relatively high in the early phase of NS, as in this case report, an individualized anticoagulation strategy for each patient should be considered, regardless of serum albumin levels.

Odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) accounts for 3-11% of all odontogenic cysts. OKC is a benign intra-osseous odontogenic tumor, but what makes this cyst special is its aggressive behavior and high recurrence rate. OKC is relatively aggressive compared to other odontogenic cysts, but its malignant transformation is considered extremely rare. Squamous cell carcinoma associated with odontogenic keratocysts have rarely been reported in the medical literature. We recently experienced a case of a 63-year-old man finally confirmed with squamous cell carcinoma of the mandible, which was initially diagnosed as a benign odontogenic keratocyst. Surgical resection was performed as definitive treatment. Therefore, we present this unique case with a review of the literature.

This study examined the effects of muscle mass on mortality in patients with acute kidney injury requiring continuous renal replacement therapy. It was conducted in eight medical centers between 2006 and 2021. The data of 2200 patients over the age of 18 years with acute kidney injury who required continuous renal replacement therapy were retrospectively collected. Skeletal muscle areas, categorized into normal and low attenuation muscle areas, were obtained from computed tomography images at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the association between mortality within 1, 3, and 30 days and skeletal muscle index. Sixty percent of patients were male, and the 30-day mortality rate was 52%. Increased skeletal muscle areas/body mass index was associated with decreased mortality risk. We also identified a 26% decreased risk of low attenuation muscle area/body mass index on mortality. We established that muscle mass had protective effects on the mortality of patients with acute kidney injury requiring continuous renal replacement therapy. This study showed that muscle mass is a significant determinant of mortality, even if the density is low.

BackgroundBlood glucose stability has recently been considered important in the treatment of diabetes. Both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia can frequently occur in patients with diabetes undergoing hemodialysis. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for glycemic control and glycemic variability stabilization in patients with diabetes undergoing hemodialysis.Materials and methodsEighteen patients aged ≥18 years with type 1 or 2 diabetes and ≥3 months on hemodialysis at the Eulji Medical Center, Daejeon, Republic of Korea between November 2021 and May 2022 were included. Patients underwent 7 days CGM twice: the baseline study period (T0) and the follow-up study period (T1), at a 12 weeks interval. Physicians modified the treatment strategy according to the T0 results, and then patients conducted T1. As indicators of glycemic control, the mean glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and time in range were measured. As indicators of glycemic variability, standard deviation (SD) and % coefficient variation (%CV) were measured.ResultsData from 18 patients were analyzed. The mean glucose levels, HbA1c, SD, and %CV improved in T1 compared to T0 (P < 0.05). During T0, the mean glucose level was significantly lower on a day with hemodialysis than on a day without (P < 0.05), and SD and %CV were significantly higher on a day with hemodialysis than on a day without (P < 0.05). After the physicians modified the treatment according to the T0 results, there were no differences in the mean glucose levels, SD, and %CV between days with and without hemodialysis during T1.ConclusionContinuous glucose monitoring could be a promising tool for individualizing treatment strategies in patients with diabetes undergoing hemodialysis.

IntroductionPatients with acute kidney injury (AKI) receiving renal replacement therapy constitute the subgroup of AKI with the highest risk of mortality. Despite recent promising findings on the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in AKI, studies have not yet addressed the clinical implication of the NLR in this population. Therefore, we aimed to examine the prognostic value of NLR in critically ill patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), especially focusing on temporal changes in NLR.MethodsWe enrolled 1,494 patients with AKI who received CRRT in five university hospitals in Korea between 2006 and 2021. NLR fold changes were calculated as the NLR on each day divided by the NLR value on the first day. We performed a multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis to assess the association between the NLR fold change and 30-day mortality.ResultsThe NLR on day 1 did not differ between survivors and non-survivors; however, the NLR fold change on day 5 was significantly different. The highest quartile of NLR fold change during the first 5 days after CRRT initiation showed a significantly increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.65; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.27–2.15) compared to the lowest quartile. NLR fold change as a continuous variable was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05–1.23).ConclusionIn this study, we demonstrated an independent association between changes in NLR and mortality during the initial phase of CRRT in AKI patients receiving CRRT. Our findings provide evidence for the predictive role of changes in the NLR in this high-risk subgroup of AKI.

Background SimPET-L and SimPET-XL have recently been introduced with increased transaxial fields of view (FOV) compared with their predecessors (SimPET™ and SimPET-X), enabling whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of rats. We conducted performance evaluations of SimPET-L and SimPET-XL and rat-body imaging with SimPET-XL to demonstrate the benefits of increased axial and transaxial FOVs. Procedures The detector blocks in SimPET-L and SimPET-XL consist of two 4 × 4 silicon photomultiplier arrays coupled with 20 × 9 array lutetium oxyorthosilicate crystals. SimPET-L and SimPET-XL have an inner diameter (bore size) of 7.6 cm, and they are composed of 40 and 80 detector blocks yielding axial lengths of 5.5 and 11 cm, respectively. Each system was evaluated according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association NU4-2008 protocol. Rat imaging studies, such as 18F-NaF and 18F-FDG PET, were performed using SimPET-XL. Results The radial resolutions at the axial center measured using the filtered back projection, 3D ordered-subset expectation maximization (OSEM), and 3D OSEM with point spread functions correction were 1.7, 0.82, and 0.82 mm FWHM in SimPET-L and 1.7, 0.91, and 0.91 mm FWHM in SimPET-XL, respectively. The peak sensitivities of SimPET-L and SimPET-XL were 6.30% and 10.4% for an energy window of 100–900 keV and 4.44% and 7.25% for a window of 250–750 keV, respectively. The peak noise equivalent count rate with an energy window of 250–750 keV was 249 kcps at 44.9 MBq for SimPET-L and 349 kcps at 31.3 MBq for SimPET-XL. In SimPET-L, the uniformity was 4.43%, and the spill-over ratios in air- and water-filled chambers were 5.54% and 4.10%, respectively. In SimPET-XL, the uniformity was 3.89%, and the spill-over ratio in the air- and water-filled chambers were 3.56% and 3.60%. Moreover, SimPET-XL provided high-quality images of rats. Conclusion SimPET-L and SimPET-XL show adequate performance compared with other SimPET systems. In addition, their large transaxial and long axial FOVs provide imaging capability for rats with high image quality.

Kidney matrix stones are a rare form of calculi, which are challenging to diagnose. Matrix stones consist of a proteinaceous material which has a radiolucent appearance that might be overlooked on imaging. Recently, endourological intervention has been the standard treatment method for matrix stones. We report a case of urinary matrix stones in a patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, in whom the stones formed into a pure matrix and were not visualized in the computed tomography scan. The stones were found after additional work-up, and they were managed using a transureteral stone basket, not through endourological intervention.

We review the history of nuclear medicine physics, instrumentation, and data sciences in Korea to commemorate the 60(th) anniversary of the Korean Society of Nuclear Medicine. In the 1970s and 1980s, the development of SPECT, nuclear stethoscope, and bone densitometry systems, as well as kidney and cardiac image analysis technology, marked the beginning of nuclear medicine physics and engineering in Korea. With the introduction of PET and cyclotron in Korea in 1994, nuclear medicine imaging research was further activated. With the support of large-scale government projects, the development of gamma camera, SPECT, and PET systems was carried out. Exploiting the use of PET scanners in conjunction with cyclotrons, extensive studies on myocardial blood flow quantification and brain image analysis were also actively pursued. In 2005, Korea’s first domestic cyclotron succeeded in producing radioactive isotopes, and the cyclotron was provided to six universities and university hospitals, thereby facilitating the nationwide supply of PET radiopharmaceuticals. Since the late 2000s, research on PET/MRI has been actively conducted, and the advanced research results of Korean scientists in the fields of silicon photomultiplier PET and simultaneous PET/MRI have attracted significant attention from the academic community. Currently, Korean researchers are actively involved in endeavors to solve a variety of complex problems in nuclear medicine using artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies.

The metallurgical aspects of weld solidification cracking in Ni-based superalloys (with Ti+Al > 5 mass%) have not been widely investigated thus far. Herein, the solidification cracking susceptibility of the CM247LC superalloy and its welds with ERNiFeCr-2 filler wire was quantitatively evaluated using a novel modified Varestraint testing method, for the successful manufacturing of CM247LC superalloy gas turbine blades. It was found that the solidification brittle temperature range (BTR) of the CM247LC superalloy was 400 K. This measurement was obtained with a high-speed thermo-vision camera. The BTR increased to 486 K for the CM247LC/ERNiFeCr-2 welds (dilution ratio: 74%). Theoretical calculations (i.e., the Scheil equation, performed using Thermo-Calc software) were conducted to determine the temperature range in which both solid and liquid phases coexist, together with the microstructural characterization of the solidification cracking surfaces. The greater increase in BTR for the CM247LC/ERNiFeCr-2 welds than that for CM247LC was attributed to the enlargement of the solid–liquid coexistence temperature range. This correlated with the formation of a low-temperature Laves phase during the terminal stage of solidification, and was affected by the diluted Nb and Fe components in the ERNiFeCr-2 filler metal. Based on the experimental and theoretical results, the proposed modified Varestraint testing method for dissimilar welds is expected to be an effective testing process for solidification cracking behavior in the manufacturing of high-soundness CM247LC superalloy welds.

The C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) is a prognostic marker in various diseases that represents patients’ inflammation and nutritional status. We investigated the prognostic value of CAR in critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). We retrospectively collected data from eight hospitals in Korea. The patients were divided into quartiles according to CAR levels at the time of CRRT initiation. Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate the effect of CAR on in-hospital mortality. Among 3995 patients who underwent CRRT, the in-hospital mortality rate was 67.3% during the follow-up period. The 7-day, 30-day, and in-hospital mortality rates increased toward higher CAR quartiles. After adjusting for confounding variables, the higher quartile groups had an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (quartile 3: aHR, 1.15, 95% CI, 1.02–1.30, P=0.023; quartile 4: aHR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.18–1.50, P

The selection of wheat varieties with high arabinoxylan (AX) levels could effectively improve the daily consumption of dietary fiber. However, studies on the selection of markers for AX levels are scarce. This study analyzed AX levels in 562 wheat genotypes collected from 46 countries using a GWAS with the BLINK model in the GAPIT3. Wheat genotypes were classified into eight subpopulations that exhibited high genetic differentiation based on 31,926 SNP loci. Eight candidate genes were identified, among which those encoding F-box domain-containing proteins, disease resistance protein RPM1, and bZIP transcription factor 29 highly correlated with AX levels. The AX level was higher in the adenine allele than in the guanine alleles of these genes in the wheat collection. In addition, the AX level was approximately 10% higher in 3 adenine combinations than 2 guanine, 1 adenine, and 3 guanine combinations in genotypes of three genes (F-box domain-containing proteins, RPM1, and bZIP transcription factor 29). The adenine allele, present in 97.46% of AX-95086356 SNP, exhibited a high correlation with AX levels following classification by country. Notably, the East Asian wheat genotypes contain high adenine alleles in three genes. These results highlight the potential of these three SNPs to serve as selectable markers for high AX content.

The metallurgical aspects of weld cracking in Ni-based superalloys remain relatively unexplored in existing research. The present study performed comprehensive metallurgical and manufactural investigations into the weldability of an Ni-based superalloy, CM247LC, from the viewpoint of the liquation cracking behavior and its susceptibility. Metallurgical solutions to suppress the liquation-cracking susceptibility were derived via the visualization-based Varestraint test, and the possibility of liquation crack-free welding was explored by employing pre-weld heat treatments and laser beam welding. The alloy that was subjected to aging treatment exhibited the lowest liquation-cracking susceptibility (liquation cracking temperature range: 66 K), while the as-cast alloy specimen exhibited the highest liquation-cracking susceptibility (liquation cracking temperature range: 620 K). The metallurgical mechanisms of the liquation cracking susceptibility of as-cast CM247LC weld were elucidated via microstructural analyses and thermodynamic calculations. The suppressed liquation cracking susceptibility of the aged CM247LC can be attributed to the MC-type carbide fraction and homogenized matrix phase, as compared with those of as-cast CM247LC. The aged CM247LC specimen was subjected to gas tungsten arc welding to validate its minimal liquation-cracking susceptibility. The results confirmed the suppression of liquation cracking, due to the low susceptibility of the specimen. However, crackfree welds could not be obtained. Finally, metallurgically sound welds without liquation cracks were successfully obtained via laser beam welding. The outcomes of the present study will facilitate the generation of electric power from fossil fuels via a clean and efficient gas turbine-based power generation cycle.

Policosanol is a hypocholesterolemic derived from sugar cane and corn that downregulates blood cholesterol levels. It can further lower blood pressure and reduce liver inflammation. Policosanol can also affect vascular calcification, however, its molecular mechanisms are not well understood. This study investigated the effect of policosanol on vascular calcification and its molecular mechanism. Policosanol decreased the expression of inorganic phosphate (Pi)-induced osteogenic genes such as distal-less homeobox 5 (Dlx5) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). In addition, following policosanol treatment, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation increased in a time-dependent manner. The constitutively active form of AMPK (CA-AMPK) dramatically suppressed Pi-induced Dlx5 and Runx2 protein levels. Inactivation of AMPK using compound C (Com. C; AMPK inhibitor) recovered policosanol-suppressed Alizarin Red S staining levels. Insulin-induced genes (INSIGs) were induced by CA-AMPK, their overexpression suppressed Pi-induced Dlx5 and Runx2 expression. Taken together, the results demonstrate that policosanol inhibits Pi-induced vascular calcification by regulating AMPK-induced INSIG expression in vascular smooth muscle cells.

A 1.3–4-GHz quadrature-phase digital delay-locked loop (DDLL) with sequential delay control and a reconfigurable delay line is designed using a 28 nm CMOS process. The time resolution of the DDLL is reduced by updating the delay code sequentially. A bidirectional shift register enables this operation with low power, resulting in bang-bang jitter that is three times smaller than that of a conventional DDLL. Conventional delay control is replaced with sequential delay control after a DDLL lock to reduce the locking time. A DDLL with a wide operation range is achieved with a reconfigurable delay line. Unlike the conventional DDLL, the minimum delay difference is adjustable in the proposed structure. To achieve a wide frequency range, the minimum delay difference of the quadrature clock is increased or decreased in three operation modes. To compensate for local variations in the CMOS process, a skew calibration circuit is implemented with the DDLL. The hardware cost of skew calibration is minimized with the proposed DDLL because it shares the subblocks for sequential delay control. The average phase difference from the quadrature clocks becomes the reference for the 90° phase for skew correction. A duty-cycle corrector (DCC) is implemented by collecting the positive edges of the quadrature-phase clocks. The DDLL consumes 6.5 mW at the maximum clock frequency of 4 GHz. The peak-to-peak jitter is improved from 15.6 to 12.5 ps with sequential delay control.

Overexpression of Glu-1Bx7 via allele 1Bx7OE significantly contributes to high dough strength in some wheat varieties and is useful for improving wheat quality. However, the proportion of wheat varieties containing Bx7OE is quite low. In this study, four cultivars containing 1Bx7OE were selected, and among the selected varieties, Chisholm (1Ax2*, 1Bx7OE + 1By8*, and 1Dx5 + 1Dx10) was crossed with Keumkang, a wheat variety that contains 1Bx7 (1Ax2*, 1Bx7 + 1By8, and 1Dx5 + 1Dx10). SDS-PAGE and UPLC analyses showed that the expression of the high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) 1Bx7 was significantly higher in NILs (1Ax2*, 1Bx7OE + 1By8*, and 1Dx5 + 1Dx10) compared with that in Keumkang. Wheat quality was analyzed with near infrared reflectance spectroscopy by measuring the protein content and SDS-sedimentation of NILs. The protein content of NILs (12.94%) was 21.65% higher than that of Chisholm (10.63%) and 4.54% higher than that of Keumkang (12.37%). In addition, the SDS-sedimentation value of NILs (44.29 mL) was 14.97% and 16.44% higher than that of Keumkang (38.52 mL) and Chisholm (38.03 mL), respectively. This study predicts that the quality of domestic wheat can be improved by crossbreeding with 1Bx7OE-containing cultivars.

For efficient polymer gel electrolytes (PGEs) in quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (QSS-DSSCs), six ABA triblock copolymers based on (poly(acrylonitrile-co-N-(isobutoxymethyl)acrylamide)...

In this study, the weldability of the as-cast CM247LC superalloy for turbine blade applications was metallurgically evaluated in terms of its hot cracking behavior and susceptibility. For this purpose, a real blade was manufactured using a directional solidification casting process, and gas tungsten arc welding was performed at the tip and cavity of the upper blade. Hot cracking was confirmed in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of gas tungsten arc welds, and the cracks were characterized as liquation cracks, since a cobble or dropletshaped crack surface consistent with a liquid film was clearly confirmed. Microstructural analysis of the cracking surface and thermodynamic calculations helped elucidate the metallurgical mechanisms of the liquation cracking. In other words, the cracking was attributed to liquation of the γ-γ’ eutectic colony and the constitutional liquation of the MC-type carbides: these phases existed in the as-cast microstructure. In particular, it was calculated that liquation of the γ-γ’ eutectic colony during welding occurs at least at 1488 K and that constitutional liquation of MC-type carbides begins at 1411 K, while the equilibrium solidus temperature of the CM247LC alloy is 1530 K. Finally, the liquation cracking susceptibility was quantitatively evaluated through a spot-Varestraint test, and it was confirmed for the first time that the higher susceptibility of as-cast samples can be suppressed by employing a pre-weld heat treatment such as solution treatment.

In this study, KTa0.55Nb0.45O3 (KTN) thin films were manufactured by using Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD) method with variations in the sintering temperature and were investigated in order to apply their applicability in memory devices. The KTN thin films were made after coating the PZT bufferlayer on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate. Each layer was dried at 200°C for 5 min to remove any organic materials and pyrolyzed at 400°C for 10 min. Finally, the layers were sintered for 30 min under an oxygen atmosphere, respectively. The pattern of KTN thin films showed a preference to the (100) and (200) orientations. Also, an increase in the sintering temperature caused the KTN crystalline peak intensities to also increase. When looking at the results from the Scanning Electron Microscope and Atomic Force Microscope data, the average grain size and root mean square roughness (Rrms) of KTN thin films were 109~157 nm and about 4 nm, respectively. Typical dielectric dispersion characteristics were observed in which the dielectric constant decreases with an increase of the applied frequency. The specimen sintered at 750°C showed the highest dielectric constant of 769 at 1 kHz.

To build a proton beam accelerator that can be applied to a boron neutron capture therapy system based on an electrostatic accelerator, a high-voltage direct-current (DC) power supply system equivalent to the generation of neutrons should be provided. The symmetrical Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier method is suitable for stable acceleration of the proton beam in the tandem electrostatic accelerator in this system. Before the second step-up with the Cockcroft-Walton circuit, the design of the inverter is prioritized by preponderantly considering the first voltage and resonance frequency. Moreover, the optimized stacking number is determined with consideration of the ripple voltage, voltage drop, average output voltage, and fundamental harmonics, and a design is performed to set related parameter values to be stable in the flat-top region of the voltage. A high-voltage DC power supply system of 1.2 MV/45 mA is needed for a stable terminal energy of 2.4 MeV/20 mA. Such a design can be optimized by securing reliable data using a simulation tool on the basis of theoretical calculations. This will become a formidable touchstone in manufacturing technology based on acquiring practical know-how for setting up a tandem electrostatic accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy system in the future.

For surface hardening of a continuous casting mold component, a fundamental metallurgical investigation on dissimilar laser clads (Cu–NiCrBSi) is performed. In particular, variation behavior of microstructures and mechanical properties (hardness and wear resistance) of dissimilar clads during long-term service is clarified by performing high-temperature postclad heat treatment (temperature range: 500 ~ 1,000 ℃ and isothermal holding time: 20 ~ 500 min). The microstructures of clad metals (as-clads) consist of fine dendrite morphologies and severe microsegregations of the alloying elements (Cr and Si); substrate material (Cu) is clearly confirmed. During the post-clad heat treatment, the microsegregations are totally homogenized, and secondary phases (Cr-based borides and carbides) precipitated during the short-term heat treatment are also almost dissolved, especially at the heat treatment conditions of 950 ℃ for 500 min. Owing to these microstructural homogenization behaviors, an opposite tendency of the surface mechanical properties can be confirmed. In other words, the wear resistance (wear rate) improves from 4.1 × 10−2 mm3/Nm (as-clad condition) to 1.4 × 10-2 mm3/Nm (heat-treated at 950 ℃ for 500 min), whereas the hardness decreases from 453 HV (as-clad condition) to 142 HV (heat-treated at 950 ℃ for 500 min).

The molecular weights and structural properties of polymers play key roles in the efficiency of gelators in polymer gel electrolytes (PGEs) for quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (QSS-DSSCs). To find an appropriate gelator, we synthesized well-defined poly(acrylonitrile-co-N,N-dimethylacrylamide)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(acrylonitrile-co-N,N-dimethylacrylamide) ABA triblock copolymers with various molecular weights and copolymer compositions by reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization. The ratio of acrylonitrile (AN)/N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) in the triblock copolymers influences their solubility in liquid electrolytes (LEs) and thermal stability. The highest thermal stability was up to 360 °C, and this was achieved by the polymer with an AN/DMAA ratio of ≤4. The thermal stability was related to excessive randomness in the P(AN-co-DMAA) block that hinders cyclization among nitrile groups. Both the molecular weights and the AN/DMAA ratios enabled gel formation by controlling the amount of the polymer, and hence, they influence the ionic conductivity and diffusion as well. Based on the electrochemical properties, polymers with molecular weights above 100 kg/mole were efficient as PGEs in QSS-DSSCs. The overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14 wt % SGT-626 PGE-based QSS-DSSCs was 9.72% under AM 1.5G solar illumination, comparable with an overall PCE of 9.79% for LE DSSCs. The overall PCE of the QSS-DSSCs further increased to 10.02% by incorporating 3 wt % TiO2 nanoparticles in the 14 wt % SGT-626 PGE. The SGT-626 PGE-based QSS-DSSC was also tested under indoor light conditions, and the best PCE of 21.26% was achieved under a white LED light of 1000 lux, which is higher than the PCE of 19.94% for the LE DSSC. The long-term device stability test under adverse conditions (50 °C and 1 sun illumination) reveals the improved stability of PGE-based QSS-DSSCs over LE DSSCs. In terms of PCE and long-term device stability, our PGE QSS-DSSCs have great potential over LE DSSCs for future indoor and outdoor applications.

Effects of Cr addition (0, 3, and 6 wt%) on Charpy impact properties of Fe-C-Mn-Cr-based steels were studied by conducting dynamic compression tests at room and cryogenic temperatures. At room temperature, deformation mechanisms of Charpy impacted specimens were observed as twinning induced plasticity (TWIP) without any transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) in all the steels. At cryogenic temperature, many twins were populated in the Cr-added steels, but, interestingly, fine e-martensite was found in the 0Cr steel, satisfying the Shoji-Nishiyama (S N) orientation relationship, { 111 }γ//{ 0002 }e and 101 >γ// 11 2 ¯ 0 >e. Even though the cryogenic-temperature staking fault energies (SFEs) of the three steel were situated in the TWIP regime, the martensitic transformation was induced by Mn- and Cr-segregated bands. In the 0Cr steel, SFEs of low-(Mn,Cr) bands lay between the TWIP and TRIP regimes which were sensitively affected by a small change of SFE. The dynamic compressive test results well showed the relation between segregation bands and the SFEs. Effects of Cr were known as not only increasing the SFE but also promoting the carbide precipitation. In order to identify the possibility of carbide formation, a precipitation kinetics simulation was conducted, and the predicted fractions of precipitated M23C6 were negligible, 0.4–1.1 × 10−5, even at the low cooling rate of 10 °C/s.

Null object (NO) constructions in Korean and Japanese have received different accounts: as (a) argument ellipsis ( Oku 1998 , S. Kim 1999 , Saito 2007 , Sakamoto 2015 ), (b) VP-ellipsis after verb raising ( Otani and Whitman 1991 , Funakoshi 2016 ), or (c) instances of base-generated pro ( Park 1997 , Hoji 1998 , 2003 ). We report results from two experiments supporting the argument ellipsis analysis for Korean. Experiment 1 builds on K.-M. Kim and Han’s (2016) finding of interspeaker variation in whether the pronoun ku can be bound by a quantifier. Results showed that a speaker’s acceptance of quantifier-bound ku positively correlates with acceptance of sloppy readings in NO sentences. We argue that an ellipsis account, in which the NO site contains internal structure hosting the pronoun, accounts for this correlation. Experiment 2, testing the recovery of adverbials in NO sentences, showed that only the object (not the adverb) can be recovered in the NO site, excluding the possibility of VP-ellipsis. Taken together, our findings suggest that NOs result from argument ellipsis in Korean.

Manufacturing temperatures of severely cold-drawn hyper-eutectoid steel wires are sufficiently high to influence the mobility of dislocations and alloy elements, thereby affecting the materials’ mechanical properties. Herein, we describe the evolution of microstructure and tensile strength of the as-drawn 3.45 GPa steel wire during post-deformation annealing for 30 min at 150−450 °C. Annealing at 150 °C raised the strength to 3.77 GPa by age-hardening through activation of dislocations pinning by carbon, while further temperature rising up to 450 °C caused a severe loss of strength. It was proved that annealing at 300 and 450 °C destabilizes the lamellar microstructure, promoting the formation of carbon-deficient (Fe,Mn,Cr)3C-type cementite particles with preferentially rounded and partially faceted hetero-interfaces. Annealing at 450 °C yielded the accumulation of Mn and Cr at the ferrite/particle interfaces, and their concentrations at the interfaces were dependent on the interface structure; i.e., lower concentrations at rounded interfaces (formed through capillarity–driven coarsening of the spheroidized cementite), and higher concentrations at faceted interfaces (that are initially existing in the as-drawn state). Our proof-of-principle observations, supported by thermodynamic calculations and kinetic assessments, provide a pathway for understanding the changes in microstructural and tensile properties during manufacturing of the hyper-eutectoid steel wires.

The Korean VP anaphor (VPA) kuleha or kulay ‘do so’ has often been argued to involve ellipsis of an articulated VP structure, which is replaced with the surface form at PF (e.g., Cho in Lang Res 32:621–636, 1996; Ha in Korean J Linguist 35:471–487, 2010; Park in Linguist Res 32:693–718, 2015). In this paper, we present empirical data that does not support such a characterization, obtained from two experimental studies designed to diagnose the presence of “hidden” syntactic structure. In Experiment 1, building upon Kim and Han’s (in: Grosz, Patel-Grosz (eds) The impact of pronominal form on interpretation. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin, pp 349–373, 2016) finding that quantificational binding of the Korean pronoun ku ‘he’ is subject to inter-speaker variation, we conducted a truth-value judgment task experiment to examine the (un)acceptability of sloppy identity interpretation in the VPA construction. If the VPA is indeed derived from the deletion of an articulated VP, and thus has an unpronounced internal structure to house ku, the distributions of the sloppy reading of ku and the quantificational binding of ku should be correlated across the sampled population; however, such a pattern was not found. In Experiment 2, we conducted a Likert scale rating experiment testing whether extraction out of the VPA site is possible. If the VPA is an instance of ellipsis, extraction from the VPA site should be possible since there would be a syntactic structure that hosts an extractable constituent. This prediction, however, was not confirmed. On the basis of these empirical findings, we argue that Korean VP anaphora are base-generated pro-forms (Bae and Kim in Stud Mod Gramm 70:49–71, 2012; Park in Stud Mod Gramm 72:41–66, 2013), and retrieve their semantic values from the context through interpretive rules (Hoji in Linguist Inq 29:127–152, 1998; Hoji, in: Barss (ed) Anaphora: a reference guide. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, pp 172–236, 2003), as in the case of pronominal resolution.