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Optical and thermally-stimulated luminescence (TSL) properties of Ce-doped Al 2 O 3 transparent ceramics were investigated. The transparent ceramics were synthesized by the spark plasma sintering method. The Ce-doped Al 2 O 3 transparent ceramics showed photoluminescence (PL), radioluminescence, and TSL peaking at around 400 nm, caused by 5d-4 f transitions of Ce3+. The PL decay curve consisted of two components with decay time constants of 21 and 43 ns. The TSL glow curves had glow peaks at 71, 130, 184, 251, 284, and 362 °C. The 0.1% Ce-doped Al 2 O 3 transparent ceramic exhibited the maximum TSL intensity among the present samples. The minimum detectable dose was turned out to be 0.03 mGy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been increasing demand for a scintillator showing near-infrared (NIR) luminescence owing to the potential for radiation monitoring applications. In this study, Pr-doped Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 (BGO) single crystals were prepared by the floating zone method to explore candidates as a NIR scintillator, and the luminescence and dose-rate response properties of Pr-doped BGO were studied. Both photoluminescence and scintillation peaks appeared at 400–600 nm due to Bi3+, and sharp emission peaks by Pr3+ were also confirmed at 480–1100 nm, with consistent decay times. Further, to investigate performance as a scintillation detector, a linearity of the response to X-ray exposure dose rate was evaluated. Among the samples, the 0.5% Pr-doped BGO showed the highest sensitivity with the lowest detection limit of 0.006 Gy/h. • ● Pr-doped Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 single crystals were grown by the floating zone method. • The emission due to Pr3+ 4f–4f transitions was observed in the visible–NIR range. • The NIR scintillation intensity was proportional to the X-ray exposure dose rate. • The lowest detection limit was 0.006 Gy/h when the 0.5% Pr-doped sample was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanocomposites made of polypropylene reinforced with exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP™), are fabricated by melt mixing, polymer solution and coating. Coating is a new compounding method proposed in this research, where xGnP and PP powder are premixed in isopropyl alcohol using sonication to disperse the xGnP by coating individual PP powder particles. It is found that the coating method is more effective than the polymer solution method widely used, in terms of lowering the percolation threshold of thermoplastic nanocomposites, and enhancing the probability that the large platelet morphology of xGnP can be preserved in the final composite. The research reported here provides an understanding on how the compounding method used during the fabrication of nanocomposites is important to achieving the optimal flexural properties, electrical conductivity and percolation threshold. This method should have wide applicability to all thermoplastic matrix nanocomposite systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The potential of using exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets, xGnPTM, as a reinforcement that can produce multifunctional polymer composites was explored. xGnP–polypropylene (PP) composites fabricated by melt mixing using a twin-screw extruder followed by injection molding were investigated for their thermal, viscoelastic and barrier properties as a function of xGnP concentration and aspect ratio. These properties of the xGnP–PP composites were compared to the properties of composites made with PAN-based carbon fibers, VGCF, carbon black and nanoclay. Results indicate that when oriented properly, the xGnP will not only stiffen the composite but also reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion in two directions rather than in one as in the case of aligned fiber composites. Furthermore, the large aspect ratio of xGnP, even at low loadings, increases the oxygen barrier of PP at least as effectively as the commonly used nanoclays and finally, addition of xGnP significantly enhances the thermal conductivity of the polymer matrix. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A variety of aldehydes, ketones, benzoquinones, or sulfonylimines were found to couple with arynes and isocyanides, giving iminodihydroisobenzofuran or iminoisoindoline derivatives of structural diversity in a straightforward manner. Nucleophilic addition of isocyanides to arynes, a first step of the three-component coupling, was proved to be reversible by the reaction of an unsymmetrical aryne. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Photoluminescence (PL) and scintillation properties of Ce:SrY 2 O 4 single crystals were investigated. The PL quantum yield (QY) of the 2 % Ce-doped sample was the highest, and it decreased in the high Ce concentrations samples. The undoped SrY 2 O 4 single crystal exhibited a broad emission band at 380 nm due to host defects, and the scintillation decay time constant was about 4.2 μs. The pulse height spectrum of 137Cs γ-rays using the undoped SrY 2 O 4 single crystal revealed the scintillation light yield of 830 photons/MeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have prepared Dy-doped MgAl 2 O 4 single crystals by the Floating Zone (FZ) method and investigated photoluminescence (PL), scintillation, and thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) properties. In PL and scintillation, origins of luminescence at around 480, 580, and 660 nm of synthesized crystals were assigned to the 4f–4f transitions of Dy3+. In TSL, three glow peaks at around 50, 220, and 350 °C were observed, and these peaks were attributed to cation antisites and V center. The 0.1 % Dy-doped MgAl 2 O 4 single crystal showed the highest intensity in TSL glow curves among the prepared crystals and higher sensitivity than those in ceramic-form MgAl 2 O 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undoped and Ce-doped SrLu 2 O 4 single crystals were synthesized by the floating zone method equipped with four Xe lamps, and the photoluminescence (PL) and scintillation properties were investigated. A broad emission band appeared at around 470 nm in PL and scintillation spectra due to the 5d–4f transition of Ce3+. In addition, the PL and scintillation decay time constants were close to typical values of the 5d–4f transition of Ce3+. The pulse height spectra of 137Cs gamma-ray demonstrated that the light yield of undoped and 0.3% Ce-doped SrLu 2 O 4 were 1490 and 570 photons/MeV, respectively. In addition, relationship between gamma-ray energy and photoabsorption peak channel was evaluated. Image 1 • Undoped and Ce-doped SrLu 2 O 4 single crystals were synthesized by the floating zone method equipped with four Xe lamps. • Photoluminescence and scintillation properties of undoped and Ce-doped SrLu 2 O 4 single crystals were investigated. • A broad emission band appeared at around 470 nm in PL and scintillation spectra due to the 5 d–4f transition of Ce3+. • Undoped SrLu 2 O 4 single crystals demonstrated the highest scintillation light yield among the synthesized samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical and dosimetric properties of Ti-doped (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5%) MgAl 2 O 4 single crystals grown by the floating zone method were investigated. All Ti-doped MgAl 2 O 4 single crystals showed photoluminescence (PL) and thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) at 470 nm. The PL decay time constant of this luminescence was approximately 6 μs, and the emission origin was ascribed to charge transfer (CT) related to Ti4+. The 0.1% Ti-doped MgAl 2 O 4 single crystal showed the highest intensity of TSL glow peaks unlike the result of PL quantum yields (QY s). In TSL dose response functions, 0.1 and 0.2% Ti-doped MgAl 2 O 4 single crystals showed detection limit that comparable with some commercial products. • We have synthesized MgAl 2 O 4 single crystals doped with Ti by floating zone method. • We have characterized the optical and dosimetric properties. • All samples showed luminescence properties due to CT related to Ti4+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tm-doped CaHfO 3 crystals were synthesized by the floating zone method equipped four xenon arc lamps, and the photoluminescence (PL), scintillation, and thermally-stimulated luminescence (TSL) properties were investigated. The Tm-doped samples exhibited intense sharp emission peaks at around 460 nm due to 4f–4f transitions of Tm3+. The PL and scintillation decay time profiles showed typical decay time constants of 4f–4f transitions of Tm3+. In TSL dose response, the minimum and maximum detection limit of the Tm-doped samples were 10 and 10000 mGy, respectively. • Undoped and Tm-doped CaHfO 3 crystals were synthesized by floating zone method. • Photoluminescence, scintillation, and TSL properties of CaHfO 3 crystals were investigated. • Tm-doped CaHfO 3 crystals exhibited sharp peaks at around 460 nm. • TSL glow peaks of Tm-doped CaHfO 3 crystals appeared at around 90, 140, and 240 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First season (2022/23) of co-circulation of flu and COVID-19 in Japan. • Among 536 hospitalized children with fever, none were positive for both viruses. • The vaccine effectiveness (VE) for preventing flu A was 34 % (p = 0.15). • Flu VE in 6–12 year olds and those with underlying diseases was observed (p < 0.05). • Only 1 of 35 COVID-19 cases, and 42 out of 429 controls, had been vaccinated. We have analyzed the inactivated vaccine effectiveness (VE) for preventing influenza hospitalization by test-negative design in the 2022/23 season. This is the first season of co-circulation of influenza and COVID-19, and a unique period because all inpatients received COVID-19 screening. Among 536 children hospitalized with fever, none were positive for both influenza and SARS-CoV-2. The adjusted VE for preventing influenza A for all children, the 6–12-year-old group, and those with underlying diseases was 34 % (95 ％CI, −16 %–61 %, n = 474), 76 % (95 ％ CI, 21 %–92 %, n = 81), and 92 % (95 ％ CI, 30 %–99 %, n = 86), respectively. Only 1 out of 35 hospitalized cases with COVID-19, and 42 out of 429 controls, had been immunized with COVID-19 vaccine. This is the first report showing influenza VE by age group in children in this limited season. We still recommend the inactivated influenza vaccine for children based on the significant VE in subgroup analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tellurite glass (TeG) and its glass-ceramics (TeGC435 and TeGC455), with a composition of 10Eu 2 O 3 –10BaO–80TeO 2 , were prepared and their luminescence properties were evaluated. TeG was prepared via the melt quenching technique, while TeGC435 and TeGC455 were fabricated by heat treating TeG at 435 and 455 °C, respectively, for 5 h each. The Eu 2 Te 6 O 15 crystal phase was formed in TeGC435 and TeGC455. Both the glass and glass-ceramics showed sharp photoluminescence and scintillation peaks, attributed to the 4f→4f transitions of Eu3+. The highest quantum yield was obtained for TeG, whereas the highest integrated scintillation intensity was obtained for TeGC455. The scintillation intensity of TeGC455 was approximately 10% of that of the Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 single crystal. Furthermore, typical decay times derived from the 4f→4f transitions were obtained for TeG, TeGC435, and TeGC455 during photoluminescence and scintillation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We synthesized the 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% Ce-doped mullite single crystals by the floating zone method and evaluated their photoluminescence (PL) and thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) properties. The single-phase orthorhombic structure was confirmed in all the samples from powder X-ray diffraction patterns. The transmittance spectra of all the samples showed the absorption related to the 4f-5d transitions of Ce3+ ions and optical band gap of mullite. The Ce-doped mullite single crystals had the PL attributed to the 5d-4f transitions of Ce3+ ions. In TSL properties, TSL glow curves had the glow peaks at 250 and 370 °C, and TSL spectra heated at 250 and 370 °C had the peak at around 390 nm owing to the Ce3+ ions. TSL dose response functions showed linear response from 0.01 mGy to 10 Gy for the 1.0% Ce-doped mullite single crystal and from 0.1 mGy to 10 Gy for the 0.1, 0.5, and 1.5% Ce-doped ones. The 1.0% Ce-doped mullite single crystal could be used multiple times for dosimetry. In addition, the TSL intensity of the 1.0% Ce-doped mullite single crystal after 7 days from X-ray irradiation was about 82.4% from immediately one after X-ray irradiation. • We have synthesized Ce-doped Al 4 SiO 8 single crystals by floating zone method. • We have characterized the photoluminescence, and thermally stimulated luminescence. • All the samples showed luminescence properties due to the 5d-4f transitions of Ce3+. • The lower detection limit of the 1.0% Ce-doped Al 4 SiO 8 single crystals was better than those of a part of commercial dosimeters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This is the first multicenter study on extended-spectrum beta-lactamase–related febrile urinary tract infections in Japanese children. • Risk factors include previous history of febrile urinary tract infections and recent antibiotic use. • Most patients who started on discordant antibiotics experienced clinical improvement. The incidence of infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)–producing bacteria has increased. This study aimed to clarify the risk factors and treatment strategies for febrile urinary tract infection (fUTI) caused by ESBL-producing bacteria in Japanese children. A retrospective observational study was conducted in 21 hospitals among children aged <16 years diagnosed with an fUTI between 2008 and 2017. Clinical data of children with fUTI caused by ESBL-producing and non-ESBL–producing bacteria were compared. Of the 2049 cases of fUTI, 147 (7.2%) were caused by ESBL-producing bacteria. Children in the ESBL group were more likely to have a history of recent antibiotic use or prophylactic antibiotic use, and experience recurrent UTIs (P <0.001) compared with those in the non-ESBL group. Of the 124 cases of fUTI due to ESBL-producing bacteria that were reviewed, 20 and 100 had concordant and discordant antibiotic use, respectively, and four had unknown antibiotic susceptibility. The median time from the start of treatment to fever resolution was 24 hours and did not differ significantly by therapy group (P = 0.39). ESBL-producing bacteria should be considered in children with recurrent UTIs and recent antibiotic use. Most children with fUTI experience clinical improvement regardless of the choice of antibiotic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eu 2 O 3 -doped 40K 2 O–20Ta 2 O 5 –40Ga 2 O 3 gallate glasses were synthesized, and their radiation response characteristics were studied systematically. According to their photoluminescence spectra, they showed intense emissions with sharp peaks centered at around 580, 594, 613, 656, and 706 nm when irradiated by 380 nm light. The sharp peaks originate from the 4f-4f transitions of Eu3+. Moreover, these sharp peaks were also detected when excited by X-ray, and the 1.0% Eu 2 O 3 -doped gallate glasses showed the largest luminescence intensity under UV light and X-ray. Furthermore, the afterglow levels of the Eu 2 O 3 -doped 40K 2 O–20Ta 2 O 5 –40Ga 2 O 3 gallate glasses were determined to be approximately 300 ppm. These levels are close to the levels of TI-doped CsI single crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: SRL-Nagoya Coated Conductor Center (NCCC) have succeeded in fabricating stably long coated conductor using ion-beam assisted deposition (IBAD) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) methods. Reel-to-reel PLD equipment with a multi-plume and multi-turn deposition system (MPMT PLD) resulted in a long coated conductor with a high critical current, I c, of 245A and length of 212.6m. I c × L (length) reached the record of 52,087Am. At the same time, the effort to enhance I c and J c in a magnetic filed are also carried out using artificial pinning center and RE element: YSZ mixed Y123 target brought about a high J c especially in the magnetic field parallel to the c-axis. This was attributed to a columnar structure of the “bamboo structure” (BaZrO3/Y123 layer-stacked structure) in Y123+YSZ sample. Gd123 was also found to be effective for enhancing pinning properties, which was considered to be due to the native stacking faults in the 123 structure. The combination of Gd element and YSZ introduction were also studied and clearly demonstrated the improvement of the anisotropy of J c for a magnetic field angle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• CeF 3 -doped CaF 2 transparent ceramics were fabricated by spark plasma sintering. • The transparent ceramics showed luminescence due to the 5d→4f transitions of Ce3+. • A direct correlation between scintillation light yields and TSL/OSL intensities was demonstrated. We report on the luminescence properties of CaF 2 transparent ceramics having various concentrations of CeF 3 (0.1 %, 0.5 %, and 1 %). Scintillation emissions centered at approximately 318, 345, and 386 nm derived from the 5d→4f transition of Ce3+ were detected, and scintillation light yields were determined to be 8600 photons/MeV (0.1 % CeF 3), 1930 photons/MeV (0.5 % CeF 3), and 1850 photons/MeV (1 % CeF 3) under gamma-ray irradiation from 241Am. The Ce-doped CaF 2 transparent ceramics showed thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) with a broad glow peak at around 115–145 °C, and their dose response curves were determined over a broad dose range (0.01–3 mGy). Moreover, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) exponential decay curves were obtained under 500 nm stimulation light, and dose response curves were obtained in the dose range of 0.1–100 mGy. The minimum detectable dose was estimated to be 0.1 mGy. A direct correlation between scintillation light yields under gamma-ray irradiation and TSL/OSL intensities was demonstrated. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This is the first study describing the clinical picture of pediatric fUTI in Japan. • Febrile UTI has significant male predominance in Japanese infants. • E. coli was the first, and Enterococcus was the second most frequent pathogen in fUTI. • Enterococcus had a higher rate of VUR and recent antibiotic use than E. coli. • The sensitivity of detecting VUR with hydronephrosis was 47.8%. Febrile urinary tract infection (fUTI) is the most common serious bacterial infection in children. Despite this, there have been no studies examining the clinical features of pediatric fUTI in Japan. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of fUTI in Japanese children. A multicenter, retrospective, observational study was conducted at 21 hospitals in Japan. Children under the age of 15 years who were diagnosed with fUTI between 2008 and 2017 were included. The diagnostic criteria were a temperature over 38 °C and the presence of a single bacterial pathogen in urine culture. Patient characteristics were obtained from medical records. In total, 2,049 children were included in the study. The median age was 5 months, and 59.3% were male. It was found that 87.0% of the males and 53.2% of the females were under 1 year of age. The main causative pathogens identified were Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp., accounting for 76.6% and 9.8% of infections, respectively. There was a male predominance of fUTI in Japanese children, particularly in infants. Enterococcus spp. were the second most frequent causative pathogen; therefore, Gram staining of urine samples is strongly recommended before initiating antibiotic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaHfO 3 was investigated as a promising candidate for a scintillator because of high density and large effective atomic number. Tb-doped CaHfO 3 single crystals with various Tb concentrations were synthesized by the floating zone method, and the photoluminescence (PL) and scintillation properties were investigated. All the samples showed the highest PL emission intensity at 550 nm, and the origin of this emission was identified as 4f-4f transitions of Tb3+ by the obtained PL decay time constants. The X-ray-induced scintillation spectra showed several emission peaks in the range of 350–650 nm, which were attributed to the 4f-4f transitions of Tb3+. Based on the results of the pulse height spectra, the light yield of the 1.0% Tb-doped sample was calculated to be 12,000 photons/MeV, respectively. [Display omitted] • This paper investigated photoluminescence and scintillation properties of Tb-doped CaHfO 3 single crystals synthesized by the floating zone method were investigated. • The light yields were 8400 for 0.5% Tb, 12,000 for 1.0% Tb, and 11,000 photons/MeV for 2.0% Tb concentrations. • The light yield of 1.0% Tb-doped sample was higher than that of Bi 4 Ge 3 O 12 (8000 photons/MeV) and similar to that of CdWO 4 (15,800 photons/MeV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated photoluminescence and radiation response properties of organic–inorganic perovskite-type compounds with various hydroxyl alkyl amines or alkyl ether amines (HOC n H 2n NH 3) 2 PbCl 4 (n = 2: C2–OH, n = 3: C3–OH, n = 4: C4–OH), (CH 3 CH 2 OC n H 2n NH 3) 2 PbCl 4 (n = 2: 2-Ethoxy, n = 3: 3-Ethoxy), and (CH 3 C 2 H 4 OC 3 H 6 NH 3) 2 PbCl 4 (3-Butoxy). A clear broadband emission peak attributed to self-trapped excitons (STEs) was detected from the C2–OH, C3–OH, and 2-Ethoxy crystals under 310 nm excitation light. Additionally, they showed a fast decay time of 3.5 ns (C2–OH), 5.5 ns (C3–OH), and 3.0 ns (2-Ethoxy), which was ascribed to the recombination of STEs. In the scintillation spectra, the C2–OH, C3–OH, and 2-Ethoxy crystals exhibited a broad emission originating from the recombination to STEs. Furthermore, they exhibited a fast scintillation decay time of 2.2 ns (C2–OH), 3.5 ns (C3–OH), and 1.1 ns (2-Ethoxy) due to the recombination of STEs. Moreover, the light yield of the C3–OH crystal under alpha-ray was the highest, and the yield was estimated to be 1100 photons/5.5 MeV-α, which was higher than that of a ZnO single crystal. • Several PbCl 6 4--based perovskite compounds were fabricated for radiation measurements. • The compounds showed a broad emission due to self-trapped excitons. • (HOC 3 H 6 NH 3) 2 PbCl 4 crystal showed a higher scintillation light yield than a ZnO crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to identify the location associated with primitive sentence processing. Processing related to generation and comprehension of sentences (“sentence processing”) is postulated to be largely divided into syntactic processing (processing related to the formation of sentences and to verb reflection and particles) and verb information (argument structure and thematic role). Numerous lesion studies and functional brain imaging studies on unimpaired individuals have suggested that the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is involved in syntactic processing. In addition, some studies have reported that the area from the left parietal lobe to the posterior superior temporal gyrus is involved in processing information such as argument structure and thematic role. However, studies on sentence processing using functional brain imaging have used complex sentences as tasks, raising the possibility that the results show the demands on not only language processing, but also on working memory. To clarify the brain areas involved in basic sentence processing in human language, there is a need to examine tasks involved in sentence processing that assume more primitive processing with minimal demands on working memory. The present study used sentence-completion tasks in the Japanese language that include basic sentence processing. The results showed activation in the left IFG and left parietal lobe, suggesting that these areas are involved in sentence processing. We then investigated the proportion of patients showing impaired sentence processing from among patients with aphasia and a lesion in the left IFG or from the parietal lobe to the posterior superior temporal gyrus. Four of 5 patients (80%) with lesions mostly in the left IFG showed impaired sentence processing, suggesting that this site plays a critical role in sentence processing. Of the 4 patients with lesions mostly in the area from the left parietal lobe to the posterior superior temporal gyrus, 1 patient (25%) showed impaired sentence processing. Unlike the other 3 subjects, this subject exhibited impaired recalling of verbs. This area is mainly involved in lexical-semantics and the present results suggest that verb information within that field became impaired, in turn causing impaired sentence processing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Carbon-based sensors have shown great potential to revolutionize protein diagnostic tools, including the ability to detect pathogens and biomarkers. Many different microdevices have been fabricated using carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplatelets. However, creating devices on the nanoscale can be difficult and expensive. Stacked graphene nanoparticle composites (hereafter called graphene paper) are a convenient and novel technology that has not been previously reported as a carbon-based sensor platform. Graphene paper is inexpensive and available on a macroscale, making device construction simple. Additional advantages include that paper composition and additives can be manipulated to increase the sensitivity and eventually the selectivity of proteins. We have created a microdevice sensor that detects proteins in solution by measuring the surface electrical resistivity of graphene/cellulose composite paper as a function of protein concentration. Four different proteins were tested for their ability to change the surface resistivity of the graphene paper and there was a clear correlation between the molecular weight of the protein and the equilibrium dissociation constant calculated by fitting the protein adsorption data to the Langmuir isotherm model. This result implies that the dissociation constant is likely a function of the size of the protein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2) gene and the activin receptor–like kinase 1 (ALK1) gene have been reported in heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH) and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). However, the relation between clinical characteristics and each gene mutation in IPAH and HPAH is still unclear, especially in childhood. The aim of this study was to determine, in a retrospective study, the influence and clinical outcomes of gene mutations in childhood IPAH and HPAH. Fifty-four patients with IPAH or HPAH whose onset of disease was at <16 years of age were included. Functional characteristics, hemodynamic parameters, and clinical outcomes were compared in BMPR2 and ALK1 mutation carriers and noncarriers. Overall 5-year survival for all patients was 76%. Eighteen BMPR2 mutation carriers and 7 ALK1 mutation carriers were detected in the 54 patients with childhood IPAH or HPAH. Five-year survival was lower in BMPR2 mutation carriers than mutation noncarriers (55% vs 90%, hazard ratio 12.54, p = 0.0003). ALK1 mutation carriers also had a tendency to have worse outcome than mutation noncarriers (5-year survival rate 64%, hazard ratio 5.14, p = 0.1205). In conclusion, patients with childhood IPAH or HPAH with BMPR2 mutation have the poorest clinical outcomes. ALK1 mutation carriers tended to have worse outcomes than mutation noncarriers. It is important to consider aggressive treatment for BMPR2 or ALK1 mutation carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The localized steel corrosion of multiple rebars is measured using X-ray technique. • The transverse correlation function among corrosion distributions is estimated. • Spatial steel corrosion is simulated using the spectral representation method. • The bending capacity of corroded RC girders is estimated using 3D FE analysis. • The effect of the transverse correlation of steel corrosion is investigated. The deterioration of reinforced concrete (RC) structures due to chloride-induced corrosion is not spatially uniform because of the spatial variability related to material properties and environmental stressors. This variation has a substantial effect on the reliability of RC structures. However, few experimental studies have focused on the effect of the interaction of corrosion pits among tensile rebars on the reliability of RC structures. Therefore, in this paper, an experimental procedure that incorporates X-ray and digital image processing techniques was conducted on RC slab specimens subjected to accelerated corrosion. Using the experimental results, the parameter of the transverse correlation function of steel weight loss distributions was estimated to investigate how the corrosion pits in corroded rebars are correlated. Based on the experimentally obtained model parameters, the spatial steel weight loss distributions were simulated by spectral representation method. A three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis of RC structures with simulated steel weight loss distributions was conducted to obtain the ultimate bending capacity of RC structures. In an illustrative example, the effect of the transverse correlation among steel weight loss distributions of multiple tensile rebars on the failure probability of RC girders was quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]