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Background and Objective: Whether benefits and risks of intravenous (IV) infliximab combotherapy with immunosuppressants versus infliximab monotherapy apply to subcutaneous (SC) infliximab is unknown. This post hoc analysis of a pivotal randomised CT-P13 SC 1.6 trial aimed to compare SC infliximab monotherapy with combotherapy in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: Biologic-naïve patients with active Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis received CT-P13 IV 5 mg/kg at Week (W) 0 and 2 (dose-loading phase). At W6, patients were randomised (1:1) to receive CT-P13 SC 120 or 240 mg (patients 0.999) or meeting efficacy or biomarker outcomes including clinical remission (62.9% vs 74.1%; p = 0.418). Monotherapy and combotherapy groups had comparable immunogenicity (anti-drug antibodies [ADAs]: 65.5% vs 48.0% [p = 0.271], neutralising antibodies [in ADA-positive patients]: 10.5% vs 16.7% [p = 0.630], respectively). Conclusions: Pharmacokinetics, efficacy and immunogenicity were potentially comparable between SC infliximab monotherapy and combotherapy in biologic-naïve IBD patients. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02883452. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Subcutaneous infliximab recently received approval for the treatment of various immune-mediated inflammatory diseases in Europe, following pivotal clinical trials in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Subcutaneous infliximab demonstrated an improved pharmacokinetic profile compared with intravenous infliximab: the more stable exposure and increased systemic drug concentrations mean it has been cited as a biobetter. Alongside the pharmacokinetic advantages, potential benefits for efficacy, immunogenicity, and health-related quality-of-life outcomes have been suggested with subcutaneous infliximab. During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the benefits of subcutaneous over intravenous therapies became apparent: switching from intravenous to subcutaneous infliximab reduced the hospital visit-related healthcare resource burden and potential viral transmission. Clinical advantages observed in pivotal trials are also being seen in the real world. Accumulating experience from four European countries (the UK, Spain, France, and Germany) in patients with rheumatic diseases and inflammatory bowel disease supports clinical trial findings that subcutaneous infliximab is well tolerated, increases serum drug concentrations, and offers maintained or improved efficacy outcomes for patients switching from intravenous infliximab. Initial evidence is emerging with subcutaneous infliximab treatment after intravenous infliximab failure. High patient satisfaction and pharmacoeconomic benefits have also been reported with subcutaneous infliximab. Treatments aligned with patient preferences for the flexibility and convenience of at-home subcutaneous administration could boost adherence and treatment outcomes. Altogether, findings suggest that switching from intravenous to subcutaneous infliximab could be advantageous, and healthcare professionals should be prepared to discuss supporting data as part of shared decision making during patient consultations.The tumor necrosis factor inhibitor infliximab is one treatment option that may be appropriate for patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Patients may prefer tumor necrosis factor inhibitors administered via the subcutaneous (SC) or intravenous (IV) route, with preferences influencing treatment satisfaction and outcomes. In 2019, CT-P13 SC became the first SC infliximab product to receive regulatory approval in Europe, based on pivotal clinical studies that compared SC infliximab to IV infliximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Subcutaneous infliximab is now approved in Europe for the treatment of adults with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis. Patients began to switch from IV to SC infliximab outside clinical trials in March 2020, during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Switching from IV to SC infliximab allowed patients to self-administer treatment at home rather than attend hospital for infusions, reducing potential hospital-acquired infections and lessening the strain on healthcare systems during the pandemic. Clinical trial evidence and growing real-world experience demonstrate that SC infliximab offers clinical advantages in terms of an improved pharmacokinetic profile and potential efficacy, immunogenicity, and health-related quality-of-life benefits compared with IV infliximab. Patients have also reported increased satisfaction with SC infliximab after switching from IV infliximab. Together with the long-standing flexibility and convenience benefits of SC administration, the clinical advantages of SC infliximab make it a valid therapeutic option for rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. This warrants discussion with appropriate patients as part of shared treatment decision making.

The bacterial genus Enterococcus encompasses 38 species. Two of the most common species are E. faecalis and E. faecium. Recently, however, there has been an increase in clinical reports concerning less prevalent Enterococcus species, such as E. durans, E. hirae, and E. gallinarum. Rapid and accurate laboratory methods are needed to facilitate the identification of all these bacterial species. In the present study, we compared the relative accuracy of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), VITEK 2, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing using 39 enterococci isolates from dairy samples, and compared the resultant phylogenetic trees. We found that MALDI-TOF MS correctly identified all isolates at the species level except for one, whereas the VITEK 2 system, which is an automated identification system using biochemical characteristics of species, misidentified ten isolates. However, phylogenetic trees constructed from both methods showed all isolates in similar positions. Our results clearly showed that MALDI-TOF MS is a reliable and rapid tool for identifying Enterococcus species with greater discriminatory power than the biochemical assay method of VITEK 2.

Kefir is a traditional fermented milk containing beneficial bacteria and yeasts. Despite Kluyveromyces marxianus, isolated from kefir, gaining increasing attention as a potential probiotic yeast owing to its biological function, Saccharomyces boulardii is the only species considered as a probiotic yeast. We evaluated the safety of K. marxianus strains A4 and A5, isolated from Korean kefir, in comparison with that of S. boulardii. Virulence attributes were preliminarily assessed in vitro including their ability of gelatin hydrolysis, pseudohyphae formation, and hemolysis. To evaluate in vivo safety, the strains were challenged in a healthy animal model, four-week-old female BALB/c mice. Mice were orally administered 0.2 mL of 0.9% sterilized saline (NC_S; n = 6), S. boulardii ATCC MYA-796 (high concentration, S.b_H; low concentration, S.b_L; n = 6 for each), K. marxianus A4 (high concentration, A4_H; low concentration, A4_L; n = 6 for each), or K. marxianus A5 (high concentration, A5_H; low concentration, A5_L; n = 6 for each) for 2 weeks. At study end, body weight, spleen and liver weights, and blood parameters were assessed. K. marxianus A4 and A5 were tested negative for gelatinase and hemolysis. Overall, hematological, plasma biochemical, and cytokine (interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α) parameters were comparable between the experimental and negative control (NC) groups. Notably, the interleukin-6 level of the A5_H group was significantly lower than that of the NC group (p 0.05), suggesting anti-inflammatory potential of K. marxianus A5.

Nanoscale defects in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) alter their intrinsic optical and electronic properties, and such defects require investigation. Atomic-resolution techniques such as transmission electron microscopy detect nanoscale defects accurately but are limited in terms of clarifying precise chemical and optical characteristics. In this study, we investigated nanoscale heterogeneous defects in a single-crystalline hexagonal WS2 monolayer using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). We observed the Raman properties of heterogeneous defects, which are indicated by the shifted A1′(Γ) modes appearing on the W- and S-edge domains, respectively, with defect-induced Raman (D) mode. In the edge region, various Raman features occur with nanoscale defects. In addition, the TERS signals from single-crystalline WS2 indicate the existence of two majority defects in each domain, which imply S- and W-dominated vacancies. Quantum mechanical computations were performed for each majority defect and demonstrated the defect-induced variation in the vibrational phonon modes. TERS imaging promises to be a powerful technique for determining assorted nanoscale heterogeneous defects as well as for investigating the properties of other nanomaterials.

Existing agro-hydrological models to explore the effects of paddy management practices on hydrology and water quality suffer from multiple shortcomings because they were developed using upland characteristics. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX)-Paddy model was recently developed to improve the agro-hydrological characteristics of paddy ecosystems. This study explores the hydrology, total nitrogen (T-N) content, and rice yield behaviors of the APEX-Paddy model by simultaneously considering multiple parameters associated with different agricultural activities. Model performances with respect to runoff, T-N, and rice yield were assessed as good level of approved statistical criteria over the calibration and validation periods. Results showed that the APEX-Paddy model can simulate the behavior differences of soil nutrients between different agricultural activities, such as treatment with commercial mineral fertilizer or liquid manure application. Changes in mineral-nitrogen levels in root zones caused by fertilizers can affect T-N load and crop uptake. A high degree of correlation was observed between the amount of nutrients remaining after crop uptake and sediment-transported nitrogen. These findings suggest that the crop-growth parameters of the model can significantly affect biomass, evapotranspiration rate, and T-N load on farmland. The results may help decision makers evaluate water-saving and pollutant-reduction options in paddy fields under future climate scenarios and conservation strategies.

Predicting adaptation and the response of agricultural water resources to climate change is a challenging. As changes in future climate will change agricultural environments, agricultural conservation practice (ACP) assessments are needed as a response strategy to reduce water pollution and preserve crop yield in agricultural watersheds. This study used coupled SWAT and APEX-Paddy models (SWAPX) to evaluate conservation practices for hydrology, water quality, and crop yield in paddy-dominated watersheds for three future periods (2020s, 2030s, and 2040s). We estimated future hydrology and water quality using the well-validated SWAPX model and RCP 8.5 scenario for 10 general circulation models (GCMs) and evaluated the ability of transplanting date shift (TDS) and drainage outlet raising (DOR) management strategies to reduce runoff and total nitrogen (T-N) load and preserve rice yield. Runoff in future climate scenarios was higher than the baseline (2008–2019), and the T-N load was predicted to increase rapidly in the near future and then gradually decrease until the 2040s (2041–2049). The R40 scenario (combined TDS and DOR), which was the most effective, reduced runoff by 9.2%, T-N load by 13.6%, and water productivity by 47.7% compared with the CB (baseline) scenario. When the ACPs were applied to the entire paddy area in the watershed, the reduction rates of runoff and T-N load were 4.1% and 7.4%, respectively. This result demonstrates the effectiveness of ACPs on a spatial–temporal scale and implies that ACP efficiency, applied area, and placement in target regions are important to consider when developing plans to improve water quality and crop yields at the watershed scale.

Background and aims There are limited comparative data for infliximab and vedolizumab in inflammatory bowel disease patients. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of infliximab and vedolizumab in adult patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Results We identified six eligible Crohn’s disease and seven eligible ulcerative colitis trials that randomised over 1900 participants per disease cohort to infliximab or vedolizumab. In the Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis cohorts, infliximab yielded better efficacy than vedolizumab for all analysed outcomes (CDAI-70, CDAI-100 responses, and clinical remission for Crohn’s disease and clinical response and clinical remission for ulcerative colitis) during the induction phase, with non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals. In the maintenance phase, similar proportions of infliximab- or vedolizumab-treated patients achieved clinical response, clinical remission, or mucosal healing in both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. For the safety outcomes, rates of adverse events, serious adverse events, and discontinuations due to adverse events were similar in infliximab- and vedolizumab-treated patients in both diseases. The infection rate was higher in infliximab for Crohn’s disease and higher in vedolizumab when treating patients with ulcerative colitis. There was no difference between the treatments in the proportions of patients who reported serious infections in both indications. Conclusions Indirect comparison of infliximab and vedolizumab trials in adult patients with moderate-to severe Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis demonstrated that infliximab has better efficacy in the induction phase and comparable efficacy during the maintenance phase and overall safety profile compared to vedolizumab.

In vivo measurement of radiotherapeutic doses is an important procedure for ensuring the accuracy of radiation treatments. The glass rod dosimeter is a known dosimeter for in vivo dosimetry, which has high reproducibility and low dependencies with respect to major radiotherapeutic conditions. A hemispherical buildup cap made of brass was fabricated to avoid a large measurement error owing to the partial lack of buildup effect during the measurement on the patient's skin. The correction factors (CFs) were experimentally obtained and verified using a Monte Carlo simulation. A clinical trial was performed with 117 patients. As a result, the measured CF was consistent with the simulation by a 2.3% error, and the mean errors of each site were within 2%. The total mean error was 1.84%, with a standard deviation of 1.39%. To conclude, this methodology can provide high accuracy and convenience in radiotherapeutic in vivo measurements.

Air-shaft entrance hood model with fence is investigated to reduce micro pressure wave in a single-track tunnel of the high-speed railway. Aerodynamically designed airshaft hoods are classified by 5 cases according to fence types and the micro pressure waves are measured by the low frequency sound level meters installed at a tunnel exit of a moving model test rig with a scale ratio of 1/64. Based on the case of no hood model, 5 different hood models were tested and analyzed for the speed of a model train from 180 km/h to 250 km/h.

Climate change is currently one of the most critical issues in watershed management, and typical paddy systems should be addressed by watershed modeling approach in paddy-dominant landscapes. This study is designed to evaluate and enhance the watershed modeling approach currently used to characterize the impacts of climate change on hydrologic and water quality responses while considering a paddy environment. APEX-paddy, which is a newly developed and modified APEX (Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender) model for paddy ecosystems, was coupled with SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model to take advantage of the strengths of the two models. The resulting hybrid model, SWAPX, was calibrated and validated using observed data from 2008 to 2017 for two sites in the study watershed. Compared to SWAT, the accuracy of SWAPX was improved, showing statistically better results in the downstream including more paddy field areas. Ten GCMs were selected, and the characteristics of these GCMs were evaluated to assess the impacts of climate change scenarios. When applying the climate change scenarios to the SWAPX model, the results indicated that the future streamflow would increase due to increased rainfall. The results also showed that total nitrogen (T-N) loads would increase rapidly in the near future, then decrease gradually through the 2090s (2091–2100). T-N load was affected by the characteristics of rainfall patterns (e.g., daily maximum rainfall and rainfall intensity) occurring in various GCMs. This approach will be helpful for decision-makers in adapting to climate change and evaluating Best management practices (BMP) for paddy-dominant watersheds.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is well known as an excellent material for high performance optical applications because it offers many advantages over other commonly used glasses and metals. The excellent attributes of SiC include high strength, high hardness, low density, high thermal resistance, and low coefficient of thermal expansion. The effect of CO2 laser and its tool path on SiCwere investigated. The process started by creating laser pre-cracks on the desired pattern. Subsequently, laser assisted polishing was conducted on the same tool path. The surface showed a sharp increase in material removal in the areas with laser pre-cracks. This high difference in material removal was used not only to fabricate a ⌀ 1100 mm concave mirror with 127 μm in depth but also to generate macro and micro patterns. Grooves from 2 mm to 200 μm in width and 5 μm to 20 μm depth were successfully generated.

The carbothermic smelting reduction process of ilmenite ore at high temperature was investigated by thermodynamic calculations in conjunction with smelting experiments. Based on thermodynamic calculations, conducting the smelting process at a higher temperature was recommended to achieve a larger amount of FeO reduction, i.e., higher Ti-enrichment, as less precipitate and thus large amounts of a liquid slag were predicted. However, even though the reduction of FeO in ilmenite ore at the initial stage seemed to be faster as the temperature increased, no significant difference in the TiO2 or FeO concentration was observed after the reaction was complete, regardless of the temperature. This was caused by the precipitation of pseudobrookite due to the local depletion of FeO during reaction at higher temperatures, by which further reduction reaction was prohibited. The apparent rate constant increased with increasing temperature and the activation energy of the reduction process was estimated to be 144 kJ/mol, from which it was concluded that the reduction reaction of FeO in ilmenite slag by carbonaceous reductant was generally controlled through the mass transfer in the slag phase. Additionally, the formation of TiC also occurred in the iron bath. At 1923 K (1650 °C), approx. 20 pct more TiC was generated as compared to TiC formation at 1823 K (1550 °C), which also prevented further reduction of Fe at higher temperatures.

Tunnel wave produced by an entering high-speed train has always been one of the most prominent problems in the field of aeroacoustics. These waves are formed at the entrance of the tunnel and propagate ahead of the train at the local speed of sound. The formation process of the first of the successive compression wave at the entrance decides the nature and intensity of the subsequent waves. Thus, to visualize and understand the formation process; a numerical study has been conducted using commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver FLUENT 17.1. The dynamic mesh update techniques have been implemented to update the stationary domains as the train moves inside it. Pressure inside the tunnel is measured at distinct points to study the changes in the intensity of the compression wave. The flow physics has been comprehended using pressure plots and contours.

A deep-inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) is a useful technique that can reduce the risk of radiation-related toxicity to major organs during radiation treatment (RT) of breast cancer. A laser sensor-based position monitoring system was developed to measure the absolute position of the object and to realize high accuracy and reproducibility during DIBH. A laser distance sensor (LDS) was manufactured to be mounted on a commercial breast board and to measure the absolute distance between the sensor and the patient's sternum. The absolute distance measured by using the LDS was evaluated for the movement generated by the motorized jack system. The respiration of five volunteers was measured by using the LDS and commercial real-time position management (RPM) to evaluate the correlation of the signals. The data measured by using the LDS for the input to the motorized jack had a relative error of 0.2%. At DIBH, the average correlation coefficient between the LDS and RPM was 0.98, and at FB, it was 0.84. The LDS and RPM showed almost similar timings for the rising and the falling portions, but the magnitudes of amplitudes were slightly different from each other. The LDS proposed in this study can easily reproduce patient setup and monitor DIBH without any disturbance from the treatment beam. The measuring accuracy of the LDS for the quantitative motion of a motorized jack system was successfully verified. The performance of the LDS compared to RPM in the FB and the DIBH of five volunteers was also clinically acceptable.

We investigated the carbothermic reduction process of ilmenite ore at 1873 K with flux addition. Without flux, the pseudobrookite phase with a high melting temperature was precipitated during ilmenite smelting. This could be the main reason for decreased reduction of iron in ilmenite. To accelerate reduction of ilmenite, two factors were considered. One is increasing the reduction driving force during smelting. Activity of FeO is the major factor to control reduction in driving force. The other factor is delay in formation of the pseudobrookite phase, a high-melting point precipitation phase. In this system, MgO in ilmenite could be used to form pseudobrookite. To control these factors, in this study, flux agent (i.e., Na2O or SiO2) addition was considered. The thermochemical simulation program, FactSageTM7.0 was used to calculate the viscosity of slag and the activity of components as fluxing agents were added. High-temperature experiments using an induction furnace were also conducted to confirm the computational results. To determine the composition of final products, i.e., titanium slag, X-ray fluorescence analysis was executed. As a result of Fe and Ti behaviours in slag, SiO2 addition showed no significant difference from the slag without flux. However, Fe reduction in ilmenite, i.e. TiO2-enrichment, was more accelerated when Na2O was added. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopic and transmission electron microscopic analyses results also showed that even 1 wt% Na2O addition significantly influenced the titanium slag production compared to no flux addition.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution incorporates the digital revolution into the physical world, creating a new direction in a number of fields, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, robotics, 3D printing, autonomous vehicles, and the Internet of Things. The artificial intelligence field has encountered a turning point mainly due to advancements in machine learning, which allows machines to learn, improve, and perform a specific task through data without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning can be utilized with machining processes to improve product quality levels and productivity rates, to monitor the health of systems, and to optimize design and process parameters. This is known as smart machining, referring to a new machining paradigm in which machine tools are fully connected through a cyber-physical system. This paper reviews and summarizes machining processes using machine learning algorithms and suggests a perspective on the machining industry.

Impulse waves are micro-pressure waves, which always occur at the tunnel exit when a high-speed train is moving inside a train tunnel. The air around the train nose is compressed and compression waves are induced. The impulse wave is discharged at the exit of a train tunnel when a compression wave propagates outside of the tunnel exit. Impulse waves are weak-strength pressure waves, which lead to noise and other environmental problems. In order to efficiently control the impulse wave at the exit of a train tunnel, numerical studies on investigating the generation and propagation of the impulse wave were carried out. A 2-D axisymmetric model tunnel was simulated at different operating conditions. Different Mach numbers of compression waves were varied to induce different magnitudes of impulse waves at the tunnel exit. In addition, compression waves with different pressure gradients were assumed at the tunnel entry to check their effects on the generation of impulse waves. In order to observe impulse waves at far field, five monitor points were installed behind the tunnel exit to record pressure histories as impulse waves moved through these locations. The detailed magnitudes and characteristics of impulse waves were obtained in the present studies.

In this paper, we present a review of machine health managements for the smart factory. As the Industry 4.0 leads current factory automation and intelligent machines, the machine health management for diagnostic and prognostic purposes are essential, and their importance is getting more significant for the realization of the smart factory in the Industry 4.0. After brief introductions to important concepts and definitions composing smart factory and Industry 4.0, the developments in maintenance strategies towards Prognostics and health management (PHM) of machines are summarized. The review of machine health managements is followed, classifying the references by the monitoring components, types of measurements, as well as PHM tools and algorithms. 94 existing articles are reviewed and summarized in this regard. The implementations of machine health managements within the smart factory are discussed in terms of data connectivity, communications, Cyber-physical system (CPS) and virtual factory, relating them to Internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, and big data management.

Recently, the studies of machine tool spindles for high-speed and high-precision have been actively performed to produce high-valueadded products. The spindle has a great influence on the performance of the machine tool. In particular, the preload method and the amount of preload applied to the bearings inside the spindle are properly determined to maintain high performance of the spindle. The bearing preload refers to the internal load by interference of the axial or radial direction within a bearing, and elastic deformation between the rolling elements and the raceway can arise. The main purpose of the bearing preload is to improve the machining accuracy, rigidity and bearing life. At low speeds, a heavy preload should be applied to improve the machining accuracy by increasing the rigidity due to heavy cutting. In contrast, at high speeds, a light preload should be applied to light cutting. Therefore, a variable preload technology which depends on the operating conditions should be applied. In this paper, a summary related to preload technology is provided and an analysis of patent trends related to variable preload technology is conducted. Moreover, a literature review of new conceptual variable preload technology is carried out, and non-uniform preload technology is summarized.

The variable preload method varies preloads according to rotation speed and operational conditions. Variable preload technology is necessary when performing machining processes under both low and high speed conditions. The author suggested the concept for an automatic variable preload device using an eccentric mass in a previous study. This study develops and evaluates an automatic variable preload device using a uniformly distributed eccentric mass for practical use. It can help increase preload efficiency by increasing the eccentric mass. A finite element analysis is performed and the results confirm the deformation of a uniformly distributed eccentric mass device according to its rotation speed. Based on the analysis results, a spindle prototype subjected to a maximum speed of 10,000 rpm is fabricated. The axial force of the uniformly distributed eccentric mass device is measured during operation and the results confirm that the variable preload operates effectively.

Enterobacteriaceae enrichment (EE) broth, a selective enrichment medium for Cronobacter sakazakii detection, has been shown to contain polymerase chain reaction (PCR) inhibitors. Therefore, a modified enrichment broth was developed, wherein possible PCR inhibitors, brilliant green and bile salts, were substituted with sodium citrate. Investigations were conducted to determine whether realtime PCR detection of C. sakazakii in powdered infant formula and dried vegetables with this modified medium improved compared with conventional culture methods. The detection rate of the modified EE broth was significantly higher (p

Today, hybrid processes have a great influence on various material process fields due to factors such as improvements in the machinability and reductions of process forces. Also, the development of hybrid processes represents a new opportunity for the growth of manufacturing technology. Hybrid processes are developed to enhance the advantages of individual processes. The effect of hybrid processes is better than the sum of the advantages of a single process. Many researchers have studied a number of approaches to combine various manufacturing processes. Specifically, since the development of the laser, it has been applied in various engineering fields. Moreover, interest in laser and non-laser hybrid processes is recently increasing in various industries. The laser is a type of non-contact thermal energy technology and is used in material processing. The laser heat source can be used for the heating and preheating of various materials. In this paper, the laser is selected as an energy source and laser-assisted hybrid processes over the past five years are reviewed, including those related to machining, welding and coating processes. The last part of this paper discusses the trends in future research on laser-assisted hybrid processes.

Laser-assisted machining is an effective process to facilitate the material removal processes of difficult-to-cut materials by laser preheating. Machinability of several difficult-to-cut materials, such as Inconel 718, zirconia, and silicon nitride, was studied including a newly developed back-and-forth preheating method used as an enhanced method to heat the workpiece effectively. Experiments were performed according to the inclination angle of the workpiece, for three-dimensional machining using a computed laser power and feed, on a 5-axes machining center with an additional axis for a laser module. The characteristics of the cutting force and surface roughness of the machined workpiece and the wear of the cutting tool were measured and discussed. Decreases in the cutting force and the enhancement of the surface quality were confirmed using the proposed back-and-forth preheating method in laser-assisted milling on Inconel 718, zirconia, and silicon nitride.

Kefir is a multi-species probiotic consisting of lactic and acetic acid bacteria and yeast. The modulatory effects of kefir on gut microfloral profiles of mice were investigated using group-specific quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. At the end of 3 week oral kefir administration period, the numbers of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae were significantly (p

Based on the finite element method and thermal analysis, a study on the thermal characteristics and experiments of a 40,000 rpm high-speed spindle for machine tools are carried out. In this study, finite element analysis for the spindle system is carried out to obtain the temperature distribution, temperature rise and thermal deformation of the spindle system as affected by different rotation speeds. And then through vibration test, the relationship between thermal deformation and vibration during rotation of the spindle was tested and analyzed. By comparing the calculated results with experimental results, the accuracy of the model was verified. This provides the basis for design of the high speed spindle system.

One of the important element technologies for achieving high-precision in machine tool spindles is bearing preload technology. Recently, various preload methods have been used in machine tool spindles. However, there are some drawbacks for applying them to spindles. Also, all previously applied methods cause problems in applications due to complexity in its system, difficulty in precision control, high installation cost, processing error, and installation error. To reduce costs in its system by simplifying its structure, a variable preload device is proposed using rubber pressure. The operability in a preload device using rubber is the main focus of the work. Hyperelastic analysis is carried out for verifying the characteristics of the rubber in this study. An experimental system has been fabricated and tested, and the results of the tests are compared with the analytical results. For verifying the characteristics of the rubber used in this study, the rubber is selected from commercial products. It is shown that the variable preload device proposed in this study is applicable to machine tool spindles.

This paper investigates the relationship between economic growth and growth volatility through simultaneous equations system. By employing the identification through heteroskedasticity method of Rigobon (Rev Econ Stat 85:777–792, 2003) and using a panel of 158 countries over the period 1960–2010, we find that output volatility is detrimental to economic growth, suggesting that stabilization policies to mitigate short-run economic fluctuations contribute to long-run economic growth. And economic growth accelerates output variability, supporting the feedback effects from growth to the volatility. The evidence is robust to a number of sensitivity tests.

Laser-assisted machining has been considered as a new alternative machining method of difficult-to-cut materials. A laser module with one-axis manipulator is developed to focus on preheating laser beam effectively. First of all, the thermal characteristic analysis was performed to verify the importance of laser module location. Laser module should be moved within 1 mm. Analysis conditions of three positions in driving range of the one-axis manipulator are selected. And a C coupling is used as a connection device for spindle and laser module. An initial model has one C coupling, and the number of C coupling has been increased from 1 to 2 in an improved model. And the analysis is carried out again for the one-axis manipulator. The results of the static analysis, the maximum displacement and the maximum stress are decreased by 22% and 11%, respectively, for the improved model when the laser module is located at farthest away from the spindle unit. As a result of the modal analysis, the first natural frequency mode is increased by 13%, 18% and 12% at these positions of the improved model, respectively. The harmonic analysis of the improved model was performed by analyzing the results of the modal analysis. The maximum deformation was 0.33 mm in driving unit at 222 Hz. And the maximum compliance of the ISO axis direction was 0.23 mm/N. Finally, the one-axis manipulator has been fabricated successfully using the analysis result.

In machine-tool spindle systems, rolling bearings are generally the most widely used type of bearing, offering high stiffness and a large load capacity. The performance of bearings is greatly affected by the applied preload. This paper suggests a new automatic variable preload system that uses an eccentric mass device applied to the bearings of a spindle system. A spindle sustains centrifugal force when rotating. The eccentric mass device converts the radial direction force caused by the centrifugal force into axial force using an eccentric mass device. The eccentric mass device applies a small amount of force to the bearing when the spindle rotates at a low speed and applies large force to the bearing when the spindle rotates at a high speed. In this design, the device maintains a large preload at low speeds and lowers the preload at high speeds. Depending on the increase in the spindle rpm, the force that the eccentric mass device delivers to the axial direction will also increase. In addition, the preload applied to the bearings will be reduced. A finite element analysis was conducted to predict the shape of the eccentric mass device and changes of the preload. Based on the analysis results, a prototype was fabricated. According to the results of experiments conducted on the prototype, it was confirmed that the automatic variable preload device with the suggested structure operated satisfactorily. Also, vibration and noise of the prototype were measured and analyzed. The approach suggested in this study is expected to allow reduced manufacturing and operating costs, as the complex devices for hydraulic pressure or electricity required in existing variable preload devices can be eliminated.

To increase the machine accuracy by improving the stiffness of bearings, a preload was applied to bearings. A variable preload technology was necessary to perform machining processes in both low and high speed regions. An automatic variable preload device was fabricated using an eccentric mass. By installing the fabricated device on a spindle, the effect of the automatic variable preload device on the performance of the spindle was analyzed. In the results of the vibration measurement of the spindle, the vibration is increased by 20%−37% according to measurement points at the maximum rotation speed of 5 000 r/min. And, in the results of the noise measurement of the spindle, the spindle rotation speed is increased by about 1.9% and 1.5% at the front and side of the spindle, respectively. Based on the results of this analysis, an improved method that reduces such effects on the performance of the spindle is proposed.

Rutaecarpine, an alkaloid originally isolated from the unripe fruit of Evodia rutaecarpa, has been shown to be anti-inflammatory as it inhibits cyclooxygenase-2. It induces the activities of hepatic CYP 1A2, 2B, and 2E1 in rats. A possible interaction between rutaecarpine and acetaminophen (APAP) was investigated in male Sprague Dawley rats in the present study. When 25 mg/kg APAP was intravenously administered concurrently with 80 mg/kg rutaecarpine, the area under the curve of APAP in plasma was significantly decreased when compared to that of APAP alone. When the rats were pre-treated orally with 40 and 80 mg/kg rutaecarpine for 3 days, the % value of C(max) and area under the curve of acetaminophen-sulfate conjugate were significantly decreased to 56.4% and 61.7% of the vehicle control group, respectively. These results suggest that rutaecarpine might cause changes in the pharmacokinetic parameters of APAP in rats.

In this paper, operation algorithms for a parallel HEV equipped with a relatively small motor are investigated. For the HEV, the power assist and the equivalent fuel algorithms are proposed. In the power assist algorithm, an electric motor is used to assist the engine which provides the primary power source. In the equivalent fuel algorithm, the electric energy stored in the battery is considered to be an equivalent fuel, and an equivalent brake specific fuel consumption for the electric energy is proposed. From the equivalent fuel algorithm, distribution of the engine power and the motor power is determined to minimize the fuel consumption for a given battery state of charge (SOC) and a required vehicle power. It is found from the simulation results that the fuel economy and the final battery SOC depend on the motor discharge energy and it is the best way to charge the battery only by the regenerative braking, not by the engine to improve the overall fuel efficiency of the HEV with the relatively small motor.

Transient 3-D numerical simulations were performed to analyze the fire safety in a long railroad tunnel equipped with the mechanical ventilation system using dampers and jet fans. The flow behaviors of heat and pollutants were investigated for various emergency operation modes of the ventilation system in a rescue station and escape route in the long railroad tunnel in case of fire. The results showed that the ventilation mode, which extracts heat and pollutants from the tunnel on fire and pressurizes the opposite tunnel, was very effective for the fire safety of the rescue station. To evaluate the ventilation efficiency of the escape route, various geometries such as connection and slope angles of the escape route were considered. The importance of the jet fan operation in the escape tunnel on the ventilation performance was also discussed in detail.