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Recently, abnormally high water temperature (AHWT) phenomena are occurring more often due to the global warming and its impact. These phenomena have damaged extensively to the maritime economy around the southern coast of Korea and caused an illness by exacerbating the propagation of Vibrio pathogens. To mitigate damages by AHWT phenomena, it is necessary to respond as quickly as possible or predict them in advance. In this study, therefore, we proposed a deep learning-based methodology to predict the occurrences of AHWT phenomena using the long short-term memory (LSTM) model. First, a LSTM model was trained using the satellite-derived water temperature data over the past ten years. Then, the water temperatures after a few days were estimated using the trained LSTM model. In a performance evaluation, when estimating water temperatures after one-day, the model achieved results of 1.865 and 0.412 in terms of mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and root mean square error (RMSE), respectively. Second, we developed a decision algorithm based on the Markov state transition in order to predict the AHWT occurrence probability. As a result, we obtained 0.88 of F1 score for predicting AHWT phenomena after 1 day in case of the southern coast of Korea.

During reading, students construct mental models of what they read. Summaries can be used to evaluate the latent knowledge structure of these mental models. We used indices from Student Mental Model Analyzer for Research and Teaching (SMART) to explore the potential of a global index, Graph Centrality (GC), as a measure to describe mental model structure and its relation to the quality of student summaries (e.g., the amount of content-coverage). Students (n = 73) in an online graduate-level course wrote and revised summaries of their course readings. Data preview left the total count of 32 cases to evaluate how students’ mental representations changed from initial to final version. These summaries were analyzed using indices derived from the 3S model (surface, structure, semantic) as well as a measure of GC. The results of this initial investigation are promising, demonstrating that Graph Centrality captures important differences in students’ summaries, including revision behaviors to the wholistic structure of mental models, modification trajectories toward a cohesive and solid mental representation that is semantically similar to the expert model.

Digitalization projects are actively underway in the energy industry, such as the power industry and oil and gas industry. However, there has been no in-depth and quantitative analysis of the relationships between the participants, industry, and technology of digital projects. Therefore, this study focused on which technologies are invested according to key characteristics such as the types of participants and industries driving digitalization projects. This study also examined whether there are differences in technology choices depending on the degree of clean energy exposure. Based on statistics from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), a total of 711 projects were analysed using multinomial logistic regression (MNLR). As a result, the proportion of Analytics software was generally higher in the whole industry, and the energy industry was more likely to invest in Analytics software than in other industries. Comparing the power, oil and gas sectors, there was a high probability of investment in Internet of Things (IoT) in the power sector and Automation in the oil and gas sector. In the type of cooperation between energy companies and industrial companies, the probability of investing in Analytics software was significantly higher. In the case of cooperation between energy companies and information and communications technology (ICT) companies, in the oil and gas sector, Analytics software and Cloud/Data accounted for a large proportion. This study provides insight into the effect of characteristics of energy digitalization projects on the technology choice.

To implement neuromorphic visual systems that can perceive and memorize optical information, it is essential to realize the artificial synapses that respond to optical signals. Organic–inorganic halide perovskites (OIHPs) have been considered as optically modulated synapses due to high absorption coefficient and long charge-carrier lifetime. However, it is difficult to store the optical information because photo-excited carriers recombine after removal of illumination. Here, we combine an OIHP with indium zinc tin oxide (IZTO) to implement artificial synapses that can perceive and memorize optical information for long-term storage in neuromorphic visual systems. The transparent IZTO on OIHP allows optical signal absorption by the OIHP and protects it from atmosphere exposure. Excellent optical absorption of OIHP leads to generation of photo-excited carriers, and the band alignment between IZTO and OIHP facilitates the spatial separation of photo-excited carriers that serves as the basis of optically-meditated charge trapping; these characteristics enable nonvolatile change in conductance. Optical synapses show potentiation/depression under multiple wavelengths with a large dynamic range of ∼104, which is significantly advantageous for recognition accuracy in artificial neural networks. These results demonstrate the feasibility of OIHP-based optical synapses for neuromorphic visual systems.

Development of artificial synapses is essential for highly-efficient brain-inspired neuromorphic computing. To achieve the high-performance artificial synapses, gradual change in synaptic weight with linear and symmetric forms is required. Here, we propose artificial synapses, in which synaptic weight is changed gradually by use of gate bias to modulate the Schottky barrier height between reduced graphene oxide and oxide semiconductor. This approach enables linear and symmetric change in synaptic weight. Also, an ion gel is used as the gate electrolyte, which can reduce the gate voltage required for modulation of Schottky barrier height. The fabricated artificial synapses show essential synaptic functions such as excitatory postsynaptic current, paired-pulse facilitation, and potentiation/depression. These results demonstrate that the devices that exploit modulation of Schottky barrier height can be applied to artificial synapses in advanced neuromorphic computing.

Many damages due to flow-accelerated corrosion and cracking have been observed during recent in-service inspections of nuclear power plants. To determine the operability or repair for damaged pipes, an integrity evaluation related to the damaged piping system should be performed by using already proven code and standards. One of them, the ASME Code Case is most popularly used to integrity assessment in nuclear power plants. However, the recent version of CC N-513 still recommends the simplified method which means a damaged elbow is assumed as an equivalent straight pipe. In addition, to enhance the accuracy integrity assessment in elbow, several previous studies recommend that the SIF and elastic COD values for an elbow with relatively large crack could be predicted by an interpolation technique. However, those estimates for elbow with relatively large crack might be derived to inaccurate results for crack growth analysis, such as for the allowable crack size and life estimation. Therefore, in this paper, the effect of crack length (0.3≤θ1/π ≤ 0.5) on SIF and elastic COD for elbow is systematically investigated. Then, for large crack in elbow, accurate estimates for SIF and elastic COD, which are widely used to assess the integrity of elbows, are proposed. Those proposed solutions are expected to be the technical basis for revisions of CC N-513-4 through the validation.

Scholars have examined how students feel, behave, and think when engaged in asynchronous online discussion (AOD), which has become a prevalent means of collaborative learning in higher education. However, few have considered the impact of time on these learning-related dimensions, partly due to reliance on self-reported instruments that are not sufficient to measure the temporal, changeable, and iterative relationships among learning-related dimensions during online conversation. The purpose of the current study was to use learning analytics to investigate longitudinally the relationships among learning-related emotions, learner participation level, and cognitive effort of students. Analysis of system-stored student data from 56 students enrolled in a wiki-based, blended undergraduate writing course revealed that positive or negative expressed emotions led to higher participation in ongoing discussions and that participation level predicted the rate of change in textual revision. These findings not only confirm theories of learner engagement but also demonstrate the viability of trace data and their potential in educational research and practice.

Despite the importance of preparing students to write successfully in their academic and professional careers, instructors often struggle to sustain student focus on the complex and demanding nature of the writing process. In response, we conducted a pilot project at a university located in urban Los Angeles using a wiki-enhanced and blended writing course designed to sustain appropriate learner engagement. This exploratory project (a) introduced the hybrid writing course, (b) tracked changes in student engagement levels (i.e., behavioral, affective, and cognitive) over the period of the wiki-enhanced writing course, and (c) measured the impact of engagement on writing performance. Multiple data sources (i.e., wiki log data, student surveys, and writing performance scores) collected from 56 students in three sections of the writing course were used to examine student experiences in the wiki-enhanced writing course. The findings showed that wiki-based online discussion improved behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement. The relationships between the learner engagement domains were reciprocal, temporal, and changeable. Based on the findings of this study and our review of the literature, we proposed a theoretical model to describe possible relationships between behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement and academic achievement.

Simple Summary Recurrent patients with gynecologic cancer experience a difficult situation when using immune checkpoint inhibitors based on mismatch repair gene immunohistochemistry and microsatellite instability. Six machine learning algorithms were used to create predictive models with seven prospective features (four MMR IHC [MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2], MSI, Age 60, and tumor size). The experimental results showed that the RF-based model performed best at predicting gynecologic cancer recurrence, with AUCs of 0.818 and 0.826 for the 5-fold cross-validation (CV) and 5-fold CV with 10 repetitions, respectively. This provides novel and baseline results of patients with recurrent gynecologic cancer using immune checkpoint inhibitors by using machine learning methods based on Lynch syndrome-related screening markers. Abstract To support the implementation of genome-based precision medicine, we developed machine learning models that predict the recurrence of patients with gynecologic cancer in using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) based on clinical and pathologic characteristics, including Lynch syndrome-related screening markers such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and microsatellite instability (MSI) tests. To accomplish our goal, we reviewed the patient demographics, clinical data, and pathological results from their medical records. Then we identified seven potential characteristics (four MMR IHC [MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2], MSI, Age 60, and tumor size). Following that, predictive models were built based on these variables using six machine learning algorithms: logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), naive Bayes (NB), random forest (RF), gradient boosting (GB), and extreme gradient boosting (EGB) (XGBoost). The experimental results showed that the RF-based model performed best at predicting gynecologic cancer recurrence, with AUCs of 0.818 and 0.826 for the 5-fold cross-validation (CV) and 5-fold CV with 10 repetitions, respectively. This study provides novel and baseline results about predicting the recurrence of gynecologic cancer in patients using ICI by using machine learning methods based on Lynch syndrome-related screening markers.

Objective To determine the incidence and volume of pneumolabyrinth using early temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT) findings and evaluate the correlation between pneumolabyrinth and various clinical variables. Study design Retrospective case review. Setting Tertiary academic center. Patients Fifty-three consecutive adult cochlear implantation (CI) recipients (53 ears) with normal inner ears who underwent high-resolution TBCT within 3 days after CI were included. Intervention Axial TBCT images were used for detection and measurement of pneumolabyrinth. Main outcome measures Incidence and volume of pneumolabyrinth were evaluated. In addition, the following clinical variables were analyzed to evaluate the correlation with pneumolabyrinth volume: demographics, implant type, surgical approach, postoperative dizziness, and preservation of functional residual hearing. Results Pneumolabyrinth was present in all patients, and the average volume was 8.496 mm3. Pneumolabyrinth was confined to the cochlea (pneumocochlea) in all patients except for one who also had pneumovestibule. The pneumolabyrinth volume in patients with postoperative dizziness was significantly larger than that in patients without postoperative dizziness (10.435 mm3 vs. 8.016 mm3; p = 0.029). Multivariate analysis showed that a larger volume of pneumolabyrinth was significantly associated with postoperative dizziness (odds ratio, 1.420; 95% confidence interval, 1.114-1.808; p = 0.005). Conclusion A certain volume of pneumolabyrinth was always present in the early stage after CI, and the volume of pneumolabyrinth measured using early TBCT findings was significantly associated with the occurrence of postoperative dizziness.

Temporal set prediction is becoming increasingly important as many companies employ recommender systems in their online businesses, e.g., personalized purchase prediction of shopping baskets. While most previous techniques have focused on leveraging a user's history, the study of combining it with others' histories remains untapped potential. This paper proposes Global-Local Item Embedding (GLOIE) that learns to utilize the temporal properties of sets across whole users as well as within a user by coining the names as global and local information to distinguish the two temporal patterns. GLOIE uses Variational Autoencoder (VAE) and dynamic graph-based model to capture global and local information and then applies attention to integrate resulting item embeddings. Additionally, we propose to use Tweedie output for the decoder of VAE as it can easily model zero-inflated and long-tailed distribution, which is more suitable for several real-world data distributions than Gaussian or multinomial counterparts. When evaluated on three public benchmarks, our algorithm consistently outperforms previous state-of-the-art methods in most ranking metrics., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures. To appear in RecSys 2021 LBR

We investigated relationships among expressed emotions, perceived motivation, perceived emotions, and three dependent variables (i.e., behavioral engagement, cognitive engagement, and student achie...

The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of a group integrated intervention program that simultaneously conducts cognitive activities, physical activities, emotional activities and social interactions by integrating animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and integrated elderly play therapy based on the cognitive functions and depression of the elderly who live alone. This study follows a pre-test post-test design with a nonequivalent control group, to verify the effectiveness of a group integrated intervention. It applies a group integrated intervention program to 20 elderly people who live alone, aged 65 and above (10 in the experimental group, 10 in the control group), once a week for 90 minutes across eight weeks. The study went through MMSE-K, TMT-A and GDSSF-A to assess cognitive functions and the level of depression. The group integrated intervention increased the cognitive functions of the experimental group and decreased levels of depression. Therefore, this study verified that a group integrated intervention program of AAT and integrated play therapy of the elderly, is an effective for increasing cognitive functions and decreasing depression levels of the elderly who live alone. Based on these findings, the study suggests that there is a need to continuously expand group integrated intervention programs and provide relevant political support.

Scoliosis is a 3-dimensional spinal deformity defined as lateral curvature of the spine in the coronal plane of more than 10°. This study describes a case of functional scoliosis after hip injury. In this case, the patient fell whilst inline skating (June 2015) causing severe tilting of her spine, and left hip pain. She received outpatient treatment from July 14, 2015 to December 28, 2015. For approximately 5 months, acupuncture therapy was performed to relax the tension in both hips, Chuna therapy, and foot orthosis were applied to reduce the body’s imbalance. Based on X-ray images, the Cobb angle had decreased from 14.73° (pretreatment) to 1.90° (posttreatment). This case report suggested that Korean medicine treatment could be an effective therapeutic choice for functional scoliosis.

The hysteresis characteristics of lead rubber bearings (LRBs) are affected by external temperature and aged-related degradation, among other things. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) presents an aging property modification factor (λaging) according to the type of seismic isolators in order to consider the change at design stage, of the age-related degradation characteristics of LRBs. However, the aging property modification factor is affected by the diameter of a bearing and the aging time as well as the type of seismic isolators. In this study, the time dependent properties of rubber materials were defined based on the results of an accelerated aging test, and the critical aging depth of the LRBs was calculated from the aging depth test results. The hysteresis characteristic of LRBs was analysed using the finite element method. From the analysis results, it was found that post yield stiffness and effective stiffness of small LRBs was higher than that of large LRBs. Therefore, it is necessary to present the existing aging property modification factor of LRBs (including rubber bearings) according to the size of the seismic isolators.

In the design criterion for the nuclear power plant piping system, the limit state of the piping against an earthquake is assumed to be plastic collapse. The failure of a common piping system, however, means the leakage caused by the cracks. Therefore, for the seismic fragility analysis of a nuclear power plant, a method capable of quantitatively expressing the failure of an actual piping system is required. In this study, it was conducted to propose a quantitative failure criterion for piping system, which is required for the seismic fragility analysis of nuclear power plants against critical accidents. The in-plane cyclic loading test was conducted to propose a quantitative failure criterion for steel pipe elbows in the nuclear power plant piping system. Nonlinear analysis was conducted using a finite element model, and the results were compared with the test results to verify the effectiveness of the finite element model. The collapse load point derived from the experiment and analysis results and the damage index based on the stress-strain relationship were defined as failure criteria, and seismic fragility analysis was conducted for the piping system of the BNL (Brookhaven National Laboratory) - NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) benchmark model. Keywords: Nuclear power plant piping system, Steel pipe elbow, Damage index, Seismic fragility analysis, BNL-NRC benchmark model

Purpose: This study compared the effectiveness of three methods, fascial distortion model (FDM), myofascial release (MFR), self-myofascial release (SMR), on the neck range of motion and pain. Methods: In this study, the collected data were processed statistically using SPSS version 22.0 for Windows. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the general characteristics of the subjects. Repeated measure ANOVA was conducted to analyze the range of motion of the neck of the group and VAS, and Contras was used to see the difference in significance over time. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the differences among the groups and a post-hoc test was used. The significance level (α) was 0.05. Results: In the range of motion, the flexion and extension of the neck, right rotation, and left rotation were significantly different in the SMR, FDM, and MFR groups. The right lateral flexion showed significant differences in the FDM, MFR, and SMR groups. The VAS was similar in the groups at 2 and 4 weeks, but there was a significant difference among the FDM, MFR, and SMR groups at 6 weeks. Conclusion: In this study, MFR and MSR as well as FDM were effective in controlling the range of motion and pain control of the neck. Further studies will be needed to determine the effects of long-lasting treatments other than pain control. These studies and the present study will be used as a basis for ongoing research into the duration and method of application for musculoskeletal therapies.

Abnormal weather conditions due to climate change are currently increasing on both global and local scales. It is therefore important to ensure the safety of the areas where major national facilities are located by analyzing risk quantitatively and re-evaluating the existing major facilities, such as nuclear power plants, considering the load and capacity of extreme flood conditions. In this study, a risk analysis method is developed that combines flood hazard curves with fragility curves using hydraulic and hydrological models by GIS tools and the @RISK model for the probabilistic flood analysis of nuclear power plant sites. A two-dimensional (2D) analysis is first carried out to estimate flood depths in various watershed scenarios, and a representative hazard curve for both external and internal flooding is made by applying a verified probability distribution type for the flood watersheds. For the analysis of flooding within buildings, an internal grid is constructed using GIS with related design drawings, and based on the flood depth results of the 2D analysis, a hazard curve for the representative internal inundation using a verified probability distribution type is presented. In the present study, walkdowns with nuclear experts are conducted around the nuclear power plant area to evaluate the fragile structures and facilities under possible flooding. After reviewing the 2D inundation analysis results based on the selected major equipment and facilities, the zones requiring risk assessment are re-assigned. A fragility curve applying probability distribution for the site’s major equipment and facilities is also presented. Failure risk analysis of the major facilities is then conducted by combining the proposed hazard and fragility curves. Results in the form of quantitative values are obtained, and the indicators for risks as well as the reliability and optimal measures to support decision-making are also presented. Through this study, it is confirmed that risk assessment based on the proposed probabilistic flood analysis technique is possible for flood events occurring at nuclear power plant sites.

Although solution-processed Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGS) absorber layers can potentially enable the low-cost and large-area production of highly stable electronic devices, they have rarely been applied in photodetector applications. In this work, we present a near-infrared photodetector functioning at 980 nm based on solution-processed CIGS with a potassium-induced bandgap grading structure and chalcopyrite grain growth. The incorporation of potassium in the CIGS film promotes Se uptake in the bulk of the film during the chalcogenization process, resulting in a bandgap grading structure with a wide space charge region that allows improved light absorption in the near-infrared region and charge carrier separation. Also, increasing the Se penetration in the potassium-incorporated CIGS film leads to the enhancement of chalcopyrite crystalline grain growth, increasing charge carrier mobility. Under the reverse bias condition, associated with hole tunneling from the ZnO interlayer, the increasing carrier mobility of potassium-incorporated CIGS photodetector improved photosensitivity and particularly external quantum efficiency more than 100% at low light intensity. The responsivity and detectivity of the potassium-incorporated CIGS photodetector reach 1.87 A W−1 and 6.45 $$\times$$ × 1010 Jones, respectively, and the − 3 dB bandwidth of the device extends to 10.5 kHz under 980 nm near-infrared light.

It is important to examine in detail how the distribution of academic research topics related to renewable energy is structured and which topics are likely to receive new attention in the future in order for scientists to contribute to the development of renewable energy. This study uses an advanced probabilistic topic modeling to statistically examine the temporal changes of renewable energy topics by using academic abstracts from 2010–2019 and explores the properties of the topics from the perspective of future signs such as weak signals. As a result, in strong signals, methods for optimally integrating renewable energy into the power grid are paid great attention. In weak signals, interest in large-capacity energy storage systems such as hydrogen, supercapacitors, and compressed air energy storage showed a high rate of increase. In not-strong-but-well-known signals, comprehensive topics have been included, such as renewable energy potential, barriers, and policies. The approach of this study is applicable not only to renewable energy but also to other subjects.

Objective To compare survival outcomes between bevacizumab (BEV) and olaparib (OLA) maintenance therapy in BRCA-mutated, platinum-sensitive relapsed (PSR) high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). Methods From 10 institutions, we identified HGSOC patients with germline and/or somatic BRCA1/2 mutations, who experienced platinum-sensitive recurrence between 2013 and 2019, and received second-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients were divided into BEV (n=29), OLA (n=83), and non-BEV/non-OLA users (n=36). The OLA and non-BEV/non-OLA users were grouped as the OLA intent group. We conducted 1:2 nearest neighbor-matching between the BEV and OLA intent groups, setting the proportion of OLA users in the OLA intent group from 65% to 100% at 5% intervals, and compared survival outcomes among the matched groups. Results Overall, OLA users showed significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) than BEV users (median, 23.8 vs. 17.4 months; p=0.004). Before matching, PFS improved in the OLA intent group but marginal statistical significance (p=0.057). After matching, multivariate analyses adjusting confounders identified intention-to-treat OLA as an independent favorable prognostic factor for PFS in the OLA 65P (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]=0.505; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.280-0.911; p=0.023) to OLA 100P (aHR=0.348; 95% CI=0.184-0.658; p=0.001) datasets. The aHR of intention-to-treat OLA for recurrence decreased with increasing proportions of OLA users. No differences in overall survival were observed between the BEV and OLA intent groups, and between the BEV and OLA users. Conclusion Compared to BEV, intention-to-treat OLA and actual use of OLA maintenance therapy were significantly associated with decreased disease recurrence risk in patients with BRCA-mutated, PSR HGSOC.

A unique three-dimensional integration strategy is provided for high-performance, ultrahigh-density ferroelectric memory., Ferroelectric memory has been substantially researched for several decades as its potential to obtain higher speed, lower power consumption, and longer endurance compared to conventional flash memory. Despite great deal of effort to develop ferroelectric memory based on perovskite oxides on Si, formation of unwanted interfacial layer substantially compromises the performance of the ferroelectric memory. Furthermore, three-dimensional (3D) integration has been unimaginable because of high processing temperature, non-CMOS compatibility, difficulty in scaling, and complex compositions of perovskite oxides. Here, we demonstrate a unique strategy to tackle critical issues by applying hafnia-based ferroelectrics and oxide semiconductors. Thus, it is possible to avoid the formation of interfacial layer that finally allows unprecedented Si-free 3D integration of ferroelectric memory. This strategy yields memory performance that could be achieved neither by the conventional flash memory nor by the previous perovskite ferroelectric memories. Device simulation confirms that this strategy can realize ultrahigh-density 3D memory integration.

Introduction/Background Critical complication during chemotherapy is febrile neutropenia.. Granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF) is used to prevent febrile neutropenia associated with myelosuppression. Pegfilgrastim, a pegylated form of filgrastim, has an increased half-life. Pegteograstim is novel recombination human G-CSF of another form of pegylated filgrastim.We undertook investigation to evaluate efficacy and safety of pegteograstim and pegfilgrastim women with ovarian carcinoma that are treated with paclitaxel/carboplatin. Methodology After chemotherapy minimum 24 hours, pegteograstim or pegfilgrastim was given a single subcutaneous injection of 6 mg during each chemotherapy cycle. We evaluated to ANC (absolute neutrophil count) change and febrile neutropenia incidence. Results There were 30 of pegteograstim cases and 12 pegfilgrastim.Median ANC between pegteostim were 2960.pegfilgrastim was 2396.After pegteograstim, ANC was elevated till 13847 from 2960 (difference was 10,887)in case of pegteograstim. In pegfilgrastim, ANC increased to 12933 (difference was 10537).There was no febrile neutropenia in both cases. Safety profiles of two groups did not differ significantly. Conclusion We conclude Pegteograstim and pegfilgrastim have similar efficacy and safety profile in the reduction of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in the ovary cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy. Disclosures NO COI.

Seismically isolated nuclear power plants (NPPs) can provide substantial benefits towards reducing the failure probability of NPPs, especially for beyond design basis earthquake shaking. One risk posed by seismic isolation is the potential for pounding to a stop or moat wall, with currently little guidance provided by design standards on how to address this concern. In this paper, a structural model of an isolated NPP based on the Advanced Power Reactor 1400 MW is enveloped with moat walls and advanced bearing models. The bearing models account for large strain behavior through failure based on full-scale experiments with lead rubber bearings (LRBs). Using these analytical models and a measured ultimate property diagram from LRB failure tests, the range of clearance to the stop considering the performance criteria for the NPP is investigated. Although the analysis results are dependent on the particular models, ground motions, and criteria employed, this research provides an overview of the seismic response and performance criteria of an isolated NPP considering the clearance to the stop.

This study investigated the antitumor activity and safety of pembrolizumab in patients with recurrent cervical cancer in real-world practice. We conducted a multi-center retrospective study of patients with recurrent or persistent cervical cancer treated with pembrolizumab at sixteen institutions in Korea between January 2016 and March 2020. The primary endpoints were the objective response rate (ORR) and safety. Data were available for 117 patients. The median age was 53 years (range, 28&ndash, 79). Sixty-four (54.7%) patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of &ge, 2. Forty-nine (41.9%) patients were stage &ge, III at diagnosis. Eighty-eight (75.2%) patients had squamous cell carcinoma. The median number of prior chemotherapy lines was two (range, 1&ndash, 6). During the median follow-up of 4.9 months (range, 0.2&ndash, 35.3), the ORR was 9.4%, with three complete responses and eight partial responses. The median time to response was 2.8 months (range 1.3&ndash, 13.1), and the median duration of response (DOR) was not reached. In the population of patients with favorable performance status (ECOG &le, 1) (n = 53), the ORR was 18.9%, and the median DOR was 8.9 months (range, 7.3&ndash, 10.4). Adverse events occurred in 55 (47.0%) patients, including eight (6.8%) patients who experienced grade &ge, 3 events, and two of them were suspicious treatment-related deaths. Pembrolizumab had modest antitumor activity in patients with recurrent cervical cancer comparable to that found in previously reported clinical trials. However, in patients with favorable performance status, pembrolizumab showed effective antitumor activity. Some safety profiles should be carefully monitored during treatment.

In this paper, the methods for improving the PI (Power Integrity) of low power SOC (System-On-Chip) are discussed. In order to confirm the PI improvement effect by using MIM (Metal-Insulator-Metal), system-level PDN impedance and voltage drop was analyzed for cores with one LICC (Low Inductance Ceramic Capacitor) embedded in the package. Compared to the case where no decoupling capacitor was applied, the PI characteristics were improved when the LICC (Low Inductance Ceramic Capacitor) was inserted in the package substrate, and more dramatic improvement can be achieved by using MIM. When the embedded decoupling capacitor and the MIM capacitor corresponding to the core area are used at the same time, the system-level PDN impedance is reduced by less than half compared with the case where only the embedded LICC is used. Also, it was confirmed by simulation and measurement that voltage drop and voltage ripple can be reduced by implementing MIM. In particular, MIM has been analyzed to be more effective at high frequencies than conventional ceramic capacitors, making it a suitable PI improvement solution for the beyond Moore era.

The objective of this study is to propose a model that can predict the seismic performance of slope relatively accurately and efficiently by using machine learning methods. Probabilistic seismic fragility analyses of the slope had been carried out in other studies, and a closed-form equation for slope seismic performance was proposed through a multiple linear regression analysis. However, the traditional statistical linear regression analysis showed a limit that could not accurately represent such nonlinear slope seismic performances. To overcome this limit, in this study, we used three machine learning methods (i.e., support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network (ANN), Gaussian process regression (GPR)) to generate prediction models of the slope seismic performance. The models obtained through the machine learning methods basically showed better performance compared to the models of the traditional statistical methods. The results of the SVM showed no significant performance difference compared with the results of the nonlinear regression analysis method, but the results based on the ANN and GPR showed a remarkable improvement in the prediction performance over the other models. Furthermore, this study confirmed that the GPR-based model predicted relatively accurate seismic performance values compared with the model through the ANN.

This paper presents a Deep Neural Network (DNN) framework for near-real-time damage identifi- cation using structural response data from an earthquake event. The proposed network is con- structed by Variational Autoencoder (VAE), which is a self-supervised DNN that can learn probabil- istic characteristics of the latent variables. The network is trained using the flexibility matrix of the target structure at a healthy state obtained by Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) using structural responses. Earthquake-induced damage is located and quantified by using the flexibility disassem- bly-based method in near-real-time. As a numerical example, structural analysis is performed for a 5-story, 5-bay steel frame structure under 20,000 artificial ground motions, which are pre-assigned to train and test datasets in the ratio of 9:1. After training the network, the near-real-time damage identification is performed for each of the simulated damage conditions using real ground motions.

In recent years, the stress level increases and sleep quality decreases in the day-to-day life among the people. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) plays a vital role in stress reduction. This study aims to assess the stress reduction and the sleep induction effects on insomnia persons using non-invasive wearable AMO+ VNS device. The physiological signals such as Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Electroencephalogram (EEG) are measured during resting condition before and after the use of fake and the real device, respectively. The statistical t-test is performed. After the use of real AMO+ device the HF ratio increases significantly, although no significant changes in HR, α power ratio increases in the prefrontal (Fp1, Fp2) and frontal (F3, F4) areas of the brain. The significant increase in the melatonin level is noticed during 10.00 pm to 12 midnight after the use of the real AMO+ device.

This brief presents a 16-bit amplifier-free second-order incremental analog-to-digital converter (IADC2) for sensor applications. The proposed IADC2 employs a power efficient successive approximation register (SAR)-based integrator for the charge transfer operation, which consumes dynamic power only, instead of using power-consuming operational transconductance amplifiers that consume a high static current. The proposed amplifier thus achieves ultra-low-power consumption in low-frequency operation. In addition, the charge redistribution period of a capacitor digital-to-analog converter (CDAC) in the SAR-based integrator is split in a time-interleaving way, such that the CDAC can be shared by the first and second integrators. A test chip, including the proposed IADC2, was fabricated using 0.18- ${\mu }\text{m}$ standard CMOS process technology. The measurement results show that the proposed IADC2 achieves a differential nonlinearity of −0.51/+0.74 LSB and an integral nonlinearity of −3.12/+0.24$ LSB. In addition, the measured maximum signal-to-noise ratio, and an effective number of bits are 93.4 dB and 15.22-bit for the dc signal, respectively. The measured power consumption is 0.24 ${\mu }\text{W}$ at a sampling frequency of 10 kHz. Therefore, the proposed IADC2 is suitable for various sensor applications requiring ultra-low-power consumption.

Seismic isolation of nuclear power plants is in its infancy, with only a small number of applications worldwide. This outcome is due in part to the construction of only a small number of new build nuclear power plants since base-isolation technology became mainstream in the 1990s, perceived concerns regarding the long-term mechanical properties of isolation bearings, and a lack of guidance, codes and standards related to isolation of safety-related nuclear facilities. This paper charts the history of seismic isolation, identifies the research that led to the first implementation of isolation for buildings and bridges in the modern era, summarizes the first applications of the technology to nuclear facilities, and describes important research and developments, including the writing of nuclear standards, in the past 20 years. Future research and development needs are identified.

Purpose Single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is increasingly performed worldwide. Accordingly, the Konyang Standard Method (KSM) for SILC has been developed over the past 6 years. We report the outcomes of our procedures. Methods Between April 2010 and December 2016, 1,005 patients underwent SILC at Konyang University Hospital. Initially 3-channel SILC with KSM was changed to 4-channel SILC using a modified technique with a snake retractor for exposure of Calot triangle; we called this a modified KSM (mKSM). Recently, we have used a commercial 4-channel (Glove) port for simplicity. Results SILC was performed in 323 patients with the KSM, in 645 with the mKSM, and in 37 with the commercial 4-channel port. Age was not significantly different between the 3 groups (P = 0.942). The postoperative hospital days (P = 0.051), operative time (P < 0.001) and intraoperative bleeding volume (P < 0.001) were significantly improved in the 3 groups. Drain insertion (P = 0.214), additional port insertion (P = 0.639), and postoperative complications (P = 0.608) were not significantly different in all groups. Postoperative complications were evaluated with the Clavien-Dindo classification. There were 3 cases (0.9%) over grade IIIb (bile duct injury, incisional hernia, duodenal perforation, or small bowel injury) with KSM and 3 (0.5%) with mKSM. Conclusion We evaluated the evolution of the KSM for SILC. The use of the mKSM with a commercial 4-channel port may be the safest and most effective method for SILC.

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combination treatment of rosuvastatin with ezetimibe in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. Methods This multicenter, randomized, double-blind study comprised a main study and an extension study. In the main study, the efficacy and safety of a combination of rosuvastatin (5, 10, and 20 mg) with ezetimibe (10 mg) were compared with those of rosuvastatin (5, 10, and 20 mg) alone. The subjects who achieved the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III LDL-C goal in the main study and agreed to a further study were enrolled for the extension study. In the extension study, ezetimibe 10 mg was also administered to subjects who had received rosuvastatin (5, 10, and 20 mg) alone in the main study, and the same treatment was continued for subjects who had received a combination of rosuvastatin with ezetimibe in the main study. Findings At the end of the main study (week 8), LDL-C levels were significantly lower in subjects receiving combination therapy than in those receiving rosuvastatin monotherapy. Other lipid profiles also significantly improved in the combination therapy group. These improvements continued in the extension study. The combination therapy of rosuvastatin and ezetimibe was generally well tolerated. At the end of the main study, more subjects achieved the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III LDL-C goal in the combination therapy group than in the monotherapy group. The increased dosage of rosuvastatin was also well tolerated in the combination treatment. Implications Combination therapy of ezetimibe 10 mg with varying doses of rosuvastatin that are commonly used in the clinical field improved the lipid profile and allowed more subjects to reach the LDL-C goal in primary hypercholesterolemia compared with rosuvastatin monotherapy. In addition, the efficacy of the combination therapy was maintained for the extended period. Additional beneficial changes were also achieved with combination therapy even in patients who responded well to rosuvastatin monotherapy. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03288038.

Seismic isolation can be an effective strategy to protect critical facilities including Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) from the damaging effects of horizontal earthquake ground shaking. The increased flexibility at the base and resulting elongation of the natural vibration period of the structure leads to significant reductions in forces and acceleration transmitted to the structure above the isolation level at the expense of displacements concentrated in the isolation system. Displacement demands can be large at sites of moderate to high seismic hazard and can be accommodated by a horizontal clearance or moat at the isolation level, typically located in the basement of a structure. A surrounding moat wall can function as a stop to limit isolation system displacements and prevent bearing failure under beyond design basis shaking. However, impact of the isolated structure against the moat wall is of concern due to potential amplification in response of the superstructure. Design guidelines aim to prevent impact by specifying a required minimum clearance to stop (CS) with a low annual frequency of exceedance. A CS below the required value can be justified through analysis considering impact to the moat wall or stop. However, little guidance is available on how to model impact to the moat wall and resulting effects on the NPP superstructure. This study proposes a simplified model for impact simulation that captures the impact forces and the effects of impact on the response of seismically isolated NPPs. Variable clearance to the stop and a range of properties for the moat wall and isolation system are considered to identify parameters that influence the response. Results of these studies indicate that large NPP plants as considered here can have significant penetration into the moat wall, and thus not fully limit displacements in the isolation system, while having considerable increases in accelerations throughout the height of the NPP model.

Low power consumption is the important requirement in memory devices for saving energy. In particular, improved energy efficiency is essential in implantable electronic devices for operation under a limited power supply. Here, we demonstrate the use of κ-carrageenan (κ-car) as the resistive switching layer to achieve memory that has low power consumption. A carboxymethyl (CM) group is introduced to the κ-car to increase its ionic conductivity. Ag was doped in CM:κ-car to improve the resistive switching properties of the devices. Memory devices based on Ag-doped CM:κ-car showed electroforming-free resistive switching. This device exhibited low reset voltage (∼0.05 V), fast switching speed (50 ns), and high on/off ratio (>103) under low compliance current (10–5 A). Its power consumption (∼0.35 μW) is much lower than those of the previously reported biomemristors. The resistive switching may be a result of an electrochemical redox process and Ag filament formation in the CM:κ-car under an electric field. Thi...

Maintaining the integrity of the major equipment in nuclear power plants is critical to the safety of the structures. In particular, the soundness of the piping is a critical matter that is directly linked to the safety of nuclear power plants. Currently, the limit state of the piping design standard is plastic collapse, and the actual pipe failure is leakage due to a penetration crack. Actual pipe failure, however, cannot be applied to the analysis of seismic fragility because it is difficult to quantify. This paper proposes methods of measuring the failure strain and deformation angle, which are necessary for evaluating the quantitative failure criteria of the steel pipe elbow using an image measurement system. Furthermore, the failure strain and deformation angle, which cannot be measured using the conventional sensors, were efficiently measured using the proposed methods.

This paper presents the second part of a two-part investigation on the seismic performance limits of nuclear power plant piping systems with seismic isolation systems considering the measurement points and aims to quantitatively express these limits using a damage index based on the dissipated energy. This part of the study focuses on a method to quantitatively express the seismic performance limits needed for seismic fragility evaluations of crossover piping systems connecting structures with and without seismic isolation systems in nuclear power plants. Test specimens for this study were manufactured by welding straight pipes to both ends of a 90° long pipe elbow. The dissipated energy was calculated using the relationship between the moment measured at the center of the pipe elbow and relative deformation angle at each of the straight pipe’s measurement points using an imaging system; this was compared to the dissipated energy calculated from the relationship between force and displacement, and a suitable length of the straight pipe for low-cycle fatigue tests was found. Further, a method of applying a weighting factor to the yield points, which are needed to calculate the damage index, are examined; thus, it was confirmed that the damage index can be used to quantitatively express the seismic performance limits of thin-walled steel pipe elbows.

This paper presents the first part of a two-part investigation on the seismic performance limits of nuclear power plant piping systems with seismic isolation systems considering the measurement points and proposes a scheme for low-cycle fatigue life. This part of the study focuses on pipe elbows, which are components vulnerable to seismic loads in crossover piping systems connecting structures with and without seismic isolation systems in nuclear power plants. The low-cycle fatigue life, which is the seismic performance limit of the pipe elbow, was determined by considering the cyclic loading of the low-frequency characteristics caused by the seismic isolation system. Three-inch test specimens of SCH40, which are typical standards for nuclear power plant piping systems, are fabricated herein consisting of a pipe elbow and straight pipes. In the test specimens, the pipe elbow where the load is concentrated and the lengths of the straight pipes that are connected to the elbow may differ from those in field conditions. Therefore, their effects on the seismic performance limit were analyzed using the relationship between the moment and deformation angle. Cyclic loadings were performed at varying amounts of a constant amplitude, and an imaging system was used to measure the moments and deformation angles. The deformed shapes of the test specimens caused by external forces were compared for each measurement point, and the leakage lines and low-cycle fatigue curves were presented using the relationship between the moment and relative deformation angle.

Background and objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hip joint abduction an-gle change on trunk muscle activities during plank exercise.Materials and methods: This study was conducted with 34 subjects but 4 subjects dropped out during the measurement and 30 subjects completed the study. Muscle activities were measured while performing plank exercise with hip joint abduction angles at 0, 15, 30, or 45 degrees. Electrodes were placed on four muscles: rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, and erector spinae muscles. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the interaction between hip joint abduction angle and trunk muscle activities. One-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed to determine trunk muscle activities of each muscle at each hip joint abduction angle. Eta-squared (η2) values were used to determine effect sizes.Results: A significant interaction was found between hip joint abduction angle and muscle type (p < 0.05). Hip joint abduction angle was significantly associated with rectus abdominis and erector spinae activities (p < 0.05).Conclusions: When the hip joint is abducted during plank exercise in healthy young adults, the muscle activities of rectus abdominis and erector spinae are inversely proportional to hip joint abduction angles.

The changes effected by the inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on the structure of inspiratory muscles such as on the diaphragm, in patients with stroke, is unclear.To investigate the effect of IMT on inspiratory function, diaphragm thickness, walking endurance, and fatigue in patients with stroke.A total of 30 patients with stroke were randomized to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group (n = 15) underwent inspiratory muscle training with resistance adjusted to 30% of maximal inspiratory pressure, 90 breaths a day, 5 times a week for 6 weeks. Both groups received regular physical therapy for the same amount of time. The primary outcome measure was the diaphragm thickness ratio. The secondary outcomes were inspiratory function; maximal inspiratory pressure and inspiratory muscle endurance; and gait endurance and fatigue.There were significant differences between the two groups in the thickness ratio on the affected diaphragm thickness (medium effect size), maximal inspiratory pressure (medium effect size), and inspiratory muscle endurance (large effect size; Bonferroni correction p 0.005). The gait endurance (medium effect size) and fatigue (small effect size) showed no significant differences in the between group comparison.Inspiratory muscle training was effective in improving respiratory function and inducing structural changes, especially in the affected diaphragm.

To compare the surgical and oncological outcomes between laparoscopic (single-port or multi-port) and open surgery in the treatment of patients with borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs).A retrospective analysis was performed on 687 patients who underwent single-port laparoscopy (n=89), multi-port laparoscopy (n=223), or open surgery (n=375) due to BOTs.The age, tumor size, tumor marker, and the proportions of radical surgery rate and surgical staging were significantly lower in the single-port laparoscopy and multi-port laparoscopy groups compared with those in the open surgery group (all P0.001). The operative time, operative blood loss, length of hospital stay, and perioperative complications were also significantly reduced in the two laparoscopic groups compared with those in the open surgery group (all P0.001). However, there was no significant difference found between the groups with regard to histological type, pathologic stage, and postoperative residual tumor volume. After the median follow-up time of 41.8months, the recurrence-free survival and overall survival rates did not differ between groups.Laparoscopy (either the single-port or multi-port) was a preferred alternative to open surgery in the present cohort of BOT patients because it was associated with more favorable surgical outcomes, with no compromise in oncologic outcome.

Background The extent of coronary disease affects clinical outcomes and may predict the effectiveness of coronary revascularization with either coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The SYNTAX (Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) score quantifies the extent of coronary disease. Objectives This study sought to determine whether SYNTAX scores predicted outcomes and the effectiveness of coronary revascularization compared with medical therapy in the BARI-2D (Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes) trial. Methods Baseline SYNTAX scores were retrospectively calculated for BARI-2D patients without prior revascularization (N = 1,550) by angiographic laboratory investigators masked to patient characteristics and outcomes. The primary outcome was major cardiovascular events (a composite of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) over 5 years. Results A mid/high SYNTAX score (≥23) was associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular events (hazard ratio: 1.36, confidence interval: 1.07 to 1.75, p = 0.01). Patients in the CABG stratum had significantly higher SYNTAX scores: 36% had mid/high SYNTAX scores compared with 13% in the PCI stratum (p Conclusions Among patients with diabetes and stable ischemic heart disease, higher SYNTAX scores predict higher rates of major cardiovascular events and were associated with more favorable outcomes of revascularization compared with medical therapy among patients suitable for CABG. (Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation in Type 2 Diabetes; NCT00006305)

The resistive switching behaviors of AlOX/HfOX bilayer structures were investigated. Metal oxides were deposited by atomic layer deposition. Al and Pt were used as top and bottom electrodes, respectively. Compared with AlOX and HfOX monolayer structures, the bilayer structure showed lower set/reset voltages and more-uniform resistive switching properties. It also exhibited good data retention and endurance. The Al top electrode may gather oxygen ions from the oxide layer underneath and thereby create oxygen vacancies in the oxide layer. The uniform electrical property of the bilayer structure is attributed to confined formation/rupture of conductive filaments in the HfOX layer, whereas undissociated filaments in the AlOX layer nucleate rapid regeneration of filaments.