Search

We present updated LHC limits on the minimal universal extra dimensions (MUEDs) model from the Run 2 searches. We scan the parameter space against a number of searches implemented in the public code CheckMATE and derive up-to-date limits on the MUED parameter space from 13 TeV searches. The strongest constraints come from a search dedicated to squarks and gluinos with one isolated lepton, jets and missing transverse energy. In the procedure, we take into account initial state radiation and stress its importance in the MUED searches, which is not always appreciated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-limit characteristics of chain-branching premixed flames is investigated numerically and asymptotically by employing the Zel'dovich–Liñán two-step mechanism with linear and (sufficiently) fast recombination, for which both chain-branching and -recombination steps take place in a thin reactive layer of O (β − 1) , with β being the chain-branching Zel'dovich number. The numerical and asymptotic results reveal that the rate-ratio eigenvalue r between the chain branching and recombination steps approaches a minimum critical value of r m i n → e as the chain-recombination step becomes infinitely fast. The existence of the finite asymptotic value of r = e indicates that no steadily propagating flame solution can be found for fuel concentrations lower than its critical value, corresponding to the criticality of r = e , thereby explaining the (lean) flammability limit. This intrinsic flammability characteristics with linear recombination is the most outstanding contrast to the quadratic recombination counterpart, for which flammability is achieved only with external heat loss added to the model. Novelty and significance statement Near-limit combustion characteristics of chain-branching flames is investigated numerically and asymptotically by employing the Zel'dovich–Linan two-step chemical kinetics with linear and fast recombination. This work demonstrates that the rate-ratio eigenvalue between the chain-branching and -recombination steps asymptotically approaches a critical minimum value, corresponding to the flammability limit. The existence of flammability limit with the linear recombination is found to be the most significant contrast to the quadratic recombination model, which is incapable of predicting flammability limit. By this study, a formal asymptotic procedure, by which the crossover temperature and lean flammability limit condition can be determined without assuming a steady-state approximation of intermediate species, is established and can be applied to analyze flame structures with multi-step reduced mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much effort has been dedicated to increase the operational lifetime of blue phosphorescent materials in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), but the reported device lifetimes are still too short for the industrial applications. An attractive method for increasing the lifetime of a given emitter without making any chemical change is exploiting the kinetic isotope effect, where key CH bonds are deuterated. A computer model identifies that the most vulnerable molecular site in an Ir‐phenylimidazole dopant is the benzylic CH bond and predicts that deuteration may hamper the deactivation pathway involving CH/D bond cleavage notably. Experiments show that the device lifetime until the initial luminance diminishes to 70% (LT70) of a prototype phosphorescent OLED device can be doubled to 355 hours with a maximum external quantum efficiency of 25.1% at 1000 cd m−2. This is one of the best operational performances of blue phosphorescent OLEDs observed to date in a single stacked cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much effort has been dedicated to increase the operational lifetime of blue phosphorescent materials in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), but the reported device lifetimes are still too short for the industrial applications. An attractive method for increasing the lifetime of a given emitter without making any chemical change is exploiting the kinetic isotope effect, where key CH bonds are deuterated. A computer model identifies that the most vulnerable molecular site in an Ir‐phenylimidazole dopant is the benzylic CH bond and predicts that deuteration may hamper the deactivation pathway involving CH/D bond cleavage notably. Experiments show that the device lifetime until the initial luminance diminishes to 70% (LT70) of a prototype phosphorescent OLED device can be doubled to 355 hours with a maximum external quantum efficiency of 25.1% at 1000 cd m−2. This is one of the best operational performances of blue phosphorescent OLEDs observed to date in a single stacked cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance achieved by using fully-connected small artificial neural networks (ANNs) and a simple training process, the Kim-Monte Carlo algorithm, to detect the location of pneumothorax in chest X-rays. A total of 1,000 chest X-ray images with pneumothorax were taken randomly from NIH (the National Institutes of Health) public image database and used as the training and test sets. Each X-ray image with pneumothorax was divided into 49 boxes for pneumothorax localization. For each of the boxes in the chest X-ray images contained in the test set, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was 0.882, and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.6% and 83.0%, respectively. In addition, a common currently used deep-learning method for image recognition, the convolution neural network (CNN), was also applied to the same dataset for comparison purposes. The performance of the fully-connected small ANN was better than that of the CNN. Regarding the diagnostic performances of the CNN with different activation functions, the CNN with a sigmoid activation function for fully-connected hidden nodes was better than the CNN with the rectified linear unit (RELU) activation function. This study showed that our approach can accurately detect the location of pneumothorax in chest X-rays, significantly reduce the time delay incurred when diagnosing urgent diseases such as pneumothorax, and increase the effectiveness of clinical practice and patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel homoleptic cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes are designed to improve their emission dipole orientations in the emitting layer of blue phosphorescent organic light emitting devices. Biphenyl group is introduced into the imidazole of cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes to simultaneously achieve enhanced efficiency and operation lifetime, resulting in one of the best device performances of single‐stacked organic light emitting diodes with 91% emission dipole orientation, 26.3% maximum external quantum efficiency (maximally calculated as 41%), and 169 h lifetime at 1000 cd m−2 (LT80), color coordinate (0.17, 0.30). To elucidate the physical origin of this significant improvements, the orientational and positional distributions of the homoleptic dopants are analyzed with consideration on intermolecular interactions through atomistic modeling of the emitting layer. With the findings, the phosphorescent dopants could be designed in the future to achieve enhanced performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a detailed characterization of the thin film morphology of all-polymer blend devices by applying a combined analysis of physical, chemical, optical, and charge transport properties. This is exemplified by considering a model system comprising poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT). We show that the interactions between the two conjugated polymer components can be controlled by pre-forming the P3HT into highly ordered nanowire structures prior to blending with F8BT, and by varying the molecular weight of the F8BT. As a result, it is possible to produce films containing highly ordered P3HT with hole mobilities enhanced by three orders of magnitude over the pristine blends. Raman spectroscopy under resonant excitation conditions is used to probe the molecular order of both P3HT and F8BT phases within the blend films and these morphological studies are complemented by measurements of photocurrent generation. The resultant increase in photocurrent is associated with the enhanced charge carrier mobilities. The complementary analytical method demonstrated here is applicable to a wide range of polymer blend systems for all applications where the relationships between morphology and device performance are of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a 25-kW bipolar pulsed-power supply for strategic mineral exploration has been described. A 500-V, 12.5-A unit module consisting of a highly efficient LCC resonant converter and a full-bridge-based bipolar pulse-switching unit is designed. The LCC resonant converter has a trapezoidal-shaped resonant current for reduced conduction loss. For achieving high power density, the leakage inductance of the transformer is used as resonant inductance without an external inductor. Moreover, the designed gate drive circuit based on the repetitive short pulse is proposed to operate the frequency range from dc to 8 kHz and reduce the size of the gate transformer. Four modules are connected in series and parallel in order to operate the power supply in either loop mode or grounded dipole mode. Depending on the load condition, the pulse power source capable of delivering the required high voltage and low current (2 kV, 12.5 A) or low voltage and high current (500 V, 50 A) is operated either in grounded dipole mode or loop mode, respectively. In order to satisfy the output voltage balancing of the four modules, the third wire is wound to compensate for the transformer of the LCC resonant converter. Finally, the design of the bipolar pulsed-power supply has been verified based on the experimental results of the field test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a bipolar pulsed power supply for strategic mineral exploration. Depending on the operating conditions, the bipolar pulsed power supply is capable of delivering the required high voltage and low current or low voltage and high current when operated, respectively, in either the grounded dipole mode or the loop mode. Based on a 500-V 12.5-A unit module, series and parallel connections of four modules are configured to satisfy both the grounded dipole mode (2000 V) and the loop mode (50 A), respectively. A unit module comprising an LCC resonant converter and a full-bridge-based bipolar pulse-switching unit is designed. In order to achieve high power density, the leakage inductance of the transformer is used as a resonant inductor in place of an external inductor. Accordingly, the resonant tank parameters are designed to give the resonant current a trapezoidal shape to reduce conduction loss and provide high efficiency. In addition, a simple gate-driving algorithm that uses the repetitive short pulse to cover the frequency range from dc to 8 kHz is proposed to allow the compact design of a minimized gate transformer. In this paper, the detailed design of the resonant circuit and the transformer of a unit module is described, and the operation is verified through simulation and experimental results. Finally, the developed LCC resonant converter achieves the maximum efficiency of 95%, the maximum power factor of 0.96, and a high power density of 806.5 W/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Concerns about environmentally sustainable supply chain management have increased widely in recent years. As a consequence, supply chain members have cooperated with one another to make efficient contracts, frequently called green supply-chain management contracts. The purpose of this paper is to investigate one such contract between a single manufacturer and multiple retailers with limited resources for several types of products under greenhouse-gas emission regulations. Each retailer orders the products regularly within a limited budget and warehouse capacity. In response to orders, the manufacturer produces products and ships them after inspections. Demand for the products can be either known or have some uncertainty, which can best be represented using fuzzy number demand. To reflect demand properties, this paper introduces two nonlinear integer programming models, a crisp model and a fuzzy model. A genetic algorithm (GA) and hybrid genetic algorithm-pattern search (HGAS) are developed to solve the models. Numerical experiments evaluating the efficiency of the algorithms showed that the HGAS method performed better than the GA. Also observed is that the crisp model's average total costs were lower than those of the fuzzy model. The results as a whole indicate that the models can evaluate the performance of contracts and optimize cooperative green supply chain management. Highlights • We formulate two NIP models for GSCM with GHG emissions constraints, assuming constant and fuzzy demand, respectively. • The extension principle is used to apply the fuzzy set theory to the fuzzy model. • GA and HGAS methods are proposed. • HGAS performs better than GA in accuracy. • The total cost of GSCM is changing in accordance with the upper limit of GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider pair-production of electroweakinos promptly decaying to light gravitinos in general gauge mediation scenarios within the minimal supersymmetric standard model. Typically the presence of photons and missing transverse momentum is the key signature for this kind of scenarios. We highlight where LHC analyses which have originally been designed to probe different scenarios provide complementary constraints with respect to the dedicated searches and we present the constraints on the parameter space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pluripotent stem cells have the potential to differentiate into all cell types of the body in vitro through embryoid body formation or in vivo through teratoma formation. In this study, we attempted to generate in vivo neural stem cells (NSCs) differentiated through teratoma formation using Olig2-GFP transgenic embryonic stem cells (ESCs). After 4 to 6 weeks of injection with Olig2-GFP transgenic ESCs, Olig2-GFP+ NSCs were identified in teratomas formed in immunodeficient mice. Interestingly, 4-week-old teratomas contained higher percentage of Olig2-GFP+ cells (∼11%) than 6-week-old teratomas (∼3%). These in vivo-derived NSCs expressed common NSC markers (Nestin and Sox2) and differentiated into terminal neuronal and glial lineages. These results suggest that pure NSC populations exhibiting properties similar to those of brain-derived NSCs can be established through teratoma formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyaniline-coated polystyrene (PS/PANI) beads with an average diameter of approximately 310 nm were prepared from styrene and divinylbenzene via emulsion polymerization and subsequent oxidative polymerization of aniline. The sorption capacity of the polymer beads towards silver ions in aqueous solution increased substantially as the pH increased, up to a pH of 7, owing to more free amine and imine groups. The FE-SEM images and XRD data indicated that silver ions were reduced to form silver nanoparticles on the polymer beads. The kinetics of silver ion uptake by PS/PANI particles in a 160 ppm silver nitrate solution could be described by a pseudo-second order model. Even though the sorption isotherm correlated to the Freundlich model much better than the Langmuir model, the Langmuir model-based maximum sorption (320 mg g − 1 ) was closer to the experimentally obtained value of 330 mg g − 1 . This study reveals that PS/PANI beads can be readily prepared in large quantities and employed as one of most efficient sorbents of silver ions in the aqueous phase. The high sorption capacity of the polymer nanoparticles was illustrated not to be affected by common alkali and alkaline earth metal ions in a simulated tap water. The PS/PANI nanoparticles were stable enough not to show any significant loss in sorption efficiency even after fourth cycle of adsorption-desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the recent diphoton excesses reported by both ATLAS and CMS collaborations, we suggest that a new heavy spinless particle is produced in gluon fusion at the LHC and decays to a couple of lighter pseudoscalars which then decay to photons. The new resonances could arise from a new strongly interacting sector and couple to Standard Model gauge bosons only via the corresponding Wess–Zumino–Witten anomaly. We present a detailed recast of the newest 13 TeV data from ATLAS and CMS together with the 8 TeV data to scan the consistency of the parameter space for those resonances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chicken pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), such as embryonic stem cells and blastoderm cells, have been used to study development and differentiation in chicken. However, chicken PSCs are not widely used because they are hard to maintain in long-term culture. Recent reports suggest that chicken somatic cells can be reprogrammed to pluripotent state by defined factors to form induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These chicken iPSCs showed pluripotent differentiation potential and could be maintained in long-term culture. However, intracytoplasmic remodeling during reprogramming of chicken cells remains largely unknown. In this study, we generated chicken iPS-like cells (ciPSLCs) from chicken embryonic fibroblasts using a retroviral expression system encoding human reprogramming factors. These ciPSLCs could be maintained for more than 10 passages and expressed the endogenous chicken pluripotency markers, cNonog and cSox2. Moreover, the ciPSLCs showed higher nucleus to cytoplasm ratio and contained globular mitochondria with immature cristae. This morphology was similar to that of mammalian PSCs, but different from that of avian somatic cells, which showed lower nucleus to cytoplasm ratio and mature mitochondria. These results suggest that intracytoplasmic organelles in differentiated somatic cells could be successfully remodeled into the pluripotent state during reprogramming in chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic cells may be reprogrammed into pluripotent cells by the ectopic expression of defined transcription factors. However, some of the hurdles that affect the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells include extremely low efficiency and slow reprogramming. In the present study, we examined the effects of small molecules on cellular reprogramming and found that 8-Bromoadenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP), an analog of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), improves the reprogramming efficiency of reprogrammable mouse fibroblasts induced with dox in serum replacement (SR) medium. Interestingly, treatment with 8-Br-cAMP in mouse embryonic stem cell culture conditions does not affect reprogramming into the pluripotent state; however, reprogramming efficiency is significantly enhanced by inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) in SR medium. Therefore, our results suggest that PKA signaling is unnecessary and may in fact act as a barrier to reprogramming into pluripotent stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells entails the obliteration of somatic cell memory and the reestablishment of epigenetic events. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been created by reprogramming somatic cells through the transduction of reprogramming factors. During cell reprogramming, female somatic cells must overcome at least one more barrier than male somatic cells in order to enter a pluripotent state, as they must reactivate an inactive X chromosome (Xi). In this study, we investigated whether the sex of somatic cells affects reprogramming efficiency, differentiation potential and the post-transcriptional processing of Xist RNA after reprogramming. There were no differences between male and female iPSCs with respect to reprogramming efficiency or their differentiation potential in vivo. However, reactivating Xi took longer than reactivating pluripotency-related genes. We also found that direct reprogramming leads to gender-appropriate post-transcriptional reprogramming -like male embryonic stem cells (ESCs), male iPSCs expressed only the long Xist isoform, whereas female iPSCs, like female ESCs, expressed both the long and short isoforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of heteroatom substitution from a silicon atom to a germanium atom in donor-acceptor type low band gap copolymers, poly[(4,4′-bis(2-ethylhexyl)dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]silole)-2,6-diyl-alt-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)-4,7-diyl] (PSiBTBT) and poly[(4,4′-bis(2-ethylhexyl)dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]germole)-2,6-diyl-alt-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)-4,7-diyl] (PGeBTBT), are studied. The optoelectronic and charge transport properties of these polymers are investigated with a particular focus on their use for organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices in blends with phenyl-C70-butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM). It is found that the longer C-Ge bond length, in comparison to C-Si, modifies the molecular conformation and leads to a more planar chain conformation in PGeBTBT than PSiBTBT. This increase in molecular planarity leads to enhanced crystallinity and an increased preference for a face-on backbone orientation, thus leading to higher charge carrier mobility in the diode configuration. These results provide important insight into the impact of the heavy atom substitution on the molecular packing and device performance of polymers based on the poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b]-dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole) (PCPDTBT) backbone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic cells are reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by overexpression of a combination of defined transcription factors. We generated iPSCs from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (with Oct4-GFP reporter) by transfection of pCX-OSK-2A (Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4) and pCX-cMyc vectors. We could generate partially reprogrammed cells (XiPS-7), which maintained more than 20 passages in a partially reprogrammed state; the cells expressed Nanog but were Oct4-GFP negative. When the cells were transferred to serum-free medium (with serum replacement and basic fibroblast growth factor), the XiPS-7 cells converted to Oct4-GFP-positive iPSCs (XiPS-7c, fully reprogrammed cells) with ESC-like properties. During the conversion of XiPS-7 to XiPS-7c, we found several clusters of slowly reprogrammed genes, which were activated at later stages of reprogramming. Our results suggest that partial reprogrammed cells can be induced to full reprogramming status by serum-free medium, in which stem cell maintenance- and gamete generation-related genes were upregulated. These long-term expandable partially reprogrammed cells can be used to verify the mechanism of reprogramming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It is common practice in many industries to use a replenishment contract with a mechanism of capacity reservation. In this paper, we focus on a multi-period capacity reservation contract practiced between a buyer, who buys a single type of product and sells it to end-customers, and two or more heterogeneous suppliers, who produce and replenish the product as agreed upon contractually. In this paper, a mathematical model including several key features of a real contract is developed for a single supplier situation from the buyer’s perspective. It is then extended to a multiple supplier model for a system in which there are several heterogeneous suppliers with different capacities and prices. A rolling-horizon implementation strategy is suggested for the efficient application of the models. Extensive computational experiments demonstrate that the model and strategy can produce cost effective contractual terms for the buyer within a few seconds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we investigate the (g − 2) μ discrepancy in the context of the R-parity conserving next-to-minimal supersymmetric Standard Model plus right-handed neutrinos superfields. The model has the ability to reproduce neutrino physics data and includes the interesting possibility to have the right-handed sneutrino as the lightest supersymmetric particle and a viable dark matter candidate. Since right-handed sneutrinos are singlets, no new contributions for δ a μ with respect to the MSSM and NMSSM are present. However, the possibility to have the right-handed sneutrino as the lightest supersymmetric particle opens new ways to escape Large Hadron Collider and direct detection constraints. In particular, we find that dark matter masses within 10 ≲ m ν ˜ R ≲ 600 GeV are fully compatible with current experimental constraints. Remarkably, not only spectra with light sleptons are needed, but we obtain solutions with m μ ˜ ≳ 600 GeV in the entire dark matter mass range that could be probed by new (g − 2) μ data in the near future. In addition, dark matter direct detection experiments will be able to explore a sizable portion of the allowed parameter space with m ν ˜ R ≲ 300 GeV, while indirect detection experiments will be able to probe a much smaller fraction within 200 ≲ m ν ˜ R ≲ 350 GeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absorbing phase transitions in the conserved threshold transfer process (CTTP) on diluted lattices, i.e., on infinite percolation networks, were studied in two dimensions by Monte Carlo simulations. Lattice dilution was found to be irrelevant to the critical behavior for the concentration of diluted sites x far less than the critical concentration xc (=1 - pc, with pc being the percolation threshold), whereas for x close to x, the critical exponents slightly deviated from those of the pure CTTP and new critical exponents were established at xc. The results for x < xc were consistent with the recent results for the conserved lattice gas (CLG) model, whereas the results for x = xc were different from those of the CLG model, for which nonuniversal power-law behavior was observed [Lee, Phys. Rev. E 84, 041123 (2011)]. On the other hand, the critical exponents of the CTTP on a percolation backbone were similar to those on an infinite network and similar to those of the CLG model on a backbone network. The diluted CTTP in three and four dimensions was also investigated, and the critical exponents were similar to those in two dimensions; i.e., the critical exponents were independent of or weakly dependent on the dimensionality. A comment on the recent claim of the absence of a Manna class was also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The performances of organic photovoltaic cells were improved by matching the energy levels of three photon-harvesting layers with distinct light absorption spectra. Pentacene, phthalocyanine, and C70, which have shallow, intermediate, and deep energy levels, respectively, were introduced as photon harvesting layers to form a cascade structure and secure appropriate band offsets at all interfaces. This architecture yielded higher values of the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density than a standard bilayer structure based on pentacene and C70. A device prepared with metal-free phthalocyanine performed better than a device with Cu phthalocyanine because the energy levels were more appropriately tuned. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The ATLAS and CMS Collaborations have recently reported tantalizing hints of the existence of a 125 GeV Higgs-like particle, whose couplings appear to match well the Standard Model (SM) expectations. In this work, we study implications of this observation for the neutralino sector of supersymmetric models, assuming that the Higgs signal gets confirmed. In general, the Higgs decay into neutralinos can be one of its dominant decay channels. Since a large invisible Higgs decay branching ratio would be in conflict with the data, this possibility is now constrained. In particular, we find that most of the region , at and , at is disfavored. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A logistics system that involves a supplier who produces and delivers a single product and a buyer who receives and sells the product to the final customers was analyzed. A mathematical model was developed to describe the behavior of the system and to derive the optimal cycle length and order-up-to levels for the two parties. An analysis of the obtained results revealed that the methods were able to determine the optimal control parameters for each party in a short time frame. A coordination mechanism based on the optimal policies was ultimately proposed so that each party benefits more than if they use their own optimal control policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To monitor hemodynamic changes using transcranial Doppler (TCD) in patients with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) after Gamma Knife surgery (GKS). Methods: The study comprised 22 patients (17 men and 6 women, mean age 42 years, range 18–69 years) with an unruptured AVM fed by only the middle cerebral artery (MCA) or its branches. Serial TCD profiles from proximal MCAs were analyzed and correlated with treatment outcome. Results: Baseline TCD measurements (presented as means ± standard deviations) revealed significantly higher mean blood flow velocity (Vm) and lower mean pulsatility index (PI) in MCAs ipsilateral to AVMs than in contralateral MCAs (Vm 102 cm/s ± 29 vs 66 cm/s ± 16, P < 0.05; PI 0.63 ± 0.10 vs 0.84 ± 0.10, P < .05). No correlation was found between AVM volumes and hemodynamic indices. Vm values in ipsilateral MCAs were lower at 6 months (88 cm/s ± 26) after GKS than at baseline (P < 0.05). At 2 years after GKS, a further decrease in mean Vm and an increase in mean PI were observed in ipsilateral MCAs, which then approximated the values of contralateral MCAs (Vm 71 cm/s ± 30 vs 61 cm/s ± 11, P = 0.16; PI 0.76 ± 0.17 vs 0.83 ± 0.14, P = 0.15). Cerebral angiography (CAG) at the same time revealed total obliteration of AVMs in 11 patients. Changes in Vm and PI values were found to be correlated with the completeness of obliteration. However, no correlation was found between baseline TCD measurements and level of obliteration. Conclusions: Normalization of hemodynamic indices measured by TCD was found to be correlated with AVM obliteration after GKS. However, significant hemodynamic improvements may develop after GKS before obvious obliteration by anatomic imaging. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite studies on the use of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derivatives to treat ischemic diseases, there are technical safety issues that have yet to be resolved. Herein, we sought to develop a method for using secreted angiogenic factors from hESC-derived endothelial cell derivatives (hESC-ECs), while avoiding direct cell incorporation, to reduce tumorigenesis or unidentified side effects of injected cells in vivo. Multicellular aggregation of hESC-ECs (MA-hESC-ECs) increases survivability, and encapsulation in Matrigel (EnMA-hESC-ECs) blocks the cells’ in vivo migration. To examine the therapeutic effects of EnMA-hESC-ECs, we implanted both forms of hESC-ECs in a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia. Treatment with EnMA-hESC-ECs suppressed limb loss and tissue damage with no noticeable side effects, such as tumorigenesis or teratoma formation, and the Matrigel implant could be easily removed after the procedure. Thus, MA and the encapsulation system are effective techniques for utilizing humoral factors secreted by hESC derivatives that aid in the survivability and safety. We expect these results to contribute to the thriving stem cell field by improving the bioavailability of hESC derivatives for regenerative medicine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose. The aim of the present study was to delineate preoperative factors that may predict perforator injuries following open surgery for an unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm. Methods. The authors conducted a retrospective review of 85 consecutive patients who underwent surgical clipping of 91 unruptured MCA aneurysms. In addition to demographic profiles, angiographic characteristics of aneurysms, which included the side, size, projection, height from the origin of the ophthalmic artery, and distance between the internal carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation and the aneurysm origin, were analysed and correlated with perforator injuries. Compared with the preoperative CT and/or MRI, any newly-developed infarctions in the striatocapsular area were regarded as perforator injuries even if they were very small and asymptomatic. Results. A perforator injury was found in 14 out of 91 cases (15%%). Although the majority of them remained asymptomatic, neurological deterioration occurred in four patients. Of the analysed variables, both the height (from the origin of the ophthalmic artery) and the distance (between the ICA bifurcation and the aneurysm origin) were significantly associated with perforator injuries. A stepwise increment of the risk was observed as the position of aneurysms became higher or as the distance to the ICA bifurcation became shorter. Conclusions. These results would be helpful in estimating surgical risks for an unruptured MCA aneurysm, one of the most commonly encountered aneurysms in the neurosurgical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The low frequency current ripple in grid-connected fuel cell systems is generated from dc–ac inverter operation, which generates 60 Hz fundamental component, and gives harmful effects on fuel cell stack itself, such as making cathode surface responses slower, causing an increase of more than 10% in the fuel consumption, creating oxygen starvation, causing a reduction in the operating lifetime, and incurring a nuisance tripping such as overload situation. With these reasons, low frequency current ripple makes fuel cell system unstable and lifetime of fuel cell stack itself short. This paper presents a fast and robust control algorithm to eliminate low frequency current ripple in grid-connected fuel cell systems. Compared with the conventional methods, in the proposed control algorithm, dc link voltage controller is shifted from dc–dc converter to dc–ac inverter, resulting that dc–ac inverter handles dc link voltage control and output current control simultaneously with help of power balancing technique. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm can not only completely eliminate current ripple but also significantly reduce the overshoot or undershoot during transient states without any extra hardware. The validity of the proposed algorithm is verified by computer simulations and also by experiments with a 1 kW laboratory prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response surface methodology was used to optimize coating conditions, including chitosan concentration (X 1) and coating time (X 2), for sustained release of chitosan-coated Ca-pectinate (CP) microparticles containing oryzanol (OZ). The optimized values of X 1 and X 2 were found to be 1.48% and 69.92min, respectively. These optimized values agreed favorably with the predicted results, indicating the utility of predictive models for the release of OZ in simulated intestinal fluid. In vitro release studies revealed that the chitosan-coated CP microparticles were quite stable under acidic conditions, but swell and disintegrate under alkaline conditions. In vivo release study of OZ, physically entrapped within chitosan-coated CP microcapsules, demonstrated the sustained release of OZ and could be used to improve the bioavailability of OZ following oral administration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In Part 1 of this study, an advanced numerical simulation method was proposed to investigate the impact characteristics of the KN-18 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transport cask recently developed in Korea and verified against the experimental results. In this study, sensitivity analyses are carried out using the proposed numerical simulation method to investigate the effects of the various modeling and design parameters, such as material model assumption, modeling methodology, analytical assumptions, and design variables that can affect the impact characteristics of a cask and the accuracy of the numerical results. These parametric analyses were also performed to provide a basis for correlations with test results that is closer to reality than merely conservative as a means of benchmarking the numerical models. In addition, the parametric analysis results are compared against the experimental results, and the sensitivities of each parameter are summarized to provide references for the future design and analysis of SNF transport casks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Domestic and international regulations for the transportation of radioactive materials strictly prescribe the design requirements for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transport casks. According to the applicable codes, a transport cask must withstand a free-drop impact of 9m onto an unyielding surface and a free-drop impact of 1m onto a mild steel bar. However, the structural performance of a transport cask is not easy to evaluate precisely because the dynamic impact characteristics of the cask, which includes impact limiters to absorb the impact energy, are so complex. In this study, a more advanced and applicable numerical simulation method using the finite element (FE) method via the commercial FE code LS-DYNA is proposed and verified against the experimental results for a 1/3-scale model of the KN-18 SNF transport cask, recently developed in Korea. In addition, the detailed dynamic impact characteristics of the transport cask under free-drop conditions are investigated via the proposed numerical simulation method and actual drop tests to improve the accuracy and optimization of the SNF transport cask design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Response surface methodology was used to optimize microparticle preparation conditions, including the ratio of pectin:gamma-oryzanol (OZ) (X 1), agitation speed (X 2), and the concentration of emulsifier (X 3), for maximal entrapment efficiency (EE) of OZ-loaded Ca pectinate microparticles. The optimized values of X 1, X 2, and X 3 were found to be 2.72:5.28, 1143.5rpm, and 2.61%, respectively. Experimental results obtained for the optimum formulation agreed favorably with the predicted results, indicating the usefulness of predicting models for EE. In order to evaluate the effect of chitosan-coating and blending on the release pattern of the entrapped OZ from microparticles, chitosan-coated and blended Ca pectinate microparticles were prepared. Release studies revealed that the chitosan treatments, especially the chitosan-coating, were effective in suppressing the release in both simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and intestinal fluid (SIF). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and embryonal carcinoma cells (ECCs) possess the remarkable property of self-renewal and differentiation potency. They are model preparations for investigating the underlying mechanisms of “stemness”. microRNAs are recently discovered small noncoding RNAs with a broad spectrum of functions, especially in control of development. Here, we show that miR-302b indirectly regulates expression of the pluripotent stem cell marker Oct4, and it directly regulates expression of Cyclin D2 protein, a developmental regulator during gastrulation. Using loss-of function and gain-of function approaches, we demonstrate that functional miR-302b is necessary to maintain stem cell self-renewal and inhibit neuronal differentiation of human ECCs. During retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiation, Cyclin D2 protein but not mRNA expression is strongly increased, concurrent with the down-regulation of miR-302b and Oct4. Our results suggest that miR-302b plays an important role in maintaining the pluripotency of ECCs and probably ESCs, by post-transcriptional regulation of Cyclin D2 expression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Protecting Benzylic C H Bonds by Deuteration Doubles the Operational Lifetime of Deep-Blue Ir-Phenylimidazole Dopants in Phosphorescent OLEDs (Advanced Optical Materials 16/2021) Deuterating the vulnerable benzylic C-H bonds, which are proposed to participate in the degradative reaction, allows for taking advantage of the innately slower C-D cleavage reaction rate to protect the Ir-dopants. Keywords: blue OLEDs; DFT calculations; homoleptic Ir(III) complex; kinetic isotope effect; operational lifetime EN blue OLEDs DFT calculations homoleptic Ir(III) complex kinetic isotope effect operational lifetime 1 1 1 08/23/21 20210818 NES 210818 The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) can be used to improve the operational lifetime by stabilizing a series of blue Ir-dopants in phosphorescent OLED devices (see article number 2100630 by Hye Jin Bae and co-workers). [Extracted from the article]

Deuterating the vulnerable benzylic C-H bonds, which are proposed to participate in the degradative reaction, allows for taking advantage of the innately slower C-D cleavage reaction rate to protect the Ir-dopants. Keywords: blue OLEDs; DFT calculations; homoleptic Ir(III) complex; kinetic isotope effect; operational lifetime EN blue OLEDs DFT calculations homoleptic Ir(III) complex kinetic isotope effect operational lifetime 1 1 1 02/15/22 20210815 NES 210815 The kinetic isotope effect (KIE) can be used to improve the operational lifetime by stabilizing a series of blue Ir-dopants in phosphorescent OLED devices (see article number 2100630 by Hye Jin Bae and co-workers). Protecting Benzylic C H Bonds by Deuteration Doubles the Operational Lifetime of Deep-Blue Ir-Phenylimidazole Dopants in Phosphorescent OLEDs (Advanced Optical Materials 16/2021). [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: We consider the problem of determining the initial spare inventory level for a multi-echelon repairable item inventory system. We extend the previous results to the system, which has an inventory at the central depot as well as at bases and with a general repair time distribution. We propose an algorithm which finds spare inventory level to minimize the total expected cost and simultaneously to satisfy a specified minimum service rate. Extensive computational experiments show that the algorithm is accurate and efficient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper discusses the determination of the spare inventory level for a multiechelon repairable item inventory system, which has several bases and a central depot with emergency lateral transshipment capability. Previous research is extended by removing a restrictive assumption on the repair time distribution. A mathematical model that allows a general repair time distribution, as well as an algorithm to find a solution of the model, is developed. Thus, the main focus of this study is to improve the accuracy of previous models and to estimate the gain in accuracy from use of the current methodology. Computational experiments are performed to estimate the accuracy improvement and to determine the managerial implications of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study demonstrates a requirement for NF-κB activation in cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin)-induced apoptosis in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. This conclusion was supported by the following observations: cisplatin induced IκBα degradation and NF-κB-dependent transcriptional activation prior to cell death; pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a chemical inhibitor of NF-κB activation, prevented apoptosis; lactacystin, an inhibitor of IκBα degradation, also prevented apoptosis; and finally, the expression of a super-repressor mutant IκBα blocked apoptosis. The expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) was promoted by cisplatin treatment and was suppressed by PDTC treatment. In addition, a neutralizing antibody against TNFα protected cells from cisplatin-induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that NF-κB activation is required for cisplatin-induced apoptosis and TNFα may play an important role in NF-κB-mediated apoptosis in cisplatin-treated HNSCC cell lines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel deep-learning algorithm for artificial neural networks (ANNs), completely different from the back-propagation method, was developed in a previous study. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of using the algorithm for the detection of intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) and the classification of its subtypes, without employing the convolutional neural network (CNN). For the detection of ICH with the summation of all the computed tomography (CT) images for each case, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.859, and the sensitivity and the specificity were 78.0% and 80.0%, respectively. Regarding ICH localisation, CT images were divided into 10 subdivisions based on the intracranial height. With the subdivision of 41–50%, the best diagnostic performance for detecting ICH was obtained with AUC of 0.903, the sensitivity of 82.5%, and the specificity of 84.1%. For the classification of the ICH to subtypes, the accuracy rate for subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) was considerably excellent at 91.7%. This study revealed that our approach can greatly reduce the ICH diagnosis time in an actual emergency situation with a fairly good diagnostic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers a multi-period supplier selection and order allocation problem for a green supply chain system that consists of a single buyer and multiple heterogeneous suppliers. The buyer sells multiple products to end customers and periodically replenishes each item's inventory using a periodic inventory control policy. The periodic inventory control policy used by the buyer starts every period with an order size determination of each item and the subsequent supplier selection to fulfill the orders. Because each supplier in the system is different from other suppliers in the types of carrying items, delivery distance, item price, and quantity discount schedule, the buyer's problem becomes a complicated optimization problem. For the described order size and supplier selection problem of the buyer, we propose a nonlinear integer programming model and develop two different algorithms to enhance the usability of the model in a real business environment with a large amount of data. The algorithms are developed to considerably cut computational time and at the same time to generate a good feasible solution to a given supplier selection and order allocation problem. Computational experiments that were conducted to test the efficiency of the algorithms showed that they can cut as much as 99% of the computational time and successfully find feasible solutions, deviating not more than 3.4% from the optimal solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were used to control the anode work function and active layer morphology of organic solar cells based on poly(3-hexylthiophene)/[6:6]-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester heterojunctions. By using SAMs with the terminal groups –NH2, –CH3, and –CF3, the authors were able to control the hole injection barrier of the ITO closer to the highest occupied molecular orbital level of active layer and surface energy of the ITO substrate. A solar cell device with CF3 SAM treated ITO was found to exhibit high efficiency performance, about 3.15%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the ever-growing technology development, high-tech products such as mobile phones, computers, electromagnetic devices and smart devices are facing high design and production modification requirements with relatively shorter life cycles. For instance, every forthcoming smart phone goes out of production in a shorter period after its launch, followed by its next generation. The design of high-tech products requires high investments in smart and automated manufacturing technology to ensure higher production efficiency. For high-tech products with short life spans, the manufacturing performance-quality variable is an important design parameter that affects system reliability, production efficiency and manufacturing costs. Major performance-quality factors of a manufacturing system which affect productivity and reliability of the manufacturing process are discussed in this research. The study investigates an integrated smart production maintenance model under stochastic manufacturing reliability for technology dependent demand and variable production rate. The smart unit production cost is a function of manufacturing reliability and controllable production rate, as a manufacturing system can be operated at different production rates within designed limits μ ϵ [ μ m i n , μ m a x ] . Manufacturing reliability is increased through investment in smart manufacturing technology and resources. The integrated smart production maintenance model is formulated under general failure and repair time distributions and the optimal production maintenance policy is investigated under specific failure and repair time distributions. A mathematical model is developed to optimize the manufacturing quality-performance parameter, variable production rate, per unit technology investment and production lot size. The total cost function is optimized through the Khun–Tucker method. The mathematical model is also validated with numerical analysis, comparative study, and sensitivity analysis for model key parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical course after flow diversion (FD) treatment with a focus on aneurysms with remnant sac filling, by analyzing angiographic outcomes, aneurysm volume, and clinical events. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 61 patients who underwent FD for intracranial aneurysms between July 2014 and June 2021. The majority of aneurysms (52.5%) were located in the internal carotid artery, with a median diameter of 16.6 mm and neck size of 9.3 mm. Remnant filling was observed in 17 aneurysms (27.9%) more than 18 months after FD, 10 (16.4%) of these aneurysms underwent enlargement, which occurred only in cases with subtotal filling or entry remnant states. Eleven patients experienced major adverse events, and three exhibited unfavorable functional outcomes. The incidence of major adverse events and unfavorable functional outcomes was significantly higher in the aneurysm enlargement group than that in the no-filling or stable remnant filling groups (P < 0.001). Aneurysmal diameter and the presence of incorporated branches were independent predictors of aneurysm enlargement, while the presence of incorporated branches was the only independent predictor of persistent remnant filling. Aneurysm enlargement after FD is not uncommon, particularly when the aneurysm is large, has incorporated vessels, or does not undergo occlusion within 12 months, often culminating in major adverse events and unfavorable functional outcomes. In addition to investigating angiographic results, it is necessary to evaluate the changes in aneurysm size and clinical events when assessing the efficacy of FD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-lived particles have become a new frontier in the exploration of physics beyond the Standard Model. In this paper, we present the implementation of four types of long-lived particle searches, viz. displaced leptons, disappearing track, displaced vertex with either muons or with missing transverse energy, and heavy charged tracks. These four categories cover the signatures of a large range of physics models. We illustrate their potential for exclusion and discuss their mutual overlaps in mass-lifetime space for two simple phenomenological models involving either a U(1)-charged or a coloured scalar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a buyer's decision problem of sustainable supplier selection and order allocation (SSS & OA) among multiple heterogeneous suppliers who sell multiple types of items. The buyer periodically orders items from chosen suppliers to refill inventory to preset levels. Each supplier is differentiated from others by the types of items supplied, selling price, and order-related costs, such as transportation cost. Each supplier also has a preset requirement for minimum order quantity or minimum purchase amount. In the beginning of each period, the buyer constructs an SSS & OA plan considering various information from both parties. The buyer's planning problem is formulated as a mathematical model, and an efficient algorithm to solve larger instances of the problem is developed. The algorithm is designed to take advantage of the branch-and-bound method, and the special structure of the model. We perform computer experiments to test the accuracy of the proposed algorithm. The test result confirmed that the algorithm can find a near-optimal solution with only 0.82 percent deviation on average. We also observed that the use of the algorithm can increase solvable problem size by about 2.4 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]