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Sloshing impact loads can cause severe structural damage to cargo tanks in liquefied natural gas floating production storage offloading units (LNG-FPSOs or FLNGs). Studies of sloshing can be classified into two types, namely, hydrodynamics-related and structural mechanics-related studies. This study is a sequel to the authors’ previous studies (Paik et al. 2015; Lee et al. 2015), but is more related to issues of structural mechanics. In this study, a new method for probabilistic sloshing assessment, which has been previously developed by the authors, is briefly explained. The nonlinear impact structural response characteristics under sloshing impact loads are examined by a nonlinear finite element ANSYS/LS-DYNA method. An iso-damage curve, representing a pressure-impulse diagram, is derived for the self-supporting prismatic-shape IMO B type LNG cargo containment system of a hypothetical FLNG. The insights developed from this work can be useful for the damage-tolerant design of cargo tanks in FLNGs.

Nondestructive measurement of tritium (T) content in solid materials is important for safe and cost-effective disposal of contaminated wastes, and beta-ray induced X-ray spectrometry (BIXS) has bee...

BACKGROUND Study aims to evaluate whether vancomycin dosing from published dosing algorithms correlate with the attainment of target troughs of 10 to 20 mg/L. METHODS NICU patients who received minimum three doses of vancomycin and had a trough level met inclusion criteria. Dosing information was retrospectively evaluated to determine which published dosing regimen was followed. Dosing algorithms used were matched to NeoFax/Harriet Lane, renal-function directed dosing, and weight-directed dosing, in which the latter two can be found in Pediatric and Neonatal Lexi-Drugs. Primary outcome was percentage of troughs within therapeutic (10 to 20 mg/L) and subtherapeutic (less than 10 mg/L) levels. RESULTS Of 97 troughs evaluated, NeoFax/Harriet Lane accounted for 86.6%, renal-function directed accounted for 5.1%, and weight-directed dosing accounted for 18.5% of dosing algorithms. NeoFax/Harriet Lane, renal-function directed, and weight-directed dosing attained therapeutic levels between 10 to 20 mg/L at a rate of 60.7%, 60%, and 50% of the time, respectively. With respect to initiation of therapy, a higher dose of 15 mg/kg versus 10 mg/kg attained therapeutic levels (p

Ultrafast manipulation of magnetism bears great potential for future information technologies. While demagnetization in ferromagnets is governed by the dissipation of angular momentum(1-3), materials with multiple spin sublattices, for example antiferromagnets, can allow direct angular momentum transfer between opposing spins, promising faster functionality. In lanthanides, 4f magnetic exchange is mediated indirectly through the conduction electrons(4) (the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction), and the effect of such conditions on direct spin transfer processes is largely unexplored. Here, we investigate ultrafast magnetization dynamics in 4f antiferromagnets and systematically vary the 4f occupation, thereby altering the magnitude of the RKKY coupling energy. By combining time-resolved soft X-ray diffraction with ab initio calculations, we find that the rate of direct transfer between opposing moments is directly determined by this coupling. Given the high sensitivity of RKKY to the conduction electrons, our results offer a useful approach for fine tuning the speed of magnetic devices. By exploring ultrafast magnetization in several compounds with similar crystal structures but different 4f magnetic elements, the authors show that the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction controls the spin dynamics.

A simple Smart Kitchen System implemented by using the Nuvoton Development Board describe in this paper. Smart Kitchen System divided into three subsystems, which are the gas leakage detection system, fire detection, and extinguishing system, an earthquake alert system. The MQ-2 gas sensor represents the gas leakage detection system, while an LM35 temperature sensor represents a fire detection and extinguishing system. MPU6050 motion tracking components represent an earthquake alert system. The Analog-to-Digital (ADC) conversion is compulsory if needed to interface the MQ-2 gas sensor and LM35 temperature sensor with Nuvoton Development Board. The study of I2C communication also mandatory as we need to interface MPU6050 motion tracking components with Nuvoton Development Board. 4 simulated conditions have been tested. All the requirements tested achieved 100% successful.

Tritium (T) distribution on the plasma-facing surfaces (PFSs) and inside castellation of Be limiter tiles from the JET tokamak with the ITER-like wall (ILW) was analyzed using imaging plate (IP) technique and β-ray induced X-ray spectrometry (BIXS). Regarding to PFSs, the outer poloidal limiter (OPL) showed significantly higher T concentrations than the inner wall guard limiter (IWGL) and upper dump plate (DP). The concentration of T on OPL was high at the central part. However, deuterium (D) and metallic impurities showed maximum concentration at the edges. This difference in distributions indicated different deposition and retention mechanisms between T and D. In contrast, deposition profiles of T concentrations on the castellated surfaces extended up to ∼ 5 mm into the gap, i.e. were similar to those of D and metallic impurities found by ion beam analysis.

Histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA) is a placental inflammation linked to preterm birth and adverse neonatal outcome. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can identify various inflammatory disorders, however its utility in HCA is not clear. Our goal was to examine NLR values and HCA diagnoses in at-risk pregnancies and neonates.We retrospectively analyzed the EHR of mothers and preterm (33 wk GA) neonates with or without HCA (identified by placental histology). The NLR was calculated from complete blood counts in laboring women and in their neonates (0-24 h of life).In 712 consecutive gestations, 50.8% had HCA (26.5% fetal HCA). The neonatal NLR (0-12 h, 13-24 h) predicted fetal HCA better than chance alone (p = 0.01 and 0.002, respectively).Early NLR elevation in preterm neonates is consistent with a diagnosis of fetal HCA. The NLR may identify preterm neonates at risk for HCA-related complications.

Tritium (T) distributions on tungsten (W)-coated plasma-facing tiles used in the third ITER-like wall campaign (2015–2016) of the Joint European Torus (JET) were examined by means of an imaging plate technique and β-ray induced x-ray spectrometry, and they were compared with the distributions after the second (2013–2014) campaign. Strong enrichment of T in beryllium (Be) deposition layers was observed after the second campaign. In contrast, T distributions after the third campaign was more uniform though Be deposition layers were visually recognized. The one of the possible explanations is enhanced desorption of T from Be deposition layers due to higher tile temperatures caused by higher energy input in the third campaign.

This research was conducted to find out the effect of soil organic matter (SOM) on the seasonal changes of leaf mineral content, fruit quality attributes, and soil chemical properties in 'Gamhong'/M.9 apple orchard. Leaf, soil, and fruit samples were collected over a period of three years (2014-2016) from 60 'Gamhong'/M.9 apple orchards in Yeongju and Mungyeong areas of Korea. Leaf samples were collected every month from the middle of the shoot from May to August, and the rhizosphere soil samples were collected in July. Based on the SOM content, the samples were grouped into five different categories. There were no significant differences between the ranges of SOM content in terms of fruit quality attributes. However, positive correlation (r=0.51**) was observed between SOM and soil available phosphate content. In addition, leaf phosphorous (P) from May to July was observed to be affected by SOM content. In conclusion, long time over-application of livestock manure can lead to soil phosphate accumulation and high phosphorus uptake by apple trees.

Aim To determine compensatory enlargement and luminal reduction of coronary arteries during the progression of atherosclerosis with serial coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) by using volumetric measurements. To date, the impact of coronary plaque progression on temporal remodeling, as opposed to the static remodeling, has only been studied with invasive imaging modalities and primarily two-dimensional areas rather than three-dimensional volumes. Methods In total, 1,245 patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) at 13 sites (61±9 years, 39% women) underwent serial CCTA with interscan interval of ≥2 years. The primary objective was to assess volumetric temporal remodeling, defined as the linear association between the change in coronary plaque, lumen and vessel volume at follow-up CCTA on a per-segment level. Temporal remodeling was determined in strata of low and high baseline plaque burden as well as different coronary segments at baseline. Linear regression analysis and Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to assess associations. Results Amongst 1,245 patients with 19,920 segments, the median interscan interval was 3.3 (IQR 2.6–4.8) years. For each 1 mm3 increase in plaque volume, the increase in vessel volume was 0.72 mm3 and the decrease in lumen volume was 0.28 mm3 (Figure 1, both p Figure 1. Volumetric temporal remodeling Conclusion In general, coronary plaque grows approximately 70% outward and 30% into the coronary lumen during the progression of atherosclerosis. Volumetric temporal remodeling is not limited by baseline plaque burden, but is potentially dependent on its location within the coronary artery tree. Acknowledgement/Funding NRF of Korea (Grant No. 2012027176); Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging and Michael J. Wolk Foundation

This study aimed to analyze the use of the revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) assessed after hypomethylating treatment (HMT) for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) undergoing an allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Among 115 patients who received pre-SCT HMT, comparison analysis of the prognostic values between the IPSS-R at the time of HMT (IPSS-R@HMT) and at the time of SCT after HMT (IPSS-R@SCT) showed a significantly higher predictive power for overall survival (OS) of the latter. Alteration in IPSS-R risk occurred in 60%, while the patients with 'down-staged' IPSS-R@SCT showed better OS compared with those with 'unchanged' or 'up-staged' risk. On multivariate analysis in all 201 patients, IPSS-R@SCT, monosomal karyotype, treatment failure to pre-SCT treatment, and high hematopoietic cell transplantation-comorbidity index were independently associated with OS. Constructed using these factors, the MDS Transplantation Prognostic Scoring System (MTPSS) identified four risk groups with 4-year OS of 76.4% in low, 61.4% in intermediate-1 and 21.9% in intermediate-2 risk groups, whereas all in the high risk group died within 2 years after SCT (P

In the present study, successive exposure to tritium gas and deuterium gas was performed at elevated temperatures for tungsten samples with irradiation defects created by helium ion irradiation to investigate the effects of hydrogen isotope exchange on tritium removal. It was found that, under the present heating conditions, heating treatment in deuterium gas was more effective for tritium removal than heating in a vacuum. In addition, heating in deuterium gas was effective to remove tritium retained in a deep region of sample comparing to the case of heating in a vacuum. The enhanced tritium release was explained by enhanced tritium detrapping due to trap occupation by deuterium and/or the increase in probability of surface recombination under deuterium gas exposure.

AIM To explore the involvement of TLR5 in pulp inflammation and to examine the effects of TLR5 activation with its ligand, FlaB protein, on pro-inflammatory gene expression. METHODOLOGY TLR5 expression in dental pulp tissues and human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) were determined by immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, Western blots and RT-PCR analyses. To examine the role of TLR5, hDPCs were treated with recombinant FlaB protein (500 ng mL-1 ) to activate the receptor or with a small interfering RNA against TLR5 (si-TLR5) to downregulate the receptor. After exposure to FlaB, the expression of inflammation-related proteins was screened using a protein array kit. Western blots or qRT-PCR analyses were performed to identify changes in the expression of uPA (urokinase plasminogen activator), TIMPs (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases), and IL-6 and to determine their signalling pathways. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (anova) with Tukey post hoc test; P

Sloshing impact loads can cause severe structural damage to cargo tanks in liquefied natural gas floating production storage offloading units (LNG-FPSOs or FLNGs). Studies of sloshing can be classified into two types, namely, hydrodynamics-related and structural mechanics-related studies. This study is a sequel to the authors’ previous studies (Paik et al. 2015; Lee et al. 2015), but is more related to issues of structural mechanics. In this study, a new method for probabilistic sloshing assessment, which has been previously developed by the authors, is briefly explained. The nonlinear impact structural response characteristics under sloshing impact loads are examined by a nonlinear finite element ANSYS/LS-DYNA method. An iso-damage curve, representing a pressure-impulse diagram, is derived for the self-supporting prismatic-shape IMO B type LNG cargo containment system of a hypothetical FLNG. The insights developed from this work can be useful for the damage-tolerant design of cargo tanks in FLNGs.

This study has been conducted to analyse the domestic trends of non-CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbon) insulation materials and the thermal characteristics of carbon dioxide-foamed insulation materials. With a growing interest in low-energy building, the insulation market has developed towards high performance insulation materials. Under the Montreal Protocol to phase out the use and production of CFCs, the extruded polystyrene insulation materials have to replace Hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) with other foaming agents, for example, carbon dioxides. This study also analysed the correlation of cell size, void fraction and thermal conductivity through literature review. As a result, the thermal conductivity was found to be decreased with a higher void fraction and smaller cell size if the cell size of CO2-foamed extruded polystyrene becomes under 100 µm.

Lately, constructions of large and high-rise buildings are steadily increasing, and various building envelope systems were developed in accordance with this trend. However, insulation methods applied to the building envelope may cause interior condensation, energy loss and discoloration of walls. In this study, ventilated insulation system was applied simultaneously considering conduction, convection and radiation of heat. This research performed a field experiment to evaluate insulating performance comparing ventilated insulation system with non-ventilated insulation system.

Cortical circuits are profoundly shaped by experience during postnatal development. The consequences of altered vision during the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity have been extensively studied in rodent primary visual cortex (V1). However, little is known about how eye opening, a naturally occurring event, influences the maturation of cortical microcircuits. Here we used a combination of slice electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry in rat V1 to ask whether manipulating the time of eye opening for 3 or 7 d affects cortical excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission onto excitatory neurons uniformly across layers or induces laminar-specific effects. We report that binocular delayed eye opening for 3 d showed similar reductions of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in layers 2/3, 4, and 5. Synaptic transmission recovered to age-matched control levels if the delay was prolonged to 7 d, suggesting that these changes were dependent on binocular delay duration. Conversely, laminar-specific and long-lasting effects were observed if eye opening was delayed unilaterally. Our data indicate that pyramidal neurons located in different cortical laminae have distinct sensitivity to altered sensory drive; our data also strongly suggest that experience plays a fundamental role in not only the maturation of synaptic transmission, but also its coordination across cortical layers.

Spatially distributed sediment delivery (SEDD) models are of great interest in estimating the expected effect of changes on soil erosion and sediment yield. However, they can only be applied if the model can be calibrated using observed data. This paper presents a geographic information system (GIS)-based method to calculate the sediment discharge from basins to coastal areas. For this, an SEDD model, with a sediment rating curve method based on observed data, is proposed and validated. The model proposed here has been developed using the combined application of the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) and a spatially distributed sediment delivery ratio, within Model Builder of ArcGIS's software. The model focuses on spatial variability and is useful for estimating the spatial patterns of soil loss and sediment discharge. The model consists of two modules, a soil erosion prediction component and a sediment delivery model. The integrated approach allows for relatively practical and cost-effective estimation of spatially distributed soil erosion and sediment delivery, for gauged or ungauged basins. This paper provides the first attempt at estimating sediment delivery ratio based on observed data in the monsoon region of Korea.

Previous abdominal surgery is the most common cause of mechanical small bowel obstruction. However, in patients with no history of abdominal surgery, the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical small bowel obstruction is difficult. A persistent omphalomesenteric duct remnant is a rare finding that typically presents in the pediatric population and is extremely rare in patients aged > 60 years. In the present report, we describe the case of an omphalomesenteric duct cyst causing small bowel obstruction in a 69-year-old man with no history of a surgical procedure.

We thank the KEKB group for the excellent operation of the accelerator, the KEK cryogenics group for the efficient operation of the solenoid, and the KEK computer group and the National Institute of Informatics for valuable computing and SINET4 network support. We acknowledge support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, the Japan Society for the promotion of Science (JSPS), and the Tau-Lepton Physics Research Center of Nagoya University; the Australian Research Council and the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation, Science and Research; the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos. 10575109, 10775142, 10875115 and 10825524; the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic under contract Nos. LA10033 and MSM0021620859; the Department of Science and Technology of India; the BK21 and WCU program of the Ministry Education Science and Technology, National Research Foundation of Korea, and NSDC of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information; the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education; the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the Russian Federal Agency for Atomic Energy; the Slovenian Research Agency; the Swiss National Science Foundation; the National Science Council and the Ministry of Education of Taiwan; and the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. This work is supported by a Grant-in-Aid from MEXT for Science Research in a Priority Area ("New Development of Flavor Physics"), and from JSPS for Creative Scientific Research ("Evolution of Taulepton Physics").

International audience; Primary cosmic-ray elemental spectra have been measured with the balloon-borne Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass (CREAM) experiment since 2004. The third CREAM payload (CREAM-III) flew for 29 days during the 2007–2008 Antarctic season. Energies of incident particles above 1 TeV are measured with a calorimeter. Individual elements are clearly separated with a charge resolution of ∼0.12 e (in charge units) and ∼0.14 e for protons and helium nuclei, respectively, using two layers of silicon charge detectors. The measured proton and helium energy spectra at the top of the atmosphere are harder than other existing measurements at a few tens of GeV. The relative abundance of protons to helium nuclei is 9.53 ± 0.03 for the range of 1 TeV/n to 63 TeV/n. This ratio is considerably smaller than other measurements at a few tens of GeV/n. The spectra become softer above ∼20 TeV. However, our statistical uncertainties are large at these energies and more data are needed.

Goals: Accurate assessment of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) of invasive breast cancer with Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) & Silver in situ hybridization(SISH) is very important to decide treatment of targeted therapy with the humanized monoclonal antibody trastuzumab and the dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib. The accuracy of these three testing methods can be adversely affected by various factors. We performed a retrospective analysis of the concordance of IHC and FISH & SISH analysis for HER2/neu at Donga-A Medical Center and reviewed possible causes of disparity between these two methods. Methods: We performed retrospective review of a total of 416 invasive ductal carcinomas evaluated for HER2/neu at the Department of Surgery in Dong-A Medical Center between 2005 and 2011. We reviewed this data retrospectively and evaluated the concordance between IHC and FISH & SISH. Results: Comparison of the routinely assessed immunohistochemical HER2 status and FISH & SISH revealed that ten invasive carcinomas diagnosed immunohistochemically as highly overexpressed (score 3+) did not show amplification of the HER2 gene by FISH n that these are false positives (SISH: false positive: 7 cases). Eight invasive carcinomas diagnosed immunohistochemically as Negatively expressed (score 0) showed amplification of the HER2 gene by SISH on that these are false negative. Fourteen tumor, which scored as 2+ by IHC, was proven to be amplified on initial testing with FISH (SISH: 6 cases). Concordance between IHC and FISH analysis was good (171/181= 94.5%) (false positive: 5.5%) (SISH: 228/235=97.0%, false positive 3.4%, false negative 2.9%) and within the published range. Conclusion: IHC as first-line testing for HER2 may result in false positive and false negative results. The novel ASCO/CAP criteria for the immunohistochemical evaluation of the HER2 status may prevent some false positive results. The discordant cases between IHC and FISH & SISH represent a well-recognized subset of genetic heterogeneity in HER2/neu, which is known to contribute to positive IHC and negative FISH & SISH tests. The most powerful method for studying HER2 status is ISH. However, in heterogeneous carcinomas even FISH may not succeed in a correct evaluation of HER2. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD02-06.

Keywords: antimicrobial, gold nanoparticles, cytotoxicity, green synthesis, tyrosinaseSynopsisThere has been a tenacious search for pharmaceuticals of naturalorigin, as they are cost-effective and are noted for having little orno side effects. The rate at which diseases are developing resistanceto synthetic drugs is quite alarming, and the side effects of thesedrugs remain an excruciating agony to the pharmaceutical indus-try. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have wide applications in currenttechnology. However, their use in medicine has not been ade-quately explored. Chemical methods for the synthesis are associatedwith environmental benignity and tissue toxicity on in vivo admin-istration. For the first time, we have synthesized AuNPs from leafextracts of Teraxacum officinale that were found to have significantanti-melanoma, tyrosinase inhibitory and anti-microbial effects,and hence stand as promising candidates for use in cosmetics medi-cal and food industries.IntroductionGold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have potential application in manyfields such as catalysis, drug delivery systems and biosensors. Theyare capable of delivering large biomolecules such as nucleic acidsand proteins, thereby providing a non-toxic route for drug andgene delivery [1]. Besides their medical and pharmacological appli-cations, they are widely applied in products that readily come intocontact with the human body, such as cosmetics and detergents.Hence, the demand for large-scale production is essential. Chemicalmethods for the synthesis of AuNPs are quite expensive and havebeen implicated in environmental toxicity [2]. This makes bio-basedprotocols the preferred alternatives for synthesis, as they are cost-effective and eco-friendly [3]. Biosynthetic methods employ the useof microbial broth or plant extracts (green synthesis). However, thegreen synthesis method, although unexplored, could be advanta-geous over other environmentally benign processes [4]. Because oftheir application in cosmetic products, it is pertinent to investigatetheir anti-melanoma, tyrosinase inhibitory and anti-microbialactivities. About 160 000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosedannually worldwide, and when culminated by microbial infections,it causes the majority (75%) of deaths related to skin cancer.Tyrosinase is an important enzyme responsible for pigmenta-tion in mammals because of its critical role in melanin biosynthe-sis. Excess production of melanin has been implicated inhyperpigmentation or darkening of the skin and this can be pre-vented by controlling the activity of tyrosinase [5]. Many syn-thetic bleaching chemicals and tyrosinase inhibitors have beenassociated with adverse side effects. Hence, the development ofagents for bleaching-off hyper-pigmented lesions, with little or noside effects, of natural origin, cost-effective, as well as being anti-melanoma and anti-microbial is of tremendous interest to thecosmetic industry. For the first time, we report the synthesis ofAuNPs from the leaf extract of Teraxacum officinale and evaluationof their anti-melanoma, tyrosinase inhibitory and anti-microbialactivities.Materials and methodsChemicals and reagentsMushroom tyrosinase, Kojic acid, Gold (III) chloride trihydrate andDulbecco‘s Modified Eagle Medium were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, Seoul, South Korea. B16/F10 mouse melanoma cell linewas obtained from cytogenetic laboratory, Dongguk University.Mueller-Hinton and potato dextrose agar were purchased from DIF-CO Laboratories, MI, U.S.A.MethodsExtraction of leavesTo 10 g of leaf powder, 100 mL of distilled water was added andheated for 15 min at 40 C. The mixture was then filtered and cen-trifuged at 10 · g for 5 min.Synthesis and analysis of AuNPsTo 5 mL of the plant supernatant, 95 mL of chloroaurate ions wasadded and heated at 70 C for 10 min, and the formation of AuNPswas analysed using UV-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier trans-form infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.To 1 mL of the AuNP solution, 5 mL of distilled water wasadded and the UV-Vis spectrum was analysed using UV-2450(Shimadzu Rydalmere, NSW, Australia) spectrophotometer. FTIRmeasurements of T. officinale leaf extracts and the synthesized AuN-Ps were carried out on a TENSOR 37 Bruker model FTIR spectro-photometer in the diffuse reflectance mode. Small amounts of thesample were placed on a carbon-coated grid and allowed to dry

We developed a simple and efficient method to load Pt nanoparticles (NPs) uniformly on defects generated in multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs) without using reduction agents or organic reagents. Defects on the surfaces of MWCNTs were artificially generated by microwave treatment at various exposure times. Nucleation of Pt NPs occurs on the defect sites spontaneously due to an innate electropotential difference. Because of the correlation between defects and Pt NPs, we were able to control the size of Pt NPs by changing defect size, quantity and distribution, which was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and TEM. After microwave treatment for 3 min, more uniform and smaller Pt NPs were observed. Also, the defects via microwave treatment make adhesion of Pt NPs stronger, which can be helpful to improve the reliability for applications. Finally, the methanol oxidation behavior of MWCNTs with Pt NPs was examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV).

It is well known that there are several non-equivalent types of prime near-rings which are all equivalent in the case of associative rings. In this paper we introduce various characterizations of prime modules in a zero-symmetric near-ring R. The connection of a prime R-ideal P of a module M and the ideal (P:M) of the near-ring R is also investigated.

We report results from a study of the charmed double strange baryons Ωc 0 and Ωc * 0 at Belle. The Ωc 0 is reconstructed using the Ωc 0 → Ω- π+ decay mode, and its mass is measured to be (2693.6 ± 0.3-1.5 +1.8) MeV / c2. The Ωc * 0 baryon is reconstructed in the Ωc 0 γ mode. The mass difference MΩc* 0 - MΩc0 is measured to be (70.7 ± 0.9-0.9 +0.1) MeV / c2. The analysis is performed using 673 fb-1 of data on and near the Υ{hooked} (4 S) collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+ e- collider. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polyurethane (PU) nanocomposites reinforced with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and/or dielectric barium titanate nanoparticles fabricated by the surface-initiated-polymerization approach were investigated. The polymer matrix incorporated with different nanoparticles shows different presenting status surrounding the nanoparticles, i.e., chemical bonding, physical entanglement and bulk polymer chain. The nanoparticles have a different effect on the thermal stability of the polymer nanocomposites. By embedding different functional nanoparticles, unique physical properties were observed, such as enlarged coercivity and larger dielectric constant (real permittivity). The synergistic effect of the binary nanoparticle reinforced PU nanocomposite was explored. The addition of the iron oxide nanoparticles does have some effect on the permittivity. However, little difference was observed in the magnetic properties and permeability after the introduction of the dielectric barium titanate nanoparticle into Fe 2 O 3 /PU nanocomposites. The permeability and permittivity of γ-Fe 2 O 3 and BaTiO 3 nanoparticle reinforced PU nanocomposites were investigated with frequencies ranging from 10 MHz to 1 GHz. The predicted microwave properties from Bruggeman’s equation were consistent with the measured data, except for the real permittivity of Fe 2 O 3 /BaTiO 3 /PU. The volume average method (VAM) usually used for fiber-reinforced composites with reinforcements in the thickness direction was applied in this nanocomposite system. The predicted real permittivity by VAM was found to be in better agreement with the measured data than that predicted by Bruggeman’s equation.

We measure the CP-violating asymmetries in decays to the D0 → K+ K- and D0 → π+ π- CP eigenstates using 540 fb-1 of data collected with the Belle detector at or near the Υ{hooked} (4 S) resonance. Cabibbo-favored D0 → K- π+ decays are used to correct for systematic detector effects. The results, ACP K K = (- 0.43 ± 0.30 ± 0.11) % and ACP π π = (+ 0.43 ± 0.52 ± 0.12) %, are consistent with no CP violation. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cells can sense mechanical force in regulating focal adhesion assembly. One vivid example is the force-induced recruitment of vinculin to reinforce initial contacts between a cell and the extracellular matrix. Crystal structures of the unbound proteins and bound complex between the vinculin head subdomain (Vh1) and the talin vinculin binding site 1 (VBS1) indicate that vinculin undergoes a conformational change upon binding to talin. However, the molecular basis for this event and the precise nature of the binding pathway remain elusive. In this article, molecular dynamics is used to investigate the binding mechanism of Vh1 and VBS1 under minimal constraints to facilitate binding. One simulation demonstrates binding of the two molecules in the complete absence of external force. VBS1 makes early hydrophobic contact with Vh1 by positioning the critical hydrophobic residues (L608, L615, and L622) in the groove formed by helices 1 and 2 of Vh1. The solvent-exposed hydrophobic residues (V619 and L623) then gradually penetrate the hydrophobic core of Vh1, thus further separating helix 1 from helix 2. These critical residues are highly conserved as large hydrophobic side groups in other vinculin binding sites; studies also have demonstrated that these residues are essential in Vh1-VBS1 binding. Similar binding mechanisms are also demonstrated in separate molecular dynamics simulations of Vh1 binding to other vinculin binding sites both in talin and α-actinin.

We report on a search for the lepton flavor violating τ−→μ−γ and τ−→e−γ decays based on 535 fb−1 of data accumulated at the Belle experiment. No signal is found and we set 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching ratios B(τ−→μ−γ)

We have searched for neutrinoless τ lepton decays into l and V0, where l stands for an electron or muon, and V0 for a vector meson (φ{symbol}, ω, K* 0, over(K, )* 0 or ρ0), using 543 fb-1 of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+ e- collider. No excess of signal events over the expected background has been observed, and we set upper limits on the branching fractions in the range (5.9 - 18) × 10-8 at the 90% confidence level. These upper limits are significantly more restrictive than our previous results for the lφ{symbol}, l K* 0, l over(K, )* 0 and l ρ0 modes. © 2008 Elsevier B.V.

We study the characteristics of the low mass p (p) over bar enhancements near threshold in the three-body decays B+ -> p (p) over barK(+) and B+ -> p (p) over bar pi(+). We observe that the proton polar angle distributions in the p (p) over bar helicity frame in the two decays have the opposite polarity, and measure the forward-backward asymmetries as a function of the p mass for the p (p) over barK(+) mode. We also search for the intermediate two-body decays, B+ -> (p) over bar Delta(++) and B+ -> p (Delta) over bar (0), and set upper limits on their branching fractions. These results are obtained from a 414 fb(-1) data sample that contains 449 x 10(6) B (B) over bar events collected near the Gamma(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background Bacterial flagellin, a Toll-like receptor 5 agonist, is used as an adjuvant for immunomodulation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect and its mechanism following intralymphatic administration of OVA-flagellin (FlaB) mixture in the mouse model of allergic rhinitis. Materials and Methods BALB/c mice were sensitized with OVA and treated with an OVA-FlaB mixture via intranasal, sublingual, and intralymphatic routes to evaluate the effect of each treatment. Several parameters for allergic inflammation and its underlying mechanisms were then evaluated. Results Intralymphatic injection of the OVA-FlaB mixture reduced symptom scores, eosinophil infiltration in the nasal mucosa, and total and OVA-specific IgE levels more significantly than intranasal and sublingual administration. Systemic cytokine (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-17, and IFN-γ) production and local cytokine (IL-4 and IL-5) production were also reduced significantly after intralymphatic injection with OVA-FlaB. Double intralymphatic injection of the mixture was more effective than single injection. Moreover, the expression of innate cytokines such as IL-25 and IL-33 in nasal epithelial cells was reduced, and the expression of chemokines such as CCL24 (eotaxin-2), CXCL1, and CXCL2 was decreased in the nasal mucosa, suggesting the underlying mechanism for intralymphatic administration of the OVA-FlaB mixture. Conclusion Intralymphatic administration of an OVA-FlaB mixture was more effective in alleviating allergic inflammation than intranasal and sublingual administration in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis. This effect may be attributed to the reduced expression of innate cytokines and chemokines. This treatment modality can be considered as a new therapeutic method and agent.

Background: Asthma in the elderly (aged 65years old) is a significant concern with high morbidity, but the pathophysiology remains unclear particularly in late-onset asthma. Recent studies suggest staphylococcal enterotoxin IgE (SE-IgE) sensitization to be a risk factor for asthma in general populations; however, the associations have not been examined in late-onset elderly asthma. Objective: We aimed to examine the associations of SE-IgE sensitization with late-onset asthma in the elderly, using a database of elderly asthma cohort study. Methods: A total of 249 elderly patients with asthma and 98 controls were analysed. At baseline, patients were assessed for demographics, atopy, induced sputum profiles and comorbidities including chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Serum total IgE and SE-IgE levels were measured. Asthma severity was assessed on the basis of asthma outcomes during a 12-month follow-up period. Results: At baseline, serum SE-IgE concentrations were significantly higher in patients with asthma than in controls [median 0.16 (interquartile range 0.04-0.53) vs. 0.10 (0.01-0.19), P

Seasoned beef called Jangzorim in Korea is produced by boiling in soy sauce, and is a popular food in Korea. The aim of this study is to evaluate the microbial safety and physical qualities of sous vide processed seasoned beef, and the effect of nisin during storage. Sous vide processed packages with or without nisin (100 IU or 500 IU) were stored at 4 °C or 25 °C for 60 days, and samples measured for quality at regular intervals throughout this storage period. In the case of 25 °C storage, the number of mesophilic microorganisms in seasoned beef packages without nisin increased markedly, but with nisin there was no observed increase. Psychrotrophic microorganisms, anaerobic microorganisms, and B. cereus cells showed similar trends, although C. perfringens was not detected in all samples. At 25 °C storage, changes in the cutting force of packages containing nisin showed no significant change, packages without nisin decreased markedly. The colour of packages without nisin showed a drastic decrease in lightness (‘L’) while no changes were observed in packages with nisin.

The angular distributions of the baryon-antibaryon low-mass enhancements seen in the charmless three-body baryonic B decays B+ -> p pbar K+, B0 -> p pbar Ks, and B0 -> p Lambdabar pi- are reported. A quark fragmentation interpretation is supported, while the gluonic resonance picture is disfavored. Searches for the Theta+ and Theta++ pentaquarks in the relevant decay modes and possible glueball states G with 2.2 GeV/c2 < M-ppbar < 2.4 GeV/c2 in the ppbar systems give null results. We set upper limits on the products of branching fractions, B(B0 -> Theta+ p)\times B(Theta+ -> p Ks) < 2.3 \times 10^{-7}, B(B+ -> Theta++ pbar) \times B(Theta++ -> p K+) < 9.1 \times 10^{-8}, and B(B+ -> G K+) \times B(G -> p pbar) < 4.1 \times 10^{-7} at the 90% confidence level. The analysis is based on a 140 fb^{-1} data sample recorded on the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider., 14 pages, 13 figure files, update of hep-ex/0409010 for journal submisssion

We present spectra of prompt electrons from decays of neutral and charged B mesons. The results are based on 140 fb −1 of data collected by the Belle detector on the ϒ ( 4 S ) resonance at the KEKB e + e − asymmetric collider. We tag ϒ ( 4 S ) → B B ¯ events by reconstructing a B meson in one of several hadronic decay modes; the semileptonic decay of the other B meson is inferred from the presence of an identified electron. We obtain for charged and neutral B mesons the partial rates of semileptonic decay, to electrons with momentum greater than 0.6 GeV / c in the B rest frame, and their ratio b + / b 0 = 1.08 ± 0.05 ± 0.02 , where the first and second errors are statistical and systematic, respectively.

We have measured π + π − and K + K − production in two-photon collisions using 87.7 fb −1 of data collected with the Belle detector at the asymmetric energy e + e − collider KEKB. The cross sections are measured to high precision in the two-photon center-of-mass energy ( W ) range between 2.4 GeV W 4.1 GeV and angular region | cos θ ∗ | 0.6 . The cross section ratio σ ( γ γ → K + K − ) / σ ( γ γ → π + π − ) is measured to be 0.89 ± 0.04 ( stat. ) ± 0.15 ( syst. ) in the range of 3.0 GeV W 4.1 GeV , where the ratio is energy-independent. We observe a sin −4 θ ∗ behavior of the cross section in the same W range. Production of χ c 0 and χ c 2 mesons is observed in both γ γ → π + π − and γ γ → K + K − modes.

We have searched for the lepton-flavor-violating decay τ → e γ using a data sample of 86.7 fb−1 collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric e + e − collider. No evidence for a signal is obtained, and we set an upper limit for the branching fraction B ( τ → e γ ) 3.9 × 10 −7 at the 90% C.L.

We report measurements of radiative B decays with K η γ final states, using a data sample of 253 fb −1 recorded at the ϒ ( 4 S ) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB e + e − storage ring. We observe B + → K + η γ for the first time with a branching fraction of ( 8.4 ± 1.5 (stat) −0.9 +1.2 (syst) ) × 10 −6 for M K η 2.4 GeV / c 2 , and find evidence of B 0 → K 0 η γ . We also search for B → K 3 ∗ ( 1780 ) γ .

Mutations at the PKD1 locus account for 85% of cases of the common genetic disorder called autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Screening for mutations of the PKD1 gene is complicated by the genomic structure of the 5'-duplicated region encoding 75% of the gene. To date, more than 90 mutations of the PKD1 gene have been reported in the European and American populations, and relatively little information is available concerning the pattern of mutations present in the Asian populations. We looked for mutations of the PKD1 gene in 51 unrelated Korean ADPKD patients, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primer pairs located in the 3' single-copy region of the PKD1 gene and by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. We found three novel mutations, a G to A substitution at nucleotide 11012 (G3601S), a C to A substitution at nucleotide 11312 (Q3701X), and a C to T substitution at nucleotide 12971 (P4254S), and a single polymorphism involving a G to C substitution at nucleotide 11470 (L3753L). These mutations were not found in control individuals, and no other mutations in the 3' single-copy region of the PKD1 gene of patients with these mutations were observed. In particular, P4254S segregated with the disease phenotype. The clinical data of affected individuals from this study, and of previously reported Korean PKD1 mutations, showed that patients with frameshift or nonsense mutations were more prone to develop end-stage renal failure than those with missense mutations. Our findings indicate that many different PKD1 mutations are likely to be responsible for ADPKD in the Korean population, as in the Western population.

We studied the ferroelectric properties and current conduction characteristics of (Bi,La) 4 Ti 3 O 12 (BLT) thin films. Random oriented BLT thin films were prepared on Pt/IrO x /Ir structure by MOD (metal-organic decomposition), and crystallized by RTA (rapid thermal annealing) and the subsequent furnace annealing process. The swichable polarization polarization (P*-Pˆ) and coercive voltage (2Vc) of BLT thin films were 20.1 w C/cm 2 and 1.8V at 3V driving voltage. The leakage current density (J L ) with bias polarity was 4.0E-7 A/cm 2 under positive and 9.7E-7 A/cm 2 under negative, respectively. The leakage current characteristics of BLT films on Pt/IrO x /Ir electrode were controlled by the modified Schottky emission, because the field emission of BLT capacitors are quite dependent upon temperature and the measured data are well straightly fitted in log(J/E) vs E 1/2 plots. This result is shown to combine interface and bulk controlled conduction properties. The barrier height ( | B ) of the Pt/BLT/Pt wa...

The Resistive Plate Chambers [M. Abbrescia, et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 550 (2005) 116] are used in the CMS experiment [CMS Collaboration, The CMS experiment at the CERN LHC 2008, J. Inst. 3 (2008) S08004] as a dedicated muon trigger both in barrel and endcap system. About 4000m2 of double gap RPCs have been produced and have been installed in the experiment since more than one and half Years. The full barrel system and a fraction of the endcaps have been monitored to study dark current behaviour and system stability, and have been extensively commissioned with Cosmic Rays collected by the full CMS experiment.