Time reduction effect of the enhanced TACT method for high-rise residential buildings

The finish work on high-rise residential buildings is performed simultaneously with mechanical and electrical construction work, which results in frequent work interference and delay. This significantly hinders efficient schedule management. Critical Path Method (CPM) is inefficient when applied to high-rise residential building projects in which work is repeatedly carried out for each floor. Line-of-Balance (LOB) is widely used for its effectiveness in managing repetitive work. LOB was developed into TACT and eTACT (enhanced-TACT) to combine heterogeneous works con­tinuously. In particular, the eTACT schedule management method has an advantage in that it is capable of systemati­cally connecting detailed construction, mechanical and electrical construction projects using a work planning template. This study evaluates the time reduction effect of the eTACT method for a high-rise residential building. A comparative analysis of data on 102 cases of non-applied projects and 44 cases of projects using the eTACT method over a period of 10 years is presented to verify its effectiveness. The result shows that finish work time was reduced by 25% or about 53 days on average. First published online: 18 Dec 201

A Case of Asymptomatic Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I with Thymic Carcinoid

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an autosomal dominant hereditary disorder caused by germline mutation of the MEN1 gene. It is characterized by tumors of the anterior pituitary gland, parathyroid glands, and endocrine pancreas. Thymic carcinoid tumor is uncommon and associated with a high mortality, but its natural history has not been investigated yet. We report a case of asymptomatic MEN 1 with a thymic carcinoid tumor. A 37-year-old man underwent a routine medical checkup and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a duodenal neuroendocrine tumor (NET). Further studies showed the coexistence of pancreatic tumor, parathyroid hyperplasia, pituitary adenoma, and thymoma. The patient underwent duodenal endoscopic mucosal resection, distal pancreatectomy, subtotal parathyroidectomy, and thymectomy. The pathological test revealed a duodenal NET, pancreatic NET, parathyroid hyperplasia, and thymic carcinoid tumor. He was treated for MEN 1. We report this asymptomatic case of MEN 1 with a literature review

Effects of Spring Warming and Drought Events on the Autumn Growth of Larix kaempferi Seedlings

High temperatures and droughts following winter dormancy can negatively affect seedling growth and mortality. An open-field experiment was conducted to study the growth and mortality of Larix kaempferi seedlings in response to spring warming and drought treatments and to determine whether seedlings could regain their growth capability once the treatments were discontinued. In May 2020, 1-year-old seedlings were exposed to four treatments: control, warming-only, drought-only, and the combined warming and drought. Drought treatment reduced the seedling height and root collar diameter and increased the mortality rate. The combined warming and drought treatments had the highest mortality rates, followed by the drought, control, and warming treatments. However, after the cessation of the treatments, the combined warming and drought treatments increased seedling height, root collar diameter, and individual seedling biomass because the high mortality rate relaxed competition among seedlings. This suggests that the effects of low competition on the surviving seedlings may mitigate the negative effects of warming and drought on seedling growth. Our study demonstrates that despite the high mortality and decreased growth during the treatment period, seedlings subjected to combined high temperature and drought stress showed short-term high levels of growth compared to seedlings subjected to a single stress

Fully Integrated Low-Ripple Switched-Capacitor DC–DC Converter with Parallel Low-Dropout Regulator

In this paper, we propose a fully integrated switched-capacitor DC–DC converter with low ripple and fast transient response for portable low-power electronic devices. The proposed converter reduces the output ripple by filtering the control ripple via combining a low-dropout regulator with a main switched-capacitor DC–DC converter with a four-bit digital capacitance modulation control. In addition, the four-phase interleaved technique applied to the main converter reduces the switching ripple. The proposed converter provides an output voltage ranging from 1.2 to 1.5 V from a 3.3 V supply. Its peak efficiency reaches 73% with ripple voltages below 55 mV over the entire output power range. The transient response time for a load current variation from 100 μA to 50 mA is measured to be 800 ns. Importantly, the converter chip, which is fabricated using 0.13 μm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology, has a size of 2.04 mm2. We believe that our approach can contribute to advancements in power sources for applications such as wearable electronics and the Internet of Things

A 17.8–34.8 GHz (64.6%) Locking Range Current-Reuse Injection-Locked Frequency Multiplier with Dual Injection Technique

A 17.8–34.8 GHz (64.6%) locking range current-reuse injection-locked frequency multiplier (CR-ILFM) with dual injection technique is presented in this paper. A dual injection technique is applied to generate differential signal and increase the power of the second-order harmonic component. The CR core is proposed to reduce the power consumption and compatibility with NMOS and PMOS injectors. The inductor-capacitor (LC) tank of the proposed CR-ILFM is designed with a fourth-order resonator using a transformer with distributed inductor to extend the locking range. The self-oscillated frequency of the proposed CR-ILFM is 23.82 GHz. The output frequency locking range is 17.8–34.8 GHz (64.6%) at a 0-dBm injection power without any additional control including supply voltage, varactor, and capacitor bank. The power consumption of the proposed CR-ILFM is 7.48 mW from a 1-V supply voltage and the die size is 0.75 mm × 0.45 mm. The CR-ILFM is implemented in a 65-nm CMOS technology

A Case of Hemorrhage of an Esophageal Duplication Cyst Improved by Endoscopic Drainage

Esophageal duplication cyst is a rare congenital gastrointestinal malformation. It is the second most common duplication cyst following small bowel duplication cyst in the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with an esophageal duplication cyst are generally asymptomatic; however, some patients may present the following symptoms: dysphagia, chest pain, stridor, unproductive cough, and epigastric discomfort by compression of the surrounding structures. Surgical removal is the treatment of choice in symptomatic cases and can be considered in asymptomatic cases if they are at risk for developing complications, such as ulceration or perforation. Herein, we report a case of hemorrhage of an esophageal duplication cyst, which was improved by endoscopic drainage

Application of an Intraoperative Limb Positioner for Adjustable Traction in Both-Column Fractures of the Acetabulum: A Technical Note with Clinical Outcome

Traction of the ipsilateral leg is usually required to facilitate fracture reduction while operating both-column acetabular fractures. However, it is challenging to maintain constant traction manually during the operation. Herein, we surgically treated such injuries while maintaining traction using an intraoperative limb positioner and investigated the outcomes. This study included 19 patients with both-column acetabular fractures. Surgery was performed after the patient’s condition had stabilized, at an average of 10.4 days after injury. The Steinmann pin was transfixed to the distal femur and connected to a traction stirrup; subsequently, the construct was affixed to the limb positioner. A manual traction force was applied through the stirrup and maintained with the limb positioner. Using a modified Stoppa approach combined with the lateral window of the ilioinguinal approach, the fracture was reduced, and plates were applied. Primary union was achieved in all cases at an average of 17.3 weeks. The quality of reduction at the final follow-up was found to be excellent, good, and poor in 10, 8, and 1 patients, respectively. The average Merle d’Aubigné score at the final follow-up was 16.6. Surgical treatment of both-column acetabular fracture using intraoperative traction with a limb positioner yields satisfactory radiological and clinical outcomes