Compressive performance of 50 MPa strength concrete-filled square and circular tube (CFT) columns using recycled aggregate

[EN] Recycled aggregate is an environmentally self-sustainable solution that can reduce construction waste and replace natural aggregates. However, there is a disadvantage in concrete such as initial strength drop and long-term strength development. Therefore, the interaction effect of the two materials can be expected by filling the cyclic aggregate concrete in the CFT column. In order to develop a concrete with compressive strength of 50 MPa as a recycled aggregate, we carried out a mixing experiment and fabricated 18 specimens to confirm the compressive behavior of a RCFT (Recycled Concrete Filled Tube) column that can be applied to actual buildings. Variable is the shape and thickness of steel pipe, concrete strength and mixing ratio, and coarse aggregate and fine aggregate are all used as recycled aggregate. The optimum mixing ratio for recycled aggregate concrete to be filled in the CFT filled steel pipe was found through three concrete preliminary mixing experiments. In addition, the compression test of the RCFT column was carried out to observe and analyze the buckling shape of the CFT column. Based on the analysis of the buckling configuration and the experimental data, the load-displacement curves of the specimens were drawn and the compressive behavior was analyzed.Choi, S.; Choi, WH.; Lee, K.; Ryoo, J.; Kim, S.; Park, Y. (2018). Compressive performance of 50 MPa strength concrete-filled square and circular tube (CFT) columns using recycled aggregate. En Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Advances in Steel-Concrete Composite Structures. ASCCS 2018. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 305-313. https://doi.org/10.4995/ASCCS2018.2018.7021OCS30531

Performance Analysis On A Variable Capacity Swash Plate Compressor

A numerical study on the performance of a variable capacity swash plate compressor for an automotive air-conditioning system was carried out. The compressor under investigation had six cylinders and capacity regulation was made by changing the swash plate inclination angle. A numerical simulation program was made based on mathematical modelings on the swash plate dynamics, refrigerant states in various control volumes such as cylinders and crank room, and flows in the opening passages of electric control valve for crank room pressure control. The simulation results such as mass flow rate, compressor power consumption, cooling capacity and COP were compared with measurements within ±5% deviation over various operating conditions except at low operating speed such as idling condition. By using the simulation program, the effect of the crank room pressure on the swash plate inclination angle and the determination of the crank room pressure level by the electric control valve openings could be investigated

PharmaKoVariome database for supporting genetic testing

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) provides information about routine precision medicine, based on the patient's genotype. However, many of the available information about human allele frequencies, and about clinical drug-gene interactions, is based on American and European populations. PharmaKoVariome database was constructed to support genetic testing for safe prescription and drug development. It consolidated and stored 2507 diseases, 11 459 drugs and 61 627 drug-target or druggable genes from public databases. PharmaKoVariome precomputed ethnic-specific abundant variants for approximately 120 M single-nucleotide variants of drug-target or druggable genes. A user can search by gene symbol, drug name, disease and reference SNP ID number (rslD) to statistically analyse the frequency of ethnical variations, such as odds ratio and P-values for related genes. In an example study, we observed five Korean-enriched variants in the CYP2B6 and CYP2D6 genes, one of which (rs1065852) is known to be incapable of metabolizing drug. It is also shown that 4-6% of North and East Asians have risk factors for drugs metabolized by the CYP2D6 gene. Therefore, PharmaKoVariome is a useful database for pharmaceutical or diagnostic companies for developing diagnostic technologies that can be applied in the Asian PGx industry

Strategic Product Pre-announcements in Markets with Network Effects

It is a widely adopted practice for firms to announce new products well in advance of actual market availability. The incentives for pre-announcements are stronger in markets with network effects because they can be used to induce the delay of consumers' purchases and forestall the build-up of rival products' installed bases. However, such announcements often are not fulfilled, raising antitrust concerns. We analyze the effects of product pre-announcements in the presence of network effects when firms are allowed to strategically make false announcements. We also discuss their implications for consumer welfare and anti-trust policy

The complete mitochondrial genome of a Dokdo shrimp, Lebbeus groenlandicus

Lebbeus groenlandicus is a shrimp species indigenous to the Dokdo islands in the East Sea of Korea. We report the 17,399 bp mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the species that consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and a control region (CR). A maximum-likelihood tree, constructed with 18 prawn and 45 shrimp mitogenomes, confirmed that L. groenlandicus occupies the most basal position within the Caridea infra-order and is closely related to Pandalidae shrimps

Whole Genome Analysis of the Red-Crowned Crane Provides Insight into Avian Longevity

The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) is an endangered, large-bodied crane native to East Asia. It is a traditional symbol of longevity and its long lifespan has been confirmed both in captivity and in the wild. Lifespan in birds is known to be positively correlated with body size and negatively correlated with metabolic rate, though the genetic mechanisms for the red-crowned crane's long lifespan have not previously been investigated. Using whole genome sequencing and comparative evolutionary analyses against the grey-crowned crane and other avian genomes, including the long-lived common ostrich, we identified red-crowned crane candidate genes with known associations with longevity. Among these are positively selected genes in metabolism and immunity pathways (NDUFA5, NDUFA8, NUDT12, SOD3, CTH, RPA1, PHAX, HNMT, HS2ST1, PPCDC, PSTK CD8B, GP9, IL-9R, and PTPRC). Our analyses provide genetic evidence for low metabolic rate and longevity, accompanied by possible convergent adaptation signatures among distantly related large and long-lived birds. Finally, we identified low genetic diversity in the red-crowned crane, consistent with its listing as an endangered species, and this genome should provide a useful genetic resource for future conservation studies of this rare and iconic species

Comparative Genome and Evolution Analyses of an Endangered Stony Coral Species Dendrophyllia cribrosa Near Dokdo Islands in the East Sea

Stony corals often harbor intracellular photosynthetic dinoflagellate algae that receive dissolved inorganic nutrients. However, Dendrophyllia cribrosa is a nonsymbiotic stony coral distributed in the western Pacific. We assembled a chromosome-level D. cribrosa genome using PacBio and Hi-C technologies. The final assembly was 625 Mb, distributed on 14 chromosomes, and contained 30,493 protein-coding genes. The Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs analysis revealed a percentage of 96.8 of the metazoan genome. A comparative phylogenetic analysis revealed that D. cribrosa, which lacks symbionts, evolved to acquire cellular energy by expanding genes related to acyl-CoA metabolism and carbohydrate transporters. This species also has expanded immune-related genes involved in the receptor protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathway. In addition, we observed a specific expansion of calcification genes, such as coral acid-rich proteins and carbonic anhydrase, in D. cribrosa. This high-quality reference genome and comparative analysis provides insights into the ecology and evolution of nonsymbiotic stony corals

Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Butter Clam Saxidomus purpuratus

Herein, we provide the first whole-genome sequence of the purple butter clam (Saxidomus purpuratus), an economically important bivalve shellfish. Specifically, we sequenced and de novo assembled the genome of Sa. purpuratus based on PromethION long reads and Hi-C data. The 978-Mb genome of Sa. purpuratus comprises 19 chromosomes with 36,591 predicted protein-coding genes. The N50 length of Sa. purpuratus genome is 52 Mb, showing the highest continuous assembly among bivalve genomes. The Benchmarking by Universal Single-Copy Orthologs assessment indicated that 95.07% of complete metazoan universal single-copy orthologs (n = 954) were present in the assembly. Approximately 51% of Sa. purpuratus genome comprises repetitive sequences. Based on the high-quality Sa. purpuratus genome, we resolved half of the immune-associated genes, namely, scavenger receptor (SR) proteins, which are collinear to those in the closely related Cyclina sinensis genome. This finding suggested a high degree of conservation among immune-associated genes. Twenty-two (19%) SR proteins are tandemly duplicated in Sa. purpuratus genome, suggesting putative convergence evolution. Overall, Sa. purpuratus genome provides a new resource for the discovery of economically important traits and immune-response genes