State-of-the-Art Design Technique of a Single-Channel Pump for Wastewater Treatment

A single-channel pump, which is commonly used for wastewater treatment, with a single-channel impeller can effectively prevent performance reduction or damage caused by foreign substances. However, the design methods for this special type of pump are different and more difficult to realize than those for general pumps. In this chapter, a state-of-the-art design technique for a single-channel pump is introduced for realizing high efficiency and low-fluid-induced vibration. In other words, advanced multidisciplinary design optimization techniques combined with unsteady flow analysis are introduced and discussed in detail to simultaneously improve hydraulic efficiency and reduce flow-induced vibration, considering the impeller-volute interaction of a single-channel pump

Do Financial Analysts Facilitate Investors’ Assessment Of Earnings?: Evidence From The Korean Stock Market

This paper seeks to enhance our understanding of financial analysts in assisting market investors’ use of accounting earnings in the Korean stock market. We examine whether stock returns differentially reflect earnings information for firms with analyst coverage. We propose that the role of analysts as external monitors as well as information intermediaries enhances the market investors’ valuation of earnings. We find that market valuation of earnings is higher for firms with analyst following. Furthermore, market investors’ valuation of earnings increases (or decreases) with the number of analysts (or with the dispersion of analysts’ forecasts). This suggests that the beneficial effect of analysts arises through the quantity and quality of analysts’ information. This study contributes to the literature by investigating the important role of analysts in emerging market

CSGM Designer: a platform for designing cross-species intron-spanning genic markers linked with genome information of legumes.

BackgroundGenetic markers are tools that can facilitate molecular breeding, even in species lacking genomic resources. An important class of genetic markers is those based on orthologous genes, because they can guide hypotheses about conserved gene function, a situation that is well documented for a number of agronomic traits. For under-studied species a key bottleneck in gene-based marker development is the need to develop molecular tools (e.g., oligonucleotide primers) that reliably access genes with orthology to the genomes of well-characterized reference species.ResultsHere we report an efficient platform for the design of cross-species gene-derived markers in legumes. The automated platform, named CSGM Designer (URL: http://tgil.donga.ac.kr/CSGMdesigner), facilitates rapid and systematic design of cross-species genic markers. The underlying database is composed of genome data from five legume species whose genomes are substantially characterized. Use of CSGM is enhanced by graphical displays of query results, which we describe as "circular viewer" and "search-within-results" functions. CSGM provides a virtual PCR representation (eHT-PCR) that predicts the specificity of each primer pair simultaneously in multiple genomes. CSGM Designer output was experimentally validated for the amplification of orthologous genes using 16 genotypes representing 12 crop and model legume species, distributed among the galegoid and phaseoloid clades. Successful cross-species amplification was obtained for 85.3% of PCR primer combinations.ConclusionCSGM Designer spans the divide between well-characterized crop and model legume species and their less well-characterized relatives. The outcome is PCR primers that target highly conserved genes for polymorphism discovery, enabling functional inferences and ultimately facilitating trait-associated molecular breeding

Identification of predictive variables for the recurrence of oral mucocele

Oral mucocele is the most common minor salivary gland lesion with good prognosis after surgical removal. However, its recurrence is not rare, sometimes bothersome. This study aimed to identify the possible predictive variables affecting the recurrence rate of oral mucocele. The histoclinical data of 164 patients diagnosed with oral mucocele were retrospectively obtained by reviewing dental records. The predictive variables for its recurrence were identified by analyzing its recurrence rate according to clinical variables. The recurrence rate showed the significant differences according to location and age. Oral mucocele recurred with significantly higher frequency on the ventral mucosa of tongue (50.0%) than on the labial/buccal mucosa (8.8%). Its recurrence was significantly more common in the younger patients (aged 30 years, 4.4%). However, there was no significant difference in recurrence rates between surgical procedures using scalpels and those using lasers. Patients with oral mucocele should be more carefully informed of its possible recurrence, especially when it is found on the ventral surface of the tongue or in a younger population

Solid tumors of the pancreas can put on a mask through cystic change

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Solid pancreatic tumors such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT), and pancreatic endocrine tumor (PET) may occasionally manifest as cystic lesions. In this study, we have put together our accumulated experience with cystic manifestations of various solid tumors of the pancreas.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From 2000 to 2006, 376 patients with pancreatic solid tumor resections were reviewed. Ten (2.66%) of these tumors appeared on radiological imaging studies as cystic lesions. We performed a retrospective review of medical records and pathologic findings of these 10 cases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the ten cases in which solid tumors of the pancreas manifested as cystic lesions, six were PDAC with cystic degeneration, two were SPT undergone complete cystic change, one was cystic PET, and one was a cystic schwannoma. The mean tumor size of the cystic portion in PDAC was 7.3 cm, and three patients were diagnosed as 'pseudocyst' with or without cancer. Two SPT were found incidentally in young women and were diagnosed as other cystic neoplasms. One cystic endocrine tumor was preoperatively suspected as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm or mucinous cystic neoplasm.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Cystic changes of pancreas solid tumors are extremely rare. However, the possibility of cystic manifestation of pancreas solid tumors should be kept in mind.</p