Demolition of Reinforced Concrete by Steam Pressure Cracking System

The authors developed an environment-friendly demolition mechanical system for a large reinforced concrete structure for an actual site. The steam pressure cracking agent (SPC, non-explosive) is a method that can safely and quickly separate concrete because it produces lesser vibration and sound than the blasting method, which uses explosives. The authors showed that the direction of cracking can be controlled by an induction hole. The principle of control is that the elastic wave of the compression stress generated from the SPC reaction changes to a tensile elastic wave at the induction hole, which initiates a crack. Furthermore, in the SPC method, a large amount of concrete powder generated by the explosion method was not produced, and there was no risk of secondary contamination by fine concrete powder. The area over which the crack propagated depends on the energy generated from the SPC. The relationship between the two is linear. For reinforced concrete, the energy of the SPC is used for both the destructive energy of the concrete and the energy of the cutting of the reinforcing steel bar, which quickly breaks with low energy. By applying an SPC to dismantle large reinforced concrete structures, controlled cracking can be achieved safely and quickly without any environmental pollution. A fracturing method using a SPC is an effective method for the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and the dismantling of concrete structures. In this report, we report a remote drilling system that can be used to remotely install loading holes and guiding holes for the SPC and perform effective controlled fracturing

Elastic Wave Property of Concrete Decomposed by Steam Pressure Cracking Agent

A steam pressure cracking (SPC) agent is a method that can dismantle concrete safely and quickly. In previous studies, the authors showed that the direction of the crack could be controlled by the tensile stress at the induction holes and not by the compressive stress at the SPC hole. We demonstrate that the compression elastic wave changes to a tensile wave when the wave is reflected at the free surface of the induction hole. We also examined the properties of the concrete by developing an elastic wave measuring system that is difficult to break down even in high-temperature, wet, and radiation environment. The elastic wave velocity change in the four concrete types was less than 4%. It was found that the standard deviation value, σ, changed four times. Therefore, it is possible to determine the deterioration of the internal structure of concrete using the standard deviation value σ, which indicates the dispersion of the elastic wave velocity

Estimating the immunogenicity of measles-rubella vaccination administered during a mass campaign in Lao People's Democratic Republic using multi-valent seroprevalence data.

Measles and rubella are important causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Despite high coverage reported for measles vaccination, outbreaks continue to occur in some countries. The reasons for these outbreaks are poorly understood. We apply Bayesian methods to multi-valent seroprevalence data for measles and rubella, collected 2 years and 3 months after a mass measles-rubella vaccination campaign in Lao PDR to estimate the immunogenicity and vaccination coverage. When the vaccination coverage was constrained to exceed 95% or 90%, consistent with officially-reported values, the immunogenicity of the measles vaccine component was unexpectedly low (75% (95% CR: 63-82%) and 79% (CR: 70-87%) respectively. The estimated immunogenicity increased after relaxing constraints on the vaccination coverage, with best-fitting values of 83% (95% CR: 73-91%) and 97% (95% CR: 90-100%) for the measles and rubella components respectively, with an estimated coverage of 83% (95% CR: 80-88%). The findings suggest that, if the vaccine coverage was as high as that reported, continuing measles outbreaks in Lao PDR, and potentially elsewhere, may be attributable to suboptimal immunogenicity attained in mass campaigns. Vaccine management in countries with high reported levels of coverage and ongoing measles outbreaks needs to be reviewed if measles elimination targets are to be achieved

Evaluation of nationwide supplementary immunization in Lao People's Democratic Republic: Population-based seroprevalence survey of anti-measles and anti-rubella IgG in children and adults, mathematical modelling and a stability testing of the vaccine.

BACKGROUND: Measles outbreaks have occurred in some countries despite supplementary immunization activities (SIA) using measles-containing vaccine with high vaccination coverage. We conducted a cross-sectional seroprevalence survey to estimate population immunity in Lao People's Democratic Republic where repeated mass immunization has failed to eliminate measles. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this nationwide multistage cluster sampling survey conducted in 2014 based on probability proportionate to size sampling, blood samples were collected from 2,135 children and adults living in 52 randomly selected villages. Anti-measles and anti-rubella IgG were measured, and IgG prevalence was calculated. We applied mathematical modelling to estimate the number of cases of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in 2013 that were averted by the 2011 SIA. A stability testing was applied to the MR vaccine at 4°C, 25°C, and 35°C to examine stability differences between measles and rubella vaccine components. Measles IgG prevalence was significantly lower in the target age groups (5-21 years) of the 2011 SIA using a combination vaccine for measles and rubella vaccine (MR vaccine) than in young adults (22-39 years) (86.8% [95% CI: 83.0-90.6] vs. 99.0% [98.3-99.8]; p<0.001), whereas rubella IgG prevalence was significantly higher (88.2% [84.5-91.8] vs. 74.6% [70.7-78.5]; p<0.001). In the SIA target age groups, prevalence of measles IgG, but not rubella IgG, increased with age. CRS cases prevented in 2013 ranged from 16 [0-50] to 92 [32-180] if the force of infection had remained unchanged or had been reduced by 75%, respectively. In freeze-dried conditions, the measles vaccine component was more heat sensitive than the rubella component. CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistent IgG prevalence between measles and rubella in Lao PDR can be partly explained by different stability of the measles and rubella vaccine components under heat exposure. Suboptimal vaccine handling may cause insufficient immunogenicity for measles, which subsequently leads to an outbreak despite high SIA coverage, while direct evidence is lacking. Temperature monitoring of the vaccine should be conducted

ACTN1 Mutations Cause Congenital Macrothrombocytopenia

Congenital macrothrombocytopenia (CMTP) is a heterogeneous group of rare platelet disorders characterized by a congenital reduction of platelet counts and abnormally large platelets, for which CMTP-causing mutations are only found in approximately half the cases. We herein performed whole-exome sequencing and targeted Sanger sequencing to identify mutations that cause CMTP, in which a dominant mode of transmission had been suspected but for which no known responsible mutations have been documented. In 13 Japanese CMTP-affected pedigrees, we identified six (46%) affected by ACTN1 variants cosegregating with CMTP. In the entire cohort, ACNT1 variants accounted for 5.5% of the dominant forms of CMTP cases and represented the fourth most common cause in Japanese individuals. Individuals with ACTN1 variants presented with moderate macrothrombocytopenia with anisocytosis but were either asymptomatic or had only a modest bleeding tendency. ACTN1 encodes α-actinin-1, a member of the actin-crosslinking protein superfamily that participates in the organization of the cytoskeleton. In vitro transfection experiments in Chinese hamster ovary cells demonstrated that altered α-actinin-1 disrupted the normal actin-based cytoskeletal structure. Moreover, transduction of mouse fetal liver-derived megakaryocytes with disease-associated ACTN1 variants caused a disorganized actin-based cytoskeleton in megakaryocytes, resulting in the production of abnormally large proplatelet tips, which were reduced in number. Our findings provide an insight into the pathogenesis of CMTP

Christopher Simpson The Division-Viol, or The Art of PLAYING Ex tempore upon a GROUND. EDITIO SECVNDA Part III "The Method of ordering Division to a Ground" (2)

本訳稿はChristopher Simpson (1605頃－1669) 著 The Division-Viol, or, The Art of PLAYING Ex tempore upon a GROUND. DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS. EDITIO SECVNDA, London, 1665 のPart III "The Method of ordering Division to a Ground" より§7～§12(pp.42-56)の全訳である

Cutting of Diamond Substrate Using Fixed Diamond Grain Saw Wire

This study demonstrates that a single-crystal diamond substrate can be cut along designed lines using the diamond-saw-wire cutting method. We developed an original saw-wire fixed diamond-grain using a bronze solder with a high melting temperature. We created a unique product machine system with a high vacuum furnace and a bronze solder that contains a metallic compound. The diamond cutting mechanism employed in this study is based on the mild wear phenomenon, owing to the friction between the diamond surfaces. A linear relationship between the cutting length and wire feed distance was observed. The relationship can be approximated as y = 0.3622x, where y (mu m) is the cutting depth and x (km) is the wire feed distance. The life of the saw-wire was longer than that of the 6000 km wire feed distance and was tested by reciprocating an 8-m short wire at a speed, tension, and cutting force of 150 m/min, 1 N, and 0.2 N, respectively. A single crystal diamond substrate could be cut along the designed line, which was more than 2 mm long. The cutting speed was maintained constant at 0.36 mu m/km

Plasma Free Amino Acid Profiling of Five Types of Cancer Patients and Its Application for Early Detection

BACKGROUND: Recently, rapid advances have been made in metabolomics-based, easy-to-use early cancer detection methods using blood samples. Among metabolites, profiling of plasma free amino acids (PFAAs) is a promising approach because PFAAs link all organ systems and have important roles in metabolism. Furthermore, PFAA profiles are known to be influenced by specific diseases, including cancers. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the characteristics of the PFAA profiles in cancer patients and the possibility of using this information for early detection. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Plasma samples were collected from approximately 200 patients from multiple institutes, each diagnosed with one of the following five types of cancer: lung, gastric, colorectal, breast, or prostate cancer. Patients were compared to gender- and age- matched controls also used in this study. The PFAA levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometry (MS). Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in the PFAA profiles between the controls and the patients with any of the five types of cancer listed above, even those with asymptomatic early-stage disease. Furthermore, multivariate analysis clearly discriminated the cancer patients from the controls in terms of the area under the receiver-operator characteristics curve (AUC of ROC >0.75 for each cancer), regardless of cancer stage. Because this study was designed as case-control study, further investigations, including model construction and validation using cohorts with larger sample sizes, are necessary to determine the usefulness of PFAA profiling. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that PFAA profiling has great potential for improving cancer screening and diagnosis and understanding disease pathogenesis. PFAA profiles can also be used to determine various disease diagnoses from a single blood sample, which involves a relatively simple plasma assay and imposes a lower physical burden on subjects when compared to existing screening methods

Elastic Wave Property of Concrete Decomposed by Steam Pressure Cracking Agent

A steam pressure cracking (SPC) agent is a method that can dismantle concrete safely and quickly. In previous studies, the authors showed that the direction of the crack could be controlled by the tensile stress at the induction holes and not by the compressive stress at the SPC hole. We demonstrate that the compression elastic wave changes to a tensile wave when the wave is reflected at the free surface of the induction hole. We also examined the properties of the concrete by developing an elastic wave measuring system that is difficult to break down even in high-temperature, wet, and radiation environment. The elastic wave velocity change in the four concrete types was less than 4%. It was found that the standard deviation value, σ, changed four times. Therefore, it is possible to determine the deterioration of the internal structure of concrete using the standard deviation value σ, which indicates the dispersion of the elastic wave velocity