Influence of steel composition on the mechanical properties and Zn-Mg-Al coating layer on the corrosion resistance of steel wire ropes for offshore applications

Steel rope is generally used for mooring application. Recently, higher strength and corrosion resistance are required to avoid the weight penalty with increase of the sea-water depth in offshore oil production. This can be achieved by increasing the carbon content and adding alloy elements in zinc coating. Three objectives of the research were conducted as follows; to investigate the effect of composition on strength and corrosion resistance of galvanized wire, to investigate the degradation mechanism of high tensile strength (2,150 ~2,250MPa) galvanized steel rope in sea-water and to develop a Zn-Al-Mg ternary alloy coating to enhance the corrosion resistance of steel ropes. Microstructural characterisation on coated steel wires was carried out using optical microscope, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Both Tafel polarization and salt spray tests were conducted to investigate the corrosion resistance of Zn-Mg-Al alloy coatings. Torsion, fatigue and tensile tests were conducted. The best fatigue property was obtained at 2,167MPa tensile strength. Tensile strength above 2,167MPa, fatigue and torsion properties were reduced and the susceptibility to surface defect also was increased during fatigue testing, by which cracks can be easily created and grown at different planes at the same time. It is the main cause of fatigue degradation. Degradation of mooring rope is caused by combination of fretting and corrosion which normally occurs in wire rope assembly type known as Independent Wire Rope Core (IWRC). Excellent corrosion resistance over 3,000 hours based on salt spray test was obtained by addition of magnesium and aluminium elements in the range of 1.0~3.0wt% but no improvement for over 3wt% Mg, which might be attributed to coarsening of the phase grains. The multi-layer coatings in which each layer consists of several different alloy phases has an advantage because each phase has a unique function and they exert their synergic functions in corrosion environment. As a conclusion, applying Zn-Mg-Al coating to mooring rope improves life span of rope due to reduced crack in the coating and excellent corrosion resistance

Measurement of urinary protein in children

Proteinuria is an early hallmark of kidney disease and a major risk factor for systemic cardiovascular diseases. There are several methods to measure proteinuria, such as the urine dipstick test, 24-hour urinary protein excretion method, and spot urine for the protein-to-creatinine ratio. The urine dipstick test is simple but inaccurate. The 24-hour urinary protein excretion method is the gold standard; however, it is cumbersome, especially in children. Spot urine for the protein-to-creatinine ratio is simple and accurate, but has limitations. Specific urinary protein such as albumin can be measured instead of the total protein content. Tests should be avoided in situations that cause transient proteinuria or false-positive results. It should be performed correctly, and its limitations should be recognized and interpreted accurately

Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury: Focusing on Diagnosis and Management

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill children, and is associated with increased mortality and long-term renal sequelae. The definition of pediatric AKI was standardized based on elevation in serum creatinine levels or decrease in urine output; accordingly, epidemiological studies have ensued. Although new biomarkers appear to detect AKI earlier and predict prognosis more accurately than traditional markers, they are not frequently used in clinical setting. There is no validated pharmacological intervention for AKI, so prevention and early detection are the mainstays of treatment. For high risk or early stage AKI patients, optimization of volume status and blood pressure, avoidance of nephrotoxins, and sufficient nutritional support are necessary, and have been demonstrated to be effective in preventing the occurrence of AKI and improving prognosis. Nevertheless, renal replacement therapy is needed when conservative care fails

Low-cost Thermal Mapping for Concrete Heat Monitoring

Robotics has been widely applied in smart construction for generating the digital twin or for autonomous inspection of construction sites. For example, for thermal inspection during concrete curing, continual monitoring of the concrete temperature is required to ensure concrete strength and to avoid cracks. However, buildings are typically too large to be monitored by installing fixed thermal cameras, and post-processing is required to compute the accumulated heat of each measurement point. Thus, by using an autonomous monitoring system with the capability of long-term thermal mapping at a large construction site, both cost-effectiveness and a precise safety margin of the curing period estimation can be acquired. Therefore, this study proposes a low-cost thermal mapping system consisting of a 2D range scanner attached to a consumer-level inertial measurement unit and a thermal camera for automated heat monitoring in construction using mobile robots.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, 2022 ICRA Worksho

Hypertensive crisis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in adolescents: two case reports

In response to the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, vaccines were developed and approved quickly. However, numerous cardiovascular adverse events have been reported. We present two adolescent cases who developed a hypertensive crisis following NT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. Patient 1 was an 18-year-old male and his systolic blood pressure was 230 mmHg one day after the second vaccine. He was obese. No secondary cause of hypertension other than the vaccine was identified. Patient 2 was an 18-year-old male who complained with palpitation after the first vaccine. His blood pressure was 178/109 mmHg. He had autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Both were treated with continuous infusion of labetalol followed by losartan, and blood pressure was controlled. Patient 2 received second vaccination and his blood pressure did not rise. It is warranted to measure blood pressure in adolescents at high risk of hypertension after NT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination

Acute Interstitial Pneumonia in Siblings: A Case Report

Acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) is a rapidly progressive condition of unknown cause that occurs in a previously healthy individual and produces the histologic findings of diffuse alveolar damage. Since the term AIP was first introduced in 1986, there have been very few case reports of AIP in children. Here we present a case of AIP in a 3-yr-old girl whose other two siblings showed similar radiologic findings. The patient was confirmed to have AIP from autopsy showing histological findings of diffuse alveolar damage and proliferation of fibroblasts. Her 3-yr-old brother was also clinically and radiologically highly suspected as having AIP, and the other asymptomatic 8-yr-old sister was radiologically suspected as having AIP

The Effect of Intervention for Improving Colonoscopy Quality Is Associated with the Personality Traits of Endoscopists

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study investigated whether the personality traits of endoscopists are associated with the effect of interventions for the improvement of colonoscopy quality. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter, single-blind study was performed with 13 endoscopists in three health screening centers over a 12-month period. Quality indicators (QIs), including adenoma detection rate (ADR), polyp detection rate (PDR), and withdrawal time, were measured every 3 months. Consecutive interventions for the improvement of colonoscopy quality were conducted every 3 months, which included the personal notification of QIs, the in-group notification of QIs, and finally a targeted quality education session. The personality traits of each endoscopist were evaluated for perfectionism, fear of negative evaluation, and cognitive flexibility after the last QI assessment. RESULTS: A total of 4,095 colonoscopies were evaluated to measure the QIs of the individual endoscopists for 12 months. The mean ADR, PDR, and withdrawal time of the 13 endoscopists were 32.3%, 47.7%, and 394 seconds at baseline and increased to 39.0%, 55.1%, and 430 seconds by the end of the study (p=0.003, p=0.006, and p=0.004, respectively). Among the three interventions, only quality education significantly improved QIs: ADR, 36.0% to 39.0% (odds ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.63). The improvement of ADR and PDR by education was significantly associated with perfectionism (r=0.617, p=0.033 and r=0.635, p=0.027, respectively) and fear of negative evaluation (r=0.704, p=0.011 and r=0.761, p=0.004, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Education can improve colonoscopy quality, and its effect size is associated with an endoscopist\u27s personal traits such as perfectionism and fear of negative evaluation (Clinical-Trials.gov Registry NCT03796169)

Catechin-capped gold nanoparticles: green synthesis, characterization, and catalytic activity toward 4-nitrophenol reduction

An eco-friendly approach is described for the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles using catechin as a reducing and capping agent. The reaction occurred at room temperature within 1 h without the use of any external energy and an excellent yield (99%) was obtained, as determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Various shapes of gold nanoparticles with an estimated diameter of 16.6 nm were green-synthesized. Notably, the capping of freshly synthesized gold nanoparticles by catechin was clearly visualized with the aid of microscopic techniques, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Strong peaks in the X-ray diffraction pattern of the as-prepared gold nanoparticles confirmed their crystalline nature. The catalytic activity of the as-prepared gold nanoparticles was observed in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the presence of NaBH(4). The results suggest that the newly prepared gold nanoparticles have potential uses in catalysis