Experimental Verification of Modal Identification of a High-rise Building Using Independent Component Analysis

Abstract Independent component analysis is one of the linear transformation methods based the techniques for separating blind sources from the output signals of the system. Recently, the method has been analytically applied to the identification of mode shapes and modal responses from the output signal of structures. This study aims to experimentally validate the blind source separation using ICA method and propose a novel method for identification of the modal parameters from the decomposed modal responses. The result of the experimental testing on the three-story steel scale model shows that the mode shapes obtained by ICA method are in good agreement with those by the analytical and peak-picking method in the frequency domain. Based on the robust mathematical model, ICA can calculate the natural frequency and damping ratio effectively using the probability distribution function of the instantaneous natural frequency determined by Hilbert transform of the decomposed modal responses and the change in the output covariance. Finally, the validity of the proposed method paves the way for more effective output-only modal identification for assessment of existing steel-concrete buildings

Strengthening the role of pediatric emergency centers in Korea

Since 2016, the pediatric emergency centers (PECs) have been selected by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, but there are still many problems in their designation and operation. The authors, affiliated with the policy research team in the Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, sought to identify the current status and plans for improvement of PECs in Korea. The problems in the designation and operation are the disproportionate regional distribution of the PECs, financial difficulties in meeting the designation criteria, and recruitment of dedicated pediatric emergency specialists. To improve this, it is necessary to designate additional PECs and analyze the appropriateness of insurance cost, to strengthen the role other than the community practice, and to reinforce back-up treatment by pediatric sub-specialists in PECs

Dual Therapy with Cidofovir and Mirtazapine for Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in a Sarcoidosis Patient

Background: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating central nervous system disease caused by JC virus (JCV) reactivation in immunocompromised patients. The disease course of PML is often progressive, fatal and at present, there are few reports on successful treatment outcomes. Case Report: A 45-year-old man with systemic sarcoidosis presented with rapidly progressive dementia and right hemiparesis. The patient was diagnosed with PML as confirmed via brain biopsy and JCV PCR. With a combination treatment of cidofovir and mirtazapine, there was significant improvement of neurological symptoms without measurable functional deficit. Conclusion: This case suggests that dual therapy with cidofovir and mirtazapine might be an effective treatment option in PML patients with sarcoidosis

Fasting Plasma Glucose Cutoff Value for the Prediction of Future Diabetes Development: A Study of Middle-Aged Koreans in a Health Promotion Center

We determined optimal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) cutoff values predictive of future diabetes development in a group of middle-aged Koreans who visited a health promotion center. The medical records of 2,964 subjects, who attended the Health Promotion Center in 1998 and 2003, were examined. Subjects were classified into four groups according to their baseline FPG values (Group 1:FPG <5.0 mM/L; Group 2: 5.0≤FPG <5.6 mM/L; Group 3: 5.6≤FPG <6.1 mM/L; Group 4: 6.1≤FPG <7.0 mM/L). No significant difference was observed between Group 1 and Group 2 in terms of diabetes incidence. However, incidence in Group 3 was significantly higher than that in Group 1 [hazards ratio 4.88 (1.65-14.41), p=0.004] and the hazards ratio in Group 4 for diabetes was 36.91 (13.11-103.61), p<0.001, versus Group 1. Receiver operator characteristics curve analysis showed that an FPG of 5.97 mM/L represents the lower limit and gives the best combination of sensitivity and specificity. Our data shows that the risk of future diabetes development started to increase below an FPG of 6.1 mM/L and suggests the importance of efforts to modify diabetes development risk factors at lower impaired fasting glucose levels

Visible emission from Ce-doped ZnO nanorods grown by hydrothermal method without a post thermal annealing process

Visible light-emitting Ce-doped ZnO nanorods [NRs] without a post thermal annealing process were grown by hydrothermal method on a Si (100) substrate at a low temperature of 90°C. The structural investigations of Ce-doped ZnO NRs showed that the Ce3+ ions were successfully incorporated into the ZnO lattice sites without forming unwanted Ce-related compounds or precipitates. The optical investigation by photoluminescence spectra shows that the doped Ce3+ ions in the ZnO NRs act as an efficient luminescence center at 540 nm which corresponds to the optical transition of 5d → 4f orbitals in the Ce3+ ions. The photoluminescence intensity of the Ce-doped ZnO NRs increased with the increasing content of the Ce-doping agent because the energy transfer of the excited electrons in ZnO to the Ce3+ ions would be enhanced by increased Ce3+ ions

Down-regulation of ARC contributes to vulnerability of hippocampal neurons to ischemia/hypoxia

AbstractARC is a caspase recruitment domain-containing molecule that plays an important role in the regulation of apoptosis. We examined ARC expression during neuronal cell death following ischemic injury in vivo and in vitro. After exposure to transient global ischemic conditions, the expression of ARC was substantially reduced in the CA1 region of hippocampus in a time-dependent manner with concomitant increase of TUNEL-positive cells. Quantitative analysis using Western blotting exhibited that most of ARC protein disappeared in the cultured hippocampal neurons exposed to hypoxia for 12 h and showing 60% cell viability. Forced expression of ARC in the primary cultures of hippocampal neurons or B103 neuronal cells significantly reduced hypoxia-induced cell death. Further, the C-terminal P/E rich region of ARC was effective to attenuate hypoxic insults. These results suggest that down-regulation of ARC expression in hippocampal neurons may contribute to neuronal death induced by ischemia/hypoxia

The Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis fibronectin attachment protein, a toll-like receptor 4 agonist, enhances dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine potency

In this study, we showed the direct interaction between Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis fibronectin attachment protein (FAP) and toll-like receptor4 (TLR4) via co-localization and binding by using confocal microscopy and co-immunoprecipitation assays. FAP triggered the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in a TLR4-dependent manner. In addition, FAP-induced cytokine expression in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) was modulated in part by glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). FAP-induced expression of CD80, CD86, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, and MHC class II in TLR4+/+ BMDCs was not observed in TLR4-/- BMDCs. Furthermore, FAP induced DC-mediated CD8+ T cell proliferation and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity, and suppressed tumor growth with DC-based tumor vaccination in EG7 thymoma murine model. Taken together, these results indicate that the TLR4 agonist, FAP, a potential immunoadjuvant for DC-based cancer vaccination, improves the DC-based immune response via the TLR4 signaling pathway

Strong Bathochromic Shift of Conjugated Polymer Nanowires Assembled with a Liquid Crystalline Alkyl Benzoic Acid via a Film Dispersion Process

We present aqueous dispersions of conjugated polymer nanowires (CPNWs) with improved light absorption properties aimed at aqueous-based applications. We assembled films of a donor???acceptor-type conjugated polymer and liquid crystalline 4-n-octylbenzoic acid by removing a cosolvent of their mixture solutions, followed by annealing of the films, and then formed aqueous-dispersed CPNWs with an aspect ratio &gt;1000 by dispersing the films under ultrasonication at a basic pH. X-ray and spectroscopy studies showed that the polymer and liquid crystal molecules form independent domains in film assemblies and highly organized layer structures in CPNWs. Our ordered molecular assemblies in films and aqueous dispersions of CPNWs open up a new route to fabricate nanowires of low-band-gap linear conjugated polymers with the absorption maximum at 794 nm remarkably red-shifted from 666 nm of CPNWs prepared by an emulsion process. Our results suggest the presence of semicrystalline polymorphs ??1 and ??2 phases in CPNWs due to long-range ??????? stacking of conjugated backbones in compactly organized lamellar structures. The resulting delocalization with a reduced energy bang gap should be beneficial for enhancing charge transfer and energy-conversion efficiencies in aqueous-based applications such as photocatalysis