Half engagement is a state that metal terminals are mated, but mechanical housings are not mated completely. When a connector is in such state, the possibility of connector separation is high even ...for a small external disturbance. It may cause a serious malfunctioning to the parent product. During manufacturing, however, it is difficult to detect the state because electrical functions still work properly. Lack of feeling of mating is known as the primary cause of the state. Normally the feeling of mating is unmeasurable. Therefore, it is necessary to quantify the feeling of mating to prevent the half engagement. To this end, in this paper, we have proposed a new evaluation approach for the half engagement prevention. We have adopted a probabilistic structure based on reliability theory and applied the logistic regression method as a scoring tool. Moreover, we have introduced two new evaluation factors to increase the accuracy of state detection. We have verified and compared the performance of our proposed approach to that of the conventional approach which has a deterministic structure. Throughout extensive experiments and analyses with real automotive electronic connectors, we have confirmed that the proposed approach is superior to the existing one in terms of the accuracy of state detection.
The role of particulate matter (PM) in health problems including cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and pneumonia is becoming increasingly clear. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, major components of PM, ...bind to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhRs) and promote the expression of CYP1A1 through the AhR pathway in keratinocytes. Activation of AhRs in skin cells is associated with cell differentiation in keratinocytes and inflammation, resulting in dermatological lesions. Oleanolic acid, a natural component of
, also has anti-inflammation, anticancer, and antioxidant characteristics. Previously, we found that PM
induced the AhR signaling pathway and autophagy process in keratinocytes. Here, we investigated the effects of oleanolic acid on PM
-induced skin aging. We observed that oleanolic acid inhibits PM
-induced CYP1A1 and decreases the increase of tumor necrosis factor- alpha and interleukin 6 induced by PM
. A supernatant derived from keratinocytes cotreated with oleanolic acid and PM
inhibited the release of matrix metalloproteinase 1 in dermal fibroblasts. Also, the AhR-mediated autophagy disruption was recovered by oleanolic acid. Thus, oleanolic acid may be a potential treatment for addressing PM
-induced skin aging.
► A pre-strain dependent mechanical characteristics are investigated at low-temperatures. ► Low-temperature material nonlinearities were investigated for a temperature range of ambient and −163°C ...with consideration of the pre-strain effects. ► On the basis of experimental investigation, the yield plateau, YT ratio, and strain-hardening rate were presented as functions of pre-stain.
Corrugated AISI 304L sheets are used as a primary barrier for the insulation of membrane-type liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier cargo containment systems. AISI 304L is a transformation-induced-plasticity (TRIP) steel that exhibits complex material behavior, because it undergoes phase transformation during plastic deformation. Since the TRIP behavior is a very important mechanical characteristic in a low-temperature environment, significant amounts of data are available in the literature. However, quantitative data on the effect of pre-straining on low-temperature mechanical behavior of AISI 304L is not available, although corrugated AISI 304L sheets are subjected to significant amounts of pre-strain during operation. In the present study, pre-strain-dependent mechanical characteristics are investigated by carrying out low-temperature tensile tests on AISI 304L specimens. The effect of pre-strain on general characteristics such as yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, ductility, and TRIP (hardening rate) are also analyzed.
Interleukin-32 (IL-32) has been associated with various diseases. Previous studies have shown that IL-32 inhibited the development of several tumors. However, the role of IL-32γ, an isotype of IL-32, ...in skin carcinogenesis remains unknown.
We compared 7,12-Dimethylbenzaanthracene/12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (DMBA/TPA)-induced skin carcinogenesis in wild type (WT) and IL-32γ-overexpressing mice to evaluate the role of IL-32γ. We also analyzed cancer stemness and NF-κB signaling in skin cancer cell lines with or without IL-32γ expression by western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry analysis.
Carcinogen-induced tumor incidence in IL-32γ mice was significantly reduced in comparison to that in WT mice. Infiltration of inflammatory cells and the expression levels of pro-inflammatory mediators were decreased in the skin tumor tissues of IL-32γ mice compared with WT mice. Using a genome-wide association study analysis, we found that IL-32 was associated with integrin αV (ITGAV) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), which are critical factor for skin carcinogenesis. Reduced expression of ITGAV and TIMP-1 were identified in DMBA/TPA-induced skin tissues of IL-32γ mice compared to that in WT mice. NF-κB activity was also reduced in DMBA/TPA-induced skin tissues of IL-32γ mice. IL-32γ decreased cancer cell sphere formation and expression of stem cell markers, and increased chemotherapy-induced cancer cell death. IL-32γ also downregulated expression of ITGAV and TIMP-1, accompanied with the inhibition of NF-κB activity. In addition, IL-32γ expression with NF-κB inhibitor treatment further reduced skin inflammation, epidermal hyperplasia, and cancer cell sphere formation and downregulated expression levels of ITGAV and TIMP-1.
These findings indicated that IL-32γ suppressed skin carcinogenesis through the inhibition of both stemness and the inflammatory tumor microenvironment by the downregulation of TIMP-1 and ITGAV via inactivation of NF-κB signaling.
The output power of the hydro-turbine is a key component in precisely modeling the stability characteristics of a hydro-turbine governing system (HTGS), especially in working conditions that is far ...away the optimum operating condition. In this study, first, we formulate the energy losses of HTGS's components to present the hydro-turbine's output power and utilize it to establish a novel mathematical model of HTGS. Second, we perform global sensitivity analysis to extract sensitive parameters of the conversion efficiency, optimize the values of model parameters based sensitive results, and verify HTGS model to be effective in different working conditions by experimental data. Third, the distribution characteristics of energy losses are investigated with the increasing guide vane, and the corresponding stability regions are presented to predict the characteristics of transient stability trend. The obtained results could contribute to the optimization analysis and control of HTGS in working conditions that is far away the optimum operating condition.
•We establish a novel mathematical model of HTGS considering inner energy losses.•We perform global sensitivity analysis to quantize parametric uncertainty on system output.•The distribution characteristics of energy losses are investigated.•The stability regions are presented to predict the characteristics of transient stability trend.
•The neural network based predictive control approach to evaluate the parking lots.•The validation of the proposed approach is performed by simulation tests.•The proposed approach gives the robust ...solution.•It could keep the performance responding to dynamic parking environments.
The parking problem is a very important issue in city life because many citizens waste a large amount of energy and time trying to find suitable parking lots. To resolve this problem, various intelligent parking guidance systems have been introduced. However, the method of operating an intelligent parking guidance system remains in the infant stage. For successful operation, it is important to develop an effective method that assesses and selects the best parking lot in a real-time environment. In this vein, this study proposes a neural network-based predictive control approach that finds suitable weights for multiple factors dynamically so that the best performance of the intelligent parking guidance system can be achieved. The proposed method can enhance the performance of an intelligent parking guidance system via dynamic control in selecting the best parking lot. To evaluate the proposed approach, simulation tests and comparison with a traditional model have been conducted. As a result, the proposed approach provides a robust solution in an efficient manner under diverse parking environments. With the proposed approach, from the public interest viewpoint, the car parking problem can be approached more effectively.
A differential transceiver achieves a 40 mVppd channel signal-swing, a 9 mVppd receiver (RX) input sensitivity, and a 0.59 pJ/b energy efficiency at 9 Gb/s with a 12" FR-4 channel. A ...current-integrating TIA (CI-TIA) is proposed as a RX pre-amplifier to enhance the RX input sensitivity by increasing the voltage gain of the CI-TIA to around 18 at 9 Gb/s. The RX circuit alone works up to 11 Gb/s with a 1" FR-4 channel. A voltage-mode pre-emphasis equalizer is combined with a current-mode logic (CML) driver at transmitter (TX) to save the low-frequency de-emphasis current of the conventional current-mode equalizer combined with a CML driver. The voltage-mode equalizer consists of a series connection of an inverter and a capacitor; the equalization coefficient is proportional to the supply voltage of the inverter. The transceiver chip in a 65 nm CMOS process consumes 2.8 mW at TX and 2.5 mW at RX with a 1 V supply and a 12" FR-4 channel at 9 Gb/s.
Diagnosing stroke in patients experiencing dizziness without neurological deficits is challenging for physicians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of acute stroke in patients who ...presented with isolated dizziness without neurological deficits at the emergency department (ED), and determine the relevant stroke predictors in this population. This was an observational, retrospective record review of consecutive 2215 adult patients presenting with dizziness at the ED between August 2019 and February 2020. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for acute stroke. 1239 patients were enrolled and analyzed. Acute stroke was identified in 55 of 1239 patients (4.5%); most cases (96.3%) presented as ischemic stroke with frequent involvement (29.1%) of the cerebellum. In the multivariate analysis, the history of cerebrovascular injury (odds ratio OR 3.08 95% confidence interval {CI} 1.24 to 7.67) and an age of > 65 years (OR 3.01 95% CI 1.33 to 6.83) were the independent risk factors for predicting acute stroke. The combination of these two risks showed a higher specificity (94.26%) than that of each factor alone. High-risk patients, such as those aged over 65 years or with a history of cerebrovascular injury, may require further neuroimaging workup in the ED to rule out stroke.
Procedural sedation has become increasingly common in endoscopy. Sedatives and analgesics induce anxiolysis and amnesia. In addition, an appropriate level of sedation is necessary for safe procedures ...including therapeutic endoscopy. Midazolam and propofol are the most commonly used drugs in sedative endoscopy. In recent years, the need to ascertain the safety and effectiveness of sedation has increased in practice. Therefore, new sedatives and analgesic drugs for optimal sedative endoscopy, have recently emerged. This article reviews the characteristics of sedatives and analgesics, and describes their clinical use in gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Recently, emerging technologies related to various sensors, product identification, and wireless communication give us new opportunities for improving the efficiency of automotive maintenance ...operations, in particular, implementing predictive maintenance. The key point of predictive maintenance is to develop an algorithm that can analyze degradation status of automotive and make predictive maintenance decisions. In this study, as a basis for implementing the predictive maintenance of automotive engine oil, we propose an algorithm to determine the suitable change time of automotive engine oil by analyzing its degradation status with mission profile data. For this, we use several statistical methods such as factor analysis, discriminant and classification analysis, and regression analysis. We identify main factors of mission profile and engine oil quality with factor analysis. Subsequently, with regression analysis, we specify relations between main factors considering the types of mission profile of automotive: urban-mode and highway-mode. Based on them, we determine the proper change time of engine oil through discriminant and classification analysis. To evaluate the proposed approach, we carry out a case study and have discussion about limitations of our approach.
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