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This study aims to present a low-cost, non-destructive microwave sensor implementation to monitor the real-time moisture content of rubber wood in industrial dehydration processes. The proposed sensor is based on the free-space measurement technique with magnitudes S11 and S21 only. The novelties of this study consist of the natural frequency determination of rubber wood and the design of a sensor system using devices available on the market with reasonable cost performance. The natural frequency was determined using a simulation and was equal to 1.25 GHz. It specified the sensor system design and device selection. The designed system was initially verified by measuring the moisture content of rubber wood in the laboratory. The measured S11 and S21 voltages correlating with moisture content percentages were obtained and programmed. The system was then installed to monitor the moisture content of rubber wood in the dehydration process. The measured results deviated from those obtained from a standard method in the range of 7.67–15.38%. The error compensation was analyzed to improve the measured results that provided the deviated moisture content in the range of 3.58–5.21%. It can be inferred that the proposed sensor system has the capability to be implemented in industrial dehydration processes.

A unique high efficiency photovoltaic (PV) system is presented. It uses partial sine wave tracking for a pulse-width modulation (PWM) boost converter as well as a full-bridge inverter. The boost converter and full-bridge inverter are connected via a compact intermediate film capacitor (i.e. non-smoothing DC link stage). PWM switching is activated by a dual mode control technique. In the proposed topology, simultaneous switching of both power conversion stages is avoided and therefore this increases the power conversion efficiency. The distinctive operating principles of these two power processing stages are discussed and analyzed with the experimental results for single-phase loading of the PV system.

This paper presents a high-frequency pulse-density-modulated (PDM) soft-switching series load resonant inverter for use in induction heating (IH) fixed roller applications, which is used in copy and printing machines. The proposed simple high-frequency resonant inverter uses an asymmetrical pulse pattern PDM control scheme to achieve complete zero-current soft-switching commutations over a wide output range of input power regulation. Additionally, when the printer toner requires operation in very light load conditions, this causes difficulty in achieving zero-voltage or zero-current soft-switching operations in the IH high-frequency resonant inverters with pulse frequency modulation or pulse width modulation control schemes. The proposed resonant inverter demonstrates the capability to accomplish highly efficient power conversions. In this work, a fixed roller for printing machines is developed for doing experiments to verify the efficiency of the proposed circuit topology and its PDM control schemes. The inverter’s steady-state and transient operating principles are analyzed based on the proposed control strategy at a high-frequency PDM. Operating conditions such as power loss analysis, power conversion efficiency and temperature rise characteristics of the proposed inverter are presented and analyzed through experimental results. Finally, from a practical viewpoint, a comparative study of a conventional halogen lamp heater and the proposed IH fixed roller is deliberated.

Bacillus subtilis lacking the DnaJK chaperone has not been reported to exhibit a distinct phenotype. However, our study revealed proline-dependent growth in a minimal medium in the dnaJ ::Tn strain. Inhibition of spoIVCA expression in this strain was identified as a probable cause of the sporulation deficiency in previous and current studies using a single cell-level analysis. We also observed posttranscriptional regulation of proBA by the DnaJK and YlxR(RnpM)/RNase P complex. LacZ analyses of proB::lacZ in different backgrounds suggested that the above regulation ultimately functions in mRNA metabolism. In DnaJK-deficient cells, the nascent peptide may be misfolded, and if DnaJK chaperone activity is lost, such a signal may be transferred to RNase P. Therefore, proBA mRNA may be degraded in an RNase P-dependent manner if the misfolding of the polypeptide translated from this mRNA is detected. This system is useful for reducing the biological costs of futile mRNA elongation.

ABSTRACT Geobacter sulfurreducens produces high current densities and it has been used as a model organism for extracellular electron transfer studies. Nine G. sulfurreducens strains were isolated from biofilms formed on an anode poised at –0.2 V (vs SHE) in a bioelectrochemical system in which river sediment was used as an inoculum. The maximum current density of an isolate, strain YM18 (9.29 A/m2), was higher than that of the strain PCA (5.72 A/m2), the type strain of G. sulfurreducens, and comparable to strain KN400 (8.38 A/m2), which is another high current-producing strain of G. sulfurreducens. Genomic comparison of strains PCA, KN400 and YM18 revealed that omcB, xapD, spc and ompJ, which are known to be important genes for iron reduction and current production in PCA, were not present in YM18. In the PCA and KN400 genomes, two and one region(s) encoding CRISPR/Cas systems were identified, respectively, but they were missing in the YM18 genome. These results indicate that there is genetic variation in the key components involved in extracellular electron transfer among G. sulfurreducens strains. Isolation of high current density-producing Geobacter sulfurreducens and its genomic analysis revealed that there is a genetic variation in the key components involved in extracellular electron transfer.

Erionite (ERI) zeolite has recently attracted considerable attention for its application prospect in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3‐SCR), provided that the high‐silica (Si/Al > 5.5) analog with improved hydrothermal stability can be facilely synthesized. In this work, ERI zeolites with different Si/Al ratios (4.6, 6.4, and 9.1) are synthesized through an ultrafast route, and in particular, a high‐silica ERI zeolite with a Si/Al ratio of 9.1 is obtained by using faujasite (FAU) as a starting material. The solid‐state 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopic study in combination with a computational simulation allows for figuring out the atomic configurations of the Al species in the three ERI zeolites. It is revealed that the ERI zeolite with the highest Si/Al ratio (ERI‐9.1, where the number indicates the Si/Al ratio) exhibits a biased Al occupancy at T1 site, which is possibly due to the presence of a higher fraction of the residual potassium cations in the can cages. In contrast, the Al siting in ERI‐4.6 and ERI‐6.4 proves to be relatively random. A high‐silica ERI zeolite (Si/Al = 9.1) is synthesized using the dealuminated FAU zeolite as the starting material. The higher fraction of the residual K+ cations in the can cages preferably direct the Al insertion into the T1 site.

Diabetic kidney disease is a major cause of renal failure that urgently necessitates a breakthrough in disease management. Here we show using untargeted metabolomics that levels of phenyl sulfate, a gut microbiota-derived metabolite, increase with the progression of diabetes in rats overexpressing human uremic toxin transporter SLCO4C1 in the kidney, and are decreased in rats with limited proteinuria. In experimental models of diabetes, phenyl sulfate administration induces albuminuria and podocyte damage. In a diabetic patient cohort, phenyl sulfate levels significantly correlate with basal and predicted 2-year progression of albuminuria in patients with microalbuminuria. Inhibition of tyrosine phenol-lyase, a bacterial enzyme responsible for the synthesis of phenol from dietary tyrosine before it is metabolized into phenyl sulfate in the liver, reduces albuminuria in diabetic mice. Together, our results suggest that phenyl sulfate contributes to albuminuria and could be used as a disease marker and future therapeutic target in diabetic kidney disease. Diabetes is a major cause of kidney disease. Here Kikuchi et al. show that phenol sulfate, a gut microbiota-derived metabolite, is increased in diabetic kidney disease and contributes to the pathology by promoting kidney injury, suggesting phenyl sulfate could be used a marker and therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease.

We have evaluated InGaAs/InP PIN (p-I-n) photodiodes failed by electrostatic discharge (ESD) with forward or reverse biasing, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDX), Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) imaging. First, localized traces and bumps were observed on the surface of the Au electrode by SEM. Next, by cross-sectional STEM observation, a heavily damaged region including a void was observed in the p+-InP layer and an upper part of the n−-InGaAs layer just below the bump on the Au electrode. Cross-sectional EDX mapping indicated that the damaged region consists of a mixture of InP and InGaAs, i.e., InGaAsP quaternary material. In addition, poor crystal quality of the active PIN region was also revealed by Raman spectroscopy and PL imaging. Furthermore, although similar results were obtained for the ESD-failed samples with application of both forward and reverse bias, the magnitude of the ESD damage is larger in the case of forward bias as compared with the case of reverse bias. On the basis of these results, we propose a possible ESD failure mechanism that is associated with significant Joule heating in the p+-InP layer and the upper part of the n−-InGaAs layer due to the local concentration of a large current.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common pediatric spinal deformity. Several AIS susceptibility loci have been identified; however, they could explain only a small proportion of AIS heritability. To identify additional AIS susceptibility loci, we conduct a meta-analysis of the three genome-wide association studies consisting of 79,211 Japanese individuals. We identify 20 loci significantly associated with AIS, including 14 previously not reported loci. These loci explain 4.6% of the phenotypic variance of AIS. We find 21 cis -expression quantitative trait loci-associated genes in seven of the fourteen loci. By a female meta-analysis, we identify additional three significant loci. We also find significant genetic correlations of AIS with body mass index and uric acid. The cell-type specificity analyses show the significant heritability enrichment for AIS in multiple cell-type groups, suggesting the heterogeneity of etiology and pathogenesis of AIS. Our findings provide insights into etiology and pathogenesis of AIS. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common pediatric disease leading to spinal deformities. Here, the authors report GWAS followed by genome-wide meta-analysis in up to 79,211 Japanese individuals, identifying 20 genetic loci for AIS, 14 of which were previously unreported, and perform in vitro validation for rs1978060.

PurposeThe association between the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of regorafenib, a multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitor, remains unclear. This study assessed the trough plasma concentrations (Ctrough) of regorafenib and its N-oxide (M2) and N-oxide/desmethyl (M5) metabolites, and evaluated the associations among these levels, adverse events, and pharmacokinetic-related genetic polymorphisms in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.MethodsThe Ctrough levels of regorafenib and its metabolites were assessed in a single-center, prospective, observational study, 7 days after the initial treatment. The correlation between those values and adverse events was then examined. In addition, the genetic polymorphisms of ABCG2, SLCO1B1, and UGT1A9 were determined and evaluated for associations with the levels of regorafenib, M2, and M5.ResultsWe analyzed 43 patients who received regorafenib 40–120 mg/day; among them, 35 patients started at 120 mg/day. With regard to bilirubin increase, the Ctrough values of regorafenib were significantly higher in the group with grade ≥ 2 than in groups with grades 0 and 1 (p = 0.010). The M5 Ctrough levels were significantly associated with the severity of hypertension or rash (p < 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, the M5 Ctrough values and age were significant predictors of severe rash. Lastly, significant differences were noted in the M5 concentration-to-dose ratio values between the patients with ABCG2 421A/A and ABCG2 421C/A or C/C polymorphisms (p = 0.035).ConclusionThis study showed that the Ctrough of regorafenib was associated with bilirubin increase, and also clarified for the first time that the Ctrough of M5 was significantly correlated with hypertension and severe rash.