Home mortgage lenders and earthquake hazards

A survey of major home mortgage lenders and real-property appraisers in California and the Puget Sound region shows a general inattention to earthquake hazards in appraisal and lending policy. This inattention is demonstrated not only in responses to survey questions, but also in a lack of differentiation in lending decisions between properties within and outside surface-fault rupture zones. As posited by organizational theory, however, important variants exist in this overall policy, almost always resulting from the efforts of individuals within large lending organizations.     

Polymer coating on infrared silver halide fiber for photodarkeningprotection

Infrared silver halide fibers were studied concerning the optical degradation induced by photodarkening. Infrared transmittance decreased notably in the shorter wavelength (near-infrared) region by the exposure to ultraviolet (UV) or visible light below a wavelength of ~600 nm. Black paint was tentatively coated on the unclad fiber for photodarkening protection, but the infrared transmittance of the fiber decreased heavily due to the evanescent wave absorption by the paint. To reduce this absorption loss, a fluorocarbon polymer was coated between the fiber core and the black paint. Consequently, efficient transmission was realized in the infrared region except for the 7-10-μm wavelength range, where the fluorocarbon polymer has a strong absorption band. In the 2-7-μm wavelength range, the fiber that was heated at 100°C in the polymer coating process exhibited higher transmittance than the original uncoated fiber. No optical degradation of the coated fiber was observed, even after irradiation with UV light for a period of 70 h     

Electrical treeing phenomena in two-layer silicone gel with different crosslinking degrees and its dielectric strength

Silicone gel is widely used to encapsulate power modules, and improvement of its dielectric strength has been required. So, the purpose of our research is to improve dielectric strength of silicone gel encapsulant, and we focus on crosslinking degree of silicone gel. Previous studies have shown that growth mechanism of electrical tree changes with crosslinking degree of silicone gel. This suggests the possibility that the presence of the interface by different crosslinking degrees inhibits the tree growth. In this paper, we have investigated the tree growth and breakdown characteristics in silicone gel—crosslinking degrees graded layer materials. The interfaces in our study are arrange as being vertical to the line of electric force. Consequently, it was clarified that barrier effect of interface by different crosslinking degrees and the relaxation of electric field in low crosslinking degree region retards on tree growth, which improves the dielectric strength.     

AS-OCT图像下的自动皮质性白内障分类框架

白内障是一种主要导致视觉损伤的眼病. 早期干预和白内障手术是改善患者视力和生活质量的主要手段. 眼前节光学相干断层成像图像 (anterior segment optical coherence tomography, AS-OCT) 是一种新型眼科图像, 其具有非接触、高分辨率、检查快速等特点. 在临床上, 眼科医生已经逐渐采用AS-OCT图像进行眼科疾病如青光眼的诊断, 然而尚未有研究工作利用它进行皮质性白内障 (cortical cataract, CC) 自动分类. 为此, 提出了一个基于AS-OCT图像的自动皮质性白内障分类框架, 由图像预处理、特征提取、特征筛选和分类等4部分组成. 首先, 利用反光区域去除和对比度增强方法进行图像预处理; 紧接着使用灰度共生矩阵 (grey level co-occurrence matrix, GLCM)、灰度区域大小矩阵 (grey level size zone matrix, GLSZM) 和邻域灰度差矩阵 (neighborhood grey tone difference matrix, NGTDM) 方法从皮质区域提取了22个特征; 然后, 采用斯皮尔曼相关系数方法对提取的特征进行特征重要性分析并筛除冗余特征; 最后利用线性支持向量机方法进行分类. 在一个临床AS-OCT图像数据集上的实验结果表明, 所提出的皮质性白内障分类框架准确率、召回率、精确率和F1分别达到86.04%, 86.18%, 88.27%和86.35%, 取得与先进的深度学习算法接近的性能, 表明其具有作为辅助眼科医生进行皮质性白内障临床诊断工具的潜力.     

Machine Learning for Cataract Classification/Grading on Ophthalmic Imaging Modalities: A Survey

Cataracts are the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness globally. Over the years, researchers have achieved significant progress in developing state-of-the-art machine learning techniques for automatic cataract classification and grading, aiming to prevent cataracts early and improve clinicians’ diagnosis efficiency. This survey provides a comprehensive survey of recent advances in machine learning techniques for cataract classification/grading based on ophthalmic images. We summarize existing literature from two research directions: conventional machine learning methods and deep learning methods. This survey also provides insights into existing works of both merits and limitations. In addition, we discuss several challenges of automatic cataract classification/grading based on machine learning techniques and present possible solutions to these challenges for future research.

     

New pixel circuits for controlling threshold voltage by back‐gate bias voltage using crystalline oxide semiconductor FETs

We devised a threshold voltage compensation pixel circuit using back‐gate bias voltage. Variation in threshold voltages can be reduced to 10% in simulation while improving the saturation characteristics of a driving transistor. The pixel circuit can compensate not only threshold variation but also mobility variation. We fabricated a 5.29‐in Quad‐VGA organic light emitting diode display using this pixel circuit.     

Carcinogen specific dosimetry model for passive smokers of various ages

Studies indicate that being exposed to second hand smoke increases the chance of developing lung cancer. Understanding the deposition of carcinogenic particles present in second hand smoke is necessary to understand the development of specific histologic type cancers. In this study, a deposition model is presented for subjects of various ages exposed to sidestream smoke. The model included particle dynamics of coagulation, hygroscopic growth, charge and cloud behavior. Concentrations were varied from the maximum measured indoor concentrations (10(6) particles/cm3) to what would be expected from wisps of smoke (10(8) particles/cm3). Model results agreed well with experimental data taken from human subject deposition measurements (four studies). The model results were used to determine the dose intensity (dose per unit airway surface area) of Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in the respiratory tract for subjects of various ages. Model predictions for BaP surface concentration on the airway walls paralleled incident rates of tumors by location in the upper tracheobronchial region. Mass deposition efficiency was found to be larger for younger subjects, consistent with diffusion being the predominant mechanism for this particle size range. However, the actual dose intensity of BaP was found to be smaller for children than adults. This occurred due to the predominant effect of the smaller initial inhaled mass for children resulting from smaller tidal volumes. The resulting model is a useful tool to predict carcinogen specific particle deposition.     

The opening characteristics as fracture phenomena by piercing through the arteriograft of the bovine and the swine

The occlusion of the arteriograft itself as used to serve as a substitute conduit for blood so as to establish bypass conduit for hemodialysis where the arterial segment cannot be used by occlusion or disease is one of the most important problems in hemodialysis. In connection with elucidating the cause and the mechanism which remains unsolved, in the present article the opening characteristics as fracture phenomena of the graft by the piercing of the needle with the sheath has been studied on the bovine and the swine arteriograft both clinically used.     

Mechano-Optical Sensors Fabricated with Multilayered Liquid Crystal Elastomers Exhibiting Tunable Deformation Recovery

Advances in tuning the mechanoresponsive behavior of liquid crystal elastomers have facilitated the development of next-generation applications such as reconfigurable photonic/electronic materials, energy-harvesting devices, and flexible sensors. However, the molecular-level control of mechanical responses remains difficult, with limited tunability achieved for recovery processes after stimulus removal. Herein, a design concept is proposed for facilely tuning the recovery of both the macroscopic deformation and molecular orientation change of liquid crystal elastomers using layered materials that exhibit the desired mechanoresponsive behavior. Changing the layering materials (a polydimethylsiloxane film with elastic response to a polymethylpenten film with plastic response) alters the relaxation time from <1 s to >6 months. To demonstrate this concept, highly sensitive, stretchable mechano-optical sensors with fast and ultraslow recovery times are developed that enable an applied strain to be quantitatively detected in real time or memorized with high spatial resolution, even with a conventional camera. This material design concept for arbitrarily controlling the recovery response can provide a platform for stimuli-responsive applications.     

Modification of the carbonization properties of coal-tar pitch by supercritical fluid extraction

The carbonization properties of coal-tar pitch were modified by supercritical fluid (SCF) extraction. Pitches extracted with supercritical toluene (SCFE pitch) contained none of the quinoline insoluble (QI) matter responsible for anisotropic structures with small unit sizes. The size of anisotropic structures from SCFE pitches was closely related to the β-resin (toluene insoluble and quinoline soluble fraction) content. Anisotropic structures from blended pitches prepared to have the same β-resin content as SCFE pitches (by blending toluene soluble (TS) and β-resin fractions obtained through a conventional liquid solvent extraction) were smaller. Extraction of the β-resin fraction with supercritical toluene could be interpreted by the co-solvent effects of the TS fraction dissolved in the extract phase. The high concentration of TS fraction in the extract phase enhanced the solubility of the β-resin fraction into this phase. In the raffinate phase, the heavier β-resin components, which are unsuitable for the development of mesophase structures, coagulated and formed unextractable QI matter through reduction in the concentration of the TS fraction. Since the TS concentration in both the phases depends on pressure and the ratio of the amounts of supercritical toluene and pitch, the control of the β-resin content in the SCFE pitches is possible through the adjustment of these two parameters.