Line Edge Research Articles

Evaluating the Safety Effectiveness of Edge Line Sinusoidal Rumble Strips on Lane Departure Crashes Prevention

Lane departure crashes are among the most common crashes in the United States and Florida. Various types of rumble strips have been used to prevent or reduce lane departure incidents. The Florida Department of Transportation adopted a new sinusoidal rumble strip pattern for statewide audible and vibratory treatment implementation since recent research reveals that sinusoidal rumble strip patterns are effective in providing auditory and tactile alert to drivers in lane departure prevention and produce less external noise in comparison to other rumble strip texture patterns. However, there has not been a systematic evaluation of the safety effectiveness of sinusoidal rumble strips in the U.S. This paper focused on evaluating the safety effectiveness of edge line sinusoidal rumble strips installed in Florida in recent years through an empirical Bayes approach. Crash data at treatment sites and reference sites were collected, and a series of crash modification factors were developed based on the type of rural roads (overall rural roadways, rural two-lane roads, and rural multi-lane roads) and crash severity levels (total crashes and fatal/SI crashes only). In addition, the authors used a multinomial logit model to estimate the influence of different variables and parameters that affect lane departure crashes. The research findings quantify the safety effectiveness of edge line sinusoidal rumbles strips in preventing lane departure crashes and provide insights on countermeasure implementation to improve rural road safety.

Validation of a phase-field approach for contact line hysteresis against a sloshing droplet case

AbstractUnderstanding liquid propellants behavior in microgravity conditions is critical for efficient spacecraft design. For a number of operations, ranging from engine restart to orbital propellant storage and transfer, insight is needed to characterize capillary-dominated flows. In such conditions, surface tension and wetting properties, including contact angle hysteresis, can greatly impact the fluid’s behavior and therefore spacecraft performance. Using experimental data from ESA Propulsion Laboratory, a contact line model for the Cahn–Hilliard phase-field method is validated. The case studied is that of a droplet confined between two oscillating plates, which aims to isolate and observe contact angle-driven physics, limiting the effect of gravity on the flow in a simple and reproducible way on ground. The contact line model allows for the prediction of contact line motion without requiring the computation of dynamic contact angles or contact line velocities, thus simplifying implementation and reducing computational overhead. For the validation, contact line pinning and motion under varying oscillation frequencies is investigated. Specifically, the length between the rear and front contact line edges, as well as the shape of the sloshing droplet are compared. The results show good agreement between simulations and experimental data, confirming the model’s accuracy in predicting contact line behavior and pinning.

Single‐Component High‐Resolution Dual‐Tone EUV Photoresists Based on Precision Self‐Immolative Polymers

AbstractElectron beam (EB) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography are advanced techniques capable of achieving sub‐10 nm resolutions, critical for fabricating next‐generation nanostructures and semiconductor devices. However, developing EUV photoresists that meet all demands for resolution, line edge roughness (LER), and sensitivity (RLS) remains a significant challenge. Herein, we introduce high‐performance photoresists based on single‐component self‐immolative polymers (SIPs) with inherent signal amplification via cascade degradation. These SIPs function as dual‐tone photoresists under both EB and EUV lithography, with performance primarily determined by the exposure dose. Lithographic evaluations show that discrete SIPs provide significant improvements over disperse counterparts, achieving higher resolution and reduced LER. Specifically, a discrete SIP with a DP of 12 produces a line‐space pattern with a resolution of approximately 18 nm and an LER of 1.8 nm, compared to 21 nm resolution and 2.5 nm LER for disperse SIPs. Additionally, these SIP‐based photoresists, enriched with aromatic structures, exhibit excellent etch resistance. The single‐component nature and potential to address the RLS trade‐off underscore the promise of discrete SIPs for EUV lithography.

The edge artifact extraction method for Si3N4 ceramic bearing rolling element microcracks characterization

Aiming at the problem that the edge artifacts of Si3N4 ceramic bearing rolling element microcracks have low contrast, contain noise, and easily merge with the background, making it difficult to segment. A method based on 2D discrete wavelet transform and Otsu threshold segmentation is designed to achieve the extraction of microcrack edge artifact features. Wavelet decomposition is used to remove noise, while wavelet reconstruction features are used to restore lost details. Creation of 2D discrete wavelet transform functional equations combining wavelet reconstruction and wavelet decomposition to improve contrast and eliminate noise in images featuring edge artifacts. For the problem of feature edge artifacts that are difficult to remove, the threshold segmentation function equation is designed to maximize the interclass variance, and the optimal threshold value is selected to remove the edge artifacts. The experimental results show that the average PSNR of the Si3N4 ceramic bearing rolling body point, line, and surface microcrack edge artifact feature images enhanced by the method in this paper is close to 62.69 dB, and the average SSIM is about 0.77. The method in this paper improves the contrast of microcrack edge artifact features of Si3N4 ceramic bearing rolling bodies and makes the feature extraction effect of point, line, and surface microcrack edge artifacts more complete.

An algorithm based on multi-branch feature cross fusion for archaeological illustration of murals

Archaeological illustration is a graphic recording technique that delineates the shape, structure, and ornamentation of cultural artifacts using lines, serving as vital material in archaeological work and scholarly research. Aiming at the problems of low line accuracy in the results of current mainstream image generation algorithms and interference caused by severe mural damage, this paper proposes a mural archaeological illustration generation algorithm based on multi-branch feature cross fusion (U2FGAN). The algorithm optimizes skip connections in U2Net through a channel attention mechanism, constructing a multi-branch generator consisting of a line extractor and an edge detector, which separately identify line features and edge information in artifact images before fusing them to generate accurate, high-resolution illustrations. Additionally, a multi-scale conditional discriminator is incorporated to guide the generator in outputting high-quality illustrations with clear details and intact structures. Experiments conducted on the Dunhuang mural illustration datasets demonstrate that compared to mainstream counterparts, U2FGAN reduced the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) by 10.8% to 26.2%, while also showing substantial improvements in Precision (by 9.8% to 32.3%), Fβ-Score (by 5.1% to 32%), and PSNR (by 0.4 to 2.2 dB). The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms other mainstream algorithms in archaeological illustration generation.

Impact of Surgical Technique on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Nationwide Observational Study

BackgroundLaparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has gained increasing popularity worldwide, yet concerns persist regarding the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) postoperatively. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the influence of technical aspects of LSG, specifically bougie size and distance from the pylorus to resection line edge, on the risk of developing symptomatic GERD within two years following surgery. SettingData from the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry and the National Prescribed Drug Register were utilized for this analysis. MethodA retrospective observational study was conducted encompassing all LSG patients in Sweden between 2012 and 2020 who did not receive preoperative proton pump inhibitor (PPI) prescriptions. Patients were categorized based on bougie size and pyloric distance. Regular PPI use, defined as a dispensed prescription of more than 300 tablets per year, was employed as a proxy measure of symptomatic GERD and was compared between the groups. ResultsThe study included 7435 patients with complete data on dispensed PPI prescription both preoperatively and throughout the two-year follow-up period. Information on Bougie size and pyloric distance was available for 97.4% and 84.9%, respectively. Narrower bougie size and greater pyloric distance were associated with increased risk of regular PPI use post-surgery. Advanced age and female sex were independent risk factors for post-LSG regular PPI use, while initial BMI, total weight loss, and comorbidities showed no significant associations. ConclusionUsing a narrow bougie and initiating resection at a greater distance from the pylorus were associated with higher risk of symptomatic de novo GERD following LSG.

A strategy to fabricate nanostructures with sub-nanometer line edge roughness

Line edge roughness (LER) has been an important issue in the nanofabrication research, especially in integrated circuits. Despite numerous research studies has made efforts on achieving smaller LER value, a strategy to achieve sub-nanometer level LER still remains challenging due to inability to deposit energy with a profile of sub-nanometer LER. In this work, we introduce a strategy to fabricate structures with sub-nanometer LER, specifically, we use scanning helium ion beam to expose hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) resist on thin SiNx membrane (∼20 nm) and present the 0.16 nm spatial imaging resolution based on this suspended membrane geometric construction, which is characterized by scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The suspended membrane serves as an energy filter of helium ion beam and due to the elimination of backscattering induced secondary electrons, we can systematically study the factors that influences the LER of the fabricated nanostructures. Furthermore, we explore the parameters including step size, designed exposure linewidth (DEL), delivered dosage and resist thickness and choosing the high contrast developer, the process window allows to fabricate lines with 0.2 nm LER is determined. AFM measurement and simulation work further reveal that at specific beam step size and DEL, the nanostructures with minimum LER can only be fabricated at specific resist thickness and dosage.

Effect of Cl2 Radical on Dry Development of Spin-Coated Metal Oxide Resist.

In this study, the effects of Cl2 radicals on dry development of spin-coated metal oxide resist (MOR) and changes in its surface binding states were investigated to verify the mechanism of dry development. Dry development characteristics of tin hydroxide (Tin OH), which is one of the MOR candidates for next generation lithography, were investigated as functions of process time and temperature using a Cl2 radicals source. Non-UV-exposed Tin OH film showed a linear etch rate (1.77 nm/min) from the initial thickness of ∼50 nm, while the UV-exposed film showed slower etch behavior (1.46 nm/min) in addition to the increase of film thickness for up to 3 min during the Cl2 radical dry development. UV-exposed photoresist (PR) contained more oxygen (Sn-O bonding) in the film due to the removal of butyl compounds from the clusters during the UV exposure process. Therefore, due to the lower reaction of chlorine radicals with Sn-O in the UV-exposed Tin OH than the other bindings, the non-UV-exposed PR was preferentially removed compared to the UV-exposed PR. As the temperature decreases, the overall etch rate decreases, but the difference in etch rate between exposed and unexposed Tin OH becomes larger. Finally, at a substrate temperature of -20 °C, the non-UV-exposed Tin OH with a thickness of 50 nm was completely removed, while ∼30 nm thick PR remained for UV-exposed Tin OH. Eventually, a negative tone development was possible with Cl2 radical plasma due to the difference in activation energy between the UV-exposed and non-UV-exposed films. It is believed that dry development using Cl2 radicals will be one of the most important process techniques for next-generation patterning to remove problems such as pattern leaning, line edge roughness, residue, etc., caused by wet development.

All-Solution-Processed Electronics with Sub-Microscale Resolution and Nanoscale Fidelity Fabricated Via a Humidity-Controlled, Surface Energy-Directed Assembly Process.

Solution-based processes have received considerable attention in the fabrication of electronics and sensors owing to their merits of being low-cost, vacuum-free, and simple in equipment. However, the current solution-based processes either lack patterning capability or have low resolution (tens of micrometers) and low pattern fidelity in terms of line edge roughness (LER, several micrometers). Here, we present a surface energy-directed assembly (SEDA) process to fabricate metal oxide patterns with up to 2 orders of magnitude improvement in resolution (800 nm) and LER (16 nm). Experiment results show that high pattern fidelity can be achieved only at low relative humidities of below 30%. The reason for this phenomenon lies in negligible water condensation on the solution droplet. Employing the SEDA process, all-solution-processed metal oxide thin film transistors (TFTs) are fabricated by using indium oxide as channel layers, indium tin oxide as source/drain electrodes and gate electrodes, and aluminum oxide as gate dielectrics. TFT-based logic gate circuits, including NOT, NOR, NAND, and AND are fabricated as well, demonstrating the applicability of the SEDA process in fabricating large area functional electronics.

Enhanced Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS)/LiDAR Tightly Integrated Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for Urban Structural Feature Weaken Occasions in Vehicular Platform

LiDAR-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) offer robustness against illumination changes, but the inherent sparsity of LiDAR point clouds poses challenges for continuous tracking and navigation, especially in feature-deprived scenarios. This paper proposes a novel LiDAR/SINS tightly integrated SLAM algorithm designed to address the localization challenges in urban environments characterized in sparse structural features. Firstly, the method extracts edge points from the LiDAR point cloud using a traditional segmentation method and clusters them to form distinctive edge lines. Then, a rotation-invariant feature—line distance—is calculated based on the edge line properties that were inspired by the traditional tightly integrated navigation system. This line distance is utilized as the observation in a Kalman filter that is integrated into a tightly coupled LiDAR/SINS system. This system tracks the same edge lines across multiple frames for filtering and correction instead of tracking points or LiDAR odometry results. Meanwhile, for loop closure, the method modifies the common SCANCONTEXT algorithm by designating all bins that do not reach the maximum height as special loop keys, which reduce false matches. Finally, the experimental validation conducted in urban environments with sparse structural features demonstrated a 17% improvement in positioning accuracy when compared to the conventional point-based methods.

Configuration reconstruction and all-joint synchronous measurement based on vision for segmented linkage manipulator of rigid-flexible dual-arm space robot

A rigid-flexible dual-arm space robot offers promising potential for on-orbit operation due to complementary strengths of its rigid and flexible manipulators. The rigid manipulator has the advantage of large payload capacity and high motion accuracy. The segmented linkage flexible manipulator is ideal for maneuvering in narrow, unstructured environments like internal satellite inspections and maintenance, due to its flexibility and slender body. However, there are inevitable tracking errors due to the multiple cable-driven mechanisms in the flexible manipulator. It’s difficult to get the configuration and end pose of flexible manipulator without adding external sensors. To address these issues, this paper presents a method for configuration reconstruction and all-joint synchronous measurement of the flexible manipulator. The flexible manipulator is captured by the stereovision system mounted on the rigid manipulator. The links’ equivalent center points are recognized by central moment method and edge line extraction method based on the natural characteristics. Joint-to-link kinematic model of flexible manipulator is established to measure joint angles and reconstruct configuration. Several simulations and experiments are carried out to validate the proposed method. The experimental results showed links’ average measurement position errors were less than 13 mm and joint angles reconstructed using the proposed method had an error of approximately 0.35°. These results demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed method.

Detection of electrode misalignment and its effect on joint quality in resistance spot welding: a low-cost computer vision-based approach

Electrode misalignment in resistance spot welding can be caused by poor fitting or deformation of electrode with continuous usage. This leads to asymmetric weld nugget formation, porosity and expulsion. This paper presents a novel low-cost real-time inspection system for angular misalignment using an image processing approach. The proposed solution can effectively segment the electrode tips even from the image captured at noisy industrial background such as automotive assembly line, by using a regional convolutional neural network based object identification method. The trained model has a mean average precision and recall of 99.01% and 96.6%, respectively. A series of image processing tools and mathematical operations were used to identify the edge line contours of electrode tips accurately from the detection mask, and determine the angular misalignment with a maximum deviation of less than 0.06°. Experimental results showed that the weld nuggets exhibited porosity, shrinkage voids, and cracks when performed under angular misalignment conditions.

Evaluation of the horizontal approach to the medial malleolar facet in sagittal talar fractures through dorsiflexion and plantarflexion positions.

Talar fractures often require osteotomy during surgery to achieve reduction and screw fixation of the fractured fragments due to limited visualization and operating space of the talar articular surface. The objective of this study was to evaluate the horizontal approach to the medial malleolus facet by maximizing exposure through dorsiflexion and plantarflexion positions. In dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, and functional foot positions, we respectively obtained the anterior and posterior edge lines of the projection of the medial malleolus on the medial malleolar facet. The talar model from Mimics was imported into Geomagic software for image refinement. Then Solidworks software was used to segment the medial surface of the talus and extend the edge lines from the three positions to project them onto the "semicircular" base for 2D projection. The exposed area in different positions, the percentage of total area it represents, and the anatomic location of the insertion point at the groove between the anteroposternal protrusions of the medial malleolus were calculated. The mean total area of the "semicircular" region on the medial malleolus surface of the talus was 542.10 ± 80.05 mm2. In the functional position, the exposed mean area of the medial malleolar facet around the medial malleolus both anteriorly and posteriorly was 141.22 ± 24.34 mm2, 167.58 ± 22.36mm2, respectively. In dorsiflexion, the mean area of the posterior aspect of the medial malleolar facet was 366.28 ± 48.12 mm2. In plantarflexion, the mean of the anterior aspect of the medial malleolar facet was 222.70 ± 35.32 mm2. The mean overlap area of unexposed area in both dorsiflexion and plantarflexion was 23.32 ± 5.94 mm2. The mean percentage of the increased exposure area in dorsiflexion and plantarflexion were 36.71 ± 3.25% and 15.13 ± 2.83%. The mean distance from the insertion point to the top of the talar dome was 10.69 ± 1.24 mm, to the medial malleolus facet border of the talar trochlea was 5.61 ± 0.96 mm, and to the tuberosity of the posterior tibiotalar portion of the deltoid ligament complex was 4.53 ± 0.64 mm. Within the 3D model, we measured the exposed area of the medial malleolus facet in different positions and the anatomic location of the insertion point at the medial malleolus groove. When the foot is in plantarflexion or dorsiflexion, a sufficiently large area and operating space can be exposed during surgery. The data regarding the exposed visualization area and virtual screws need to be combined with clinical experience for safer reduction and fixation of fracture fragments. Further validation of its intraoperative feasibility will require additional clinical research.

Mitigating waveguide loss in Ge–Sb–Se chalcogenide glass photonics

Minimizing propagation loss within waveguides remains a central objective across diverse photonic platforms, impacting both linear lightwave transmission and nonlinear wavelength conversion efficiencies. Here, we present a method to mitigate waveguide loss in Ge28Sb12Se60 chalcogenide glass, a material known for its high nonlinearity, broad mid-infrared transparency, and significant potential for mid-IR photonics applications. By applying a sacrifical oxide layer to eliminate etching residues and a subsequent waveguide thermal reflow to smooth lithography-induced line edge roughness, we successfully reduced the waveguide loss down to 0.8 dB cm−1 at 1550 nm wavelength. This represents the best result in small-core and high-index-contrast Ge28Sb12Se60 channel waveguides. Our approach paves the way for low-loss, on-chip chalcogenide photonic devices.

TSAR-MVS: Textureless-aware segmentation and correlative refinement guided multi-view stereo

The reconstruction of textureless areas has long been a challenging problem in MVS due to lack of reliable pixel correspondences between images. In this paper, we propose the Textureless-aware Segmentation And Correlative Refinement guided Multi-View Stereo (TSAR-MVS), a novel method that effectively tackles challenges posed by textureless areas in 3D reconstruction through filtering, refinement and segmentation. First, we implement the joint hypothesis filtering, a technique that merges a confidence estimator with a disparity discontinuity detector to eliminate incorrect depth estimations. Second, to spread the pixels with confident depth, we introduce an iterative correlation refinement strategy that leverages RANSAC to generate 3D planes based on superpixels, succeeded by a weighted median filter for broadening the influence of accurately determined pixels. Finally, we present a textureless-aware segmentation method that leverages edge detection and line detection for accurately identify large textureless regions for further depth completion. Experiments on ETH3D, Tanks & Temples and Strecha datasets demonstrate the superior performance and strong generalization capability of our proposed method.

A novel non-chemically amplified resist based on polystyrene-iodonium derivatives for electron beam lithography

To break the resolution limitation of traditional resists, more work is needed on non-chemically amplified resists (non-CARs). Non-CARs based on iodonium salt modified polystyrene (PS-I) were prepared with controllable molecular weight and structure. The properties of the resist can be adjusted by the uploading of iodonium salts on the polymer chain, the materials with a higher proportion of iodonium salts show better lithography performance. By comparing contrast curves and quality of the lithographic patterns, the optimum developing condition of 4-methyl-2-pentanone and ethyl alcohol (v:v = 1:7) was selected. The high-resolution stripes of 15 nm half-pitch (HP) can be achieved by PS-I0.58 in e-beam lithography (EBL). PS-I0.58 shows the advanced lithography performance in the patterns of 16 nm HP and 18 nm HP stripes with low line edge roughness (3.0 nm and 2.4 nm). The resist shows excellent potential for further pattern transfer, the etch selectivity of resist PS-I0.58 to the silicon was close to 12:1. The lithographic mechanism of PS-I was investigated by experimental and theoretical calculation, which indicates the polarity of materials changes results in the solubility switch. This work provides a new option and useful guidelines for the development of high-resolution resist.

Field‐Free Memristive Spin–Orbit Torque Switching in A1 CoPt Single Layer for Image Edge Detection

AbstractWhile spin–orbit torque (SOT) devices are extensively investigated due to their potential for use in neural network computation, it remains challenging to explore the hardware for neural networks. In this paper, the field‐free memristive SOT switching of the CoPt single layer is used to propose a neuromorphic hardware circuit for detecting edges in images. Owing to its threefold symmetry of inversion, the polarity of SOT switching can be reversed by rotating the current by 60°. Moreover, the process of current‐induced SOT switching exhibits stable multi‐state magnetic switching behavior, and can be controllably tuned by using the pulse of the current. As the slope of the applied ramp pulse current increased, the wave of the anomalous Hall resistance changed from a curve with normally memristive property to trigonometric, and finally to cosine. The design of the hardware circuit for a single SOT device is subsequently formulated to detect the edges in images. The results of experiments verified the capability of this device to detect the edge lines in images with high accuracy, which confirms its potential for use in the hardware of neuromorphic computing platforms. The work here provides guidance for the application of SOT‐based devices to neuromorphic hardware.

Optimization strategy for epoxy cross-linked molecular glass photoresist in EUV lithography

The development of new resist materials is vital for fabrication techniques for next-generation microelectronics. A class of photosensitizer compositions with reactivity differences has been developed that can be used in epoxy cross-linked photoresist formulations for advanced microlithography techniques like extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). With “PDN first, PAG second” combination strategy containing slow photolysis initiators (photoacid generator, PAG) and fast photolysis terminators (photodegradable nucleophile, PDN), photoresists produce photolithographic patterns with dense structure that are insoluble in the developer by epoxy cationic polymerization. This combination enhances chemical contrast between the exposed and non-exposed areas while eliminating the stochastic impact to get a lithographic structure with high mechanical strength. Lithographic formulations have been developed and tested in line-and-space patterning experiments using EUVL, and 18 nm half-pitch (HP) at a dose of 25.2 mJ·cm−2 with a line edge roughness (LER) of 2.8 nm was achieved by the combination strategy. This strategy offers the possibility of achieving higher resolution for photoresists based on a cationic polymerization mechanism.

First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Golovinomyces adenophorae on Adenophora triphylla var. japonica in Korea.

Adenophora triphylla var. japonica (Campanulaceae), known as Japanese lady bell, is native to East Asia. It has been used as a medicinal plant but is widely cultivated in Korea as an indigenous vegetable (Park et al. 2011). In the summer of 2020, about 100 plants in an experimental plot at the National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul, Korea, showed powdery mildew symptoms with a 100% disease incidence. Signs first appeared as white colonies, subsequently expanding over the leaves, stems, and inflorescences. Infected young shoots were elongated and became slender. Chasmothecia were found in late October. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Korea University Herbarium (KUS-F). Conidiophores arising from the lateral part of the hyphae were upright, 100 to 220 × 10 to 12 µm, and produced 2 to 5 immature conidia in chains with sinuate edge lines. Basal parts of foot-cells in conidiophores were curved. Conidia were barrel-shaped to ellipsoid, 26 to 40 × 14 to 20 µm, and produced germ tubes on the perihilar position of the conidia. Chasmothecia with short mycelioid appendages were gregarious, 144 to176 µm in diam., and contained 8 to 22 asci. Asci were clavate-saccate with short stalks, 60 to 82 × 28 to 42 µm, and contained two spores. Ascospores were broadly ellipsoid, cytoplasm-dense without vacuoles, colorless, and 22 to 28 × 12 to 18 µm. The structures and measurements were consistent with those of Golovinomyces adenophorae (R.Y. Zheng & G.Q. Chen) Heluta (Braun & Cook, 2012). To confirm the morphology-based identification, two herbarium specimens (KUS-F29252 and F31898) were sequenced for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) regions with PM10/ITS4 and PM3/TW14 primers, respectively (Bradshaw and Tobin, 2020). A Blastn search revealed high similarities in the ITS and LSU sequences, with 99.81% (538/539 bp) and 99.86% (697/698 bp) to G. adenophorae sequences (AB077633 and AB077632), respectively. All resulting sequences were deposited in GenBank under accession numbers OR841069-70 for ITS and OR841071 for LSU. A pathogenicity test was performed through inoculation by gently dusting the conidia from a detached symptomatic leaf onto the leaves of five healthy plants. Five non-inoculated plants served as controls. Following inoculation, plants were covered with plastic film and maintained in a greenhouse (24 to 32°C) until symptoms developed. Powdery mildew colonies developed on the inoculated plants after twelve days, whereas the control plants remained symptomless. The inoculated pathogen was confirmed morphologically and molecularly by the sequence comparison aforementioned, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Based on morphological characteristics and the sequencing data, the powdery mildew was identified as G. adenophorae. The association of G. adenophorae and Adenophora spp. has been known in China, Japan, Kazakhstan, and the Far East of Russia (Farr and Rossman, 2023). This is the first report of powdery mildew caused by G. adenophorae on A. triphylla var. japonica in Korea. Since the commercial cultivation of this plant aims to harvest young shoots as one of the most popular vegetables in Korea, appropriate control measures for the powdery mildew should be considered.

Horizontal Curve Safety Performance Evaluation Based on Naturalistic Vehicle Lane Position Data

Performance-based design is a renewed approach for project decision-making to specifically address the purpose and needs of projects by providing design flexibility. Resources to evaluate roadway design based on safety performance are an important need for transportation practitioners. In this study, naturalistic driving study (NDS) data were used to estimate the safety effect of elements that influence driving behavior on rural undivided two-lane horizontal curves. Available data included 3,292 horizontal curves and 150,233 traversals, which required a significant data processing effort to conduct data cleaning and quality assessment. From the safety surrogates evaluated and methods implemented, lane position provided the most consistent and statistically significant results. Centerline and edge line encroachment events were modeled with the negative binomial using traffic volume and curve geometry as the predictor components. Encroachment estimates were associated with observed crashes from state data to convert encroachments to crashes. Predictor variables such as curve radius showed a decreasing trend in predicted crashes as curve radius increased. Similarly, as shoulder or lane width increased, predicted crashes decreased. Crash estimates derived from safety surrogates were used to develop an analytical tool aimed at practitioners for curve design considerations. Data input includes curve radius, shoulder width, lane width, curve length, traffic volume, expected service life, and construction cost. The economic assessment provides a quantitative measure for practitioners to evaluate alternative curve designs by assessing the tradeoffs between safety and costs of implementation.