In this technical paper, the oxidation mechanism and kinetics of aluminum powders are discussed in great details. The potential applications of spherical aluminum powders after oxidation to be part of the surging arre...In this technical paper, the oxidation mechanism and kinetics of aluminum powders are discussed in great details. The potential applications of spherical aluminum powders after oxidation to be part of the surging arresting materials are discussed. Theoretical calculations of oxidation of spherical aluminum powders in a typical gas fluidization bed are demonstrated. Computer software written by the author is used to carry out the basic calculations of important parameters of a gas fluidization bed at different temperatures. A mathematical model of the dynamic system in a gas fluidization bed is developed and the analytical solution is obtained. The mathematical model can be used to estimate aluminum oxide thickness at a defined temperature. The mathematical model created in this study is evaluated and confirmed consistently with the experimental results on a gas fluidization bed. Detail technical discussion of the oxidation mechanism of aluminum is carried out. The mathematical deviations of the mathematical modeling have demonstrated in great details. This mathematical model developed in this study and validated with experimental results can bring a great value for the quantitative analysis of a gas fluidization bed in general from a theoretical point of view. It can be applied for the oxidation not only for aluminum spherical powders, but also for other spherical metal powders. The mathematical model developed can further enhance the applications of gas fluidization technology. In addition to the development of mathematical modeling of a gas fluidization bed reactor, the formation of oxide film through diffusion on both planar and spherical aluminum surfaces is analyzed through a thorough mathematical deviation using diffusion theory and Laplace transformation. The dominant defects and their impact to oxidation of aluminum are also discussed in detail. The well-controlled oxidation film on spherical metal powders such as aluminum and other metal spherical powders can potentially become an important part of switch devices of surge arresting materials, in general.展开更多
The present pagination reports both Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis aspects subject to magneto hydrodynamic Williamson fluid model.Assuming the flow is unsteady and blood is treated as Williamson fluid over a we...The present pagination reports both Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis aspects subject to magneto hydrodynamic Williamson fluid model.Assuming the flow is unsteady and blood is treated as Williamson fluid over a wedge with radiation.The governing equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations by using similarity variables.The analytical solutions of the transformed governing equations are obtained by using the RK 4th order method along with shooting technique solver.The effects of various physical parameters such as Hartmann number,local Weissenberg number,radiation parameter,unsteadiness parameter,Prandtl number,Lewis number,Brownian diffusion,thermophoresis,wedge angle parameter,moving wedge parameter,on velocity,temperature,concentration,skin friction,heat transfer rate and mass transfer rate have been discussed in detail.The velocity and temperature profile deprives for larger We and an opposite trend is observed for concentration.The radiation parameter is propositional to temperature and a counter behaviour is observed for Pr.展开更多
The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics of patients with decreased cognitive function undergoing treatment for acute exacerbation phase of chronic heart failure as a basic survey with a view to the...The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics of patients with decreased cognitive function undergoing treatment for acute exacerbation phase of chronic heart failure as a basic survey with a view to the standardization of nursing to prevent discontinuation of treatment of patients with declining cognitive function in the acute exacerbation phase of chronic heart failure. As the first stage of the research, using the interview guide created based on the background of discontinuation of treatment and symptomatic monitoring from 33 target literature sources, seven certified chronic heart failure nurses and 15 certified dementia nurses were given semi-structured interviews. Data obtained from the interviews was analyzed by qualitative induction. As a result, we obtained opinions/views on 8 situations namely, “cognitive function at hospitalization”, “characteristics at hospitalization, “characteristics when receiving examinations, procedures or treatment”, “characteristics of course of treatment”, “characteristics related to difficulties in grasping the symptoms of chronic heart failure and indices of deterioration”, “characteristics when using diuretics”, “characteristics concerning compliance with dietary restrictions” and “support required for discharge from hospital” concerning patients with declining cognitive function. In the future, it is necessary to prepare nursing protocols incorporating these contents for standardization of nursing.展开更多
Soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) was successful in classifying a large library of 758 commercially available, non-blended samples of acetate, cotton, polyester, rayon, silk and wool 89% - 98% of the ...Soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) was successful in classifying a large library of 758 commercially available, non-blended samples of acetate, cotton, polyester, rayon, silk and wool 89% - 98% of the time at the 95% confidence level (p = 0.05 significance level). In the present study, cotton and silk had a 62% and 24% chance, respectively, of being classified with their own group and also with rayon. SIMCA correctly identified a counterfeit “silk” sample as polyester. When coupled with diffuse NIR reflectance spectroscopy and a large sample library, SIMCA shows considerable promise as a quick, non-destructive, multivariate method for fiber identification. A major advantage is simplicity. No sample pretreatment of any kind was required, and no adjust-ments were made for fiber origin, manufacturing process residues, topical finishes, weave pattern, or dye content. Increasing the sample library should make the models more robust and improve identification rates over those reported in this paper.展开更多
The giant perilous rock at Wangxia (named Wangxia perilous rock) is representative in Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, China, has threatened badly the navigation of the Yangtze River channel for a long period. The g...The giant perilous rock at Wangxia (named Wangxia perilous rock) is representative in Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, China, has threatened badly the navigation of the Yangtze River channel for a long period. The giant perilous rock is composed of siliceous limestone and argillaceous limestone, and includes two elements marking by W1 and W2, respectively. The W1 is an isolated pillar while the W2 is in clintheriform. The linking segment of dominant fissure in the W2 is composed by moniliform solution funnels at its back, and the locked segment of the dominant fissure at the base of the W2 is composed by two parts. For the locked part of the dominant fissure of the W2, the upper segment shows the same lithology with the perilous rock and it can be simplified as an elastic medium, for the lower segment composed by argillaceous shale and mudstone can be simplified as a strain-softening medium. Introducing the water-softened function, the constitutive curves with two kinds of medium materials for the locked segment in the dominant fissure of the W2 have been proposed. Based on energy principle, the cusp catastrophe model for perilous rock rupture is built and formulas for the transient elastic and impulsive acceleration and the elastic-impulsive velocity of perilous rock catastrophe rupture have been established. By the calculation, the elastic-impulsive acceleration for the catastrophe rupture of the W2 is 531.4 m/s2, while the average elastic-impulsive velocity is 2.608 m/s. Further, it is deduced that the elastic-impulsive velocity at the base of the W2 is about 5.2 m/s. For the transient ruture of the W2, there is a greater speed difference between the top and the base of the W2, which impels the giant perilous rock to be retroverted sliding rupture, coinciding with the fact. Undoubtedly, studies in this paper must play an important role to analyze the catastrophe rupture mechanism of giant perilous rocks at both banks in Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, China.展开更多
The advances in the treatment of heart failure with Yangxinshi tablet are reviewed in this paper.Yangxinshi tablet has effects of nourishing myocardia,improving myocardial metabolism,reducing myocardial oxygen consump...The advances in the treatment of heart failure with Yangxinshi tablet are reviewed in this paper.Yangxinshi tablet has effects of nourishing myocardia,improving myocardial metabolism,reducing myocardial oxygen consumption,dilating coronary artery,improving cardiac blood supply,reducing blood viscosity and improving microcirculation,and it can improve the functions of heart and curative effect of heart failure.展开更多
Possible early diagnostic application of optical methods (dielectrophoresis, spectral and imaging ellipsometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy) in studies of red blood cells and serum of p...Possible early diagnostic application of optical methods (dielectrophoresis, spectral and imaging ellipsometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy) in studies of red blood cells and serum of patients with diffuse liver disease with varying degrees of fibrosis has been evaluated. Application of combined optical methods was confirmed to significantly improve the performance of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy index as well as to achieve the reliable results in diagnosis of both severe fibrosis and slight ulterior liver fibrosis. Identified diagnostic potential of optical methods can be effectively utilized in noninvasive screening evaluation of stages of diffuse liver disease of various geneses.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the role of T helper 17 cells (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Treg) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF).METHODS: We enrolled 79 patients with HBV infection into ...AIM: To investigate the role of T helper 17 cells (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Treg) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF).METHODS: We enrolled 79 patients with HBV infection into the study, 50 patients with HBV-related ACLF and 29 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), from the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College from January 2009 to June 2012. The ACLF patients were diagnosed according to the criteria recommended by The 19th Conference of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver in 2009. Twenty healthy individuals with a similar gender and age structures to the two patient groups were also included as the normal controls (NC). Of the 50 ACLF patients, 28 were subsequently classified as non-survivors: 19 patients died from multiorgan failure, 3 underwent liver transplantation, and 6 discontinued therapy during follow-up because of financial reasons. The remaining 22 ACLF patients whose liver and anticoagulation function recovered to nearly normal levels within the next 6 mo were classified as survivors. The number of circulating Treg and Th17 cells was determined upon diagnosis and during the 8th week of follow-up through flow cytometry. RESULTS: The percentage of circulating Treg cells in the ACLF group was significantly higher than that in the CHB group (5.50% ± 1.15% vs 3.30% ± 1.13%, P < 0.01). The percentages of circulating Th17 cells in the ACLF and the CHB groups were significantly higher than that in the NC group (6.32% ± 2.22% vs 1.56% ± 0.44%, P < 0.01; 3.53% ± 1.65% vs 1.56% ± 0.44%, P < 0.01). No significant difference in Treg cell to Th17 cell ratio was observed between the ACLF group and the CHB group (0.98 ± 0.44 vs 1.12 ± 0.64, P = 0.991), whereas those in the two HBV infection groups were significantly lower than that in the NC group (1.85 ± 1.22; both P < 0.01). The percentage of Treg cells in the survivors during the 8th week of follow-up was significantly lower than that during peak ACLF severity [total bilirubin (TBIL) peak] (3.45% ± 0.97% vs 5.18% ± 1.02%, P < 0.01). The percentage of Th17 cells in survivors during the 8th week of follow-up was significantly lower than that during the peak TBIL (2.89% ±0.60% vs 5.24% ± 1.46%; P < 0.01). The Treg cell to Th17 cell ratio during the 8 th week of follow-up was significantly higher than that during the TBIL peak (1.22 ± 0.36 vs 1.10 ± 0.54; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Restoring the Treg cell to Th17 cell ratio during the follow-up phase of ACLF could maintain the immune system at a steady state, which favours good prognosis.展开更多
AIM To characterize the clinical course and outcomes of nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation(NIMV) use in acute pediatric respiratory failure.METHODS We identified all patients treated with NIMV in the pediatric i...AIM To characterize the clinical course and outcomes of nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation(NIMV) use in acute pediatric respiratory failure.METHODS We identified all patients treated with NIMV in the pediatric intensive care unit(PICU) or inpatient general pediatrics between January 2013 and December 2015 at two academic centers.Patients who utilized NIMV with other modes of noninvasive ventilation during the same admission were included.Data included demographics,vital signs on admission and prior to initiation of NIMV,pediatric risk of mortality Ⅲ(PRIsM-Ⅲ) scores,complications,respiratory support characteristics,PICU and hospital length of stays,duration of respiratory support,and complications.Patients who did not require escalation to mechanical ventilation were defined as NIMV responders;those who required escalation to mechanical ventilation(MV) were defined as NIMV nonresponders.NIMV responders were compared to NIMV non-responders.RESULTS Forty-two patients met study criteria.six(14%) failed treatment and required MV.The majority of the patients(74%) had a primary diagnosis of bronchiolitis.The median age of these 42 patients was 4 mo(range 0.5-28.1 mo,IQR 7,P = 0.69).No significant difference was measured in other baseline demographics and vitals on initiation of NIMV;these included age,temperature,respiratory rate,O2 saturation,heart rate,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,and PRIsM-Ⅲ scores.The duration of NIMV was shorter in the NIMV nonresponder vs NIMV responder group(6.5 h vs 65 h,P < 0.0005).Otherwise,NIMV failure was not associated with significant differences in PICU length of stay(LOs),hospital LOs,or total duration of respiratory support.No patients had aspiration pneumonia,pneumothorax,or skin breakdown.CONCLUSION Most of our patients responded to NIMV.NIMV failure is not associated with differences in hospital LOs,PICU LOs,or duration of respiratory support.展开更多
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the world’s sixth most common malignant tumor and the third cause of cancer death.Although great progress has been made in hepatectomy,it is still associated with a certain ...BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the world’s sixth most common malignant tumor and the third cause of cancer death.Although great progress has been made in hepatectomy,it is still associated with a certain degree of risk of posthepatectomy liver failure(PHLF),which extends the length of hospital stay and remains the leading cause of postoperative death.Studies have shown that assessment of hepatic functional reserve before hepatectomy is beneficial for reducing the incidence of PHLF.AIM To assess the value of model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)score combined with standardized future liver remnant(sFLR)volume in predicting PHLF in patients undergoing hepatectomy for HCC.METHODS This study was attended by 238 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy between January 2015 and January 2018.Discrimination of sFLR volume,MELD score,and sFLR/MELD ratio to predict PHLF was evaluated according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.RESULTS The patients were divided into two groups according to whether PHLF occurred after hepatectomy.The incidence of PHLF was 8.4%in our research.The incidence of PHLF increased with the decrease in sFLR volume and the increase in MELD score.Both sFLR volume and MELD score were considered independent predictive factors for PHLF.Moreover,the cut-off value of the sFLR/MELD score to predict PHLF was 0.078(P<0.001).This suggests that an sFLR/MELD≥0.078 indicates a higher incidence of PHLF than an sFLR/MELD<0.078.CONCLUSION MELD combined with sFLR is a reliable and effective PHLF predictor,which is superior to MELD score or sFLR volume alone.展开更多
This paper deals with Bayesian inference and prediction problems of the Burr type XII distribution based on progressive first failure censored data. We consider the Bayesian inference under a squared error loss functi...This paper deals with Bayesian inference and prediction problems of the Burr type XII distribution based on progressive first failure censored data. We consider the Bayesian inference under a squared error loss function. We propose to apply Gibbs sampling procedure to draw Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) samples, and they have in turn, been used to compute the Bayes estimates with the help of importance sampling technique. We have performed a simulation study in order to compare the proposed Bayes estimators with the maximum likelihood estimators. We further consider two sample Bayes prediction to predicting future order statistics and upper record values from Burr type XII distribution based on progressive first failure censored data. The predictive densities are obtained and used to determine prediction intervals for unobserved order statistics and upper record values. A real life data set is used to illustrate the results derived.展开更多
Survival of HIV/AIDS patients is crucially dependent on comprehensive and targeted medical interventions such as supply of antiretroviral therapy and monitoring disease progression with CD4 T-cell counts. Statistical ...Survival of HIV/AIDS patients is crucially dependent on comprehensive and targeted medical interventions such as supply of antiretroviral therapy and monitoring disease progression with CD4 T-cell counts. Statistical modelling approaches are helpful towards this goal. This study aims at developing Bayesian joint models with assumed generalized error distribution (GED) for the longitudinal CD4 data and two accelerated failure time distributions, Lognormal and loglogistic, for the survival time of HIV/AIDS patients. Data are obtained from patients under antiretroviral therapy follow-up at Shashemene referral hospital during January 2006-January 2012 and at Bale Robe general hospital during January 2008-March 2015. The Bayesian joint models are defined through latent variables and association parameters and with specified non-informative prior distributions for the model parameters. Simulations are conducted using Gibbs sampler algorithm implemented in the WinBUGS software. The results of the analyses of the two different data sets show that distributions of measurement errors of the longitudinal CD4 variable follow the generalized error distribution with fatter tails than the normal distribution. The Bayesian joint GED loglogistic models fit better to the data sets compared to the lognormal cases. Findings reveal that patients’ health can be improved over time. Compared to the males, female patients gain more CD4 counts. Survival time of a patient is negatively affected by TB infection. Moreover, increase in number of opportunistic infection implies decline of CD4 counts. Patients’ age negatively affects the disease marker with no effects on survival time. Improving weight may improve survival time of patients. Bayesian joint models with GED and AFT distributions are found to be useful in modelling the longitudinal and survival processes. Thus we recommend the generalized error distributions for measurement errors of the longitudinal data under the Bayesian joint modelling. Further studies may investigate the models with various types of shared random effects and more covariates with predictions.展开更多
Stress-induced failure is among the most common causes of instability in Canadian deep underground mines.Open stoping is the most widely practiced underground excavation method in these mines,and creates large stopes ...Stress-induced failure is among the most common causes of instability in Canadian deep underground mines.Open stoping is the most widely practiced underground excavation method in these mines,and creates large stopes which are subjected to stress-induced failure.The probability of failure(POF)depends on many factors,of which the geometry of an open stope is especially important.In this study,a methodology is proposed to assess the effect of stope geometrical parameters on the POF,using numerical modelling.Different ranges for each input parameter are defined according to previous surveys on open stope geometry in a number of Canadian underground mines.A Monte-Carlo simulation technique is combined with the finite difference code FLAC3D,to generate model realizations containing stopes with different geometrical features.The probability of failure(POF)for different categories of stope geometry,is calculated by considering two modes of failure;relaxation-related gravity driven(tensile)failure and rock mass brittle failure.The individual and interactive effects of stope geometrical parameters on the POF,are analyzed using a general multi-level factorial design.Finally,mathematical optimization techniques are employed to estimate the most stable stope conditions,by determining the optimal ranges for each stope’s geometrical parameter.展开更多
AIM: To assess CD163 expression in plasma and peripheral blood and analyze its association with disease in acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACHBLF) patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted fro...AIM: To assess CD163 expression in plasma and peripheral blood and analyze its association with disease in acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACHBLF) patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted from January 1, 2011 to January 1, 2012. Forty patients with ACHBLF (mean age 44.48 ± 12.28 years, range 18-69 years), 40 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (mean age 39.45 ± 12.22 years, range 21-57 years) and 20 ageand sex-matched healthy controls (mean age 38.35 ± 11.97 years, range 28-60 years) were included in this study. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the frequency of CD163+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and surface protein expression of CD163. Real-time transcription-polymerase chain re-action was performed to assess relative CD163 mRNA levels in PBMCs. Plasma soluble CD163 (sCD163) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical variables were also recorded. Comparisons between groups were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis H test and Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 15.0 software and a P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Flow cytometry showed that the population of CD163+ PBMCs was significantly greater in ACHBLF patients than in CHB patients and healthy controls (47.9645% ± 17.1542%, 32.0975% ± 11.0215% vs 17.9460% ± 6.3618%, P < 0.0001). However, there were no significant differences in mean fluorescence intensity of CD163+ PBMCs within the three groups (27.4975 ± 11.3731, 25.8140 ± 10.0649 vs 20.5050 ± 6.2437, P = 0.0514). CD163 mRNA expression in ACHBLF patients was significantly increased compared with CHB patients and healthy controls (1.41 × 10 -2 ± 2.18 × 10 -2 , 5.10 × 10 -3 ± 3.61 × 10 -3 vs 37.0 × 10 -4 ± 3.55 × 10 -4 , P = 0.02). Plasma sCD163 levels in patients with ACHBLF were significantly increased compared with CHB patients and healthy controls (4706.2175 ± 1681.1096 ng/mL, 1089.7160 ± 736.8395 ng/mL vs 435.9562 ± 440.8329 ng/mL, P < 0.0001). In ACHBLF patients, plasma sCD163 levels were significantly positively associated with model for end-stage liver disease scores (r = 0.5075, P = 0.008), hepatitis B virus-DNA (r = 0.6827, P < 0.0001), and negatively associated with prothrombin activity (r = -0.3348, P = 0.0347), but had no correlation with total bilirubin (r = 0.2551, P = 0.1122). Furthermore, sCD163 was obviously elevated in non-surviving patients compared with surviving patients with ACHBLF (5344.9080 ± 1589.5199 ng/mL vs 3641.7333 ± 1264.5228 ng/mL, P = 0.0321). CONCLUSION: CD163 and sCD163 may be related to disease severity and prognosis in ACHBLF patients.展开更多
文摘In this technical paper, the oxidation mechanism and kinetics of aluminum powders are discussed in great details. The potential applications of spherical aluminum powders after oxidation to be part of the surging arresting materials are discussed. Theoretical calculations of oxidation of spherical aluminum powders in a typical gas fluidization bed are demonstrated. Computer software written by the author is used to carry out the basic calculations of important parameters of a gas fluidization bed at different temperatures. A mathematical model of the dynamic system in a gas fluidization bed is developed and the analytical solution is obtained. The mathematical model can be used to estimate aluminum oxide thickness at a defined temperature. The mathematical model created in this study is evaluated and confirmed consistently with the experimental results on a gas fluidization bed. Detail technical discussion of the oxidation mechanism of aluminum is carried out. The mathematical deviations of the mathematical modeling have demonstrated in great details. This mathematical model developed in this study and validated with experimental results can bring a great value for the quantitative analysis of a gas fluidization bed in general from a theoretical point of view. It can be applied for the oxidation not only for aluminum spherical powders, but also for other spherical metal powders. The mathematical model developed can further enhance the applications of gas fluidization technology. In addition to the development of mathematical modeling of a gas fluidization bed reactor, the formation of oxide film through diffusion on both planar and spherical aluminum surfaces is analyzed through a thorough mathematical deviation using diffusion theory and Laplace transformation. The dominant defects and their impact to oxidation of aluminum are also discussed in detail. The well-controlled oxidation film on spherical metal powders such as aluminum and other metal spherical powders can potentially become an important part of switch devices of surge arresting materials, in general.
文摘The present pagination reports both Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis aspects subject to magneto hydrodynamic Williamson fluid model.Assuming the flow is unsteady and blood is treated as Williamson fluid over a wedge with radiation.The governing equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations by using similarity variables.The analytical solutions of the transformed governing equations are obtained by using the RK 4th order method along with shooting technique solver.The effects of various physical parameters such as Hartmann number,local Weissenberg number,radiation parameter,unsteadiness parameter,Prandtl number,Lewis number,Brownian diffusion,thermophoresis,wedge angle parameter,moving wedge parameter,on velocity,temperature,concentration,skin friction,heat transfer rate and mass transfer rate have been discussed in detail.The velocity and temperature profile deprives for larger We and an opposite trend is observed for concentration.The radiation parameter is propositional to temperature and a counter behaviour is observed for Pr.
文摘The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics of patients with decreased cognitive function undergoing treatment for acute exacerbation phase of chronic heart failure as a basic survey with a view to the standardization of nursing to prevent discontinuation of treatment of patients with declining cognitive function in the acute exacerbation phase of chronic heart failure. As the first stage of the research, using the interview guide created based on the background of discontinuation of treatment and symptomatic monitoring from 33 target literature sources, seven certified chronic heart failure nurses and 15 certified dementia nurses were given semi-structured interviews. Data obtained from the interviews was analyzed by qualitative induction. As a result, we obtained opinions/views on 8 situations namely, “cognitive function at hospitalization”, “characteristics at hospitalization, “characteristics when receiving examinations, procedures or treatment”, “characteristics of course of treatment”, “characteristics related to difficulties in grasping the symptoms of chronic heart failure and indices of deterioration”, “characteristics when using diuretics”, “characteristics concerning compliance with dietary restrictions” and “support required for discharge from hospital” concerning patients with declining cognitive function. In the future, it is necessary to prepare nursing protocols incorporating these contents for standardization of nursing.
文摘Soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) was successful in classifying a large library of 758 commercially available, non-blended samples of acetate, cotton, polyester, rayon, silk and wool 89% - 98% of the time at the 95% confidence level (p = 0.05 significance level). In the present study, cotton and silk had a 62% and 24% chance, respectively, of being classified with their own group and also with rayon. SIMCA correctly identified a counterfeit “silk” sample as polyester. When coupled with diffuse NIR reflectance spectroscopy and a large sample library, SIMCA shows considerable promise as a quick, non-destructive, multivariate method for fiber identification. A major advantage is simplicity. No sample pretreatment of any kind was required, and no adjust-ments were made for fiber origin, manufacturing process residues, topical finishes, weave pattern, or dye content. Increasing the sample library should make the models more robust and improve identification rates over those reported in this paper.
文摘The giant perilous rock at Wangxia (named Wangxia perilous rock) is representative in Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, China, has threatened badly the navigation of the Yangtze River channel for a long period. The giant perilous rock is composed of siliceous limestone and argillaceous limestone, and includes two elements marking by W1 and W2, respectively. The W1 is an isolated pillar while the W2 is in clintheriform. The linking segment of dominant fissure in the W2 is composed by moniliform solution funnels at its back, and the locked segment of the dominant fissure at the base of the W2 is composed by two parts. For the locked part of the dominant fissure of the W2, the upper segment shows the same lithology with the perilous rock and it can be simplified as an elastic medium, for the lower segment composed by argillaceous shale and mudstone can be simplified as a strain-softening medium. Introducing the water-softened function, the constitutive curves with two kinds of medium materials for the locked segment in the dominant fissure of the W2 have been proposed. Based on energy principle, the cusp catastrophe model for perilous rock rupture is built and formulas for the transient elastic and impulsive acceleration and the elastic-impulsive velocity of perilous rock catastrophe rupture have been established. By the calculation, the elastic-impulsive acceleration for the catastrophe rupture of the W2 is 531.4 m/s2, while the average elastic-impulsive velocity is 2.608 m/s. Further, it is deduced that the elastic-impulsive velocity at the base of the W2 is about 5.2 m/s. For the transient ruture of the W2, there is a greater speed difference between the top and the base of the W2, which impels the giant perilous rock to be retroverted sliding rupture, coinciding with the fact. Undoubtedly, studies in this paper must play an important role to analyze the catastrophe rupture mechanism of giant perilous rocks at both banks in Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, China.
文摘The advances in the treatment of heart failure with Yangxinshi tablet are reviewed in this paper.Yangxinshi tablet has effects of nourishing myocardia,improving myocardial metabolism,reducing myocardial oxygen consumption,dilating coronary artery,improving cardiac blood supply,reducing blood viscosity and improving microcirculation,and it can improve the functions of heart and curative effect of heart failure.
文摘Possible early diagnostic application of optical methods (dielectrophoresis, spectral and imaging ellipsometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy) in studies of red blood cells and serum of patients with diffuse liver disease with varying degrees of fibrosis has been evaluated. Application of combined optical methods was confirmed to significantly improve the performance of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy index as well as to achieve the reliable results in diagnosis of both severe fibrosis and slight ulterior liver fibrosis. Identified diagnostic potential of optical methods can be effectively utilized in noninvasive screening evaluation of stages of diffuse liver disease of various geneses.
基金Supported by The Major National Science and Technology Projects for Infectious Diseases (11th and 12th Five Year, China),No. 2008ZX10002-007, No. 2012ZX10002-007the Foundation of Shaanxi Provincial Science and Technology Plan Projects,No. 2011K14-09-09
文摘AIM: To investigate the role of T helper 17 cells (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Treg) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF).METHODS: We enrolled 79 patients with HBV infection into the study, 50 patients with HBV-related ACLF and 29 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), from the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College from January 2009 to June 2012. The ACLF patients were diagnosed according to the criteria recommended by The 19th Conference of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver in 2009. Twenty healthy individuals with a similar gender and age structures to the two patient groups were also included as the normal controls (NC). Of the 50 ACLF patients, 28 were subsequently classified as non-survivors: 19 patients died from multiorgan failure, 3 underwent liver transplantation, and 6 discontinued therapy during follow-up because of financial reasons. The remaining 22 ACLF patients whose liver and anticoagulation function recovered to nearly normal levels within the next 6 mo were classified as survivors. The number of circulating Treg and Th17 cells was determined upon diagnosis and during the 8th week of follow-up through flow cytometry. RESULTS: The percentage of circulating Treg cells in the ACLF group was significantly higher than that in the CHB group (5.50% ± 1.15% vs 3.30% ± 1.13%, P < 0.01). The percentages of circulating Th17 cells in the ACLF and the CHB groups were significantly higher than that in the NC group (6.32% ± 2.22% vs 1.56% ± 0.44%, P < 0.01; 3.53% ± 1.65% vs 1.56% ± 0.44%, P < 0.01). No significant difference in Treg cell to Th17 cell ratio was observed between the ACLF group and the CHB group (0.98 ± 0.44 vs 1.12 ± 0.64, P = 0.991), whereas those in the two HBV infection groups were significantly lower than that in the NC group (1.85 ± 1.22; both P < 0.01). The percentage of Treg cells in the survivors during the 8th week of follow-up was significantly lower than that during peak ACLF severity [total bilirubin (TBIL) peak] (3.45% ± 0.97% vs 5.18% ± 1.02%, P < 0.01). The percentage of Th17 cells in survivors during the 8th week of follow-up was significantly lower than that during the peak TBIL (2.89% ±0.60% vs 5.24% ± 1.46%; P < 0.01). The Treg cell to Th17 cell ratio during the 8 th week of follow-up was significantly higher than that during the TBIL peak (1.22 ± 0.36 vs 1.10 ± 0.54; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Restoring the Treg cell to Th17 cell ratio during the follow-up phase of ACLF could maintain the immune system at a steady state, which favours good prognosis.
基金supported by NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Science,No.UL1TR001881
文摘AIM To characterize the clinical course and outcomes of nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation(NIMV) use in acute pediatric respiratory failure.METHODS We identified all patients treated with NIMV in the pediatric intensive care unit(PICU) or inpatient general pediatrics between January 2013 and December 2015 at two academic centers.Patients who utilized NIMV with other modes of noninvasive ventilation during the same admission were included.Data included demographics,vital signs on admission and prior to initiation of NIMV,pediatric risk of mortality Ⅲ(PRIsM-Ⅲ) scores,complications,respiratory support characteristics,PICU and hospital length of stays,duration of respiratory support,and complications.Patients who did not require escalation to mechanical ventilation were defined as NIMV responders;those who required escalation to mechanical ventilation(MV) were defined as NIMV nonresponders.NIMV responders were compared to NIMV non-responders.RESULTS Forty-two patients met study criteria.six(14%) failed treatment and required MV.The majority of the patients(74%) had a primary diagnosis of bronchiolitis.The median age of these 42 patients was 4 mo(range 0.5-28.1 mo,IQR 7,P = 0.69).No significant difference was measured in other baseline demographics and vitals on initiation of NIMV;these included age,temperature,respiratory rate,O2 saturation,heart rate,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,and PRIsM-Ⅲ scores.The duration of NIMV was shorter in the NIMV nonresponder vs NIMV responder group(6.5 h vs 65 h,P < 0.0005).Otherwise,NIMV failure was not associated with significant differences in PICU length of stay(LOs),hospital LOs,or total duration of respiratory support.No patients had aspiration pneumonia,pneumothorax,or skin breakdown.CONCLUSION Most of our patients responded to NIMV.NIMV failure is not associated with differences in hospital LOs,PICU LOs,or duration of respiratory support.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81970569,No.81773293,and No.31660266Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province,No.2015JJ4083,No.2019JJ50874,and No.2018JJ3758
文摘BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the world’s sixth most common malignant tumor and the third cause of cancer death.Although great progress has been made in hepatectomy,it is still associated with a certain degree of risk of posthepatectomy liver failure(PHLF),which extends the length of hospital stay and remains the leading cause of postoperative death.Studies have shown that assessment of hepatic functional reserve before hepatectomy is beneficial for reducing the incidence of PHLF.AIM To assess the value of model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)score combined with standardized future liver remnant(sFLR)volume in predicting PHLF in patients undergoing hepatectomy for HCC.METHODS This study was attended by 238 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy between January 2015 and January 2018.Discrimination of sFLR volume,MELD score,and sFLR/MELD ratio to predict PHLF was evaluated according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.RESULTS The patients were divided into two groups according to whether PHLF occurred after hepatectomy.The incidence of PHLF was 8.4%in our research.The incidence of PHLF increased with the decrease in sFLR volume and the increase in MELD score.Both sFLR volume and MELD score were considered independent predictive factors for PHLF.Moreover,the cut-off value of the sFLR/MELD score to predict PHLF was 0.078(P<0.001).This suggests that an sFLR/MELD≥0.078 indicates a higher incidence of PHLF than an sFLR/MELD<0.078.CONCLUSION MELD combined with sFLR is a reliable and effective PHLF predictor,which is superior to MELD score or sFLR volume alone.
文摘This paper deals with Bayesian inference and prediction problems of the Burr type XII distribution based on progressive first failure censored data. We consider the Bayesian inference under a squared error loss function. We propose to apply Gibbs sampling procedure to draw Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) samples, and they have in turn, been used to compute the Bayes estimates with the help of importance sampling technique. We have performed a simulation study in order to compare the proposed Bayes estimators with the maximum likelihood estimators. We further consider two sample Bayes prediction to predicting future order statistics and upper record values from Burr type XII distribution based on progressive first failure censored data. The predictive densities are obtained and used to determine prediction intervals for unobserved order statistics and upper record values. A real life data set is used to illustrate the results derived.
文摘Survival of HIV/AIDS patients is crucially dependent on comprehensive and targeted medical interventions such as supply of antiretroviral therapy and monitoring disease progression with CD4 T-cell counts. Statistical modelling approaches are helpful towards this goal. This study aims at developing Bayesian joint models with assumed generalized error distribution (GED) for the longitudinal CD4 data and two accelerated failure time distributions, Lognormal and loglogistic, for the survival time of HIV/AIDS patients. Data are obtained from patients under antiretroviral therapy follow-up at Shashemene referral hospital during January 2006-January 2012 and at Bale Robe general hospital during January 2008-March 2015. The Bayesian joint models are defined through latent variables and association parameters and with specified non-informative prior distributions for the model parameters. Simulations are conducted using Gibbs sampler algorithm implemented in the WinBUGS software. The results of the analyses of the two different data sets show that distributions of measurement errors of the longitudinal CD4 variable follow the generalized error distribution with fatter tails than the normal distribution. The Bayesian joint GED loglogistic models fit better to the data sets compared to the lognormal cases. Findings reveal that patients’ health can be improved over time. Compared to the males, female patients gain more CD4 counts. Survival time of a patient is negatively affected by TB infection. Moreover, increase in number of opportunistic infection implies decline of CD4 counts. Patients’ age negatively affects the disease marker with no effects on survival time. Improving weight may improve survival time of patients. Bayesian joint models with GED and AFT distributions are found to be useful in modelling the longitudinal and survival processes. Thus we recommend the generalized error distributions for measurement errors of the longitudinal data under the Bayesian joint modelling. Further studies may investigate the models with various types of shared random effects and more covariates with predictions.
基金funded by a grant from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)the authors would like to acknowledge the Niobec mine (Saint-Honoré, QuébecQuébec)
文摘Stress-induced failure is among the most common causes of instability in Canadian deep underground mines.Open stoping is the most widely practiced underground excavation method in these mines,and creates large stopes which are subjected to stress-induced failure.The probability of failure(POF)depends on many factors,of which the geometry of an open stope is especially important.In this study,a methodology is proposed to assess the effect of stope geometrical parameters on the POF,using numerical modelling.Different ranges for each input parameter are defined according to previous surveys on open stope geometry in a number of Canadian underground mines.A Monte-Carlo simulation technique is combined with the finite difference code FLAC3D,to generate model realizations containing stopes with different geometrical features.The probability of failure(POF)for different categories of stope geometry,is calculated by considering two modes of failure;relaxation-related gravity driven(tensile)failure and rock mass brittle failure.The individual and interactive effects of stope geometrical parameters on the POF,are analyzed using a general multi-level factorial design.Finally,mathematical optimization techniques are employed to estimate the most stable stope conditions,by determining the optimal ranges for each stope’s geometrical parameter.
基金Supported by Grants from Key Project of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, No. 2012ZX10002007 and No.2013ZX10002001National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81171579 and No. 81201287Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, No. ZR2010HM070 and No.ZR2010HQ040
文摘AIM: To assess CD163 expression in plasma and peripheral blood and analyze its association with disease in acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACHBLF) patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted from January 1, 2011 to January 1, 2012. Forty patients with ACHBLF (mean age 44.48 ± 12.28 years, range 18-69 years), 40 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (mean age 39.45 ± 12.22 years, range 21-57 years) and 20 ageand sex-matched healthy controls (mean age 38.35 ± 11.97 years, range 28-60 years) were included in this study. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the frequency of CD163+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and surface protein expression of CD163. Real-time transcription-polymerase chain re-action was performed to assess relative CD163 mRNA levels in PBMCs. Plasma soluble CD163 (sCD163) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical variables were also recorded. Comparisons between groups were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis H test and Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 15.0 software and a P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Flow cytometry showed that the population of CD163+ PBMCs was significantly greater in ACHBLF patients than in CHB patients and healthy controls (47.9645% ± 17.1542%, 32.0975% ± 11.0215% vs 17.9460% ± 6.3618%, P < 0.0001). However, there were no significant differences in mean fluorescence intensity of CD163+ PBMCs within the three groups (27.4975 ± 11.3731, 25.8140 ± 10.0649 vs 20.5050 ± 6.2437, P = 0.0514). CD163 mRNA expression in ACHBLF patients was significantly increased compared with CHB patients and healthy controls (1.41 × 10 -2 ± 2.18 × 10 -2 , 5.10 × 10 -3 ± 3.61 × 10 -3 vs 37.0 × 10 -4 ± 3.55 × 10 -4 , P = 0.02). Plasma sCD163 levels in patients with ACHBLF were significantly increased compared with CHB patients and healthy controls (4706.2175 ± 1681.1096 ng/mL, 1089.7160 ± 736.8395 ng/mL vs 435.9562 ± 440.8329 ng/mL, P < 0.0001). In ACHBLF patients, plasma sCD163 levels were significantly positively associated with model for end-stage liver disease scores (r = 0.5075, P = 0.008), hepatitis B virus-DNA (r = 0.6827, P < 0.0001), and negatively associated with prothrombin activity (r = -0.3348, P = 0.0347), but had no correlation with total bilirubin (r = 0.2551, P = 0.1122). Furthermore, sCD163 was obviously elevated in non-surviving patients compared with surviving patients with ACHBLF (5344.9080 ± 1589.5199 ng/mL vs 3641.7333 ± 1264.5228 ng/mL, P = 0.0321). CONCLUSION: CD163 and sCD163 may be related to disease severity and prognosis in ACHBLF patients.