Agent Based Simulation of Group Emotions Evolution and Strategy Intervention in Extreme Events

Agent based simulation method has become a prominent approach in computational modeling and analysis of public emergency management in social science research. The group emotions evolution, information diffusion, and collective behavior selection make extreme incidents studies a complex system problem, which requires new methods for incidents management and strategy evaluation. This paper studies the group emotion evolution and intervention strategy effectiveness using agent based simulation method. By employing a computational experimentation methodology, we construct the group emotion evolution as a complex system and test the effects of three strategies. In addition, the events-chain model is proposed to model the accumulation influence of the temporal successive events. Each strategy is examined through three simulation experiments, including two make-up scenarios and a real case study. We show how various strategies could impact the group emotion evolution in terms of the complex emergence and emotion accumulation influence in extreme events. This paper also provides an effective method of how to use agent-based simulation for the study of complex collective behavior evolution problem in extreme incidents, emergency, and security study domains

Design of Moderator of a Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron Source for Coded Source Imaging

AbstractCoded source imaging (CSI) is a possible method to solve the contradiction between neutron flux and L/D ratio. Peking University neutron imaging facility (PKUNIFTY) is a RFQ accelerator based facility. The CSI experiments were carried out on PKUNFTY to test the benefits that this technique might bring. The CSI technique gets more restricts on the moderator, especially the neutron distribution in the inner collimator, where the coded mask sampling the source. The effect caused by the non-uniformity of neutron distribution on the mask plane was investigated. The slope type non-uniformity should less than 20% to keep the artifact in the reconstructed image insignificant. The PKUNIFTY moderator was modified according to the above limit. The preliminary experiments shown the moderator design for coded source imaging is acceptable

A unified energy bus based multi-energy flow modeling method of integrated energy system

With the development of energy technologies, the electricity, cooling, heat, natural gas and other energy sources are tightly linked to improve the overall efficiency of energy system in integrated energy systems (IES). As the basis of optimization and simulation, the standardized modeling method of IES has become a challenge considering the deeply coupling of multi-energy resources. This paper proposes an energy bus structure that could realize the systematic modeling of IES. By adopting energy bus model, the components and the structure of IES can be mathematically presented. Then the matrix-based modeling method is proposed to describe the topology of the IES and the characteristics of energy converters. The equations that describe the energy flow relationship of the entire system can be listed out. Finally, a case study of Northern Customer Service Center (NCSC) of State Grid Corporation of China is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method

A novel vaccine formulation candidate based on lipooligosaccharides and pertussis toxin against Bordetella pertussis

Pertussis is a severe human respiratory tract infectious disease caused by Bordetella pertussis that primarily affects infants and young children. However, the acellular pertussis vaccine currently administered can induce antibody and Th2 immune responses but fails to prevent the nasal colonization and transmission of B. pertussis, causing a resurgence of pertussis, so improved pertussis vaccines are urgently needed. In this study, we created a two-component pertussis vaccine candidate containing a conjugate prepared from oligosaccharides and pertussis toxin. After demonstrating the ability of the vaccine to induce a mixed Th1/Th2/Th17 profile in a mouse model, the strong in vitro bactericidal activity and IgG response of the vaccine were further demonstrated. In addition, the vaccine candidate further induced efficient prophylactic effects against B. pertussis in a mouse aerosol infection model. In summary, the vaccine candidate in this paper induces antibodies with bactericidal activity to provide high protection, shorten the duration of bacterial existence, and further reduce disease outbreaks. Therefore, the vaccine has the potential to be the next generation of pertussis vaccines

The Farnesyltransferase β-Subunit Ram1 Regulates Sporisorium scitamineum Mating, Pathogenicity and Cell Wall Integrity

The basidiomycetous fungus Sporisorium scitamineum causes a serious sugarcane smut disease in major sugarcane growing areas. Sexual mating is essential for infection to the host; however, its underlying molecular mechanism has not been fully studied. In this study, we identified a conserved farnesyltransferase (FTase) β subunit Ram1 in S. scitamineum. The ram1Δ mutant displayed significantly reduced mating/filamentation, thus of weak pathogenicity to the host cane. The ram1Δ mutant sporidia showed more tolerant toward cell wall stressor Congo red compared to that of the wild-type. Transcriptional profiling showed that Congo red treatment resulted in notable up-regulation of the core genes involving in cell wall integrity pathway in ram1Δ sporidia compared with that of WT, indicating that Ram1 may be involved in cell wall integrity regulation. In yeast the heterodimeric FTase is responsible for post-translational modification of Ras (small G protein) and a-factor (pheromone). We also identified and characterized two conserved Ras proteins, Ras1 and Ras2, respectively, and a MAT-1 pheromone precursor Mfa1. The ras1Δ, ras2Δ and mfa1Δ mutants all displayed reduced mating/filamentation similar as the ram1Δ mutant. However, both ras1Δ and ras2Δ mutants were hypersensitive to Congo red while the mfa1Δ mutant was the same as wild-type. Overall our study displayed that RAM1 plays an essential role in S. scitamineum mating/filamentation, pathogenicity, and cell wall stability

Integrated 16S rRNA sequencing and nontargeted metabolomics analysis to reveal the mechanisms of Yu-Ye Tang on type 2 diabetes mellitus rats

IntroductionYu–Ye Tang (YYT) is a classical formula widely used in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the specific mechanism of YYT in treating T2DM is not clear.MethodsThe aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of YYT on T2DM by establishing a rat model of T2DM. The mechanism of action of YYT was also explored through investigating gut microbiota and serum metabolites.ResultsThe results indicated YYT had significant therapeutic effects on T2DM. Moreover, YYT could increase the abundance of Lactobacillus, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, UCG-005, Bacteroides and Blautia while decrease the abundance of and Allobaculum and Desulfovibrio in gut microbiota of T2DM rats. Nontargeted metabolomics analysis showed YYT treatment could regulate arachidonic acid metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, phenylalanine metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and tyrosine metabolism in T2DM rats.DiscussionIn conclusion, our research showed that YYT has a wide range of therapeutic effects on T2DM rats, including antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, YYT corrected the altered gut microbiota and serum metabolites in T2DM rats. This study suggests that YYT may have a therapeutic impact on T2DM by regulating gut microbiota and modulating tryptophan and glycerophospholipid metabolism, which are potential key pathways in treating T2DM

Effect of Bi-B-Si-Zn-Al glass additive on the properties of low-temperature sintered silicon carbide ceramics

In this study, the performance of low-temperature sintered Bi-B-Si-Zn-Al glass/SiC composites by vacuum hot-press sintering between 700°C and 1000°C was investigated. The specimen had a relatively preferable density of 95.5% and thermal conductivity of 8.660 Wm−1K−1 after sintering at 900°C for 2 h. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangle of the composite were 32.9 and 0.57 at 20 GHz, respectively. The XRD analysis indicated the formation of Bi, Zn and ZnAl2O4 crystals, and the microstructure showed the low contact angle of the glass and SiC grain. Such low-temperature sintered SiC ceramic may have a promising application in the electronic field

Previous Radiotherapy Increases the Efficacy of IL-2 in Malignant Pleural Effusion: Potential Evidence of a Radio-Memory Effect?

Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that prior receipt of radiotherapy enhances antitumor immune responses, a phenomenon we call the “radio-memory effect.” However, all of the evidence regarding this effect to date comes from work with PD1/PDL1 inhibitors. Here we explored whether this effect also occurs with other forms of immune therapy, specifically interleukin-2 (IL-2). We retrospectively assessed outcomes in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) who had previously received radiotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) within 18 months before the intrapleural infusion of IL-2 or cisplatin. Radiotherapy sites included lungs, thoracic lymph nodes, and intracranial. All patients received intrapleural infusion of IL-2 or cisplatin, and most had had several cycles of standard chemotherapy for NSCLC. We identified 3,747 patients with MPE (median age 64 years [range 29–88)) treated at one of several institutions from August 2009 through February 2015; 642 patients had been treated with IL-2 and 1102 with cisplatin and had survived for at least 6 months afterward. Among those who received IL-2, 288 had no radiotherapy, 324 had extracranial (i.e., thoracic) radiotherapy, and 36 had intracranial radiotherapy. The median follow-up time for surviving patients was 38 months. Patients who had received extracranial radiotherapy followed by IL-2 had significantly longer PFS than patients who had not received extracranial radiotherapy (i.e., either no radiotherapy or intracranial radiotherapy). Patients who had received intracranial or extracranial radiotherapy followed by IL-2 had significantly longer OS than did other patients. No survival advantage was noted for prior radiotherapy among patients who received intrapleural cisplatin. We speculate that previous radiotherapy could enhance the efficacy of subsequent intrapleural infusion of IL-2, a “radio-memory” effect that could be beneficial in future studies

A bibliometric analysis of studies on the gut microbiota in cardiovascular disease from 2004 to 2022

BackgroundIncreasing evidence indicates that the gut microbiota (GM) is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Many studies on the GM in CVD have been published in the last decade. However, bibliometric analysis in this field is still lacking.MethodsOn 30 September 2022, a search of the Web of Science™ (WoS; Clarivate™, Philadelphia, PA, USA) yielded 1,500 articles and reviews on the GM and CVD. Microsoft Excel and CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to analyze publication trends and research hotspots in this field.ResultsOur search generated 1,708 publications on the GM in CVD published between 2004 and 2022, and 1,500 articles and review papers were included in the final analysis. The number of publications relating to the GM in CVD increased from 1 in 2004 to 350 in 2021. China (485 publications, 9,728 non-self-citations, and an H-index of 47) and the USA (418 publications, 24,918 non-self-citations, and an H-index of 82) contributed 32.31%, and 27.85%, respectively, of the total number of publications. Examination of the number of publications (Np) and number of citations, excluding self-citations (Nc), of individual authors showed that Y. L. Tian (Np: 18, Nc: 262, and H-index: 12), from China, is the most productive author, followed by R. Knight (Np: 16, Nc: 3,036, and H-index: 15) and M. Nieuwdorp (Np: 16, Nc: 503, and H-index: 9). The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College accounted for the largest number of publications (Np: 62, Nc: 3,727, and H-index: 13, average citation number (ACN): 60.11). The journal Nutrients had the most publications (Np: 73, Nc: 2,036, and ACN: 27.89). The emerging keywords in this field were “monooxygenase 3” (strength 3.24, 2020–2022), “short-chain fatty acid” (strength 4.63, 2021–2022), “fatty liver disease” (strength 3.18, 2021–2022), “metabolic disease” (strength 3.04, 2021–2022), “Mediterranean diet” (strength 2.95, 2021–2022), “prevention” (strength 2.77, 2021–2022), and “intestinal barrier” (strength 2.8, 2021–2022).ConclusionPublications on the GM in CVD rapidly increased in the last decade. The USA was the most influential country in publications in this field, followed by China. The journal with the most publications was Nutrients. Monooxygenase-3, short-chain fatty acids, fatty liver disease, metabolic disease, the Mediterranean diet, intestinal barrier, and prevention are the current hotspots or potential hotspots for future study