Simulating the Formation of Risk Perception

The damages of smoking on health have been taken more and more seriously, most relative studies focus on fields in sociology, psychology, public health or economy. The act of smoking itself satisfies the smoker's need for consumption, but at the same time produces negative effect such as smoking related damages. When making a decision whether to smoke or not or how much to smoke, the decision itself is hugely swayed by the smoker's own perception of risk regarding this matter. Whenever there is uncertainty involved, the decision made regarding whether to carry out the act i.e. smoking or not hugely depends upon the amount of risk perceived by each individual. Sex, age, education, health awareness and other factors affect how a perception is formed, in other words, how a "belief" is formed, and the forming process itself is a complex and intricate learning/evolving process. In this study, an agent-based computational model is employed to look at how a risk perception is formed and how the decision to smoke is made. This system can be used to observe the dynamic between anti-smoking policy and decision makers, and the resulting observation can serve as useful reference when the government is making or executing relative policies.Risk Perception, Smoking, Learning

An Analysis on Simulation Models of Competing Parties

Down’s spatial theory of elections (1957) has occupied a prominent theoretical status within political science. Studies use a notion of ideological distance to develop explanations for observable electoral trends. In elections, voters by observing party ideologies and using the information to make decisions for their votes because voters do not always have enough information to appraise the difference of which they are aware. The Downsian idea suggests that parties’ effort to attract votes leads them to adopt a median position. However, many studies have questioned the result and have many different conclusions. In recent years there has been an increasing interest in learning and adaptive behaviour including simulation models. In this study, we model the dynamics of competing parties who make decisions in an evolving environment and construct simulation models of party competition. We illustrate and compare their consequences by analyzing two variants of computational models.Spatial Voting Model, Party Competition, Evolutionary Modelling, Learning

Model Evolution of Heterogeneous Beliefs in an Network Economy

We model a simple communication network model for the evolution of heterogeneous beliefs in an overlapping generation economy. Each agent gathers information from his contacts and forms an inflation forecast based on this information, using the belief generating procedures. When the actual inflation is realised, an agent is in a position to learn i.e. adjust his own network strategy and belief. The learning is modelled as an evolving network process i.e. a local network of agents, with non-zero costs of communication. The network economy as a whole acts efficiently in achieving convergence to the Pareto superior equilibrium, in which agent"s perception of information is local and is subject to available resource.Network Economy, Belief Generating Procedures, Learning, Local Interactions

Performance Management in Public Organizations: A Complexity Perspective

During this uncertain and turbulent knowledge-oriented era, simple linear organizations are no longer able to face the current openness, conflicts, chaos, randomness and uncertainty. Therefore, amoeba or multi-faceted organizational structures are on the rise and performance management of organizations should change their present course. This research employs complexity theory to review the innovation of performance management in public organizations. It further emphasizes the unpredictability and nonlinear- development and focuses more on how modern organizations can create dynamical performance management with paradox management, co-evolution and selforganization management methods to examine performance management of public organizations

AMPK- mediated formation of stress granules is required for dietary restriction- induced longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Stress granules (SGs) are nonmembranous organelles that are dynamically assembled and disassembled in response to various stressors. Under stressed conditions, polyadenylated mRNAs and translation factors are sequestrated in SGs to promote global repression of protein synthesis. It has been previously demonstrated that SG formation enhances cell survival and stress resistance. However, the physiological role of SGs in organismal aging and longevity regulation remains unclear. In this study, we used TIAR- 1::GFP and GTBP- 1::GFP as markers to monitor the formation of SGs in Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that, in addition to acute heat stress, SG formation could also be triggered by dietary changes, such as starvation and dietary restriction (DR). We found that HSF- 1 is required for the SG formation in response to acute heat shock and starvation but not DR, whereas the AMPK- eEF2K signaling is required for starvation and DR- induced SG formation but not heat shock. Moreover, our data suggest that this AMPK- eEF2K pathway- mediated SG formation is required for lifespan extension by DR, but dispensable for the longevity by reduced insulin/IGF- 1 signaling. Collectively, our findings unveil a novel role of SG formation in DR- induced longevity.In addition to heat stress, starvation and dietary restriction (DR) can activate stress granule (SG) formation in Caenorhabditis elegans. HSF- 1 and AMPK are two key regulators for the SG formations. HSF- 1 is required for the SG formation in response to acute heat shock and starvation but not DR, whereas the AMPK- eEF2K pathway is required for starvation and DR- induced SG formation but not heat shock. Furthermore, AMPK- mediated SG formation contributes to DR- induced longevity.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/1/acel13157-sup-0008-Figurelegends.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/2/acel13157-sup-0001-FigS1.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/3/acel13157-sup-0006-TableS1.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/4/acel13157-sup-0007-TableS2.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/5/acel13157-sup-0005-FigS5.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/6/acel13157-sup-0003-FigS3.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/7/acel13157.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/8/acel13157-sup-0002-FigS2.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/9/acel13157-sup-0004-FigS4.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/155936/10/acel13157_am.pd

Superior effects of modified chen-style Tai Chi versus 24-style Tai Chi on cognitive function, fitness, and balance performance in adults over 55

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Background: Cognitive decline and balance impairment are prevalent in the aging population. Previous studies investigated the beneficial effects of 24-style Tai Chi (TC-24) on either cognitive function or balance performance of older adults. It still remains largely unknown whether modified Chen-style TC (MTC) that includes 18 complex movements is more beneficial for these age-related health outcomes, as compared to TC-24. Objective: We investigated if MTC would show greater effects than TC-24 on global cognitive function and balance-related outcomes among older adults. Methods: We conducted a randomized trial where 80 eligible adults aged over 55 were allocated into two different styles of Tai Chi (TC) arms (sixty-minute session × three times per week, 12 weeks). Outcome assessments were performed at three time periods (baseline, Week 6, and Week 12) and included the Chinese Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for overall cognitive function, One-leg Standing Test (LST) for static balance, Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) for dynamic balance, chair Stand Test (CST) for leg power, and the six-meter Walk Test (6MWT) for aerobic exercise capacity. Results: Compared to TC-24 arm, MTC arm demonstrated significantly greater improvements in MoCA, LST, TUGT, CST, and 6MWT (all p \u3c 0.05). Conclusions: Both forms of TC were effective in enhancing global cognitive function, balance, and fitness. Furthermore, MTC was more effective than TC-24 in enhancing these health-related parameters in an aging population

Nanoscale Metamaterial Optical Waveguides with Ultrahigh Refractive Indices

We propose deep-subwavelength optical waveguides based on metal-dielectric multilayer indefinite metamaterials with ultrahigh effective refractive indices. Waveguide modes with different mode orders are systematically analyzed with numerical simulations based on both metal-dielectric multilayer structures and the effective medium approach. The dependences of waveguide mode indices, propagation lengths and mode areas on different mode orders, free space wavelengths and sizes of waveguide cross sections are studied. Furthermore, waveguide modes are also illustrated with iso-frequency contours in the wave vector space in order to investigate the mechanism of waveguide mode cutoff for high order modes. The deep-subwavelength optical waveguide with a size smaller than {\lambda}0/50 and a mode area in the order of 10-4 {\lambda}02 is realized, and an ultrahigh effective refractive index up to 62.0 is achieved at the telecommunication wavelength. This new type of metamaterial optical waveguide opens up opportunities for various applications in enhanced light-matter interactions.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure

Low Radon Concentration Measurement with a Radon-Dissolved Liquid Scintillator Pilot Detector

We construct a high sensitivity radon pilot detector using liquid scientillator dissolved radon for the CDEX rare-event searches program. The CDEX-10 project employs a germanium detector array immersed in a massive liquid nitrogen tank. However, radon emanated from the surface of the tank can contribute background. As a result, radon contamination in the liquid nitrogen tank must be regulated and monitored, which necessitates the use of a low-level Rn measuring device. The radon-dissolved liquid scintillator (LS) detectors utilizes cascade decay selections, yielding a unique signature. All background events occurring in the LS, with regard to the system and co-efficiency of Rn absorption, have been studied. Background activity is mearsured to be 59.8$\pm$18.4 $\mu$Bq per 300 mL LS. Meanwhile, it shows that radon concentration absorbed by LS will be saturated and is linearly related to radon concentration in nitrogen gas. Furthermore, the co-efficiency factor can be optimized by lowering temperature or raising pressure. Eventually the detection limit for 222Rn in nitrogen gas is observed to be 9.6 mBq/m^3.Comment: 14 pages, 18 figure

Hospital Mortality of Septic Acute Kidney Injury Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy in the Postoperative Elderly

SummaryBackgroundSeptic acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in intensive care units (ICU), it and portends a higher risk of morbidity and death than nonseptic AKI. However, its outcome and prognostic factors among elderly postoperative patients remain unknown. We aimed to determine the risk factors and predictors of mortality among postoperative elderly patients (≥ 65 years) with septic AKI requiring acute dialysis.MethodsThe study protocol was based on that of a clinical cohort study of renal failure patients in the database of the National Taiwan University Surgical ICU Acute Renal Failure (NSARF) Study Group. From January 2002 to July 2009, patients (aged > 18 years) with postoperative AKI requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) were recruited for this study. Each case of septic AKI before operation was identified and patients with end-stage renal disease were excluded.ResultsA total of 292 postoperative patients with septic AKI requiring dialysis were identified during the study period. The mean (SD) age was 65.9 (11.9) years and 68.2% were men. Abdominal surgery was the most common type of surgery (42.8%), followed by cardiovascular (28.8%) and chest surgery (15.4%). The most common indications for RRT in this study cohort were azotemia in 223 patients (76.4%) and fluid overload in 62 patients (21.2%); 92 (31.5%) patients had one indication, 170 (58.2%) had two indications, and 30 (10.3%) had more than three indications. The elderly patients (those ≥ 65 years) had anemia, underwent abdominal surgery, and received dialysis for fluid overload more frequently than the young adults. By contrast, the young adults were more likely to present with shock requiring vasopressor use and have abnormal liver functions. In the elderly subgroup, the outcome was found to be associated with mechanical ventilator use, but not with disease severity, comorbidities, types of surgery and the indication for dialysis.ConclusionsThe hospital mortality of postoperative elderly patients with septic AKI was more than 60% and was not affected by age. Mechanical ventilator use was the major risk factor and prognostic factor for elderly patients in this clinical setting