2,046 research outputs found
Framework design of a general-purpose power market simulator based on multi-agent technology
Power system deregulation has become a worldwide trend which introduces competition in power system in order to realize efficient electricity production and investment. In this regard, power market simulator will be a useful tool to study bidding strategies, market operation and market power and to train market operators. In this paper, the framework design of a novel power market simulator based on the state-of-the-art multi-agent technology is suggested and described in detail, which is the first phase in developing a general-purpose power market simulator.published_or_final_versio
Consistency of cruise data of the CARINA database in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean
Initially a North Atlantic project, the CARINA carbon synthesis was extended to include the Southern Ocean. Carbon and relevant hydrographic and geochemical ancillary data from cruises all across the Arctic Mediterranean Seas, Atlantic and Southern Ocean were released to the public and merged into a new database as part of the CARINA synthesis effort. Of a total of 188 cruises, 37 cruises are part of the Southern Ocean, including 11 from the Atlantic sector. The variables from all Southern Ocean cruises, including dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2), total alkalinity, oxygen, nitrate, phosphate and silicate, were examined for cruise-to-cruise consistency in one collective effort. Seawater pH and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are also part of the database, but the pH quality control (QC) is described in another Earth System Science Data publication, while the complexity of the Southern Ocean physics and biogeochemistry prevented a proper QC analysis of the CFCs. The area-specific procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between stations and inversion analysis of all crossover data (i.e. secondary QC), are briefly described here for the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. Data from an existing, quality controlled database (GLODAP) were used as a reference for our computations – however, the reference data were included into the analysis without applying the recommended GLODAP adjustments so the corrections could be independently verified. The outcome of this effort is an internally consistent, high-quality carbon data set for all cruises, including the reference cruises. The suggested corrections by the inversion analysis were allowed to vary within a fixed envelope, thus accounting for natural variability. The percentage of cruises adjusted ranged from 31% (for nitrate) to 54% (for phosphate) depending on the variable
Retrospective Investigation and Research on Fall Events Among Hospitalized Patients in the Rehabilitation Department
Fang-Fang Lin,1 Wei-Yuan Yang,1 Jun-Xiang Zhou,1 Luo-Yuan Cao,2 Ling-Ling Huang1 1Department of Rehabilitation, Ningde Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Ningde Normal University, Ningde, 352000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Central Laboratory, Ningde Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Ningde Normal University, Ningde, 352000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jun-Xiang Zhou; Wei-Yuan Yang, Department of Rehabilitation, Ningde Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Ningde Normal University, No. 7 of Jiaocheng North Road, Jiaocheng District, Ningde, 352000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-15159370026 ; +86-13004929861, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: We investigated the clinical characteristics, fall outcomes, and related factors of falls in patients who were hospitalized in the rehabilitation department, and explored strategies to reduce the incidence of falls and prevent falls in patients.Methods: Data from 60 patients who fell in the rehabilitation department between 2016 and 2021 were analyzed for clinical characteristics, associated factors, incidence of falls, injuries, and patient demographics. Under the random stratified sampling method, 60 patients who did not fall during the same period were selected as the control group, and relevant data was collected. Measurement data were compared using an independent sample t-test. Enumeration data were compared using chi-squared (χ2) test was employed to compare these data between the two groups. Non-parametric data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U-test. Factors potentially influencing falls were scrutinized through both univariate and binary logistic regression analyses.Results: The median annual incidence of falls among patients who were hospitalized in the rehabilitation department was 0.04%, while the overall fall injury rate was 60%. Falls were most prevalent within 30 days of hospitalization (71.67%). The most common fall-related condition was craniocerebral disease (83.33%). The incidents of falls location of fall were mainly reported in nearby areas of rehabilitation ward (70%). Most accidents occurred between 7:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. and 3:01 p.m.– 6:00 p.m. (63.33%), and dyskinesia was the most common cause of falls (71.67%). There were 39 patients (65.00%) with Barthel Index (BI) scores ranging between 40– 60.Conclusion: Patients in the rehabilitation department had a greater incidence of falls and fall injuries. Within 30 days of admission, patients with moderately dependent craniocerebral disorders and dyskinesia frequently experienced falls during typical daytime shifts in areas characterized by endemic conditions.Keywords: daily living activities, dyskinesia, fall, hospitalized patients, rehabilitation department, retrospective analysi
The Generation of Successive Unmarked Mutations and Chromosomal Insertion of Heterologous Genes in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Using Natural Transformation
We have developed a simple method of generating scarless, unmarked mutations in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae by exploiting the ability of this bacterium to undergo natural transformation, and with no need to introduce plasmids encoding recombinases or resolvases. This method involves two successive rounds of natural transformation using linear DNA: the first introduces a cassette carrying cat (which allows selection by chloramphenicol) and sacB (which allows counter-selection using sucrose) flanked by sequences to either side of the target gene; the second transformation utilises the flanking sequences ligated directly to each other in order to remove the cat-sacB cassette. In order to ensure efficient uptake of the target DNA during transformation, A. pleuropneumoniae uptake sequences are added into the constructs used in both rounds of transformation. This method can be used to generate multiple successive deletions and can also be used to introduce targeted point mutations or insertions of heterologous genes into the A. pleuropneumoniae chromosome for development of live attenuated vaccine strains. So far, we have applied this method to highly transformable isolates of serovars 8 (MIDG2331), which is the most prevalent in the UK, and 15 (HS143). By screening clinical isolates of other serovars, it should be possible to identify other amenable strains
Comparison of Functional Proteomic Analyses of Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines T47D and MCF7
T47D and MCF7 are two human hormone-dependent breast cancer cell lines which are widely used as experimental models for in vitro and in vivo (tumor xenografts) breast cancer studies. Several proteins involved in cancer development were identified in these cell lines by proteomic analyses. Although these studies reported the proteomic profiles of each cell line, until now, their differential protein expression profiles have not been established. Here, we used two-dimensional gel and mass spectrometry analyses to compare the proteomic profiles of the two cell lines, T47D and MCF7. Our data revealed that more than 164 proteins are differentially expressed between them. According to their biological functions, the results showed that proteins involved in cell growth stimulation, anti-apoptosis mechanisms and cancerogenesis are more strongly expressed in T47D than in MCF7. These proteins include G1/S-specific cyclin-D3 and prohibitin. Proteins implicated in transcription repression and apoptosis regulation, including transcriptional repressor NF-X1, nitrilase homolog 2 and interleukin-10, are, on the contrary, more strongly expressed in MCF7 as compared to T47D. Five proteins that were previously described as breast cancer biomarkers, namely cathepsin D, cathepsin B, protein S100-A14, heat shock protein beta-1 (HSP27) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), are found to be differentially expressed in the two cell lines. A list of differentially expressed proteins between T47D and MCF7 was generated, providing useful information for further studies of breast cancer mechanisms with these cell lines as models
Long-Term Mortality of Patients with Septic Ocular or Central Nervous System Complications from Pyogenic Liver Abscess: A Population-Based Study
Background: Taiwan is endemic for pyogenic liver abscess (PLA). Septic ocular or central nervous system (CNS) complications derived from PLA can result in catastrophic disability. We investigated the epidemiology and long-term prognosis of PLA patients with septic ocular or CNS complications over an 8-year period. Methodology/Principal Findings: We extracted 21,307 patients with newly diagnosed PLA from a nationwide health registry in Taiwan between 2000 and 2007. The frequency of and risk factors for PLA with septic ocular or CNS complications were determined. The 2-year survival of these patients was compared between those with and without septic ocular or CNS complications. Septic ocular or CNS complications accounted for 2.1 % of all PLA patients. Age and the Charlson comorbidity index were significantly lower in PLA patients with ocular or CNS complications than those without. Diabetes and age,65 years were independent predictors of septic ocular or CNS complications. The 2-year mortality of patients with septic ocular or CNS complications was similar to those without complications (24.8 % vs. 27.5%, p = 0.502). However, among patients,65 years old and a Charlson index #1, the 2-year mortality was significantly higher in those with than without complications (18.6 % vs. 11.8%, p = 0.001). Conclusions/Significance: Physicians should recognize that catastrophic disability due to ocular or neurologica
A dynamic estimation of the daily cumulative cases during infectious disease surveillance: application to dengue fever
Evaluation of the selfitis behavior scale across two Persian-speaking countries, Iran and Afghanistan: advanced psychometric testing in a large-scale sample
Selfitis—which started off as a hoax but has now been investigated empirically—has been defined as the obsessive–compulsive desire to take photos of oneself and post them on social media. Furthermore, a scale to assess selfitis, the Selfitis Behavior Scale (SBS), has been developed. This study applied advanced psychometric testing methods, including confirmatory factor analysis (utilizing classical test theory) and the Rasch model (utilizing modern test theory), to examine the psychometric properties among Persian speakers (in Iran and Afghanistan). The participants (3163 Iranians and 1100 Afghanistani) completed an online survey posted on Instagram pages. The SBS showed promising properties, including satisfactory reliability (e.g., internal consistency and test–retest reliability), excellent construct validity (e.g., good fit in the CFA and Rasch models), and acceptable measurement invariance across Iranian and Afghan samples. Consequently, the SBS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing selfitis among Persian-speaking samples
Limitations of rupture forecasting exposed by instantaneously triggered earthquake doublet
Earthquake hazard assessments and rupture forecasts are based on the potential length of seismic rupture and whether or not slip is arrested at fault segment boundaries. Such forecasts do not generally consider that one earthquake can trigger a second large event, near-instantaneously, at distances greater than a few kilometers. Here we present a geodetic and seismological analysis of a magnitude 7.1 intra-continental earthquake that occurred in Pakistan in 1997. We find that the earthquake, rather than a single event as hitherto assumed, was in fact an earthquake doublet: initial rupture on a shallow, blind 2 reverse fault was followed just 19 seconds later by a second rupture on a separate reverse fault 50 km away. Slip on the second fault increased the total seismic moment by half, and doubled both the combined event duration and the area of maximum ground shaking. We infer that static Coulomb stresses at the initiation location of the second earthquake were probably reduced as a result of the first. Instead, we suggest that a dynamic triggering mechanism is likely, although the responsible seismic wave phase is unclear. Our results expose a flaw in earthquake rupture forecasts that disregard cascading, multiple-fault ruptures of this type
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