Two-Dimensional Far Field Source Locating Method with Nonprior Velocity

Relative position of seismic source and sensors has great influence on locating accuracy, particularly in far field conditions, and the accuracy will decrease seriously due to limited calculation precision and prior velocity error. In order to improve the locating accuracy of far field sources by isometric placed sensors in a straight line, a new locating method with nonprior velocity is proposed. After exhaustive research, this paper states that the hyperbola which is used for locating will be very close to its asymptote when seismic source locates in far field of sensors; therefore, the locating problem with prior velocity is equivalent to solving linear equations and the problem with nonprior velocity is equivalent to a nonlinear optimization problem with respect to the unknown velocity. And then, this paper proposed a new locating method based on a one-variable objective function with respect to the unknown velocity. Numerical experiments show that the proposed method has faster convergence speed, higher accuracy, and better stability

Finite element analysis of sliding distance and contact mechanics of hip implant under dynamic walking conditions

An explicit finite element method was developed to predict the dynamic behavior of the contact mechanics for a hip implant under normal walking conditions. Two key parameters of mesh sensitivity and time steps were examined to balance the accuracy and computational cost. Both the maximum contact pressure and accumulated sliding distance showed good agreement with those in the previous studies using the implicit finite element analysis and analytical methods. Therefore, the explicit finite element method could be used to predict the contact pressure and accumulated sliding distance for an artificial hip joint simultaneously in dynamic manner

A BAHD acyltransferase contributes to the biosynthesis of both ethyl benzoate and methyl benzoate in the flowers of Lilium oriental hybrid ‘Siberia’

Lily is a popular flower worldwide due to its elegant appearance and pleasant fragrance. Floral volatiles of lily are predominated by monoterpenes and benzenoids. While a number of genes for monoterpene biosynthesis have been characterized, the molecular mechanism underlying floral benzenoid formation in lily remains unclear. Here, we report on the identification and characterization of a novel BAHD acyltransferase gene that contributes to the biosynthesis of two related floral scent benzoate esters, ethyl benzoate and methyl benzoate, in the scented Lilium oriental hybrid ‘Siberia’. The emission of both methyl benzoate and ethyl benzoate in L. ‘Siberia’ was found to be tepal-specific, floral development-regulated and rhythmic. Through transcriptome profiling and bioinformatic analysis, a BAHD acyltransferase gene designated LoAAT1 was identified as the top candidate gene for the production of ethyl benzoate. In vitro enzyme assays and substrate feeding assays provide substantial evidence that LoAAT1 is responsible for the biosynthesis of ethyl benzoate. It was interesting to note that in in vitro enzyme assay, LoAAT1 can also catalyze the formation of methyl benzoate, which is typically formed by the action of benzoic acid methyltransferase (BAMT). The lack of an expressed putative BAMT gene in the flower transcriptome of L. ‘Siberia’, together with biochemical and expression evidence, led us to conclude that LoAAT1 is also responsible for, or at least contributes to, the biosynthesis of the floral scent compound methyl benzoate. This is the first report that a member of the plant BAHD acyltransferase family contributes to the production of both ethyl benzoate and methyl benzoate, presenting a new mechanism for the biosynthesis of benzoate esters

Infection, colonization and shedding of Campylobacter and Salmonella in animals and their contribution to human disease: A review

Livestock meat and offal contribute significantly to human nutrition as sources of high‐quality protein and micronutrients. Livestock products are increasingly in demand, particularly in low‐ and middle‐income settings where economies are growing and meat is increasingly seen as an affordable and desirable food item. Demand is also driving intensification of livestock keeping and processing. An unintended consequence of intensification is increased exposure to zoonotic agents, and a contemporary emerging problem is infection with Campylobacter and Salmonella spp. from livestock (avian and mammalian), which can lead to disease, malabsorption and undernutrition through acute and chronic diarrhoea. This can occur at the farm, in households or through the food chain. Direct infection occurs when handling livestock and through bacteria shed into the environment, on food preparation surfaces or around the house and surroundings. This manuscript critically reviews Campylobacter and Salmonella infections in animals, examines the factors affecting colonization and faecal shedding of bacteria of these two genera as well as risk factors for human acquisition of the infection from infected animals or environment and analyses priority areas for preventive actions with a focus on resource‐poor settings

Clinical Usefulness of Measuring Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Patients with Hepatitis B

BACKGROUND: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), an automated measure of red blood cell size heterogeneity (e.g., anisocytosis) that is largely overlooked, is a newly recognized risk marker in patients with cardiovascular diseases, but its role in persistent viral infection has not been well-defined. The present study was designed to investigate the association between RDW values and different disease states in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients. In addition, we analyzed whether RDW is associated with mortality in the HBV-infected patients. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: One hundred and twenty-three patients, including 16 with acute hepatitis B (AHB), 61 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and 46 with chronic severe hepatitis B (CSHB), and 48 healthy controls were enrolled. In all subjects, a blood sample was collected at admission to examine liver function, renal function, international normalized ratio and routine hematological testing. All patients were followed up for at least 4 months. A total of 10 clinical chemistry, hematology, and biochemical variables were analyzed for possible association with outcomes by using Cox proportional hazards and multiple regression models. RDW values at admission in patients with CSHB (18.30±3.11%, P<0.001), CHB (16.37±2.43%, P<0.001) and AHB (14.38±1.72%, P<0.05) were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (13.03±1.33%). Increased RDW values were clinically associated with severe liver disease and increased 3-month mortality rate. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that RDW values and the model for end-stage liver disease score were independent predictors for mortality (both P<0.001). CONCLUSION: RDW values are significantly increased in patients with hepatitis B and associated with its severity. Moreover, RDW values are an independent predicting factor for the 3-month mortality rate in patients with hepatitis B

Issues of Balanced Scorecard and Its Implication for Chinese Companies

The BSC has been introduced by Robert Kaplan and David Norton for more than twenty years. Many researchers have widely investigated the advantages and challenges of implementing BSC. This paper aims to investigate issues of BSC implementation in Chinese companies through literature review, and provide implications for Chinese companies on BSC implementation taking into account the national cultural characteristics. In total, 48 BSC articles were reviewed out of which 41 articles identified worldwide issues on BSC implementation and 14 articles specifically dealt with issues of BSC implementation in China. The findings show performance measures, reward system, top management involvement, communication and feedback, and employee involvement are the five most widely discussed issues in literature that relates to BSC implementation. Specifically, within the Chinese context, issues on senior management and employee involvement, communication, strategy, reward system, performance measures, information system and the level of management are important considerations influencing BSC implementation. In addition, the influence of Chinese culture on BSC application was discussed. Suggestions were provided for Chinese companies to better implement the BSC: (1) take the strategy as the orientation; (2) pay attention to top management; (3) balance performance indicators; (4) link BSC to incentive system; (5) improve enterprise information system; and (6) strengthen corporate culture construction. Two limitations were considered in this study: (1) the articles on BSC implementation in China are limited; (2) it is possible that not all the useful data in the reviewed articles has been picked out and collected. The study contributes to practice by identifying the challenges of BSC implementation from previous studies and provides an insight into BSC implementation in China. Future research may pay more attention on exploring the actual application of the BSC in Chinese companies