Numerical analysis of embankment resting on floating bottom ash columns improved soft soil

The construction of embankment over soft clay is quite a challenging job for the geotechnical engineer, which may results in a large settlement, bearing failure and stability issues. Stone columns can be used to minimize the settlement and increase the bearing capacity in such conditions. This study was carried out to investigate the behaviour of bottom ash columns underneath embankments using numerical modelling. The soft soil improved with bottom ash columns under the embankment subjected to traffic-induced loading was simulated in Plaxis 3D foundation software. The study variables include three area replacement ratios (Ar) of 10%, 15% and 20% and two columns length of 5m and 7.5m. The results indicated that enlarging the Ar and length of columns significantly reduced the final settlement and consolidation time. The maximum settlement reduction of 58% was reported for the Ar of 20% with 7.5m column depth. The study suggests that bottom ash columns can be used to improve soft soil underneath the embankment

Exploring UK medical school differences: the MedDifs study of selection, teaching, student and F1 perceptions, postgraduate outcomes and fitness to practise.

BACKGROUND: Medical schools differ, particularly in their teaching, but it is unclear whether such differences matter, although influential claims are often made. The Medical School Differences (MedDifs) study brings together a wide range of measures of UK medical schools, including postgraduate performance, fitness to practise issues, specialty choice, preparedness, satisfaction, teaching styles, entry criteria and institutional factors. METHOD: Aggregated data were collected for 50 measures across 29 UK medical schools. Data include institutional history (e.g. rate of production of hospital and GP specialists in the past), curricular influences (e.g. PBL schools, spend per student, staff-student ratio), selection measures (e.g. entry grades), teaching and assessment (e.g. traditional vs PBL, specialty teaching, self-regulated learning), student satisfaction, Foundation selection scores, Foundation satisfaction, postgraduate examination performance and fitness to practise (postgraduate progression, GMC sanctions). Six specialties (General Practice, Psychiatry, Anaesthetics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Internal Medicine, Surgery) were examined in more detail. RESULTS: Medical school differences are stable across time (median alpha = 0.835). The 50 measures were highly correlated, 395 (32.2%) of 1225 correlations being significant with p < 0.05, and 201 (16.4%) reached a Tukey-adjusted criterion of p < 0.0025. Problem-based learning (PBL) schools differ on many measures, including lower performance on postgraduate assessments. While these are in part explained by lower entry grades, a surprising finding is that schools such as PBL schools which reported greater student satisfaction with feedback also showed lower performance at postgraduate examinations. More medical school teaching of psychiatry, surgery and anaesthetics did not result in more specialist trainees. Schools that taught more general practice did have more graduates entering GP training, but those graduates performed less well in MRCGP examinations, the negative correlation resulting from numbers of GP trainees and exam outcomes being affected both by non-traditional teaching and by greater historical production of GPs. Postgraduate exam outcomes were also higher in schools with more self-regulated learning, but lower in larger medical schools. A path model for 29 measures found a complex causal nexus, most measures causing or being caused by other measures. Postgraduate exam performance was influenced by earlier attainment, at entry to Foundation and entry to medical school (the so-called academic backbone), and by self-regulated learning. Foundation measures of satisfaction, including preparedness, had no subsequent influence on outcomes. Fitness to practise issues were more frequent in schools producing more male graduates and more GPs. CONCLUSIONS: Medical schools differ in large numbers of ways that are causally interconnected. Differences between schools in postgraduate examination performance, training problems and GMC sanctions have important implications for the quality of patient care and patient safety

The Analysis of Teaching of Medical Schools (AToMS) survey: an analysis of 47,258 timetabled teaching events in 25 UK medical schools relating to timing, duration, teaching formats, teaching content, and problem-based learning.

BACKGROUND: What subjects UK medical schools teach, what ways they teach subjects, and how much they teach those subjects is unclear. Whether teaching differences matter is a separate, important question. This study provides a detailed picture of timetabled undergraduate teaching activity at 25 UK medical schools, particularly in relation to problem-based learning (PBL). METHOD: The Analysis of Teaching of Medical Schools (AToMS) survey used detailed timetables provided by 25 schools with standard 5-year courses. Timetabled teaching events were coded in terms of course year, duration, teaching format, and teaching content. Ten schools used PBL. Teaching times from timetables were validated against two other studies that had assessed GP teaching and lecture, seminar, and tutorial times. RESULTS: A total of 47,258 timetabled teaching events in the academic year 2014/2015 were analysed, including SSCs (student-selected components) and elective studies. A typical UK medical student receives 3960 timetabled hours of teaching during their 5-year course. There was a clear difference between the initial 2 years which mostly contained basic medical science content and the later 3 years which mostly consisted of clinical teaching, although some clinical teaching occurs in the first 2 years. Medical schools differed in duration, format, and content of teaching. Two main factors underlay most of the variation between schools, Traditional vs PBL teaching and Structured vs Unstructured teaching. A curriculum map comparing medical schools was constructed using those factors. PBL schools differed on a number of measures, having more PBL teaching time, fewer lectures, more GP teaching, less surgery, less formal teaching of basic science, and more sessions with unspecified content. DISCUSSION: UK medical schools differ in both format and content of teaching. PBL and non-PBL schools clearly differ, albeit with substantial variation within groups, and overlap in the middle. The important question of whether differences in teaching matter in terms of outcomes is analysed in a companion study (MedDifs) which examines how teaching differences relate to university infrastructure, entry requirements, student perceptions, and outcomes in Foundation Programme and postgraduate training

The Role of Ca²⁺ Sparks in Force Frequency Relationships in Guinea Pig Ventricular Myocytes

Calcium sparks are the elementary Ca2+ release events in excitation-contraction coupling that underlie the Ca2+ transient. The frequency-dependent contractile force generated by cardiac myocytes depends upon the characteristics of the Ca2+ transients. A stochastic computational local control model of a guinea pig ventricular cardiomyocyte was developed, to gain insight into mechanisms of force-frequency relationship (FFR). This required the creation of a new three-state RyR2 model that reproduced the adaptive behavior of RyR2, in which the RyR2 channels transition into a different state when exposed to prolonged elevated subspace [Ca2+]. The model simulations agree with previous experimental and modeling studies on interval-force relations. Unlike previous common pool models, this local control model displayed stable action potential trains at 7 Hz. The duration and the amplitude of the [Ca2+]myo transients increase in pacing rates consistent with the experiments. The [Ca2+]myo transient reaches its peak value at 4 Hz and decreases afterward, consistent with experimental force-frequency curves. The model predicts, in agreement with previous modeling studies of Jafri and co-workers, diastolic sarcoplasmic reticulum, [Ca2+]sr, and RyR2 adaptation increase with the increased stimulation frequency, producing rising, rather than falling, amplitude of the myoplasmic [Ca2+] transients. However, the local control model also suggests that the reduction of the L-type Ca2+ current, with an increase in pacing frequency due to Ca2+-dependent inactivation, also plays a role in the negative slope of the FFR. In the simulations, the peak Ca2+ transient in the FFR correlated with the highest numbers of SR Ca2+ sparks: the larger average amplitudes of those sparks, and the longer duration of the Ca2+ sparks

Pacing Dynamics Determines the Arrhythmogenic Mechanism of the CPVT2-Causing CASQ2^G112+5X Mutation in a Guinea Pig Ventricular Myocyte Computational Model

Calsequestrin Type 2 (CASQ2) is a high-capacity, low-affinity, Ca2+-binding protein expressed in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of the cardiac myocyte. Mutations in CASQ2 have been linked to the arrhythmia catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT2) that occurs with acute emotional stress or exercise can result in sudden cardiac death (SCD). CASQ2G112+5X is a 16 bp (339–354) deletion CASQ2 mutation that prevents the protein expression due to premature stop codon. Understanding the subcellular mechanisms of CPVT2 is experimentally challenging because the occurrence of arrhythmia is rare. To obtain an insight into the characteristics of this rare disease, simulation studies using a local control stochastic computational model of the Guinea pig ventricular myocyte investigated how the mutant CASQ2s may be responsible for the development of an arrhythmogenic episode under the condition of β-adrenergic stimulation or in the slowing of heart rate afterward once β-adrenergic stimulation ceases. Adjustment of the computational model parameters based upon recent experiments explore the functional changes caused by the CASQ2 mutation. In the simulation studies under rapid pacing (6 Hz), electromechanically concordant cellular alternans appeared under β-adrenergic stimulation in the CPVT mutant but not in the wild-type nor in the non-β-stimulated mutant. Similarly, the simulations of accelerating pacing from slow to rapid and back to the slow pacing did not display alternans but did generate early afterdepolarizations (EADs) during the period of second slow pacing subsequent acceleration of rapid pacing

Absence of Left Circumflex Artery: A Rare Congenital Disorder of Coronary Arteries

Congenital absence of left circumflex artery is a rare occurrence and very few cases have been reported in literature. It is a benign incidental finding; however some patients present with sudden onset chest pain mimicking acute coronary syndrome often resulting in detection of this rare anatomy on coronary angiography. Coronary computed tomography angiography is a relatively new noninvasive imaging modality which can be used to confirm this suspicion and diagnose this unique morphology reliably

Fault Tolerant DHT-Based Routing in MANET

In Distributed Hash Table (DHT)-based Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), a logical structured network (i.e., follows a tree, ring, chord, 3D, etc., structure) is built over the ad hoc physical topology in a distributed manner. The logical structures guide routing processes and eliminate flooding at the control and the data plans, thus making the system scalable. However, limited radio range, mobility, and lack of infrastructure introduce frequent and unpredictable changes to network topology, i.e., connectivity/dis-connectivity, node/link failure, network partition, and frequent merging. Moreover, every single change in the physical topology has an associated impact on the logical structured network and results in unevenly distributed and disrupted logical structures. This completely halts communication in the logical network, even physically connected nodes would not remain reachable due to disrupted logical structure, and unavailability of index information maintained at anchor nodes (ANs) in DHT networks. Therefore, distributed solutions are needed to tolerate faults in the logical network and provide end-to-end connectivity in such an adversarial environment. This paper defines the scope of the problem in the context of DHT networks and contributes a Fault-Tolerant DHT-based routing protocol (FTDN). FTDN, using a cross-layer design approach, investigates network dynamics in the physical network and adaptively makes arrangements to tolerate faults in the logically structured DHT network. In particular, FTDN ensures network availability (i.e., maintains connected and evenly distributed logical structures and ensures access to index information) in the face of failures and significantly improves performance. Analysis and simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed solutions

Climate Change Concerns of Saudi Arabian Farmers: The Drivers and Their Role in Perceived Capacity Building Needs for Adaptation

Climate change is a serious threat to the sustainability of global agriculture and food supply that necessitates taking appropriate action for building resilient food production systems and preserving rural economies. In this regard, farmers’ beliefs and concerns about the effects of climate change on agriculture may influence their adoption of adaptation and mitigation practices to address this emerging issue. This work was undertaken to evaluate farmers’ level of concern about climate change in the Jazan province of Saudi Arabia. The study also explored the role of various socioeconomic indicators in shaping farmers’ concerns and highlights various capacity-building initiatives that can be applied at the community level for effective adaptation. Ordered logistic regression was used to study the relationship between farmers’ level of concern and their need for capacity-building initiatives to tackle climate change. Results indicated that insect infestation is the farmers’ top concern, followed by higher crop-diseases incidence and drought. Regression analysis revealed that farmers’ income is a major factor that reduces their concern for insect infestation and crop disease while increases concern for drought. Credit access and information availability have a mixed impact on the farmers’ concern level. Capacity-building initiatives deemed necessary included establishing frequent contacts with extension personnel, timely warnings on droughts and other natural hazards, the training of farmers and extension workers, easy credit facilities, improvement in rural infrastructure and creation of awareness to address specific concern stimulus

Climate Change Concerns of Saudi Arabian Farmers: The Drivers and Their Role in Perceived Capacity Building Needs for Adaptation

Climate change is a serious threat to the sustainability of global agriculture and food supply that necessitates taking appropriate action for building resilient food production systems and preserving rural economies. In this regard, farmers’ beliefs and concerns about the effects of climate change on agriculture may influence their adoption of adaptation and mitigation practices to address this emerging issue. This work was undertaken to evaluate farmers’ level of concern about climate change in the Jazan province of Saudi Arabia. The study also explored the role of various socioeconomic indicators in shaping farmers’ concerns and highlights various capacity-building initiatives that can be applied at the community level for effective adaptation. Ordered logistic regression was used to study the relationship between farmers’ level of concern and their need for capacity-building initiatives to tackle climate change. Results indicated that insect infestation is the farmers’ top concern, followed by higher crop-diseases incidence and drought. Regression analysis revealed that farmers’ income is a major factor that reduces their concern for insect infestation and crop disease while increases concern for drought. Credit access and information availability have a mixed impact on the farmers’ concern level. Capacity-building initiatives deemed necessary included establishing frequent contacts with extension personnel, timely warnings on droughts and other natural hazards, the training of farmers and extension workers, easy credit facilities, improvement in rural infrastructure and creation of awareness to address specific concern stimulus

Identification of Potential HCV Inhibitors Based on the Interaction of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate with Viral Envelope Proteins

Hepatitis C is affecting millions of people around the globe annually, which leads to death in very high numbers. After many years of research, hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a serious threat to the human population and needs proper management. The in silico approach in the drug discovery process is an efficient method in identifying inhibitors for various diseases. In our study, the interaction between Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a component of green tea, and envelope glycoprotein E2 of HCV is evaluated. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate is the most promising polyphenol approved through cell culture analysis that can inhibit the entry of HCV. Therefore, various in silico techniques have been employed to find out other potential inhibitors that can behave as EGCG. Thus, the homology modelling of E2 protein was performed. The potential lead molecules were predicted using ligand-based as well as structure-based virtual screening methods. The compounds obtained were then screened through PyRx. The drugs obtained were ranked based on their binding affinities. Furthermore, the docking of the topmost drugs was performed by AutoDock Vina, while its 2D interactions were plotted in LigPlot+. The lead compound mms02387687 (2-[[5-[(4-ethylphenoxy) methyl]-4-prop-2-enyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl] sulfanyl]-N-[3(trifluoromethyl) phenyl] acetamide) was ranked on top, and we believe it can serve as a drug against HCV in the future, owing to experimental validation