Multi-level Extensible Synthetic Evaluation of the Quality of Passenger Transport Service of High-speed Rail

Abstract: This study establishes the evaluation index system of the quality of passenger transport service of highspeed rail based on the characteristics of passenger transport and determines the index weights with the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process. In order to make up for the deficiencies of present quality evaluation method of passenger transport service of high-speed rail, this study develops the multi-level extensible synthetic evaluation model of the quality of passenger transport service of high-speed rail with the core of extension method based on the questionnaire survey to the passengers. This study tests the model with the data surveyed in a passenger station of high-speed rail, which can not only expand extension application areas, but also provide new ideas and means for the evaluation of the quality of passenger transport service of high-speed rail

Distinct host immune responses in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and vulvovaginal candidiasis

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) are one of the most common gynecological infections, primarily caused by Candida species. Although risk factors of RVVC and VVC have been identified in many studies, antifungal immunological mechanisms are still not fully understood. We performed a 1-year prospective study in a local hospital to monitor 98 patients clinically diagnosed with gynecological Candida infection. The results showed that 20.41% (20/98) are with RVVC, and 79.59% (78/98) patients have VVC. C. albicans accounts for 90% and 96.1% of all strains isolated collected from RVVC and VVC patients, respectively. Antifungal susceptibility testing showed no significant difference in Candida species between RVVC and VVC patients. However, the serum levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17F in the RVVC group were significantly lower than those of the VVC group, while IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 were higher in the RVVC patients than VVC patients. IL-17A and IL-2 levels were comparable between the two groups. Taken together, our results suggest that the host-immune responses, especially Th1/2 immunity, may play important roles in prognosis of RVVC and VVC

Dynamics Analysis of Neuron Bursting under the Modulation of Periodic Stimulation

A nonsmooth neuron model with periodic excitation which can reproduce spiking and bursting behavior of cortical neurons is investigated in this paper. Based on nonsmooth bifurcation analysis, the mechanism of the bursting behavior induced by slow-changing periodical stimulation as well as the associated evolution with the variation of the stimulation is explored. The modulating character of the external excitation and the effect of the bifurcation occurring at the switching boundary of the vector field are presented

Virulence capacity of different Aspergillus species from invasive pulmonary aspergillosis

IntroductionThe opportunistic filamentous fungus Aspergillus causes invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) that often turns into a fatal infection in immunocompromised hosts. However, the virulence capacity of different Aspergillus species and host inflammation induced by different species in IPA are not well understood.MethodsIn the present study, host inflammation, antimicrobial susceptibilities and virulence were compared among clinical Aspergillus strains isolated from IPA patients.ResultsA total of 46 strains were isolated from 45 patients with the invasive infection, of which 35 patients were diagnosed as IPA. Aspergillus flavus was the dominant etiological agent appearing in 25 cases (54.3%). We found that the CRP level and leukocyte counts (elevated neutrophilic granulocytes and monocytes, and reduced lymphocytes) were significantly different in IPA patients when compared with healthy individuals (P < 0.05). Antifungal susceptibilities of these Aspergillus isolates from IPA showed that 91%, 31%, 14%, and 14% were resistant to Fluconazole, Micafungin, Amphotericin B and Terbinafine, respectively. The survival rate of larvae infected by A. flavus was lower than larvae infected by A. niger or A. fumigatus (P < 0.05).DiscussionAspergillus flavus was the dominant clinical etiological agent. Given the prevalence of A. flavus in our local clinical settings, we may face greater challenges when treating IPA patients

Permissivity of the NCI-60 cancer cell lines to oncolytic Vaccinia Virus GLV-1h68

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Oncolytic viral therapy represents an alternative therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer. We previously described GLV-1h68, a modified Vaccinia Virus with exclusive tropism for tumor cells, and we observed a cell line-specific relationship between the ability of GLV-1h68 to replicate in vitro and its ability to colonize and eliminate tumor in vivo.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the current study we surveyed the in vitro permissivity to GLV-1h68 replication of the NCI-60 panel of cell lines. Selected cell lines were also tested for permissivity to another Vaccinia Virus and a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) strain. In order to identify correlates of permissity to viral infection, we measured transcriptional profiles of the cell lines prior infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed highly heterogeneous permissivity to VACV infection amongst the cell lines. The heterogeneity of permissivity was independent of tissue with the exception of B cell derivation. Cell lines were also tested for permissivity to another Vaccinia Virus and a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) strain and a significant correlation was found suggesting a common permissive phenotype. While no clear transcriptional pattern could be identified as predictor of permissivity to infection, some associations were observed suggesting multifactorial basis permissivity to viral infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings have implications for the design of oncolytic therapies for cancer and offer insights into the nature of permissivity of tumor cells to viral infection.</p

An Improved Model for Headway-Based Bus Service Unreliability Prevention with Vehicle Load Capacity Constraint at Bus Stops

This paper presents an improved model for improving headway-based bus route service reliability at bus stops using real-time preventive operation control, taking into account dynamic interaction among random passenger demand, stochastic driving conditions of route segments, and vehicle load capacity constraint. In this model, the real-time information of passenger demand and vehicle operation is involved to predict the imminent unacceptable headway deviation, in the case of which some in-time preventive control strategies are deployed according to the given control rules. As a case study, a single fixed bus route with high-frequency services was simulated and different scenarios of real-time preventive operation control were performed. Headway adherence and average passenger wait time were used to measure bus service reliability. The results show that the improved model is closer to the real bus route service, and using real-time information to predict potential service unreliability and trigger in-time preventive control can reduce bus bunching and avoid big gap

The Effect of the Swimmer&rsquo;s Trunk Oscillation on Dolphin Kick Performance Using a Computational Method with Multi-Body Motion: A Case Study

The effect of a specific Chinese swimmer&rsquo;s trunk oscillation on dolphin kick was investigated in order to optimize competitive swimming movement. Using a numerical simulation method based on multi-body motion, different swimmer&rsquo;s trunk oscillation during a dolphin kick was analyzed. The simulation was conducted using 3D incompressible Navier&ndash;Stokes equations and renormalization group k-&epsilon; turbulence model, combined with the Volume of Fluid method to capture the water surface. The simulation&rsquo;s results were evaluated by comparing them with experimental data and with previous studies. The net streamwise forces, mean swimming velocity, and joint moments were also investigated. There was a positive correlation between the mean swimming velocity and the amplitudes of the swimmer&rsquo;s trunk oscillation, where the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.986 and the selected model was statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05). In addition, as the mean swimming velocity increased from 1.42 m/s in Variant 1 to 2 m/s in Variant 5, the maximum positive moments of joints increased by about 24.7% for the ankles, 27.4% for the knees, &minus;3.9% for the hips, and 5.8% for the upper waist, whereas the maximum negative moments of joints increased by about 64.5% for the ankles, 28.1% for the knees, 23.1% for the hips, and 10.1% for the upper waist. The relationship between the trunk oscillation and the vortices was also investigated. Therefore, it is recommended that swimmers should try to increase the amplitudes of trunk oscillation to increase their swimming velocity. In order to achieve this goal, swimmers should increase strength training for the ankles, knees, and upper waist during the upkick. Moreover, extra strength training is warranted for the ankles, knees, hips, and upper waist during the downkick

Synergy Degree Evaluation of Container Multimodal Transport System

Logistics activities are an important source of energy consumption and environmental issues. Research conclusions and practical experience show that promoting the development of container multimodal transport is an effective way to reduce the level of carbon footprint. The key to influencing the development of container multimodal transport lies in the cooperation of all participants and links (modes of transport, transport businesses). Evaluating the synergy degree is a key step in this development process. This paper takes the whole process of container multimodal transportation as the research perspective, analyzes the operation process, and treats the process as a production system composed of four subsystems: facilities and equipment, organizational management, business operations, and information interactions. Through in-depth interviews and an analysis of the academic literature and policy documents, we establish a synergy degree evaluation index system and measurement model of container multimodal transport based on synergy theory and case studies. The research results are consistent with the actual situation. From 2015 to 2018, the synergy of container multimodal transport system of China&rsquo;s G port developed slowly, but generally moved in a more orderly direction

Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Different Undulatory Underwater Swimming Positions Based on Multi-Body Motion Numerical Simulation Method

The study of hydrodynamic characteristics of swimming is the main way to optimize the swimming movement. The relationship between position, water depth, and swimming performance of undulatory underwater swimming are one of the main concerns of scholars. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the swimming performance of three different undulatory underwater swimming positions under various swimming depths using a numerical simulation method based on multi-body motion. The simulation was conducted using 3D incompressible Navier&ndash;Stokes equations using the RNG k-&epsilon; turbulence closure equations, and in combination with the VOF method thus that we could include the water surface in our calculations. Different swimming depths based on the distance from the shoulder joint center to the initial water surface were considered. The velocity of the shoulder joint center was captured with a swimming motion monitoring system (KiSwim) and compared with the calculated results. The study found that there was a significant difference in the hydrodynamic characteristics of the three undulatory underwater swimming positions (i.e., the dorsal, lateral, and frontal positions) when swimming near the water surface, and the difference decreased as the swimming depth increased. There was a negative correlation (R(dorsal) = &minus;0.928, R(frontal) = &minus;0.937, R(lateral) = &minus;0.930) between the swimming velocities of the three undulatory underwater swimming positions and the water depth (water depth = 0.2&ndash;0.7 m) and that the lateral position had the greatest average velocity. Therefore, it is recommended that swimmers travel at least 0.5 m below the water surface in any undulatory underwater swimming position in order to avoid excessive drag forces. As the swimmer approaches the water surface, the lateral position is worth considering, which has better velocity and hydrodynamic advantage than the other two undulatory underwater swimming positions