Birth weight charts for a Chinese population: an observational study of routine newborn weight data from Chongqing

Background: To construct birth weight charts for the Chongqing municipality, China and to identify whether differences in birth weight exist across urban/rural populations, thereby warranting separate charts.Methods: Secondary analysis of routinely collected data from 338,454 live infants between 2014 and 2017 in Chongqing municipality. Sex-specific birth weight-for-gestational age centiles were constructed by the lambda-mu-sigma method via the GAMLSS R-based package. This method remodels the skewed birth weight distribution to estimate a normal distribution, allowing any birth weight centile to be generated. A separate set of centiles were created, accounting for urban/rural differences in birth weight.Results: The centiles performed well across all gestational ages. For example, 2.37% (n = 4176) of males and 2.26% (n = 3656) of females were classified as below the 2nd centile (expected percentage = 2.28%), 49.75% of males (n = 87,756) and 50.73% of females (n = 82,203) were classified as below the 50th centile (expected proportion = 50%) and 97.52% of males (n = 172,021) and 97.48% of females (n = 157,967) were classified as below the 98th centile (expected proportion = 97.72%). The overall estimated centiles of birth weight for rural infants were higher than the centiles for urban infants at the earlier gestational ages (Conclusion: We have constructed a readily utilizable set of birth weight references from a large representative sample of births in Chongqing. The method used to construct the references allows for the calculation of the exact centile for any infant delivered between 28 and 42 completed weeks, which was not possible with previous charts.</div

牛山英治が編纂した山岡鉄舟の伝記について

Table S8. Comparison of GD in different studies. MICN is an abbreviation of Modified introduction in China; TS is an abbreviation of Tropical/Subtropical; SS is an abbreviation of Stiff Stalk; NSS is an abbreviation of non-Stiff Stalk; HZS is an abbreviation of Huangzaosi. (XLSX 11 kb

Increase Productivity of Machinig Center at Machine-shop by Using Multiple Machine at Small Seriality

Import 23/07/2015Diplomová práce se zaměřuje na problém, kterým je zvýšení produktivity na středisku obrobna s využitím více strojových obsluh při malé sériovosti. Hlavní cíl zvyšování produktivity spočívá v tom, zda je možné zavést dvou strojovou obsluhu na CNC strojích typu SP 30 CNC č. 1, č. 2. V rámci druhotného cíle zvyšování produktivity na středisku obrobna a zájmu firmy byly z projektového hlediska navrhnuty a umístěny nové CNC stroje, sklad přípravků a materiálu, skříňky a kovové bedny k jednotlivým strojům, skříňky na osobní věci a navrhnout jídelní kout.This master thesis focuses on the problem of increasing machine shop productivity by using multimachine operation in small series production. More specifically, the primary thesis aim is to analyze options and feasibility of implementing multimachine operation of two CNC lathes SP 30 CNC to increase productivity. The secondary aim of machine shop productivity increasing in the interest of the company includes design of new CNC machines and their layout, a material and jigs warehouse, cabinets and metal crates for each of workplaces, personal lockers and a dining area.345 - Katedra mechanické technologievelmi dobř

Crowd-Induced vibrations in sports stadia analysis of Thomond Park Stadium under concert events

The potential of dynamic structural response to cause serviceability or even ultimate failure in building structures has long been known. The availability of stronger structural materials and more precise analysis tools has allowed ever more slender structures to be realised. However, as spans increase and structural mass decreases dynamic response emerges more often as a concern for structural engineers. Design for the redevelopment of Thomond Park stadium, Limerick was completed between 2005 and 2007 and the new stadium was opened in August 2008. Conscious of recently reported incidents and aware that the venue might be used in the future for concerts, the designers carried out a dynamic assessment of the grandstand structures to rhythmic crowd movements using a ‘Performance-based Assessment’ method. A localised scenario of potential concern in one area of one grandstand was identified and appropriate crowd management arrangements were identified. Updated guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers, termed the ‘Route 2 Method’, was published after the stadium opened in 2008. A statically designed cantilever beam was first analysed as part of this research work using the Performance-based Assessment and the Route 2 methods. While both methods illustrated that the structure did not perform satisfactorily under crowd induced loading typical of concert events, the results of Route 2 method was lower than that of the Performance-based Assessment. Importantly however, the Route 2 method provides a more consistent and rigorous approach to the design of the structure and accounts for the crowd-structure interaction. An analysis of a single bay of the West Grandstand of Thomond Park was then carried out using both methods. While the results of the Performance-based Assessment were broadly aligned with that of the original design, the results of the updated Route 2 method indicate that the structure performs adequately under all concert types and that the crowd management measures originally recommended may no longer be required. The results are particularly sensitive to the Young’s Modulus of the concrete and further work is recommended to verify the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the structure through dynamic testing of the stadium itself

Anti-inflammatory Effects of Poly‑l‑lysine in Intestinal Mucosal System Mediated by Calcium-Sensing Receptor Activation

Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis and promoting recovery of damaged intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). Poly-l-lysine (PL) is a basic polypeptide identified for its role in the activation of CaSR through allosteric binding. The primary goal of the current study was to identify the modulatory effect of PL on intestinal inflammation and to determine whether these effects were mediated by CaSR activation. We used human intestinal epithelial cell lines, Caco-2 and HT-29, to assess PL anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. We found that PL reduced the IL-8 secretion from tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-treated human intestinal epithelial cell lines. On the other hand, the gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β was inhibited by PL supplementation. We subsequently evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of PL in vivo using a DSS-induced mouse colitis model. PL supplementation was shown to prevent dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced loss of weight, colitic symptoms, and shortening of colon length but maintained colonic morphology. The pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in the mouse colon, including TNF-α, IL-6, INF-γ, IL-17, and IL-1β, was significantly up-regulated by DSS treatment, but was inhibited upon PL administration. As shown by the results from both in vitro and in vivo studies, the reduction of inflammatory cytokine production caused by PL was reversed by NPS-2143 pretreatment. In the present study, we provide evidence that PL exerts anti-inflammatory effects on the gut system, which is primarily mediated by allosteric ligand activation of CaSR

The Global Pattern of Urbanization and Economic Growth: Evidence from the Last Three Decades

<div><p>The relationship between urbanization and economic growth has been perplexing. In this paper, we identify the pattern of global change and the correlation of urbanization and economic growth, using cross-sectional, panel estimation and geographic information systems (GIS) methods. The analysis has been carried out on a global geographical scale, while the timescale of the study spans the last 30 years. The data shows that urbanization levels have changed substantially during these three decades. Empirical findings from cross-sectional data and panel data support the general notion of close links between urbanization levels and GDP per capita. However, we also present significant evidence that there is no correlation between urbanization speed and economic growth rate at the global level. Hence, we conclude that a given country cannot obtain the expected economic benefits from accelerated urbanization, especially if it takes the form of government-led urbanization. In addition, only when all facets are taken into consideration can we fully assess the urbanization process.</p></div

Dewetting Film Dynamics Inside a Capillary Using a Micellar Nanofluid

An experimental study was performed in which hexadecane was displaced by a micellar nanofluid in a glass capillary. Experiments have shown that a thick film was formed on the capillary wall after hexadecane was displaced by the nanofluid. The thick hexadecane film is unstable, and over time it breaks and forms a thin film. Once the thick film ruptures, it retracts and forms an annular rim (liquid ridge) that collects liquid. As the volume of the annular rim increases over time, it forms a double-concave meniscus across the capillary and dewetting stops. The thin film on the right side of the double-concave meniscus then breaks and the contact angle increases. The process repeats until the droplets build up all along the capillary wall. Finally, the droplets are displaced from the capillary wall by the nanofluid and spherical droplets appear inside the capillary. This is a novel phenomenon because we did not observe any film formation when we used a solution without micelles. The theoretical model based on the lubrication approximation using the capillary pressure gradient was developed to estimate the annular rim dewetting velocity. The predicted dewetting velocity is found to be in fair agreement with the experimentally measured value

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Using Nanoparticle Dispersions: Underlying Mechanism and Imbibition Experiments

This paper presents the results of imbibition tests using a reservoir crude oil and a reservoir brine solution with a high salinity and a suitable nanofluid that displaces crude oil from Berea sandstone (water-wet) and single-glass capillaries. The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) nanofluid is specially formulated to survive in a high-salinity environment and is found to result in an efficiency of 50% for Berea sandstone, compared to 17% using the brine alone at a reservoir temperature of 55 °C. We also present a direct visual evidence of the underlying mechanism based on the structural disjoining pressure for the crude oil displacement using IIT nanofluid from the solid substrate in high-salinity brine. These results aid our understanding of the role of the nanofluid in displacing crude oil from the rock, especially in a high-salinity environment containing Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions. Results are also reported using Berea sandstone and a nanofluid containing silica nanoparticles

Comparative and Evolutionary Analysis of the Interleukin 17 Gene Family in Invertebrates

<div><p>Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine and plays critical roles in the immune response to pathogens and in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Despite its important functions, the origin and evolution of IL-17 in animal phyla have not been characterized. As determined in this study, the distribution of the IL-17 family among 10 invertebrate species and 7 vertebrate species suggests that the IL-17 gene may have originated from Nematoda but is absent from <i>Saccoglossus kowalevskii</i> (Hemichordata) and Insecta. Moreover, the gene number, protein length and domain number of IL-17 differ widely. A comparison of IL-17-containing domains and conserved motifs indicated somewhat low amino acid sequence similarity but high conservation at the motif level, although some motifs were lost in certain species. The third disulfide bond for the cystine knot fold is formed by two cysteine residues in invertebrates, but these have been replaced by two serine residues in Chordata and vertebrates. One third of invertebrate IL-17 proteins were found to have no predicted signal peptide. Furthermore, an analysis of phylogenetic trees and exon–intron structures indicated that the IL-17 family lacks conservation and displays high divergence. These results suggest that invertebrate IL-17 proteins have undergone complex differentiation and that their members may have developed novel functions during evolution.</p></div

Classification of development speed, 1980–2011.

<p>Detailed classification data are provided for speed of urbanization and speed of economic growth. The number of regions and total population in the different groups also are calculated, clearly demonstrating that low speed is the prevailing trend in both the urbanization process and economic growth.</p