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Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network-driven Non-Intrusive Reduced Order Model (NROM) for predicting the dynamics of a floating box on the water surface in a wavemaker basin is addressed in this study. The ground truth or actual data for these wave-structure interactions (WSI) problems, namely box displacements and hydrodynamic forces and moments acting on the box due to wave interaction corresponding to a particular wave profile, are computed using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). The dimensionality of the system is first reduced using the Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method (DEIM) and the LSTM is applied to the reduced system resulting in a DEIM-LSTM network for developing a surrogate for prediction. The network is further enhanced by incorporating the physics information into the loss function resulting in a physics-informed LSTM (LSTM-PINN) for predicting the rigid body dynamics of box motion. The performance of predictions for these networks is assessed for the two-dimensional wave basin WSI problem as a proof-of-concept demonstration., 24 pages , 20 figure

Microbial communities are complex assemblages whose dynamics are shaped by abiotic and biotic factors. A major challenge concerns correctly forecasting the community behaviour in the future. In this context, communities in biological wastewater treatment plants (BWWTPs) represent excellent model systems, because forecasting them is required to ultimately control and operate the plants in a sustainable manner. Here, we forecast the microbial community from the water-air interface of the anaerobic tank of a BWWTP via longitudinal meta-omics (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics) data covering 14 months at weekly intervals. We extracted all the available time-dependent information, summarised it in 17 temporal signals (explaining 91.1% of the temporal variance) and linked them over time to rebuild the sequence of ecological phenomena behind the community dynamics. We forecasted the signals over the following five years and tested the predictions with 21 extra samples. We were able to correctly forecast five signals accounting for 22.5% of the time-dependent information in the system and generate mechanistic predictions on the ecological events in the community (e.g. a predation cycle involving bacteria, viruses and amoebas). Through the forecasting of the 17 signals and the environmental variables readings we reconstructed the gene abundance and expression for the following 5 years, showing a nearly perfect trend prediction (coefficient of determination ≥ 0.97) for the first 2 years. The study demonstrates the maturity of microbial ecology to forecast composition and gene expression of open microbial ecosystems using year-spanning interactions between community cycles and environmental parameters.

This work aims to model transonic airfoil–gust interaction and the gust response on transonic aileron-buzz problems using high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the Long Short Term Me...

BackgroundAlterations of the gut microbiome have been linked to multiple chronic diseases. However, the drivers of such changes remain largely unknown. The oral cavity acts as a major route of exposure to exogenous factors including pathogens, and processes therein may affect the communities in the subsequent compartments of the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we perform strain-resolved, integrated multi-omic analyses of saliva and stool samples collected from eight families with multiple cases of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).ResultsWe identified distinct oral microbiota mostly reflecting competition between streptococcal species. More specifically, we found a decreased abundance of the commensalStreptococcus salivariusin the oral cavity of T1DM individuals, which is linked to its apparent competition with the pathobiontStreptococcus mutans. The decrease inS. salivariusin the oral cavity was also associated with its decrease in the gut as well as higher abundances in facultative anaerobes includingEnterobacteria. In addition, we found evidence of gut inflammation in T1DM as reflected in the expression profiles of theEnterobacteriaas well as in the human gut proteome. Finally, we were able to follow transmitted strain-variants from the oral cavity to the gut at the metagenomic, metatranscriptomic and metaproteomic levels, highlighting not only the transfer, but also the activity of the transmitted taxa along the gastrointestinal tract.ConclusionsAlterations of the oral microbiome in the context of T1DM impact the microbial communities in the lower gut, in particular through the reduction of “oral-to-gut” transfer ofStreptococcus salivarius. Our results indicate that the observed oral-cavity-driven gut microbiome changes may contribute towards the inflammatory processes involved in T1DM. Through the integration of multi-omic analyses, we resolve strain-variant “mouth-to-gut” transfer in a disease context.

This study aims to develop a linear nonintrusive reduced-order model (NIROM) for facilitating combined fast parametric analysis and reconstruction of unsteady aerodynamic flow variables by using a ...

The Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI) is designed to operate 10 1.4m telescopes simultaneously, with baselines ranging from 7.8-347 m and limiting infrared fringe-tracking magnitudes of 14 – it is arguably the most ambitious optical/infrared imaging interferometer under construction today. In this paper we had intended to present an update of activities since the 2018 SPIE meeting as we approached a demonstration of first fringes with the facility originally anticipated for the fall of 2020. However, due to the global pandemic and a loss of funding for our project via AFRL, we have been unable to make the progress we intended. In this paper, we present results up through March, 2020 and a brief discussion of the path forward for the facility.

Investigation of applying physics informed neural networks on the test case involving flow past Converging-Diverging (CD) Nozzle has been investigated. Both Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Physics Informed Neural Network (PINN) are used to do the training and prediction. Results show that Artificial Neural Network (ANN) by itself is already able to give relatively good prediction. With the addition of PINN, the error reduces even more, although by only a relatively small amount. This is perhaps due to the already good prediction. The effects of batch size, training iteration and number of epochs on the prediction accuracy have already been tested. It is found that increasing batch size improves the prediction. On the other hand, increasing the training iteration may give poorer prediction due to overfitting. Lastly, in general, increasing epochs reduces the error. More investigations should be done in the future to further reduce the error while at the same time using less training data. More complicated cases with time varying results should also be included. Extrapolation of the results using PINN can also be tested.

Using X-ray diffraction line profile analysis (XRDLPA) approach the radiation response of FCC Ni-Cr-Fe based alloy 690 to 1.5 and 3 MeV Ni2+ ion damage was quantified in terms of its microstructural parameters. These microstructural parameters viz. average domain size, microstrain and dislocation density were found to vary anisotropically with fluence. The anisotropic behaviour is mainly attributable to presence of twins in pre-irradiated microstructure. After irradiation, surface roughness increases as a function of fluence attributable to change in surface and sub-surface morphology caused by displacement cascade, defects and sputtered atoms created by incident energetic ion. The radiation hardening in case of 1.5 MeV Ni2+ irradiated specimens too is a consequence of the increase in dislocation density formed by interaction of radiation induced defects with pre-existing dislocations. At highest fluence there is an initiation of saturation.

Nanocrystalline α-alumina powder was prepared successfully following gel combustion process using for the first time the combination of aluminum nitrate as oxidant and urea-formaldehyde as fuel. The combustion reaction was explained through thermal analyses (differential thermal analysis, DTA & thermo-gravimetric analysis, TGA). The synthesized powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy, FTIR), electron microscopy (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, FESEM & Transmission Electron Microscopy, TEM), optical spectra (absorption spectroscopy & photoluminescence, PL), etc. As evidenced from XRD pattern the as- synthesized powder was found to be amorphous. Full crystallinity of the as synthesized powder was obtained upon calcination above around 1100 °C. Synthesized particles are nanoporous, held in loosely agglomerated mass of nano sized spherical forms with size ranging in general between 50 and 70 nm. The photo luminescent spectrum shows a broad emission band that was deconvoluted into Gaussian sub-components. The resolved emission peaks imply emission from oxygen vacancy related radiative color centers. With heat treatment temperature, the PL intensity diminishes due to reduced defect (oxygen deficiency) concentration in nano-crystals. The presence of large concentration of anion deficiency, related to defects, are reflected in the intense emission of PL spectra and in lowering the band gap value with respect to the bulk counterpart; both phenomena being explained in this text. An initial sintering trial under spark plasma sintering shows the powders are quickly responsive to densification facilitated by the presence of defects.

Background: Febrile neutropenia is a common cause in morbidity and mortality during treatment of hematological neoplasms.Methods: Subjects included all cases admitted under hematology department with febrile neutropenia from February to June 2018. Diagnostic work up for each febrile episode was done including Procalcitonin (PCT) was sent at fever onset 0,24,48hour, day 7 and day 14.Results: Data was analyzed for 52 febrile episodes in 50 patients.PCT cut off value at 24 hours of ≤1.2ng/ml had a sensitivity and specificity of 62.5% and 87.5% for discriminating IFI and MDI (p=0.033). PCT had a negative predictive value of 70% for the diagnosis of IFI as compared to MDI. PCT cut-off of 0.4ng/ml on day 7 had a sensitivity and specificity of 60.98% and 100% respectively for discriminating IFI and PUO (p= 0.0001). There was a significant fall in the level of PCT by day 14(median fall in PCT of 10.8) in the group of patients who had both IFI+ MDI when compared to other groups (p=0.047). PCT level at 24 and 48hours can be a predictor of severity of infection.Conclusion: Procalcitonin at 24 hours could discriminate between bacterial and fungal infection and between fever due to fungal infection and disease fever.

Nanocrystalline MgO powder was synthesized via modified organic gel combustion route using Urea-Formaldehyde for the first time as fuel. The formation reaction is explained through DTA-TGA. The phase formation (Rietveld refined XRD, FTIR) and the inherent powder characteristics were analyzed in terms of particle characteristics (FESEM, HRTEM, NIR-absorption), light absorption behaviour (UV–Vis spectroscopy) and photoluminescence properties (PL-spectroscopy). The general occurrence in the form of large porous nano spheres constituted by very fine crystallites of the order of 4–25 nm with enlarged cell parameters of pure MgO were obtained. Enhanced reactivity of the produced powder is expected to originate out of the exposed polarised surfaces of these fine grains with capability to provide high energy binding sites. The non equilibrium condition prevalent under extreme speedy kinetics of the formation reaction introduced quantum subsystems in the lattice. Photoconversion between different optical centres greatly influenced the luminescence properties yielding a broad emission spectrum. The spectrum is intense because of high concentration of anion deficiency with an obvious blue shift due to lower concentration of H − traps in it. Promotion of electron in the introduced quantum subsystems under excitation provided intraband energy transfer between optical centres below the conduction band that lowered down the band gap value to 4.45 eV. Spark plasma sintering was employed for powder densification. The ultimate product constituted by nano grains of size corresponding to 200–500 nm exhibits ∼80% transmittance in IR region.

The structural variations within monoclinic, tetragonal and cubic zirconia pellets with different amounts of yttria doping and its subsequent exposure to various proton, silver ion and gamma irradiation fluxes were investigated using photoluminescence spectroscopy. Upon ion irradiation color centers were produced at doses >10(15) ions/cm(2) resulting in purple coloration. The decrease in photoluminescence intensity was observed for proton irradiated pellets except for tetragonal zirconia (6YSZ: 6 mol% Y2O3 doped ZrO2). The anomalous behaviour in case of tetragonal zirconia may result from short range ordering of oxygen vacancies around Zr ions occurring in order to relieve the stress/lattice distortions associated with proton impingement. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

This paper describes BRAC experiences of working with the ultra-poor over the last two decades. The ultra-poor is the poorest section among the population with a few or no asset base, highly vulnerable to any shocks and mainly depending on wage labour. The main causes of their poverty, especially in the rural areas, are poverty inheritance, loss of income earner and ill health. Although microfinance is targeted to the poor, the ultra-poor, lacking livelihood resources, are reluctant to borrow with the fear of being overburdened, and indeed have a fear of the cash economy. They need a critical push to uplift their initial endowment base, in as risk-free a manner as possible, to a certain level which is necessary for getting greater access to other resources and their productive utilization. The BRAC Income Generation for Vulnerable Group Development (IGVGD) scheme was devised in 1986, and arose from the coming together of three circumstances: (i) an awareness that ‘leaving everything to the community’ would not deal with the problem of marginalisation of the ultra-poor within the community; (ii) an offer in that year of food aid from the UN World Food Programme, which offered the potential of over coming the ultra-poor's ‘fear of cash’ and (iii) a decision by BRAC to use a combination of food aid, savings and training in activities with low capital requirements as a means of enabling the marginalized to climb the ladder out of ultra-poverty. IGVGD is an integrated package of food distribution, savings, micro-credit provision, social awareness-building and skill development training and essential health care interventions. Different study findings conducted within the country and outside indicate that IGVGD is very successful and also cost-effective in reaching the ultra-poor; and that females coming from male-headed households can participate more fully in the IGVGD programme activities; it is the men who use NGO credit, and husbands' incomes are the primary source of installment payments. However, there has been a tendency for some women to take advantage only of the consumption-related benefits of the IGVGD (principally food aid) and not to graduate up all the steps of the ladder into self-sustained businesses. In response to this, a new programme, Challenging the frontiers of poverty (CFPR) was devised in 2002, and is still in its pilot stages. This has more stringent targeting requirements than IGVGD and provides for more intensive mentoring of the ultra-poor, and provides more intensive subsidy in the area of maternal and child health, but adopts the same approach of supervised ‘graduation’ from minimal-risk to higher-risk activities. IGVGD as a model now been quite widely imitated and adapted, at least within Bangladesh, and at the latest count some 72 organizations had some provision for the ultra-poor. In a final section we review the implications of evaluation of these diverse activities for IA methodology. One interesting finding is that whereas, in the lower-middle reaches of financial markets at which microfinance typically operates, quantitative approaches yield more optimistic findings (for women borrowers' welfare) than qualitative, for the ultra-poor it is the other way around; many IGVGD borrowers, at least, experienced few changes in income, but important improvements in autonomy and social status. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

As well as providing financial services, BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) offers members of its Rural Development Programme wishing to start businesses in a range of sectors a package of skills training, input supply and technical assistance. This paper examines two issues: the impact of skills development training and other BDS on women's income growth, and the costeffectiveness of BDS from both the service providers'as well as the service recipients'point of view. Results show that, as well as benefiting from credit, those who received skills training in their chosen activities earned significantly higher income than those who did not. Regarding cost-effectiveness, case study results show that, for the service recipients, the additional amount gained through their new business exceeds by many times the amount paid to BRAC as a service fee, so for the service recipients BRAC is highly cost-effective. On the other hand, for BRAC, the amount it charges covers only 47 per cent of its total cost.

Theoretical and experimental studies have been carried out to determine the influences of nozzle flow and nozzle geometry on the shape and size of a fully developed air core in a hollow cone swirl nozzle. The theoretical study is based on the numerical solution of conservation equations for mass and momentum along with the volume fraction of the liquid phase. An interface capturing method has been adopted in the numerical simulation of free surface flow in the nozzle. Experiments have been carried out with a number of nozzles fabricated in Perspex material. The air core diameter has been measured from photographs taken by a camera outside the nozzle. It has been observed that the shape of the fully developed air core in a conical swirl nozzle is cylindrical with a considerable bulging at the entrance to the orifice, while in the case of a conical nozzle without a finite length of orifice, the air core is uniform throughout the nozzle. The values of the air core diameter in the swirl chamber ( da1) and in the orifice ( da2) of a nozzle increase sharply with an increase in inlet Reynolds number ( Re) below 1.1 × 104, but become almost independent of Re above this (up to 1.7 × 104). The air core diameter, both in the swirl chamber and in the orifice, increases with an increase in the value of the ratio of orifice to swirl chamber diameter and the cone angle of the swirl chamber and with a decrease in the value of the ratio of entry port to swirl chamber diameter and the ratio of orifice length to swirl chamber diameter.

Summary Bangladesh, with a population of 151 million people, is a country that is particularly prone to natural disasters: 26% of the population are affected by cyclones and 70% live in flood-prone regions. Mortality and morbidity from these events have fallen substantially in the past 50 years, partly because of improvements in disaster management. Thousands of cyclone shelters have been built and government and civil society have mobilised strategies to provide early warning and respond quickly. Increasingly, flood and cyclone interventions have leveraged community resilience, and general activities for poverty reduction have integrated disaster management. Furthermore, overall population health has improved greatly on the basis of successful public health activities, which has helped to mitigate the effect of natural disasters. Challenges to the maintenance and reduction of the effect of cyclones and floods include rapid urbanisation and the growing effect of global warming. Although the effects of earthquakes are unknown, some efforts to prepare for this type of event are underway.

Topical coticosteroids perform better than placebo and topical PUVAsol in repigmenting vitiliginous skin. Topical corticosteroids compare in efficacy to topical calcineurin inhibitors, but produce greater adverse events. Calcineurin inhibitors are more effective in twice daily dosing and may be used on facial areas and in children. Vitamin D analogues are not as effective as topical corticosteroids as monotherapy, but can increase effectiveness of topical steroids in combination therapy. There are no randomized trials examining pseudocatalase monotherapy. With the advent of NB-UVB, oral PUVA is less used in the treatment of generalized vitiligo. Topical PUVA may be effectively used for the treatment of localized vitiligo. NB-UVB has less side effects and can be used in children. Excimer is also as effective as NB-UVB and may be used in the treatment of localized vitiligo. NB-UVB and excimer combination therapies show some greater effectiveness in repigmentation in vitiligo. All patient undergoing surgical repigmentation therapies, including split-thickness skin grafting, autologous epidermal non-cultured grafts, suction blistering and punch grafting require careful patient selection. Those that have localized, stable vitiligo refractory to other treatments are good surgical candidates. Split thickness skin grafting has the best cosmetic results, with the least side effects. However, scarring of donor and recipient sites is common to split thickness skin grafting. Depigmenting treatments include MBEH, 4-MP, and the Q-switched ruby laser. MBEH and 4-MP may have similar efficacy, but MBEH has a greater side effect profile than 4-MP. Also, visible depigmentation occurs sooner with MBEH as compared with 4-MP, despite both of them requiring long treatment periods. Relapse with both treatments may occur. The Q-switched ruby laser does seem to have the advantage of inducing depigmentation more quickly, but with more discomfort.

Subsequent to sleep onset, GH concentrations increase markedly, suggesting a stimulatory influence of sleep on GH secretion. However, results have been inconsistent as to whether GH conversely exerts a significant influence on sleep. Hence, the effects of exogenous administration of GH and of GH secretion stimulated by GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) on sleep were reexamined in 3 experiments in healthy male volunteers. In Exp I, 12 men participated on 3 experimental nights, receiving a constant iv infusion of 5 IU GH (between 2100-0700 h), an im bolus injection of 5 IU GH at 2100 h, and placebo. In Exp II, the effects of a short iv infusion of a high dose of 48 IU GH (between 2345-2315 h) on sleep were evaluated in 3 men. In Exp III, the effects of continuous infusion of 30 micrograms/h GHRH (between 2200-0700 h) on sleep were compared to the placebo condition in 10 men. Experiments were double blind, within-subject, cross-over comparisons and included an adaptation night before experimental nights. On all nights, the subjects went to bed at 2300 h and were awakened at 0700 h. Administration of GH elevated plasma GH and somatomedin-C levels throughout the night (P < 0.005). Neither im administration of 5 IU GH nor iv administration of 5 and 48 IU GH had any effect on the total sleep time or the time spent in different sleep stages during the whole night or in the first and second halves of sleep time. Infusion of GHRH increased nocturnal GH secretion (P < 0.005), but the episodic pattern of GH secretion was maintained. However, sleep remained unchanged during GHRH infusion. From these results we conclude that in healthy man, systemic GH has no physiological role for sleep regulation.

Characteristic features of district cloud-free zones and their day to day evolution along Indian coasts as observed in INSAT cloud imageries during southwest monsoon months have been analysed and discussed along with sea surface and surface air temperatures and monsoon condition situation. It was a weak or break monsoon condition. Appearance of early morning clear zone just off shore along Indian Peninsula coasts is attributed to the gradual lowering of sea surface temperate due to upwelling caused by persistent favorable surface wind and slow-setting of air above colder water. With the advance of the day, wide extension of clear area over water where it ends abruptly and propagation of front-like zone inland manifest as a typical sea breeze. It is postulated that this is the effect of sea breeze circulation and shrinking of air above colder water. It is inferred that time-to-time appearance of such phenomenon may be an Indication of longer weak or break monsoon over the Peninsula.

In certain seasons and over certain locations, the mid-latitude westerlies invade subtropical and tropical areas. Short wave perturbations moving in the broad mid-latitude westerlies amplify the. long wave troughs creating new baroclinic zones in relatively southern latitudes. These. baroclinic zones Interact .with the low-latitude circulations thus leading to development of new circulation pattern .In which low level easterlies extend northward over the Peninsula, central and northwest .India. The paper describes the role of short waves in the interaction between tropics and mid-latitudes and presents satellite data of a few sequences In which such Interactions have actually taken place.

A satellite study of an unusual tropical cyclone is made to, investigate genesis, intensification, movement and the decay over sea. Dvorak technique has been applied for its Intensity analysis. Satellite cloud imagery analysis indicates that initial genesis was spawned by cross equatorial surges and mechanical subsidence occurring in the relatively cloud free area between deep layer convective cloud masses. Subsequent intensification was favoured by high sea surface temperature and suitable synoptic settings. It appears that initial movement of the vortex was guided by b-effect and subsequent movement by its environmental steering current. New convective cloud mass growth was observed in the direction of its movement and during change of its direction of movement, its speed became slow or it remained stationary for some time. Presence of dry slot in western and southwestern side in its intense stage and elongation of associated cloud mass northeastwards towards the later part of its life indicate its increasing interaction with subtropical westerly flow. This finally led to its dissipation right over sea where sea surface temperature was also relatively less.

The placenta should be an excellent source of factors which might be efficacious in the treatment of vitiligo. Proof, however, for that hypothesis is lacking. Numerous claims have been made about Melagenina. It would appear to be nontoxic if we were to assume that the medication does not contain infectious agents. The ease of application certainly is of value for patients with vitiligo who wish to try some therapy for their disease. Practically, it is very costly to travel to Cuba and to export Melagenina. The cost of shipping on airplanes plus import duties make the price very high. Unfortunately, the inconvenience of the travel and the costs cannot necessarily be offset by the claims to efficacy. The biochemistry, assays for biological activity and the pharmacology studies as reported do not stand up to rigorous and acceptable scientific standards. The medication clearly needs further and intensive study. Now that the barriers between countries are being dismantled, it is hoped that the Cuban team will be able to travel to other laboratories outside of Cuba where they can continue animal studies as well as studies on melanocytes growing in culture. In addition, it is hoped that they will be able to share more about the pharmacology, the chemistry, the isolation and other chemical properties of the medication. These results can be published and will stand up to scrutiny by the world's medical and scientific community. Until that time, patients and their physicians must recognize the uncertain quality of the claims as well as the high financial cost and potential risk of using Melagenina either within or outside of Cuba.