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Neural networks (NNs) and linear stochastic estimation (LSE) have widely been utilized as powerful tools for fluid-flow regressions. We investigate fundamental differences between them considering two canonical fluid-flow problems: (1) the estimation of high-order proper orthogonal decomposition coefficients from low-order their counterparts for a flow around a two-dimensional cylinder, and (2) the state estimation from wall characteristics in a turbulent channel flow. In the first problem, we compare the performance of LSE to that of a multi-layer perceptron (MLP). With the channel flow example, we capitalize on a convolutional neural network (CNN) as a nonlinear model which can handle high-dimensional fluid flows. For both cases, the nonlinear NNs outperform the linear methods thanks to nonlinear activation functions. We also perform error-curve analyses regarding the estimation error and the response of weights inside models. Our analysis visualizes the robustness against noisy perturbation on the error-curve domain while revealing the fundamental difference of the covered tools for fluid-flow regressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that not only sustained elevation of blood glucose levels but also the glucose fluctuation represents key determinants for diabetic complications and mortality. Current closed-loop insulin therapy option is limited to the use of electronics-based systems, although it poses some technical issues with high cost. Here we demonstrate an electronics-free, synthetic boronate gel-based insulin-diffusion-control device technology that can cope with glucose fluctuations and potentially address the electronics-derived issues. The gel was combined with hemodialysis hollow fibers and scaled suitable for rats, serving as a subcutaneously implantable, insulin-diffusion-active site in a manner dependent on the subcutaneous glucose. Continuous glucose monitoring tests revealed that our device not only normalizes average glucose level of rats, but also markedly ameliorates the fluctuations over timescale of a day without inducing hypoglycemia. With inherent stability, diffusion-dependent scalability, and week-long & acute glucose-responsiveness, our technology may offer a low-cost alternative to current electronics-based approaches. Here, the authors develop an in vivo insulin delivery system which consists of a glucose responsive gel combined with hemodialysis hollow fibers. This system is electronics-free, temperature independent, and can stably sustain acute glucose-responsiveness in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of gaseous components of forest soil was assessed by simultaneous monitoring of 222Rn, CO2 and its carbon isotopes (δ13C, Δ14C) in soil air under a semi natural forest in northern Japan. The isotope ratio of 14C (Δ14C) in soil air CO2 was found to decrease towards late summer, suggesting gradual depletion of easily decomposed soil organic matter. There was a specific case that soil air CO2 with depleted 14C appeared suddenly under snowpack in winter. It is not always appropriate to use soil 222Rn as a tracer of CO2 efflux from the soil surface to the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes a 2-year-old girl with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) who presented with transient complete atrioventricular (AV) block after a mild chest blow. Running around the house with her older sister, she fell to the floor. Her sister also fell and landed on her. The girl became cyanotic and pale and experienced a transient loss of consciousness. At arrival to the emergency department, she had regained consciousness, but she remained pale. An electrocardiogram (ECG) demonstrated complete AV block with a heart rate of 78 beats per minute (bpm). The ECG after admission showed a Wenckebach-type second-degree AV block. Day 2 after admission, a 12-lead ECG showed significant ST and T-wave abnormalities in the precordial leads, but the girl had no chest pain and a normal physical examination. Echocardiography demonstrated normal contractility of the systemic right ventricle. The first-degree AV block and the ST and T-wave abnormalities on the 12-lead ECG improved gradually without abnormal Q-waves. This is the first report of ccTGA in which a transient complete AV block naturally recovered after a presentation with commotio cordis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the manufacture of metal interconnects for semiconductor devices, trenches and vias in dielectric layers on the Si wafer are filled by copper electrodeposition. The acceleration of deposition at the bottom of trenches and vias is a key to the bottom-up filling of these high aspect ratio cavities. We report the detection of this acceleration effect by rotating ring disk electrode experiments. The Cu (I)-complex, which forms on the disk electrode, was captured as a current (Iring) on the ring electrode. Iring increased in periodic reverse pulse current mode, as compared to direct or pulse current. The periodic reverse pulse current produced the most bottom-up filling based on microscopic observations of via cross sections. Iring increased with the additions of Cl−, which also produced greater bottom-up filling. Iring increased with additions of SPS, which were also found to improve bottom-up filling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case concerns a 55-year-old Japanese man with multiple pancreatic tumors that were incidentally detected by ultrasonography (US) in a routine medical examination. He consulted a doctor since either neuroendocrine tumors or metastases of small-cell lung carcinoma were suspected, because he had an abnormal shadow in the lung. Then he was transferred to our hospital. Imaging studies showed multiple pancreatic tumors of 3.0-cm diameter in the head, 1.0 cm in the body and 1.5 cm in the tail, respectively. Specimen by endoscopic ultrasonography fine-needle aspiration cytology (EUS–FNAC) revealed numerous B-cell lymphocytes, but a definite diagnosis of malignant lymphoma could not be obtained. Therefore, a segmental pancreatic body resection was performed to clarify the features of the tumor for appropriate therapy. Consequently, the final diagnosis was obtained as a low-grade B-cell lymphoma having a lymphoepithelial lesion, which indicated mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Radiation therapy with 31 Gy successfully resulted in complete remission. We report here for the first time on primary pancreatic low-grade MALT lymphoma presenting with multiple pancreatic masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]