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The hybrid arms robot (HAR) is a new modified robot which consists of a rigid link (RL) and a flexible link (FL), and it carries a laser head at the end-effector for laser contour machining (CM). The HAR is inspired from a rigid-flexible links manipulator (RFLM) and the aim is to bring the advantages of flexible link manipulators (FLMs) to industrial robots. The HAR gains the advantages of lightweight robots and FLMs such as fast response, less power consumption due to using small actuators, low cost, and safe to surrounding operators. However, the HAR has the drawback of a tip vibration caused by the flexibility of the second FL and leads to a position error at the end-effector position. Furthermore, the HAR has more parameters to be incorporated in a dynamic model such as the tip vibration, the laser head weight, and a force generated by the assist gas pressure. This research aims to obtain the dynamic model of the HAR using the finite element method (FEM) in conjunction with the Lagrangian equation and to propose an integrated optimal controller (IOC) which is an integration of a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) and a fuzzy logic controller (FLC). The derived dynamic model of the HAR is efficient due to the close match response with the SimMechanics model response of the HAR. The proposed IOC is tested for point-to-point (PTP) position control of the HAR and demonstrates improved response and better capability for the tip vibration suppression. The proposed IOC also reveals enhanced triangular CM trajectory, rhombic CM trajectory, and circular CM trajectory of the HAR laser head compared to the LQR performance in a proper cutting speed to ensure the machining quality.

Reduction malarplasty surgery has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially in many East Asian countries. This is, in part, because many Asians consider a small, smooth, and feminine face to be more attractive and aesthetically desirable. Among the various reduction malarplasty methods, the L-shaped osteotomy technique, through intraoral and sideburn incisions, is now one of the most frequently performed surgical techniques. During the surgical procedure, it is important to shave the zygomatic process of the temporal bone through the sideburn incision. By carrying out this simple adjunctive procedure, several remarkable results can be achieved. The facial width is reduced, especially in those patients with protrusion of the posterior portion of the arch. The outward curvature of the zygomatic arch is changed to point inward. And finally, the bony step that originates from the medial repositioning of the zygomatic arch is reduced, resulting in decreased palpability.

In the era towards human capital development, higher education institutions such as universities and colleges need to equip with the substantial capability of analysing student’s academic achievement level for making appropriate academic decision such as selecting a course specialization. Choosing a suitable field of study significantly improves students’ learning experience in their university studies. As a positive impact, this can help to reduce the drop-out rate of universities. However, most of the existing academic progression process to assign students to their specialization is time-consuming as each single process involves extensive analysis of data from different aspects of study. Personal consultancy may result in bias of advice which most of the time is based on their consultant’s personal experience. This paper aims to propose a machine learning based decision support system for academic advisory. Artificial neural network (ANN) is applied as the decision support engine in the proposed model. This model assists academicians to make better decisions when assigning students to their specialization. This study has taken a school of SEGI University to be the platform to run the preliminary testing on the proposed system. The third year students’ academic records and their subjects’ assessment in previous semesters were sampled as training set for the model. Experimental results showed that the proposed decision support model exhibits high accuracy in classifying students into two different specializations according to their respective academic achievements levels.

In this paper, results of three-dimensional numerical simulation and limited experimental study are presented on the sedimentation of two inline spheres in a Newtonian fluid at a Reynolds number (Re) range of 10 to 60. The study is motivated by the experiment of [Fortes (1987)] [1] , which shows that two settling spheres uniquely experience a non-linear wake interaction that captures the trailing sphere in the low pressure wake of the leading one and accelerates its motion to form a pair of kissing spheres, follows by tumbling and splitting apart before traveling with the same velocity. The present study aims to address some unanswered questions regarding surface pressure distributions, hydrodynamic forces and induced turning couples acting on the spheres during the process of Drafting-Kissing-Tumbling (henceforth refer to as DKT). The experiments were conducted in a vertical tank containing glycerine-water mixture of a predetermined viscosity, and the numerical study was performed using a coupled immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann scheme. In addition to the vorticity field and pressure distributions during DKT, our numerical results indicate that the tumbling mechanism is influenced by the turning couple, which together with repulsive hydrodynamic forces originates vertical and lateral migrations of the spheres until they acquire a steady state alignment. The sense of the turning couple dictates whether the spheres would exhibit normal or inverse tumbling mechanism. Our results further show that normalised trajectories, settling velocities and hydrodynamics force coefficients of sedimenting spheres are independent of Re, at least for the range of values considered here.

We present a numerical study on the dynamic behaviour of two droplets impinging simultaneously onto a liquid film. A high density ratio based lattice Boltzmann method is employed for the present two-phase computations. Formation of a central uprising jet is observed due to the collision and coalescence of in between rims caused by the impacting droplets. Effect of separation gap between the droplets, film thickness, viscosity and gas density on the crown structure and jet behaviour are systematically studied. The influence of a moving wall with a liquid film on the jet behaviour is further investigated. It is shown that for a larger separation gap between the droplets, a delay in formation of central jet is observed while the spread length increases. For the thin films, the central jet height increases with the increase in film thickness, however a reversal in this behaviour is observed for the thicker films. The rate of increase of jet height and spread length is found to decrease with increase in gas density. Effect of wall velocity is found to enhance the upstream jet, while it suppresses the central and the downstream jets.

The recently proposed (Dash et al., 2013) flexible forcing immersed boundary (IB)–lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is improved in this work to simulate three dimensional fluid–solid interaction problems. In conventional IB–LBM schemes, explicit calculation of the force density may produce unsatisfactory no-slip boundary condition. This further leads to unphysical streamline penetrations and improper force/torque calculations for the stationary/moving spheres. Following an implicit calculation of the force density, a single Lagrangian velocity correction term is prescribed here to satisfy the no-slip condition within a convergence limit. This formulation is mathematically simple and with the help of flexible number of sub-iteration/forcing, the computational time is significantly reduced. The proposed new version of IB–LBM model is validated with three-dimension flow past stationary and moving spheres, and the results are found in excellent agreement with the data obtained from in-house experiments and previous literatures.

A novel flexible forcing immersed boundary (IB) – lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) – is introduced in this article to simulate a complex natural convection phenomenon. In the conventional IB-LBM schemes, the explicit computation of force density may not ensure the exact no-slip velocity/no-jump temperature boundary condition. This produces unphysical streamline/isotherm penetration into the solid object. In the proposed formulation, an implicit approach is suggested to calculate the force density. Using a single Lagrangian correction term, the velocity and temperature boundary condition is accurately satisfied. The developed numerical scheme is applied to analyze a thermal flow situation in an annulus, formed by a hot inclined square cylinder and a cold enclosure. Flow pattern and heat transfer rate at different inclination angles (0

Background Deaths of celebrities, especially by suicide, can be followed by an increase in population suicide rates, particularly where there is extensive media reporting. We have examined the impact on suicides following the death of a famous Hong Kong pop singer whose death from suicide by jumping from a height, occurred on 1st April 2003, and resulted in extensive and often dramatic media coverage. Methods Data on suicides were obtained from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department and the Coroner's Court. The numbers of suicides in 2003 before and after the death of celebrity were compared to the same period in 1998–2002. The case files and suicide notes of people who died by suicide in 2003 were also studied qualitatively. Results There was a significant increase in suicides following the celebrity death, compared with the average over the preceding three months as well as the corresponding monthly average during 1998–2002. It was particularly marked in a subgroup comprising males, aged 25–39 years, many of whom died by jumping. The name of the celebrity was often mentioned in case files and suicide notes. Limitations The statistical results in showing the excess of suicides were based on aggregated data only. Conclusions This study provides further confirmation of the potential harmful consequences of sensational and excessive reporting of celebrity deaths.

Summary A three dimensional finite element model, based on Galerkin weighted residual techniques, is presented for groundwater simulation in the lower Indus Basin, Pakistan. The model was calibrated against field data collected at different agricultural farms located in the Khairpur district. Twenty six observation wells were installed to monitor the groundwater levels for model calibration. The values of the statistical performance parameters adjusted R 2 , mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency or model efficiency (ME), BIAS, and index of agreement ( d ) showed that the overall model performance for steady and transient groundwater flow is good. The calibrated model was used to assess the impacts of different well pumping rates, well screen lengths, and canals head boundaries on the extent of waterlogging. The model results suggest that well pumping rate is a prominent factor to control waterlogging. An increase in well pumping rate by 25% decreased the water logged area by 16%, while an increase in pumping rate by 50% decreased the water logged area by 25%. The waterlogging in the study area was attributed to the variations in canal water levels. It was further observed that waterlogged area with a watertable depth less than 0.8 m is increased by 5.8% when the water level in the Khaipur Feeder East (KFE) canal was increased by 0.6 m while the water level at the Rohri canal was kept constant, at the pumping rate of 1728 m 3 d −1 . Similarly, when the water level at the Rohri canal was increased by 1 m whilst that at the KFE was kept constant, the area under waterlogging had increased by 10.5%. If water levels in both canals were to be increased simultaneously (0.6 m in KFE and 1.0 m in Rohri canal) the waterlogged area will increase by 18.1% for the given well discharge.

An unsteady numerical analysis has been carried out to study the strong impeller volute interaction of a centrifugal pump with six backward swept blades shrouded impeller. The numerical analysis is done by solving the three-dimensional Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes codes with standard k- two-equations turbulence model and wall regions are modeled with a scalable log-law wall function. The flow within the impeller passage is very smooth and following the curvature of the blade in stream-wise direction. However, the analysis shows that there is a recirculation zone near the leading edge even at design point. When the flow is discharged into volute casing circumferentially from the impeller outlet, the high velocity flow is severely distorted and formed a spiraling vortex flow within the volute casing. A spatial and temporal wake flow core development is captured dynamically and shows how the wake core diffuses. Near volute tongue region, the impeller/volute tongue strong interaction is observed based on the periodically fluctuating pressure at outlet. The results of existing analysis also proved that the pressure fluctuation periodically is due to the position of impeller blade relative to tongue.

Background There is increasing recognition that Perinatal Common Mental Disorders (CMDs) are a major public health problem for women in resource-constrained countries. There is an urgent need for screening tools suitable for use by community based health workers to assist in the identification of people with compromised mental health. The aim of this study was to establish the validity of three widely used psychometric screening instruments in detecting CMDs in women in northern Viet Nam. Methods Translated and culturally verified versions of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), General Health Questionnaire 12 items (GHQ-12), Zung's Self-rated Anxiety Scale (Zung SAS) and a gold-standard diagnostic tool, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV, were administered to a community-based representative cohort of 364 Vietnamese women in the perinatal period. Post-hoc analyses, Cronbach's alpha, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to identify the optimal cut-off points and to compare the validity of three scales. Results The Areas under the ROC Curve were: EPDS 0.77 (95%CI 0.72–0.82); Zung SAS 0.79 (95%CI 0.74–0.84) and GHQ-12 0.72 (95%CI 0.67–0.78). The optimal cut-off point for the EPDS was 3/4 (Se 69.7%; Sp 72.9%). The corresponding value for Zung SAS was 37/38 (Se 67.9%; Sp 75.3%) and for GHQ-12 was 0/1 (Se 77.1%; Sp 56.6%). The internal reliability Cronbach's alpha for EPDS was 0.75, for Zung SAS was 0.76, and for GHQ-12 was 0.64. Conclusions These instruments are suitable for use as screening tools for CMDs in women in northern Viet Nam, but probably because of differences in emotional literacy, familiarity with test-taking and the effects of chronic social adversity require much lower cut off scores to detect clinically significant symptoms than in other settings.

This paper compares the cutting process characteristics of organic and inorganic coolant for milling process. RBD(refined, bleached & deodorized) palm olein, refined canola and soy bean oil were selected as based oil for soluble mixture(organic) while Jetkool SC95 as inorganic metalworking fluid (MWF). Throughout the research, carbide coated cutting tool and JIS SS400 mild steel are used with various feed rate, depth of cut and fixed spindle speed to determine the cutting temperature, forces and also surface roughness. Heat capacity, pH and tool wear assessment are carried out as well with same material. From the research, cutting temperature, cutting force and surface roughness are proportional to the feed rate and depth of cut. The MWFs pH level also drops after cutting process. Each MWFs showing their different strength on different assessments, overall from the results obtained, palm oil has a high potential to be marketed as organic MWF.

The objective of present work is to use numerical simulation to investigate the complex three-dimensional and secondary flow structures developed at the inlet and impeller in a centrifugal pump at design and off-design points. The pump impeller is shrouded with 6 backward swept blades and with a specific speed of 0.8574. The characteristic of the pump is measured experimentally with straight and curved intake sections. Numerical computation is carried out to investigate the pump inlet flow structures and subsequently the flow field within the centrifugal pump. The numerical results showed that strong interaction between the impeller eye and intake section. Secondary flow structure occurs upstream at the pump inlet has great influence on the pump performance and flow structure within the impeller.

The steady flow around and through a porous circular cylinder was studied numerically. The effects of the two important parameters, the Reynolds and Darcy numbers, on the flow were investigated in details. The recirculating wake existing downstream of the cylinder is found to either penetrate into or be completely detached from the cylinder. It is also found that, contrary to that of the solid cylinder, the recirculating wake develops downstream of or within the porous cylinder, but not from the surface of it. These new findings provide additional evidence to Leal’s conclusion (Leal LG. Vorticity transport and wake structure for bluff bodies at finite Reynolds number. Phys Fluids A 1989;1:124) that the appearance of recirculating wakes at finite Reynolds number is due to vorticity accumulation, but not a result of the same physical phenomena associated with separation in boundary layers in adverse pressure gradients. Also presented in the current study are the variation of the critical Reynolds number for the onset of a recirculating wake as a function of Darcy number and the variation of a newly defined parameter, the penetration depth, as a function of the Reynolds number and Darcy number.

Postnatal depression affects both men and women. The detection of postnatal depression is important, yet there are few validated screening tools on Chinese men. The goals of the present study were to compare the psychometric properties of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Patient Health Questionnaire - Depression Module (PHQ-9) in screening for postnatal depression among Chinese fathers in Hong Kong. The prevalence of depression at 8 weeks postpartum was also estimated. A prospective cohort of 551 men completed the EPDS, BDI, and PHQ-9 at 8 weeks postpartum. Clinical diagnosis of depression was established with the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV), non-patient version (SCID-NP). The criterion validity of the instruments was evaluated against this clinical diagnosis. The EPDS was significantly more accurate than the BDI and PHQ-9 in detecting postnatal depression among Chinese men. With a cut-off score of 10 or more, the EPDS has a sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 97%, positive predictive value of 57%, and negative predictive value of 99%. Approximately 3.1% men met the DSM-IV criteria for depression at 8 weeks postpartum. The prevalence rate of postnatal depression in Chinese men is comparable to their Western counterparts. The Chinese EPDS is a valid instrument for detecting postnatal depression in men. It could be applied as a supplementary assessment tool in Chinese fathers who may be reluctant to disclose their depressive symptoms in face-to-face interviews.

Background There is a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of postnatal depression (PND) screening programmes in reducing morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a PND screening programme using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in improving maternal mental health. Methods The randomized controlled trial design was used. Participants were 462 Chinese mothers with 2-month-old babies visiting Maternal and Child Health Centres in Hong Kong. Participants in the intervention group were screened for PND using the EPDS, whereas those in the control group were screened by clinical assessment. In both groups, participants identified with PND were offered follow-up management according to protocol. Results Participants in the intervention group had better maternal mental health outcome as assessed by EPDS at 6 months (risk ratio: 0.59; 95% confidence interval: 0.39‐0.89). The number needed to screen was 25. Conclusions A PND screening programme comprising the use of EPDS as the screening tool and the provision of follow-up care had resulted in an improvement in maternal mental health at 6 months. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH) (NCT00251342).

In mobile browser two mental models coexist; one for mobile users and the other for PC users. In this research shows that users apply these two mental models simultaneously while they use mobile browsers. However cases where these two mental models conflict with each other, rapid deterioration of usability of the UX based on the mobile user's mental model was evident. Also usability of mobile user interfaces for use cases like "View Mode" or "Copy and Send Mode" were also poor, and the research shows that these "Modes" could be substituted by gesture interaction with which users were already familiar.

Numerical simulations have been performed for the flow past and through a porous square cylinder over a wide range of Reynolds numbers (1 ⩽ Re ⩽ 50) and Darcy numbers (10−6 ⩽ Da ⩽ 10−1). It is found that the recirculating wake existing downstream of the cylinder is completely detached from the body under a certain range of parameters. The size and the location of the wake mainly depend on Re and Da. Specially, the wake may initially increase but then decrease in size with an increase in Re, and eventually disappear when the Reynolds number is sufficiently large. The variation of the critical Reynolds number for the onset of recirculating wake as a function of Darcy number is summarized. The results also show that in the range of Da investigated, different from that of the solid cylinder, the recirculating wake is initially developed downstream of the porous cylinder, but not on the surface of it.

This randomised trial was designed to study the psychological status and morbidity during and after delivery among women with a previous cesarean section (CS) who were randomised to planned vaginal birth (VBAC) or planned CS.Two hundred and ninety-eight women with one previous lower segment CS were randomised to either planned VBAC or planned CS. Women were asked to complete psychometric scales during their pregnancy till 6 months after confinement. The primary outcome studied was the differences in psychometric scores between the two study groups.There were no differences in anxiety, depression, psychological well-being or satisfaction scores between the two groups. Significantly more women in planned VBAC (27/123) requested to change to elective CS, compared to those who were randomised to planned CS (15/135) initially requested to change to planned VBAC (OR: 2.25; 95% CI: 1.13-4.47). Subgroup analyses showed that women who changed from planned CS to VBAC had lower satisfaction at delivery [Client Satisfaction Score: 24.0 (23.0-24.3), 23.0 (22.0-24.0); p=0.009] compared to women who did not change their plan for elective CS.The planned mode of delivery, either elective CS or VBAC, in pregnant women who had one previous CS did not influence the psychological dynamic during the course of or after the pregnancy. VBAC was not associated with higher psychological morbidity and therefore should be encouraged.

An experimental set-up was introduced to study the dynamic behaviour of different types of check valves under pressure transient conditions. Three types of transient comparison methods were used, with similar results being obtained from all three methods. The experimental results show that the check valves with low inertia, assisted by springs or small travelling distance/angle, gave better performance under pressure transient conditions as compared to check valves without these features. Although different amounts of air entrainment were found to affect the experimental readings, the general characteristics of each check valve remain the same when compared between valves. This study can be applied to help in the choosing of suitable check valves for a particular pumping system.

The flow environment in the micro-bioreactor with a tissue engineering scaffold was numerically modeled. The finite volume method based on multi-block grid was applied to simulate the coupled flow and oxygen transport in both porous medium and homogenous fluid regions. At porous–fluid interface, a stress jump condition that includes both viscous and inertial effects was imposed. A parametric study was performed to investigate the effects of Reynolds, Darcy, and Damkohler numbers on the flow and oxygen concentration fields inside and outside the scaffold. The minimum oxygen concentration in the scaffold and its location under different conditions were summarized.

An experiment setup was introduced to study dynamic behaviour of different types of check valves and the effects of air entrainment on the check valve performance under pressure transient condition. The experiment results show that the check valves with low inertia, assisted by springs or small traveling distance/angle gave better performance under pressure transient condition than check valves without these features. Air entrainment was found to affect both wave speed and reverse velocity. With the increase of the initial air void fraction in pipeline, the experiment results show that the wave speed was reduced, the reverse velocity was increased. The first peak pressure increased initially and then decreased with the increase of the initial air void fraction, the pressure surge periods were increased proportionally with air void fraction due to the greatly reduced wave speed. The study can be applied to help choosing suitable check valves for a particular pumping system.

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how using lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) aids the study of the isothermal‐gas flow with slight rarefaction in long microtubes.Design/methodology/approachA revised axisymmetric lattice Boltzmann model is proposed to simulate the flow in microtubes. The wall boundary condition combining the bounce‐back and specular‐reflection schemes is used to capture the slip velocity on the wall. Appropriate relation between the Knudsen number and relax‐time constant is defined.FindingsThe computed‐slip velocity, average velocity and non‐linear pressure distribution along the microtube are in excellent agreement with analytical solution of the weakly compressible Navier‐Stokes equations. The calculated‐friction factors are also consistent with available experimental data. For simulations of slip flow in microtube, LBM is more accurate and efficient than DSMC method.Research limitations/implicationsThe laminar flow in circular microtube is assumed to be axisymmetric. The present LBM is only applied to the simulation of slip flows (0.01 Kn0Practical implicationsLattice‐BGK method is a very useful tool to investigate the micro slip flows.Originality/valueA revised axisymmetric D2Q9 lattice Boltzmann model is proposed to simulate the slip flow in axisymmetric microtubes.

Aims Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat drug addiction for more than 160 years and valuable experiences have been accumulated with regard to patients' detoxification and rehabilitation. The aims of this project were (1) to establish a computerized, bilingual (Chinese–English) database on TCM for drug addiction; (2) to analyse the literature published in this field; and (3) to identify those Chinese herbs commonly used for drug addiction treatment. Design (1) Paper collection: related papers were collected through electronic databases and hand-searched materials; (2) data computerization: the Microsoft Access program and Delphi language were used as the major data management systems; (3) paper analysis: annual publications from 1989 to 2003 were classified and calculated; and (4) herbal analysis: the frequency of herbs used and herbal function categories were analysed. Findings (1) A special bilingual database that contained 340 works of professional literature, including 85 patent files on TCM for drug addiction, was established, in which more than 90% of the publications originated from mainland China; (2) the literature classification showed a significant increase in the number of publications on clinical and laboratory researches in this field over the past decade; (3) five functional categorizations of Chinese herbs and the 10 most frequently used Chinese herbs as well as three toxic herbs were identified from more than 200 herbs reported in 150 original research articles and 85 patent files. Conclusions For the first time, the published data on TCM in the treatment of drug addiction were analysed systematically by using a new database. The results are invaluable for further laboratory and clinical studies to obtain more direct evidence.

A numerical model was developed for flows involving an interface between a homogenous fluid and a porous medium. The numerical model is based on the finite volume method with body-fitted and multi-block grids. The Darcy-Forchheimer extended model is used to govern the flow in the porous medium region. At its interface, a shear stress jump was imposed, together with a continuity of normal stress. Furthermore, the effect of the jump condition on the diffusive flux is considered, additional to that on the convective part which has been usually considered. Numerical results of three flow configurations are presented. The modeling is suitable for problems which have complex interface boundary conditions coupling between two flow domains.

Relative to studies of patients in the West, little research has focused on the lived experiences of patients with mental illness in non-Western societies. The current understanding of the phenomenology of depression and other psychiatric disorders is almost entirely based on studies of Western populations. The objective of the present study was to examine the experiences of depressive disorders among contemporary Chinese in Guangzhou (Canton), China. A total of 40 patients who had significant depressive symptoms were recruited using quota sampling from the outpatient department of a regional mental health service. The depressive experiences of participants were examined by open-ended, in-depth, ethnographic interviews. The interviews were taped, transcribed, and translated. Content analysis was conducted on both the Chinese and English transcripts. A total of six categories of affective experiences were identified among the participants. Indigenous affective lexicons, embodied emotional experiences, implicit sadness, preverbal pain, distress of social disharmony, and centrality of sleeplessness were regularly observed among the informants. Our findings suggest that psychiatric textbooks and diagnostic systems do not cover the full range of depressive symptoms experienced among contemporary Chinese. More studies are needed to examine how depression is differentially experienced globally--a crucial step in making professional diagnosis, treatment, and research more broadly applicable across cultures.

Despite increasing acknowledgement that social capital is an important determinant of health and overall well-being, empirical evidence regarding the direction and strength of these linkages in the developing world is limited and inconclusive. This paper empirically examines relationships between social capital and health and well-being-as well as the suitability of commonly used social capital measures-in rural China, where rapid economic growth coexists with gradual and fundamental social changes. To measure social capital, we adopt a structural/cognitive distinction, whereby structural social capital is measured by organizational membership and cognitive social capital is measured by a composite index of trust, reciprocity, and mutual help. Our outcome measures included self-reported general health, psychological health, and subjective well-being. We adopt multi-level estimation methods to account for our conceptualization of social capital as both an individual- and contextual-level resource. Results indicate that cognitive social capital (i.e., trust) is positively associated with all three outcome measures at the individual level and psychological health/subjective well-being at the village level as well. We further find that trust affects health and well-being through pathways of social network and support. In contrast, there is little statistical association or consistent pattern between structural social capital (organizational membership) and the outcome variables. Furthermore, although organizational membership is highly correlated with collective action, neither is associated with health or well-being. Our results suggest that policies aimed at producing an environment that enhances social networks and facilitates the exchange of social support hold promise for improving the health and well-being of the rural Chinese population. In addition, China may not have fully taken advantage of the potential contribution of structural social capital in advancing health and well-being. A redirection of collective action from economic to social activities may be worth considering.

Abstract. This paper examines the emergence of a new method of suicide in Hong Kong by carbon monoxide poisoning generated by the burning of charcoal. In just 6 years, it has become the second most common means of suicide after jumping from heights. The profile of these charcoal-burning suicide victims is different from that of other suicide deaths. It seems that a significant proportion of the increase in the number of suicides for the period is attributable to the charcoal burning. The effect of mass media reporting and strategies on how to contain the contagious effect of charcoal-burning deaths are discussed.

The authors compare and evaluate 1) the traditional frequency-control dimming method and 2) a recently-patented voltage-control dimming method in electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps. The power factor, energy efficiency, electronic loss, efficacy (lumen/W), and crest factor of 2times36W electronic ballasts based on these two dimming methods are recorded and compared over a wide dimming range. It is found that the voltage dimming control approach is much better than the frequency control method in most of the compared aspects as the lamp is dimmed. In particular, voltage dimming approach has much higher energy efficiency and lumen per watt than the frequency control one. Unlike the frequency dimming method, voltage dimming control has a distinctive feature in that its electronic loss decreases with decreasing lamp power

This study compares public stigma towards three types of infectious diseases- human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and tuberculosis (TB)-tests an attribution model of stigma, and explores the relationships between stigma and public attitudes towards government policies in Hong Kong. Using a population-based telephone survey, 3011 Hong Kong Chinese adults were randomly assigned to one of the three disease conditions and were interviewed about their attitudes and beliefs towards the assigned disease. Findings showed that public stigma was the highest towards HIV/AIDS, followed by TB and SARS. Using multi-sample model structural equation modeling, we found that the attributions of controllability, personal responsibility, and blame were applicable in explaining stigma across three disease types. Knowledge about the disease had no significant effect on stigma. Participants with less stigmatizing views had significantly more favorable attitudes towards government policies related to the diseases. The study is an important attempt in understanding the attributional mechanisms of stigma towards infectious diseases. Implications for stigma reduction and promotion of public awareness and disease prevention are discussed.

The effects of live weight and feeding level on apparent digestible energy (ADE) and apparent digestible organic matter (ADOM) in two cereal based diets, differing in their fibre content (wheat and wheat by-products) were studied using 48 Large White × Landrace entire male pigs. Pigs fed the low fibre diet (wheat) had higher ADOM and ADE (P

PurposeThe aim of the present study is to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of Lattice‐BGK (LBGK) method application in simulation of the 3D flow through complex geometry. On the other hand, the steady flows through vascular tube with Reynolds number 10‐150 and different constriction spacing ratios are simulated.Design/methodology/approachThe numerical method is based on the LGBK method with an incompressible D3Q19 model. To treat the curved boundary, the “bounce back” scheme combined with spatial interpolation of second order is applied.FindingsThe highly axisymmetric property in the direct 3D tube flow simulation is observed. Solutions obtained from LBGK method are quite consistent with that of finite volume method (FVM). The overall order of accuracy of these LBGK solutions is about 1.89. The LBGK incompressible D3Q19 model with the curved boundary treatment can handle the problems of 3D steady flow through complex geometry.Research limitations/implicationsInvestigating the flow in constricted vascular tubes with different stenose shape and higher Reynolds number is left for future work.Practical implicationsLattice BGK method is the very useful tool to investigate the steady vascular flow.Originality/valueApplying LBGK method with incompressible D3Q19 model to simulate the steady flow through complex geometry. The accuracy and efficiency of the present LBGK solver are examined.

The present work shows that vortex breakdown may also occur in a bioreactor for animal cell or tissue culture. The aim is to study the effect of vortex breakdown on the fluid environment for cell growth, particularly hydrodynamic stress and mass transfer. A numerical simulation of the fluid flow and oxygen transfer in a cylindrical bioreactor is presented, in which a rotating base wall is used to generate the medium flow and mixing. The steady and laminar, axisymmetric Navier-Stokes and species equations are solved by the numerical model based on finite volume method. The hydrodynamic stress and oxygen transfer conditions are systematically studied by varying the two key parameters which determine the flow behavior: bioreactor aspect ratio H/R and a rotation Reynolds number Re=ΩR2/ν. It is found that the oxygen concentration at the attached breakdown vortex center is significantly higher than that at the main recirculation center but the hydrodynamic stress level is almost similar in the two regions. The results would provide guidance on choosing the proper operating parameters for cell or tissue culture.

Surface roughness exists in most microfluidic devices due to the microfabrication technique or particle adhesion. In this study, a numerical model based on Finite Volume Method has been developed to simulate the mass transfer in a flat-plate microchannel bioreactor with semi-circular protrusions uniformly distributed on the bottom. The results show that the mass transfer in rough channel is enhanced, as shown by lower minimum species concentration in the rough channel compared with that in smooth channel. Non-dimensional parameters such as Peclet number (Pe), Damkohler number (Da) and the roughness size ratio (β) can influence the effect of roughness greatly. However, it is important to ensure that the minimum species concentration in the rough channel is adequate for cell growth. The results would provide guidance on the perfusion requirements to avoid solute depletion or toxicity during cell culture.

Al and F-doped ZnO films of 200 nm thicknesses were prepared on glass substrates by co-sputtering ZnO targets composed of 2 wt.% Al 2 O 3 , 1.3 wt.% ZnF and pure ZnO targets, respectively. After annealing in vacuum pressure of 10 -6 Torr at 300 °C for 2 h, the resistivity of ZnO films decreased down to 4.75 x 10 -4 Ω cm and ZnO film which composed of Al-doped ZnO 25% and F-doped ZnO 75% by volume fraction showed the highest mobility of 42.2 cm 2 /V s. From XRD measurements it was found that F dopants improved crystallization of ZnO films. Form XPS spectra of oxygen 1 s binding energy and Hall measurements it was confirmed that by vacuum annealing chemisorbed oxygens at the grain boundary desorbed and reduced grain boundary scattering. Also figure of merit (FOM) defined as ratio of electrical conductivity to optical absorption coefficient increased up to 2.67 Ω -1 after post annealing.

Miscarriage is the most common complication of pregnancy and it could be associated with significant psychological consequences. This study aimed to evaluate the 21-item Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) in screening psychiatric morbidity after miscarriage. This was a prospective cohort study carried out at a university teaching hospital. Consecutive patients admitted for miscarriage were recruited. Six weeks after miscarriage, the patients were asked to fill out the BDI. Psychiatric “case” or “non-case” was diagnosed by a psychiatrist using the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-R. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed for BDI. Of the 337 patients recruited, 222 (66%) returned for SCID and 27 patients (12.2%) were found to be psychiatric cases. The mean BDI scores were significantly higher for the cases (19.8±7.1 vs. 6.5±7.5, P

The purpose of this study was to evaluate 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in screening for psychiatric morbidity after miscarriage.A prospective cohort study was carried out involving 222 patients. Six weeks after miscarriage, the GHQ-12 was applied. Psychiatric "case" or "non-case" was diagnosed by the psychiatrist with use of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-R. The patients were computer randomized into Groups A or B. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed for Group A. The optimal cutoff value of GHQ-12 was determined, and this value was applied to Group B. The test characteristics were assessed.Twenty-seven patients were found to be psychiatric cases. An ROC with area under curve of 0.93 (95% CI 0.87-0.99, P.001) was constructed. The best GHQ-12 cutoff score wasor =4 in detecting psychiatric caseness. A sensitivity of 83%, specificity of 90%, positive predictive value of 50%, and negative predictive value of 98% were obtained.GHQ-12 is an effective screening tool in detecting psychiatric morbidity after miscarriage.

A detailed analysis on the characteristics of laminar flow over a bell‐shaped stenosis for a physiological pulsatile flow is presented in this study. In order to have a good understanding of the physiological pulsatile flow, a comparison of the numerical solutions to three types of pulsatile flows, including a physiological flow, an equivalent pulsatile flow and a pure sinusoidal flow, are made in this work. The comparison shows that the flow behavior cannot be properly estimated if the equivalent or simple pulsatile inlet flow is used in the study of flow fields through stenosed arteries instead of actual physiological one. Then the physiological pulsatile flow is further studied by considering the effect of constriction ratio of stenosis, Womersley number and Reynolds number on the flow behavior through stenosed arteries. The analysis shows that the variation of these flow parameters puts significant impacts on the pulsatile flow field for the physiological flow.

The four-equation two-fluid model of two-component flow has been developed to study the effects of air entrainment and air release on the pressure transient due to the rapid valve closure. A nearly-implicit hydrodynamic numerical scheme is applied. Numerical experiments show that entrained, entrapped and released gases decrease the pressure wave frequency, produce asymmetric pressure surges with respect to the static pressure and result in the difference between up-surge duration and down-surge duration. These results are consistent with the experimental and field data observed by other investigators. A decrease in pressure peaks is also discovered in the given conditions.