This study presents a numerical solution to the three-dimensional solute transport in heterogeneous media by using a layer-integrated approach. Omitting vertical spatial variation of soil and hydraulic properties within each layer, a three-dimensional solute transport can be simplified as a quasi-three-dimensional solute transport which couples a horizontal two-dimensional simulation and a vertical one-dimensional computation. The finite analytic numerical method was used to discretize the derived two-dimensional governing equation. A quadratic function was used to approximate the vertical one-dimensional concentration distribution in the layer to ensure the continuity of concentration and flux at the interface between the adjacent layers. By integration over each layer, a set of system of equations can be generated for a single column of vertical cells and solved numerically to give the vertical solute concentration profile. The solute concentration field was then obtained by solving all columns of vertical cells to achieve convergence with the iterative solution procedure. The proposed model was verified through examples from the published literatures including four verifications in terms of analytical and experimental cases. Comparison of simulation results indicates that the proposed model satisfies the solute concentration profiles obtained from experiments in time and space.

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) is a multidimensional individual-difference measure of empathy. The original IRI has been used in many studies to assess both normal and clinical samples. Because of its wide availability and convenience of use, the IRI has been translated into several languages. In Taiwan, the IRI was translated into traditional Chinese as a Chinese Version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (C-IRI) in 1987. Because the C-IRI was developed over 26 years ago and recent studies have shown some unsatisfactory psychometric properties on the C-IRI, there was a need to develop an alternative to the C-IRI and verify its psychometric properties again. In this study, we assessed the psychometric properties of an alternative C-IRI by administering it to 516 college students, 35 community residents and 70 schizophrenic patients, all of whom are adults. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a four-factor structure: Fantasy, Perspective Taking, Empathy and Personal Distress. Acceptable convergent and divergent validity supported the construct validity of the alternative C-IRI. Evidence was also found for its discriminant validity between patients with schizophrenia and normal controls on the Empathy subscale and Affective Empathy, while the full scale and its factors demonstrated good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. In the future, the alternative C-IRI should be validated with adolescent or elderly samples, and different clinical samples.

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is the most common form of periodic paralysis and is characterized by attacks of muscle paralysis associated with a low serum potassium (K+) level due to an acute intracellular shifting. Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP), characterized by the triad of muscle paralysis, acute hypokalemia, and hyperthyroidism, is one cause of hypokalemic periodic paralysis. The triggering of an attack of undiagnosed TPP by β2-adrenergic bronchodilators has, to our knowledge, not been reported previously. We describe two young men who presented to the emergency department with the sudden onset of muscle paralysis after administration of inhaled β2-adrenergic bronchodilators for asthma. In both cases, the physical examination revealed an enlarged thyroid gland and symmetrical flaccid paralysis with areflexia of lower extremities. Hypokalemia with low urine K+ excretion and normal blood acid-base status was found on laboratory testing, suggestive of an intracellular shift of K+, and the patients' muscle strength recovered at serum K+ concentrations of 3.0 and 3.3 mmol/L. One patient developed hyperkalemia after a total potassium chloride supplementation of 110mmol. Thyroid function testing was diagnostic of primary hyperthyroidism due to Graves disease in both cases. These cases illustrate that β2-adrenergic bronchodilators should be considered a potential precipitant of TPP.

All suicides (n=12 497) in Taiwan in 2001–2004 were identified from mortality records retrieved from the National Health Insurance Database. Altogether, 95.1% of females and 84.9% of males had been in contact with healthcare services in the year before their death. Females received significantly more diagnoses of psychiatric disorders (48.0% v. 30.2%) and major depression (17.8% v. 7.4%) than males. Such differences were consistent across different medical settings where contact with hospital-based non-psychiatric physicians was as common as with general practitioners (GPs). However, diagnoses of psychiatric disorders were underdiagnosed in both genders.

Supersonic impinging jet(s) inherently produce a highly unsteady flow field. The occurrence of such flows leads to many adverse effects for short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft such as: a significant increase in the noise level, very high unsteady loads on nearby structures and an appreciable loss in lift during hover. In prior studies, we have demonstrated that arrays of microjets, appropriately placed near the nozzle exit, effectively disrupt the feedback loop inherent in impinging jet flows. In these studies, the effectiveness of the control was found to be strongly dependent on a number of geometric and flow parameters, such as the impingement plane distance, microjet orientation and jet operating conditions. In this paper, the effects of some of these parameters that appear to determine control efficiency are examined and some of the fundamental mechanisms behind this control approach are explored. Through comprehensive two- and three-component velocity (and vorticity) field measurements it has been clearly demonstrated that the activation of microjets leads to a local thickening of the jet shear layer, near the nozzle exit, making it more stable and less receptive to disturbances. Furthermore, microjets generate strong streamwise vorticity in the form of well-organized, counter-rotating vortex pairs. This increase in streamwise vorticity is concomitant with a reduction in the azimuthal vorticity of the primary jet. Based on these results and a simplified analysis of vorticity transport, it is suggested that the generation of these streamwise vortices is mainly a result of the redirection of the azimuthal vorticity by vorticity tilting and stretching mechanisms. The emergence of these longitudinal structures weakens the large-scale axisymmetric structures in the jet shear layer while introducing substantial three-dimensionality into the flow. Together, these factors lead to the attenuation of the feedback loop and a significant reduction of flow unsteadiness.

The efficiency of MEMS-based time-periodic micro chaotic mixers is experimentally and theoretically investigated in this study. A time-periodic flow perturbation was realized using digitally controlled solenoid valves to activate a source and sink alternately, acting together as a pair, with different driving frequencies. Working fluids with and without fluorescent dye were used in the micromixing experiments. The spatio-temporal variation of the mixing concentration during the mixing process was characterized at different Strouhal numbers, ranging from 0.03 to 0.74, using fluorescence microscopy. A simple kinematical model for the micromixer was used to demonstrate the presence of chaotic mixing. Specific stretching rate, Lyapunov exponent, and local bifurcation and Poincaré section analyses were used to identify the emergence of chaos. Two different numerical methods were employed to verify that the maximum Lyapunov exponent was positive in the proposed micromixer model. A simplified analytical analysis of the effect of Strouhal number is presented. Kolmogorov–Arnold–Mose (KAM) curves, which are mixing barriers, were also found in Poincaré sections. From a comparative study of the experimental results and theoretical analysis, a finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) was shown to be a more practical mixing index than the classical Lyapunov exponent because the time spent in mixing is the main concern in practical applications, such as bio-medical diagnosis. In addition, the FTLE takes into account both fluid stretching in terms of the stretching rate and fluid folding in terms of curvature.

In the second article of the series, the vector form intrinsic finite element is extended to formulate plane solid elements, a three-node triangular element and a four-node isoparametric element. Also, conceptual differences of the intrinsic element and traditional element based on variational formulation are discussed.

In a series of three articles, fundamentals of a vector form intrinsic finite element procedure (VFIFE) are summarized. The procedure is designed to calculate motions of a system of rigid and deformable bodies. The motion may include large rigid body motions and large geometrical changes. Newton's law, or a work principle, for particle is assumed to derive the governing equations of motion. They are obtained by using a set of deformation coordinates for the description of kinematics. A convected material frame approach is proposed to handle very large deformations. Numerical results are calculated by using an explicit algorithm. In the first article, using the plane frame element as an example, basic procedures are described. In the accompanied articles, plane solid elements, convected material frame procedures and numerical results of patch tests are given.

In the third article of the series, a convected material frame is used to develop an incremental analysis procedure to calculate motions with large deformation and large displacement. Five numerical examples are given. The first three illustrate some numerical problems in explicit finite element that are resolved in the present approach. The other two demonstrate the stability and convergence of the method.

To investigate the influence of different dietary fats on lipids and anti-cardiolipin antibody levels, autoimmune NZB/W F1 mice were fed on diets containing 200 g dietary fat as palm oil, lard–soyabean oil (1:1, w/w), soyabean oil, rapeseed oil or fish oil/kg. In addition, each dietary fat group was divided into an early-feeding group with feeding from 2 months of age, and a late-feeding group with feeding from 5 months of age. Serum levels of triacylglycerol, phospholipid, cholesterol and anti-cardiolipin antibody were measured at regular intervals, and mice were killed at the age of 7 months for analysis of hepatic lipid and fatty acids. The results showed that hepatic triacylglycerol and cholesterol contents were lower in mice fed on fish oil than in those fed on palm oil. In contrast, hepatic phospholipid content was higher in mice of the fish oil group than in those of the other four dietary fat groups. Composition profiles for both hepatic and renal oleic acid (18:1n-9), linoleic acid (18:2n-6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) were similar to those of the dietary fats in mice of both early-feeding and late-feeding groups. Fish oil intake decreased arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) concentration in kidney tissue but not in liver tissue. Serum triacylglycerol, cholesterol and phospholipid levels were lower in mice fed on fish oil than in those fed on palm oil. Immunoglobulin (Ig) M anti-cardiolipin antibody was lower for the fish oil group than for the other groups. The IgG anti-cardiolipin antibody level was significantly lower in mice fed on fish oil compared with that of the palm oil group only in the early-feeding group. There was a positive correlation between serum IgM anti-cardiolipin antibody and phospholipid levels (early-feeding group r 0·902, P < 0·05; late-feeding group r 0·894, P < 0·05). These findings suggest dietary fish oil may affect both lipid levels and anti-cardiolipin antibody, contributing to alleviation of the autoimmune process in autoimmune-prone NZB×NZW F1 mice.