Influenza spread on context-specific networks lifted from interaction-based diary data

Studying the spread of infections is an important tool in limiting or preventing future outbreaks. A first step in understanding disease dynamics is constructing networks that reproduce features of real-world interactions. In this paper, we generate networks that maintain some features of the partial interaction networks that were recorded in an existing diary-based survey at the University of Warwick. To preserve realistic structure in our artificial networks, we use a context-specific approach. In particular, we propose different algorithms for producing larger home, work and social networks. Our networks are able to maintain much of the interaction structure in the original diary-based survey and provide a means of accounting for the interactions of survey participants with non-participants. Simulating a discrete susceptible–infected–recovered model on the full network produces epidemic behaviour which shares characteristics with previous influenza seasons. Our approach allows us to explore how disease transmission and dynamic responses to infection differ depending on interaction context. We find that, while social interactions may be the first to be reduced after influenza infection, limiting work and school encounters may be significantly more effective in controlling the overall severity of the epidemic.

Early Compressive Deformation of Closed-Cell Aluminum Foam Based on a Three-Dimensional Realistic Structure

It is well-known that cell morphology plays a vital role in the mechanical properties of the closed-cell aluminum foam. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) realistic structure was obtained by using the synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography technique and then translated into a numerical model for a further finite-element simulation. In order to investigate the early compressive deformation in the closed-cell aluminum foam, we chose three different strain levels, namely, 0.2% (initiation of plastic strain), 2.8% (propagation of plastic strain band), and 6% (formation of collapse band) to discuss the evolution forms of plastic strain concentration by simulation. We found that the curvature, anisotropy, and distribution of cell volume of adjacent cells played a vital role in the initiation of plastic strain. Furthermore, the phenomenon that plastic strain band propagated along the direction aligned 45° with respect to the orientation of the compression was also investigated in the propagation of the plastic strain band and formation of the collapse band. Finally, the comparison between experimental results and simulation results was performed to illustrate the early location of these three different levels in the whole compressive deformation.

Kinetics of competitive Cd2+ binding pathways: the realistic structure of intrinsically disordered, partially metallated metallothioneins

The metallation of metallothionein can proceed via two different intermediate structures: a beaded structure that forms quickly (top) and a slow-forming cluster structure (bottom) before forming the fully metallated two-domain protein.

First principles investigation on how site preference and entropy affect the stability of (EuxM1–x)2Ge2Pb (M = Ca, Sr, Ba) polar intermetallics

Density functional theory calculations have been carried out to analyze the factors contributing to the stabilities of a set of recently synthesized quaternary polar intermetallic compounds, (EuxM1–x)2Ge2Pb with M = Ca, Sr, and Ba. Experiments showed that these preferentially crystallized with Pbam (M = Ca) or Cmmm (M = Sr, Ba) symmetry. We systematically explored how the electronic energies of these structures depended on how they were “colored” by the europium/M ions for a wide composition range. It was found that whereas there was very little site preference in the Cmmm structure, the “B” site in the Pbam structure strongly preferred smaller cations. The configurational entropy was also found to play a role in determining which structures might be preferred. However, the experimentally obtained product ratios could only be fully rationalized by the Gibbs free energies of structures containing M:Eu ratios resembling those that were synthesized experimentally. Our results highlight the importance of calculating vibrational contributions to the entropy for realistic structure models (in terms of coloring and composition) to explain product ratios for syntheses carried out at high temperatures.

The semantic sphere of juvenile offenders

The article presents the results of a preliminary empirical study aimed to identify features of the semantic sphere of adolescents who have committed illegal, including aggressive acts. The study included 50 male juveniles aged of 16 - 17 years. The first group consisted of adolescents convicted of aggressive and violent crimes; the second – of property socially dangerous acts (SDA). It is shown that evaluation of such adolescents is generally categorical and polar, the semantic field is subdifferentiable, less hierarchic, and has not enough realistic structure of meanings. Developed structure of motives and meanings is the basis of voluntary regulation of socially significant behavior. Thus, assessing the semantic sphere of juvenile offenders we can highlight its characteristics as risk factors of unlawful behavior, as well as the resource side, that will contribute to addressing issues of prevention and correction of unlawful behavior. Key words: juvenile offenders, semantic field of juvenile offenders, unlawful behavior.