bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CUSUM-Based Intrusion Detection Mechanism for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Ying Bishan
Published: February 2014

The nature of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) makes them very vulnerable to adversary's malicious attacks. Therefore, network security is an important issue to WSNs. Due to the constraints of WSN, intrusion detection in WSNs is a challengeable task. In this paper, we present a novel intrusion detection mechanism for WSNs, which is composed of a secure data communication algorithm and an intrusion detection algorithm. The major contribution of this paper is that we propose an original secure mechanism to defend WSNs against malicious attacks by using the information generated during data communication. The approach is able to protect the data communication in a WSN even if some sensor nodes are compromised by adversary. The proposed approach is easy to be implemented and performed in resource-constrained WSN. We also evaluate the proposed approach by a simulation experiment and analyze the simulation results in detail.
Propofol Activation of the Nrf2 Pathway Is Associated with Amelioration of Acute Lung Injury in a Rat Liver Transplantation Model
Authors: Yao Weifeng , Luo Gangjian , Zhu Guosong , Chi Xinjin , Zhang Ailan , Xia Zhengyuan , Hei Ziqing
Published: February 2014

Objective. This study aimed to investigate whether propofol pretreatment can protect against liver transplantation-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and to explore whether Nrf2 pathway is involved in the protections provided by propofol pretreatment.Method. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups based on the random number table. Lung pathology was observed by optical microscopy. Lung water content was assessed by wet/dry ratio, and PaO2was detected by blood gas analysis. The contents of H2O2, MDA, and SOD activity were determined by ELISA method, and the expression of HO-1, NQO1, Keap1, and nuclear Nrf2 was assayed by western blotting.Results. Compared with saline-treated model group, both propofol and N-acetylcysteine pretreatment can reduce the acute lung injury caused by orthotopic autologous liver transplantation (OALT), decrease the lung injury scores, lung water content, and H2O2and MDA levels, and improve the arterial PaO2and SOD activity. Furthermore, propofol (but not N-acetylcysteine) pretreatment especially in high dose inhibited the expression of Keap1 and induced translocation of Nrf2 into the nucleus to further upregulate the expression of HO-1 and NQO1 downstream.Conclusion. Pretreatment with propofol is associated with attenuation of OALT-induced ALI, and the Nrf2 pathway is involved in the antioxidative processes.
SFG Synthesis of General High-Order All-Pass and All-Pole Current Transfer Functions Using CFTAs
Authors: Tangsrirat Worapong
Published: February 2014

An approach of using the signal flow graph (SFG) technique to synthesize general high-order all-pass and all-pole current transfer functions with current follower transconductance amplifiers (CFTAs) and grounded capacitors has been presented. For generalnth-order systems, the realized all-pass structure contains at mostn+ 1 CFTAs andngrounded capacitors, while the all-pole lowpass circuit requires onlynCFTAs andngrounded capacitors. The resulting circuits obtained from the synthesis procedure are resistor-less structures and especially suitable for integration. They also exhibit low-input and high-output impedances and also convenient electronic controllability through thegm-value of the CFTA. Simulation results using real transistor model parameters ALA400 are also included to confirm the theory.
An Energy-Economy-Environment Model for Simulating the Impacts of Socioeconomic Development on Energy and Environment
Authors: Wang Wenyi , Zeng Weihua , Yao Bo
Published: February 2014

Many rapidly developing regions have begun to draw the attention of the world. Meanwhile, the energy and environmental issues associated with rapid economic growth have aroused widespread critical concern. Therefore, studying energy, economic, and environmental systems is of great importance. This study establishes a system dynamic model that covers multiple aspects of those systems, such as energy, economy, population, water pollution, air pollution, solid waste, and technology. The model designed here attempts to determine the impacts of socioeconomic development on the energy and environment of Tongzhou District in three scenarios: under current, planning, and sustainable conditions. The results reveal that energy shortages and water pollutions are very serious and are the key issues constraining future social and economic development. Solid waste emissions increase with population growth. The prediction results provide valuable insights into social advancement.
Placental Origin of Prostaglandin F2αin the Domestic Cat
Authors: Siemieniuch Marta J. , Jursza Ewelina , Szóstek Anna Z. , Zschockelt Lina , Boos Alois , Kowalewski Mariusz P.
Published: February 2014

In the present study, the question was addressed whether the feline placenta can synthesize prostaglandin F2α(PGF2α). The PGFS protein was elevated, particularly at 2.5–3 weeks of pregnancy compared to 7-8 (P<0.05) and 8.5–9 weeks (P<0.001). Transcripts for PGFS were significantly upregulated at 2.5–3 weeks of pregnancy and then gradually declined towards the end of gestation (P<0.001). Transcripts for PTGS2 were only upregulated in placentas from queens close to term (P<0.001) compared with earlier phases. Staining of PTGS2 showed distinct positive signals in placentas obtained during the last week before labor, particularly in the strongly invading trophoblast surrounding blood vessels, and also in decidual cells. Shortly after implantation, signals for PGFS were localized in the trophoblast cells. Near term, PGFS staining was seen mainly in decidual cells. Both placental PGF2αand plasma PGFM were elevated towards the end of pregnancy (P<0.001) compared with earlier weeks of pregnancy. The content of PGF2αin extracted placenta mirrored the PGFM level in plasma of pregnant females. During late gestation there is a significant increase in PGFM levels in maternal blood and of PGF2αlevels in placental tissue concomitant with an upregulation of placental PTGS2.
A Novel Emergent State Control Law for an Integrated Helicopter/Turboshaft Engine System
Authors: Zhang Haibo , Li Yongjin , Deng S.
Published: February 2014

A two‐layer robust control scheme is proposed to get a better response ability for emergency maneuvers of helicopter. Note that the power used in ascending flight is the main coupling between helicopter and its turboshaft engines; therefore vertical flight control is separated from conventional helicopter control loops and combined with fuel flow and turbine bleeding to new control loops denoted as an inner layer, whereas the mission level flight control is as the out layer. A conclusion in global asymptotically tracking for devising this new scheme is firstly derived from a Generalized Gronwall‐Bellman approach. Due to this integrated designing, not only is the helicopter better controlled, but also much better power rapid tracking is realized for engines. Simulations are conducted to validate the new scheme in emergent ascending and descending flights, and the results illustrate that the response time of the closed‐loop system is dramatically reduced when compared to the traditional one. Moreover, the presented system also has better dynamic performance under inferences.
A Model-Based Substructuring Method for Local Damage Detection of Structure
Authors: Lee Eun-Taik , Eun Hee-Chang
Published: February 2014

It is impractical to collect the full set of data in finite element model for investigating the structural performance. This study presents a model-based substructuring method to examine it by the data measured at a few positions. Dividing a global structure into several substructures and regarding the frequency response functions (FRFs) measured at the interfaces between the adjacent substructures as the constraints, the constraint forces at the substructure nodes are calculated to decide the resultant responses. The damage-expected substructure is traced by the distribution curve of constraint forces. Modeling the damage-expected substructure subjected to the predicted constraint forces and expanding the displacement data measured at several locations in the substructure, the local damage is detected by the displacement curvature method. A numerical application illustrates the validity of the proposed method.
Glucosamine for Osteoarthritis: Biological Effects, Clinical Efficacy, and Safety on Glucose Metabolism
Authors: Salazar Juan , Bello Luis , Chávez Mervin , Añez Roberto , Rojas Joselyn , Bermúdez Valmore
Published: February 2014

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disorder that currently represents one of the main causes of disability within the elderly population and an important presenting complaint overall. The pathophysiologic basis of osteoarthritis entails a complex group of interactions among biochemical and mechanical factors that have been better characterized in light of a recent spike in research on the subject. This has led to an ongoing search for ideal therapeutic management schemes for these patients, where glucosamine is one of the most frequently used alternatives worldwide due to their chondroprotective properties and their long-term effects. Its use in the treatment of osteoarthritis is well established; yet despite being considered effective by many research groups, controversy surrounds their true effectiveness. This situation stems from several methodological aspects which hinder appropriate data analysis and comparison in this context, particularly regarding objectives and target variables. Similar difficulties surround the assessment of the potential ability of glucosamine formulations to alter glucose metabolism. Nevertheless, evidence supporting diabetogenesis by glucosamine remains scarce in humans, and to date, this association should be considered only a theoretical possibility.
Nodal Status Assessment in Breast Cancer: Strategies of Clinical Grounds and Quality of Life Implications
Authors: Orsaria Paolo , Varvaras Dimitrios , Vanni Gianluca , Pagnani Giampiero , Scaggiante Jacopo , Frusone Federico , Granai Alessandra Vittoria , Petrella Giuseppe , Buonomo Oreste Claudio
Published: February 2014

Even in the era of gene-expression profiling, the nodal status still remains the primary prognostic discriminant in breast cancer patients. The exclusion of node involvement using noninvasive methods could reduce the rate of axillary surgery, thereby preventing from suffering complications. However, lymphatic mapping with sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is one of the most interesting recent developments in surgical oncology. Optimization of procedure could be implemented by dual mapping injection site skills, resection of all hot or blue nodes through tracer combination, and improvement in atypical drainage patterns mapping. This anatomical analysis suggests safety measures in patients with high probability of node metastasis through a renewed interest in surgical management. The perspective of a guided axillary sampling (GAS) could represent a potential development of recent anatomical and functional acquisitions, offering a dynamic technique shared according to clinical and anatomical disease parameters. Furthermore, the surgical staging procedures may adopt a conservative approach through the evaluation of upper arm lymphatics, thus defining a functional model aimed at the reduction of short- and long-term adverse events. Quality results in breast cancer surgery need to generate oncological safety devoid of complications through renewed clinical experience.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-αas a Diagnostic Marker for Neonatal Sepsis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lv Bokun , Huang Jie , Yuan Haining , Yan Wenying , Hu Guang , Wang Jian
Published: February 2014

Neonatal sepsis (NS) is an important cause of mortality in newborns and life-threatening disorder in infants. The meta-analysis was performed to investigate the diagnosis value of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) test in NS. Our collectible studies were searched from PUBMED, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library between March 1994 and August 2013. Accordingly, 347 studies were collected totally, in which 15 articles and 23 trials were selected to study the NS in our meta-analysis. The TNF-αtest showed moderate accuracy of the diagnosis of NS both in early-onset neonatal sepsis (sensitivity = 0.66, specificity = 0.76,Q*= 0.74) and in late-onset neonatal sepsis (sensitivity = 0.68, specificity = 0.89,Q*= 0.87). We also found the northern hemisphere group in the test has higher sensitivity (0.84) and specificity (0.83). A diagnostic OR analysis found that the study population may be the major reason for the heterogeneity. Accordingly, we suggest that TNF-αis also a valuable marker in the diagnosis of NS.
A Supervised Approach to Predict the Hierarchical Structure of Conversation Threads for Comments
Authors: Balali A. , Faili H. , Asadpour M.
Published: February 2014

User-generated texts such as comments in social media are rich sources of information. In general, the reply structure of comments is not publicly accessible on the web. Websites present comments as a list in chronological order. This way, some information is lost. A solution for this problem is to reconstruct the thread structure (RTS) automatically. RTS predicts a semantic tree for the reply structure, useful for understanding users’ behaviours and facilitating follow of the actual conversation streams. This paper works on RTS task in blogs, online news agencies, and news websites. These types of websites cover various types of articles reflecting the real-world events. People with different views participate in arguments by writing comments. Comments express opinions, sentiments, or ideas about articles. The reply structure of threads in these types of websites is basically different from threads in the forums, chats, and emails. To perform RTS, we define a set of textual and nontextual features. Then, we use supervised learning to combine these features. The proposed method is evaluated on five different datasets. The accuracy of the proposed method is compared with baselines. The results reveal higher accuracy for our method in comparison with baselines in all datasets.
D-Glucosamine Promotes Transfection Efficiency during Electroporation
Authors: Igawa Kazunari , Ohara Naoko , Kawakubo Atsushi , Sugimoto Kouji , Yanagiguchi Kajiro , Ikeda Takeshi , Yamada Shizuka , Hayashi Yoshihiko
Published: February 2014

D-Glucosamine is a useful medicament in various fields of medicine and dentistry. With respect to stability of the cell membrane, it has been reported that bradykinin-induced nociceptive responses are significantly suppressed by the direct application of D-glucosamine. Electroporation is usually used to effectively introduce foreign genes into tissue culture cells. Buffers for electroporation with or without D-glucosamine are used in experiments of transfection vectors. This is the first study to indirectly observe the stability and protection of the osteoblast membrane against both electric stress and gene uptake (the proton sponge hypothesis: osmotic rupture during endosomes prior to fusion with lysosomes) in electroporation with D-glucosamine application. The transfection efficiency was evaluated as the fluorescence intensity of the transfected green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the cultured cells (osteoblasts; NOS-1 cells). The transfection efficiency increased over 30% in the electroporation samples treated with D-glucosamine-supplemented buffer after one day. The membrane absorption of D-glucosamine is the primary mechanism of membrane stress induced by electric stress. This new function of D-glucosamine is useful and meaningful for developing more effective transformation procedures.
Booster Vaccination: The Role of Reduced Antigen Content Vaccines as a Preschool Booster
Authors: Gabutti Giovanni , Trucchi Cecilia , Conversano Michele , Zivelonghi Giambattista , Zoppi Giorgio
Published: February 2014

The need for boosters for tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and polio, starting from preschool age, is related to the waning immune protection conferred by vaccination, the elimination/reduction of natural boosters due to large-scale immunization programs, and the possibility of reintroduction of wild agents from endemic areas. Taking into account the relevance of safety/tolerability in the compliance with vaccination among the population, it have been assessed whether today enough scientific evidences are available to support the use of dTap-IPV booster in preschool age. The review of the literature was conducted using the PubMed search engine. A total of 41 works has been selected; besides, the documentation produced by the World Health Organization, the European Centre for Disease Control, and the Italian Ministry of Health has been consulted. Many recent papers confirm the opportunity to use a low antigenic dose vaccine starting from 4 to 6 years of age. There is also evidence that 10 years after immunization the rate of seroprotected subjects against diphtheria does not differ significantly between those vaccinated with paediatric dose (DTaP) or reduced dose (dTaP or dTap) product. The dTpa vaccine is highly immunogenic for diphtheria toxoids regardless of prior vaccination history (2 + 1 and 3 + 1 schedules).
On the Validity of Flat-Plate Finite Strip Approximation of Circular Cylindrical Shells
Authors: Kong Jackson
Published: February 2014

The validity of modeling curved shell panels using flat-plate finite strips has been demonstrated in the past by comparing finite strip numerical results with analytical solutions of a few benchmark problems; to date, no mathematical exact solutions of the method or its explicit forms of error terms have been rigorously derived to demonstrate analytically its validity. Using a unitary transformation approach (abbreviated as the U-transformation herein), an attempt is made in this paper to derive mathematical exact solutions of flat-plate finite strips in cylindrical shell vibration analysis. Unlike the conventional finite strip method which involves assembly of the global system of matrix equation and its numerical solution, the U-transformation method makes use of the inherent cyclic symmetry of cylindrical shells to decouple the global matrix equation into one involving only a few unknowns, thus rendering explicit form of solutions for the flat-shell finite strip to be derived. Such explicit solutions can be subsequently expanded into Taylor's series whose results reveal directly their convergence to the exact solutions and the corresponding rate of convergence.
Semi-Online Scheduling on Two Machines withGoSLevels and Partial Information of Processing Time
Authors: Luo Taibo , Xu Yinfeng
Published: February 2014

This paper investigates semi-online scheduling problems on two parallel machines under a grade of service (GoS) provision subject to minimize the makespan. We consider three different semi-online versions with knowing the total processing time of the jobs with higherGoSlevel, knowing the total processing time of the jobs with lowerGoSlevel, or knowing both in advance. Respectively, for the three semi-online versions, we develop algorithms with competitive ratios of3/2,20/13, and4/3which are shown to be optimal.
Hemodynamic and Tubular Changes Induced by Contrast Media
Authors: Caiazza Antonella , Russo Luigi , Sabbatini Massimo , Russo Domenico
Published: February 2014

The incidence of acute kidney injury induced by contrast media (CI-AKI) is the third cause of AKI in hospitalized patients. Contrast media cause relevant alterations both in renal hemodynamics and in renal tubular cell function that lead to CI-AKI. The vasoconstriction of intrarenal vasculature is the main hemodynamic change induced by contrast media; the vasoconstriction is accompanied by a cascade of events leading to ischemia and reduction of glomerular filtration rate. Cytotoxicity of contrast media causes apoptosis of tubular cells with consequent formation of casts and worsening of ischemia. There is an interplay between the negative effects of contrast media on renal hemodynamics and on tubular cell function that leads to activation of renin-angiotensin system and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the kidney. Production of ROS intensifies cellular hypoxia through endothelial dysfunction and alteration of mechanisms regulating tubular cells transport. The physiochemical characteristics of contrast media play a critical role in the incidence of CI-AKI. Guidelines suggest the use of either isoosmolar or low-osmolar contrast media rather than high-osmolar contrast media particularly in patients at increased risk of CI-AKI. Older age, presence of atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, chronic renal disease, nephrotoxic drugs, and diuretics may multiply the risk of CI-AKI.
Numerical Simulation of the Hydrogen Dispersion Behavior by a Parallel Characteristic Curve Method
Authors: Yao Qinghe , Pan Xin , Zhu Qingyong
Published: February 2014

A parallel characteristic curve method is applied in domain decomposition system to simulate the dispersion behavior of hydrogen in this work. The characteristic curve method is employed to approximate the Navier-Stokes equations and the convection diffusion equation, and the feasibility of solving complex multicomponent flow problems is demonstrated by the numerical simulation of hydrogen dispersion in a partially open space. An analogy of the Boussinesq approximation is applied and numerical results are validated by comparing them with the experimental data. The dilution effect of ventilation is investigated. The transient behavior of hydrogen and the process of accumulation in the partially open space are discussed.
Constrained Dynamic Systems Estimation Based on Adaptive Particle Filter
Authors: Xiong Weili , Xue Mingchen , Xu Baoguo
Published: February 2014

For the state estimation problem, Bayesian approach provides the most general formulation. However, most existing Bayesian estimators for dynamic systems do not take constraints into account, or rely on specific approximations. Such approximations and ignorance of constraints may reduce the accuracy of estimation. In this paper, a new methodology for the states estimation of constrained systems with nonlinear model and non‐Gaussian uncertainty which are commonly encountered in practice is proposed in the framework of particles filter. The main feature of this method is that constrained problems are handled well by a sample size test and two particles handling strategies. Simulation results show that the proposed method can outperform particles filter and other two existing algorithms in terms of accuracy and computational time.
Detection of Amitraz Resistance inRhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplusfrom SBS Nagar, Punjab, India
Authors: Singh N. K. , Nandi Abhijit , Jyoti  , Rath S. S.
Published: February 2014

The resistance status ofRhipicephalus (Boophilus) micropluscollected from SBS Nagar, Punjab, was evaluated against amitraz by Adult Immersion Test (AIT). The regression graph of probit mortality of ticks plotted against log values of progressively increasing concentrations of amitraz revealed the slope of mortality (95% CI) as2.36±0.61(0.38 to 4.33). The LC50(95% CI) and LC95(95% CI) values were recorded as 332.52 ppm (305.06–362.44) and 1646.93 ppm (1383.97–1959.84), respectively, and the resistance factor (RF) was 13.17 which indicated level II resistance status. The dose response curves for egg mass weight, reproductive index, and percentage inhibition of oviposition were also validated by AIT and the slopes (95% CI) were-7.17±2.41(−14.85 to 0.50),-0.009±0.02(−0.16 to −0.031), and19.99±4.77(4.81 to 35.17), respectively. The current study reports the development of resistance inR. (B.) microplusto amitraz from Punjab state and the data generated would be useful in formulation of effective control strategies against ticks of this region.
Simple Method for Evaluation of Planum Temporale Pyramidal Neurons Shrinkage in Postmortem Tissue of Alzheimer Disease Patients
Authors: Kutová Martina , Mrzílková Jana , Kirdajová Denisa , Řípová Daniela , Zach Petr
Published: February 2014

We measured the length of the pyramidal neurons in the cortical layer III in four subregions of the planum temporale (transitions into superior temporal gyrus, Heschl’s gyrus, insular cortex, and Sylvian fissure) in control group and Alzheimer disease patients. Our hypothesis was that overall length of the pyramidal neurons would be smaller in the Alzheimer disease group compared to controls and also there would be right-left asymmetry in both the control and Alzheimer disease groups. We found pyramidal neuron length asymmetry only in controls—in the transition into the Sylvian fissure—and the rest of the subregions in the control group and Alzheimer disease patients did not show size difference. However, control-Alzheimer disease group pyramidal neuron length comparison revealed (a) no length difference in superior temporal gyrus transition area, (b) reversal of asymmetry in the insular transition area with left insular transition significantly shorter in the Alzheimer disease group compared to the control group, (c) both right and left Heschl’s gyrus transitions significantly shorter in the Alzheimer disease group compared to the control group, and (d) right Sylvian fissure transition significantly shorter in the Alzheimer disease group compared to the control group. This neuronal length measurement method could supplement already existing neuropathological criteria for postmortem Alzheimer disease diagnostics.
Low-Bit Rate Feedback Strategies for Iterative IA-Precoded MIMO-OFDM-Based Systems
Authors: Teodoro Sara , Silva Adão , Dinis Rui , Gameiro Atílio
Published: February 2014

Interference alignment (IA) is a promising technique that allows high-capacity gains in interference channels, but which requires the knowledge of the channel state information (CSI) for all the system links. We design low-complexity and low-bit rate feedback strategies where a quantized version of some CSI parameters is fed back from the user terminal (UT) to the base station (BS), which shares it with the other BSs through a limited-capacity backhaul network. This information is then used by BSs to perform the overall IA design. With the proposed strategies, we only need to send part of the CSI information, and this can even be sent only once for a set of data blocks transmitted over time-varying channels. These strategies are applied to iterative MMSE-based IA techniques for the downlink of broadband wireless OFDM systems with limited feedback. A new robust iterative IA technique, where channel quantization errors are taken into account in IA design, is also proposed and evaluated. With our proposed strategies, we need a small number of quantization bits to transmit and share the CSI, when comparing with the techniques used in previous works, while allowing performance close to the one obtained with perfect channel knowledge.
A Preliminary Study of Biodegradable Waste as Sorbent Material for Oil-Spill Cleanup
Authors: Idris J. , Eyu G. D. , Mansor A. M. , Ahmad Z. , Chukwuekezie C. S.
Published: February 2014

Oil spill constitutes a major source of fresh and seawater pollution as a result of accidental discharge from tankers, marine engines, and underwater pipes. Therefore, the need for cost-effective and environmental friendly sorbent materials for oil spill cleanup cannot be overemphasized. The present work focuses on the preliminary study of empty palm fruit bunch fibre as a promising sorbent material. The morphology of the unmodified empty palm fruit bunch, EPFB fibre, was examined using an optical microcopy, scanning electron microcopy coupled with EDX and X-ray diffraction. The effects of oil volume, fibre weight, and time on oil absorption of EPFB fibre were evaluated with new engine oil from the model oil. The results show that EPFB fibre consists of numerous micro pores, hydrophobic, and partially crystalline and amorphous with approximately 13.5% carbon. The oil absorbency of the fibre increased with the increase in oil volume, immersion time, and fibre weight. However, sorption capacity decreased beyond 3 g in 100 mL. Additionally unmodified EPFB fibre showed optimum oil sorption efficiency of approximately 2.8 g/g within three days of immersion time.
A Study of Frontier and Semifrontier in Intuitionistic Fuzzy Topological Spaces
Authors: Kharal Athar
Published: February 2014

Notions of frontier and semifrontier in intuitionistic fuzzy topology have been studied and several of their properties, characterizations, and examples established. Many counter-examples have been presented to point divergences between the IF topology and its classical form. The paper also presents an open problem and one of its weaker forms.
Robust Calibration of Cameras with Telephoto Lens Using Regularized Least Squares
Authors: Liang Mingpei , Huang Xinyu , Chen Chung-Hao , Zheng Gaolin , Tokuta Alade
Published: February 2014

Cameras with telephoto lens are usually used to recover details of an object that is either small or located far away from the cameras. However, the calibration of this kind of cameras is not as accurate as the one of cameras with short focal lengths that are commonly used in many vision applications. This paper has two contributions. First, we present a first‐order error analysis that shows the relation between focal length and estimation uncertainties of camera parameters. To our knowledge, this error analysis with respect to focal length has not been studied in the area of camera calibration. Second, we propose a robust algorithm to calibrate the camera with a long focal length without using additional devices. By adding a regularization term, our algorithm makes the estimation of the image of the absolute conic well posed. As a consequence, the covariance of camera parameters can be reduced greatly. We further used simulations and real data to verify our proposed algorithm and obtained very stable results.
Preparation and the Biopharmaceutical Evaluation for the Metered Dose Transdermal Spray of Dexketoprofen
Authors: Lu Wangding , Luo Huafei , Zhu Zhuangzhi , Wu Yubo , Luo Jing , Wang Hao
Published: February 2014

The objective of the present work was to develop a metered dose transdermal spray (MDTS) formulation for transdermal delivery of dexketoprofen (DE). DE release from a series of formulations was assessed in vitro. Various qualitative and quantitative parameters like spray pattern, pump seal efficiency test, average weight per metered dose, and dose uniformity were evaluated. The optimized formulation with good skin permeation and an appropriate drug concentration and permeation enhancer (PE) content was developed incorporating 7% (w/w, %) DE, 7% (v/v, %) isopropyl myristate (IPM), and 93% (v/v, %) ethanol. In vivo pharmacokinetic study indicated that the optimized formulation showed a more sustainable plasma-concentration profile compared with the Fenli group. The antiinflammatory effect of DE MDTS was evaluated by experiments involving egg-albumin-induced paw edema in rats and xylene-induced ear swelling in mice. Acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction was used to evaluate the anti-nociceptive actions of DE MDTS. Pharmacodynamic studies indicated that the DE MDTS has good anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities. Besides, skin irritation studies were performed using rat as an animal model. The results obtained show that the MDTS can be a promising and innovative therapeutic system used in transdermal drug delivery for DE.
Potential Field Cellular Automata Model for Pedestrian Evacuation in a Domain with a Ramp
Authors: Jian Xiao-Xia , Zhang Xiaoning
Published: February 2014

We propose a potential field cellular automata model with a pushing force field to simulate the pedestrian evacuation in a domain with a ramp. We construct a cost potential depending on the ramp angle and introduce a function to evaluate the pushing force, which is related to the cost and the desired direction of pedestrian. With increase of crowd density, there is no empty space for pedestrian moving forward; pedestrian will purposefully push another pedestrian on her or his desired location to arrive the destination quickly. We analyse the relationship between the slope of ramp and the pushing force and investigate the changing of injured situations with the changing of the slope of ramp. When the number of pedestrians and the ramp angle arrive at certain critical points, the Domino effect will be simulated by this proposed model.
Cooperative Energy Efficient Management Scheme for Multimedia Information Dissemination
Authors: Chen Jia , Zhou Huachun
Published: February 2014

Information centric sensor network is a promising technology for multimedia sensor network due to the enhancement of transmission rate and reduced latency by using caches. Because of the limited energy in each sensor node, energy efficiency problem is crucial to be considered in information centric sensor network. In this paper, we cope with the energy efficient management problem in such network, in which both transmission energy and caching energy are considered. We derive the exact analytical expression for the energy consumption model in such network and propose cooperative energy efficient management scheme for multimedia information dissemination. We carry out extensive performance evaluations and our results show that the energy consumption can be minimized by cooperatively tuning the key parameters such as the cache size and caching probability.
Numerical Built-In Method for the Nonlinear JRC/JCS Model in Rock Joint
Authors: Liu Qunyi , Xing Wanli , Li Ying
Published: February 2014

The joint surface is widely distributed in the rock, thus leading to the nonlinear characteristics of rock mass strength and limiting the effectiveness of the linear model in reflecting characteristics. The JRC/JCS model is the nonlinear failure criterion and generally believed to describe the characteristics of joints better than other models. In order to develop the numerical program for JRC/JCS model, this paper established the relationship between the parameters of the JRC/JCS and Mohr-Coulomb models. Thereafter, the numerical implement method and implementation process of the JRC/JCS model were discussed and the reliability of the numerical method was verified by the shear tests of jointed rock mass. Finally, the effect of the JRC/JCS model parameters on the shear strength of the joint was analyzed.
The Use ofHibiscus esculentus(Okra) Gum in Sustaining the Release of Propranolol Hydrochloride in a Solid Oral Dosage Form
Authors: Zaharuddin Nurul Dhania , Noordin Mohamed Ibrahim , Kadivar Ali
Published: February 2014

The effectiveness of Okra gum in sustaining the release of propranolol hydrochloride in a tablet was studied. Okra gum was extracted from the pods ofHibiscus esculentususing acetone as a drying agent. Dried Okra gum was made into powder form and its physical and chemical characteristics such as solubility, pH, moisture content, viscosity, morphology study using SEM, infrared study using FTIR, crystallinity study using XRD, and thermal study using DSC and TGA were carried out. The powder was used in the preparation of tablet using granulation and compression methods. Propranolol hydrochloride was used as a model drug and the activity of Okra gum as a binder was compared by preparing tablets using a synthetic and a semisynthetic binder which are hydroxylmethylpropyl cellulose (HPMC) and sodium alginate, respectively. Evaluation of drug release kinetics that was attained from dissolution studies showed that Okra gum retarded the release up to 24 hours and exhibited the longest release as compared to HPMC and sodium alginate. The tensile and crushing strength of tablets was also evaluated by conducting hardness and friability tests. Okra gum was observed to produce tablets with the highest hardness value and lowest friability. Hence, Okra gum was testified as an effective adjuvant to produce favourable sustained release tablets with strong tensile and crushing strength.
Bump Modeling and Vehicle Vertical Dynamics Prediction
Authors: Garcia-Pozuelo Daniel , Gauchia Antonio , Olmeda Ester , Diaz Vicente
Published: February 2014

During a journey, motor vehicles are subjected to different types of irregularities in the pavement. Some of these irregularities are introduced for a specific purpose over a stretch of road to slow down the vehicle at certain road points. However, the influence of installed speed bumps reveals certain additional effects which must be deeply analyzed to ensure vehicle and pedestrian safety. In some cases, it has been found that even when driving over transverse bands at a speed below the legal limit, the vehicle is damaged or tires lose grip with the pavement, precluding any kind of braking or turning maneuvers. Such phenomena indicate that either this element is not properly sized or the location is not appropriate, becoming counterproductive for traffic safety. In order to analyze the influence of these irregularities on the different components of the vehicle and its occupants, a simulation program with MatlabTM has been developed. The validated developed tool takes into account several aspects of the vehicle dynamics, bump geometry, and vehicle speed. The proposed tool provides the best possible information to establish a set of guidelines for the proper design and installation of speed bumps in different roads.
Tool Use in Computer-Based Learning Environments: Adopting and Extending the Technology Acceptance Model
Authors: Juarez Collazo N. A. , Wu X. , Elen J. , Clarebout G.
Published: February 2014

This study adopts the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and extends it to study the effects of different variables on tool use. The influence of perceptions on tool use was studied in two different conditions: with and without explanation of the tool functionality. As an external variable, self-efficacy was entered in the TAM and the main research question thus focused on the mediating effects of perceptions (perceived tool functionality and perceived tool usability) between self-efficacy on the one hand and quantity and quality of tool use on the other. Positive effects of perceived usability on perceived functionality were hypothesized as well as positive effects of quantity and quality of tool use on performance. Positive effects were expected in the condition with explanation of the tool functionality. Ninety-three university students were provided with concept maps as the learning tools within a hypertext. Using path analysis, we found—similar to the TAM—a significant positive relationship between perceived usability and perceived functionality. Whereas perceived usability had a positive influence on the quantity of tool use, which positively influenced performance, perceived functionality had a negative influence on quantity of tool use. Self-efficacy showed a relationship with perceived usability only with the explained functionality condition.
Some New Traveling Wave Exact Solutions of the (2+1)-Dimensional Boiti-Leon-Pempinelli Equations
Authors: Qi Jian-ming , Zhang Fu , Yuan Wen-jun , Huang Zi-feng
Published: February 2014

We employ the complex method to obtain all meromorphic exact solutions of complex (2+1)-dimensional Boiti-Leon-Pempinelli equations (BLP system of equations). The idea introduced in this paper can be applied to other nonlinear evolution equations. Our results show that all rational and simply periodic traveling wave exact solutions of the equations (BLP) are solitary wave solutions, the complex method is simpler than other methods, and there exist some rational solutionsur,2(z)and simply periodic solutionsus,2–6(z)which are not only new but also not degenerated successively by the elliptic function solutions. We believe that this method should play an important role for finding exact solutions in the mathematical physics. For these new traveling wave solutions, we give some computer simulations to illustrate our main results.
Self-Care Practices among Diabetic Patients in Anand District of Gujarat
Authors: Raithatha Shyamsundar Jagdish , Shankar Singh Uday , Dinesh Kumar
Published: February 2014

Background. Diabetes care requires a multipronged approach, wherein the patient has an important role to play. This study was undertaken to explore self-care practices of diabetic patients residing in Anand district of Gujarat. Methods. A cross-sectional study, involving 100 diabetic patients, was conducted in 2009-2010. Self-care practices in seven domains of physical activity, dietary practices, medication taking, monitoring of glucose, problem solving, foot care, and psychosocial adjustment were assessed using scores assigned to participants’ responses. Results. The mean age was 60.9 (SD=12.2) years and 57% were males. Majority (92%) were Hindus and were consulting private medical practitioners (71%). “Medication taking” was the domain with the best performance score (88.1%) and “problem solving” the worst (11.0%). The “psychosocial adjustment” of the participants was satisfactory (82.5%). Overall mean performance percentage score was 54.41%. Males had better performance scores as compared to females in areas of “physical activity,” “dietary practices,” and “problem solving.” Housewives had poorer performance scores. Total mean performance score was similar for patients on treatment from specialists and general practitioners. Conclusion. A self-care education program designed for this region should address the lacunae identified in various domains with a special emphasis on females.
SNP rs8099917 in GeneIL28BMight Be Associated with Risk of Chronic Infection by HCV but Not with Response to Treatment
Authors: da Silva Conde Simone Regina Souza , Soares Monteiro Julius Caesar Mendes , Silva dos Santos Bruna Tereza , Fonseca Filgueiras Nathália Karla , Almeida Lins Pedro Alves de , Bonfim Freitas Felipe , da Silva Graça Ednelza , Demachki Sâmia , Ferreira de Araújo Marialva Tereza , Ishak Ricardo , Rosário Vallinoto Antonio Carlos
Published: February 2014

Aim. The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic profile of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection relative to polymorphisms rs12979860 and rs8099917 in geneIL28Band the association of those polymorphisms with the response to treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, performed at a reference center in Brazilian Amazonia.Methods. A total of 75 individuals with chronic hepatitis C and 98 healthy individuals from both genders over 18 years old were assessed. DNA samples were collected from leukocytes and subjected to real-time polymerase chain reaction to genotype polymorphisms rs12979860 and rs8099917.Results. Analysis of the allelic and genotypic frequencies of the investigated polymorphisms showed that both groups were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium; polymorphism rs12979860 exhibited no significant difference between the groups. For polymorphism rs8099917, allele T was significantly less frequent (P=0.0195) among the patients (63.3%) than the controls (75.5%), and the patients were 1.7 times as likely to exhibit allele G. No difference in response to treatment was associated with SNP patterns.Conclusion. The results suggest a possible association of SNP rs8099917 with higher odds of chronic HCV infection but do not indicate a putative influence of the investigated SNPs on the sustained virologic response.
The Effect of High-Frequency Parametric Excitation on a Stochastically Driven Pantograph-Catenary System
Authors: Huan R. H. , Zhu W. Q. , Ma F. , Liu Z. H.
Published: February 2014

In high-speed electric trains, a pantograph is mounted on the roof of the train to collect power through contact with an overhead catenary wire. The effect of fast harmonic and parametric excitation on a stochastically driven pantograph-catenary system is studied in this paper. A single-degree-of-freedom model of the pantograph-catenary system is adopted, wherein the stiffness of the nonlinear spring has a time-varying component characterized by both low and high frequencies. Using perturbation and harmonic averaging, a Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation governing the stationary response of the pantograph-catenary system is set up. Based on the transition probability density of the stationary response, it is found that even small high-frequency parametric excitation has an appreciable effect on the system response. Among other things, it shifts the resonant frequency and often changes the response characteristics markedly.
Deciphering Molecular Mechanism Underlying Hypolipidemic Activity of Echinocystic Acid
Authors: Han Li , Lai Peng , Du Jun-Rong
Published: February 2014

Our previous study showed that a triterpene mixture, consisting of echinocystic acid (EA) and oleanolic acid (OA) at a ratio of 4 : 1, dose‐dependently ameliorated the hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis in rabbits fed with high fat/high cholesterol diets. This study was aimed at exploring the mechanisms underlying antihyperlipidemic effect of EA. Molecular docking simulation of EA was performed using Molegro Virtual Docker (version: 4.3.0) to investigate the potential targets related to lipid metabolism. Based on the molecular docking information, isotope labeling method or spectrophotometry was applied to examine the effect of EA on the activity of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG‐CoA) reductase, acyl‐CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) in rat liver microsomes. Our results revealed a strong affinity of EA towards ACAT and DGAT in molecular docking analysis, while low binding affinity existed between EA and HMG‐CoA reductase as well as between EA and cholesteryl ester transfer protein. Consistent with the results of molecular docking, in vitro enzyme activity assays showed that EA inhibited ACAT and DGAT, with IC50 values of 103 and 139 μM, respectively, and exhibited no significant effect on HMG‐CoA reductase activity. The present findings suggest that EA may exert hypolipidemic effect by inhibiting the activity of ACAT and DGAT.
Functional Characterization of Sesquiterpene Synthase fromPolygonum minus
Authors: Ee Su-Fang , Mohamed-Hussein Zeti-Azura , Othman Roohaida , Shaharuddin Noor Azmi , Ismail Ismanizan , Zainal Zamri
Published: February 2014

Polygonum minusis an aromatic plant, which contains high abundance of terpenoids, especially the sesquiterpenes C15H24. Sesquiterpenes were believed to contribute to the many useful biological properties in plants. This study aimed to functionally characterize a full length sesquiterpene synthase gene fromP. minus.P. minussesquiterpene synthase (PmSTS) has a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 1689 base pairs encoding a 562 amino acid protein. Similar to other sesquiterpene synthases, PmSTS has two large domains: the N-terminal domain and the C-terminal metal-binding domain. It also consists of three conserved motifs: the DDXXD, NSE/DTE, and RXR. A three-dimensional protein model for PmSTS built clearly distinguished the two main domains, where conserved motifs were highlighted. We also constructed a phylogenetic tree, which showed that PmSTS belongs to the angiosperm sesquiterpene synthase subfamily Tps-a. To examine the function ofPmSTS, we expressed this gene inArabidopsis thaliana. Two transgenic lines, designated asOE3andOE7, were further characterized, both molecularly and functionally. The transgenic plants demonstrated smaller basal rosette leaves, shorter and fewer flowering stems, and fewer seeds compared to wild type plants. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the transgenic plants showed that PmSTS was responsible for the production ofβ-sesquiphellandrene.