bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Unsteady Pressure Measurement Uncertainty—Part II: Virtual Three-Hole Probe
Authors: Dell'Era Giulia , Mersinligil Mehmet , Brouckaert Jean-François
Published: August 2015

With the advancements in miniaturization and temperature capabilities of piezoresistive pressure sensors, pneumatic probes—which are the long established standard for flow-path pressure measurements in gas turbine environments—are being replaced with unsteady pressure probes. On the other hand, any measured quantity is by definition inherently different from the “true” value, requiring the estimation of the associated errors for determining the validity of the results and establishing respective confidence intervals. In the context of pressure measurements, the calibration uncertainty values, which differ from measurement uncertainties, are typically provided. Even then, the lack of a standard methodology is evident as uncertainties are often reported without appropriate confidence intervals. Moreover, no time-resolved measurement uncertainty analysis has come to the attention of the authors. The objective of this paper is to present a standard method for the estimation of the uncertainties related to measurements performed using single sensor unsteady pressure probes, with the help of measurements obtained in a one and a half stage low pressure high speed axial compressor test rig as an example. The methodology presented is also valid for similar applications involving the use of steady or unsteady sensors and instruments. The static calibration uncertainty, steady measurement uncertainties, and unsteady measurement uncertainties based on phase-locked average (PLA) and ensemble average are presented by the authors in Dell'Era et al. (2016, “Assessment of Unsteady Pressure Measurement Uncertainty—Part 1: Single Sensor Probe,” ASME J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power, 138(4), p. 041601). Depending on the number of points used for the averaging, different values for uncertainty have been observed, underlining the importance of having greater number of samples. For unsteady flows, higher uncertainties have been observed at regions of higher unsteadiness such as tip leakage vortices, hub-corner vortices, and blade wakes. Unfortunately, the state of the art in single sensor miniature unsteady pressure probes is comparable to multihole pneumatic probes in size, preventing the use of multihole unsteady probes in turbomachinery environments. However, the angular calibration properties of a single sensor probe obtained via an aerodynamic calibration may further be exploited as if a three-hole directional probe is employed, yielding corrected total pressure, unsteady yaw angle, static pressure and Mach number distributions based on the PLAs with the expense of losing the time-correlation between the virtual ports. The aerodynamic calibration and derivation process are presented together with the assessment of the uncertainties associated to these derived quantities in this contribution. In the virtual three-hole mode, similar to that of a single sensor probe, higher uncertainty values are observed at regions of higher unsteadiness.
Engineering Approach for Low-Cycle Fatigue Assessment of Porous Alloys
Authors: Bednarz Piotr , Szwedowicz Jarosław
Published: August 2015

Most components used in gas and steam turbines are metallic parts produced by either casting or forging processes. Although process control works to eliminate defects, there can be variation in microporosity from component to component. Previously, this microporosity was only able to be detected destructively using metallography. Using computer tomography (CT), one can find voids in the range of a few tenths of a millimeter and know the location of the voids with high precision. This allows one to map the defects present in each component onto the stress and temperature fields for that component. However, there is not yet universal agreement upon a consistent method to evaluate the effect of these small porosities on a components lifetime. Having a robust analysis tool to understand the impact of microporosity would decrease development costs, decrease the time to bring a product to market, and increase the likelihood of failure-free operation. This paper presents an approach using equivalent low-cycle fatigue (LCF) material properties which avoids the need to explicitly model the morphology of the microstructure in the region of the microporosity. The homogenization methodology calculates new LCF curves depending on porosity ratios in material. This approach uses Morrows correlation factor of LCF cycles to crack initiation regarding energy amount dissipated in stable cycling (shakedown) and ultimate strain energy under monotonic loading. The paper generalizes Morrows postulate and formulates the hypothesis that energy stored and dissipated in the material under shakedown conditions corresponds directly to the number of LCF cycles to crack initiation. The paper demonstrates that the reduction of LCF life based on the porosity ratio agrees well with the experimental results. These results also show that the methodology is very sensitive to the void orientation and loading direction.
Prediction of Weld Residual Stress in a Pressurized Water Reactor Pressurizer Surge Nozzle
Authors: Maekawa Akira , Kawahara Atsushi , Serizawa Hisashi , Murakawa Hidekazu
Published: August 2015

Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) phenomenon in dissimilar metal welds is one of the safety issues in ageing pressurized water reactor (PWR) piping systems. It is well known that analysis accuracy of cracking propagation due to PWSCC depends on welding residual stress conditions. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) carried out an international round robin validation program to evaluate and quantify welding residual stress analysis accuracy and uncertainty. In this paper, participation results of the authors in the round robin program were reported. The three-dimensional (3D) analysis based on a fast weld simulation using an iterative substructure method (ISM), was shown to provide accurate results in a high-speed computation. Furthermore, the influence of different heat source models on analysis results was investigated. It was demonstrated that the residual stress and distortion calculated using the moving heat source model were more accurate.
Heat Transfer Augmentation Due to Coolant Extraction on the Cold Side of Active Clearance Control Manifolds
Authors: Da Soghe Riccardo , Bianchini Cosimo , Andreini Antonio , Facchini Bruno , Mazzei Lorenzo
Published: August 2015

Jet array is an arrangement typically used to cool several gas turbine parts. Some examples of such applications can be found in the impingement cooled region of gas turbine airfoils or in the turbine blade tip clearances control of large aero-engines. In the open literature, several contributions focus on the impingement jets formation and deal with the heat transfer phenomena that take place on the impingement target surface. However, deficiencies of general studies emerge when the internal convective cooling of the impinging system feeding channels is concerned. In this work, an aerothermal analysis of jet arrays for active clearance control (ACC) was performed; the aim was the definition of a correlation for the internal (i.e., within the feeding channel) convective heat transfer coefficient augmentation due to the coolant extraction operated by the bleeding holes. The data were taken from a set of computational fluid-dynamics (CFD) Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations, in which the behavior of the cooling system was investigated over a wide range of fluid-dynamics conditions. More in detail, several different holes arrangements were investigated with the aim of evaluating the influence of the hole spacing on the heat transfer coefficient distribution. Tests were conducted by varying the feeding channel Reynolds number in a wide range of real engine operative conditions. An in depth analysis of the numerical data set has underlined the opportunity of an efficient reduction through the local suction ratio (SR) of hole and feeding pipe, local Reynolds number, and manifold porosity: the dependence of the heat transfer coefficient enhancement factor (EF) from these parameter is roughly exponential.
Metal Temperature Prediction of a Dry Low NOx Class Flame Tube by Computational Fluid Dynamics Conjugate Heat Transfer Approach
Authors: Da Soghe Riccardo , Bianchini Cosimo , Andreini Antonio , Mazzei Lorenzo , Riccio Giovanni , Marini Alessandro
Published: August 2015

Combustor liner of present gas turbine engines is subjected to high thermal loads as it surrounds high temperature combustion reactants and is hence facing the related radiative load. This generally produces high thermal stress levels on the liner, strongly limiting its life expectations and making it one of the most critical components of the entire engine. The reliable prediction of such thermal loads is hence a crucial aspect to increase the flame tube life span and to ensure safe operations. The present study aims at investigating the aerothermal behavior of a GE Dry Low NOx (DLN1) class flame tube and in particular at evaluating working metal temperatures of the liner in relation to the flow and heat transfer state inside and outside the combustion chamber. Three different operating conditions have been accounted for (i.e., lean–lean partial load, premixed full load, and primary load) to determine the amount of heat transfer from the gas to the liner by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The numerical predictions have been compared to experimental measurements of metal temperature showing a good agreement between CFD and experiments.
Flexible Cellulose-Based Films of Polyaniline–Graphene–Silver Nanowire for High-Performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Khosrozadeh Ali , Ali Darabi Mohammad , Xing Malcolm , Wang Quan
Published: August 2015

We report a facile fabrication of a high-performance supercapacitor (SC) using a flexible cellulose-based composite film of polyaniline (PANI), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and silver nanowires (AgNWs). The flexibility, high capacitive behavior, cyclic stability, and enhanced rate capability of the entire device make it a good candidate for flexible and wearable SCs. Our results demonstrate that a capacitance as high as 73.4 F/g (1.6 F/cm2) at a discharge rate of 1.1 A/g is achieved. In addition, the SC shows a power density up to 468.8 W/kg and an energy density up to 5.1 Wh/kg. The flexibility of the composite film is owing to the binding effect of cellulose fibers as well as AgNWs. The superb electrochemical performance of the device is found to be mainly attributed to the synergistic effect between PANI/RGO/AgNWs ternary in a cushiony cellulose scaffold and porous structure of the composite.
Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics of a Closed Blade Cascade Wind Tunnel for Organic Vapors
Authors: Reinker Felix , Hasselmann Karsten , aus der Wiesche Stefan , Kenig Eugeny Y.
Published: August 2015

The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) offers great potential for waste heat recovery and use of low-temperature sources for power generation. However, the ORC thermal efficiency is limited by the relatively low-temperature level, and it is, therefore, of major importance to design ORC components with high efficiencies and minimized losses. The use of organic fluids creates new challenges for turbine design, due to dense gas behavior and the low speed of sound. The design and performance predictions for steam and gas turbines have been initially based on measurements and numerical simulations of flow through two-dimensional cascades of blades. In case of ORC turbines and related fluids, such an approach requires the use of a specially designed closed cascade wind tunnel. In this contribution the design and process engineering of a continuous running wind tunnel for organic vapors is presented. The wind tunnel can be operated with heavy weight organic working fluids within a broad range of pressure and temperature levels. For this reason, the use of classical design rules for atmospheric wind tunnels is limited. The thermodynamic cycle process in the closed wind tunnel is modeled, and simulated by means of a professional power plant analysis tool, including a database for the ORC fluid properties under consideration. The wind tunnel is designed as a pressure vessel system and this leads to significant challenges particular for the employed wide angle diffuser, settling chamber, and nozzle. Detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was performed in order to optimize the important wind tunnel sections.
Assessment of the Indirect Combustion Noise Generated in a Transonic High-Pressure Turbine Stage
Authors: Papadogiannis Dimitrios , Wang Gaofeng , Moreau Stéphane , Duchaine Florent , Gicquel Laurent , Nicoud Franck
Published: August 2015

Indirect combustion noise, generated by the acceleration and distortion of entropy waves through the turbine stages, has been shown to be the dominant noise source of gas turbines at low-frequencies and to impact the thermoacoustic behavior of the combustor. In the present work, indirect combustion noise generation is evaluated in the realistic, fully 3D transonic high-pressure turbine stage MT1 using large eddy simulations (LESs). An analysis of the basic flow and the different turbine noise generation mechanisms is performed for two configurations: one with a steady inflow and a second with a pulsed inlet, where a plane entropy wave train at a given frequency is injected before propagating across the stage generating indirect noise. The noise is evaluated through the dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) of the flow field. It is compared with the previous 2D simulations of a similar stator/rotor configuration, as well as with the compact theory of Cumpsty and Marble. Results show that the upstream propagating entropy noise is reduced due to the choked turbine nozzle guide vane. Downstream acoustic waves are found to be of similar strength to the 2D case, highlighting the potential impact of indirect combustion noise on the overall noise signature of the engine.
Efficiency of pyramid textured silicon solar cell with aqueous solution deposited ZnO nanotip array
Authors: Lee Ming-Kwei , Chien Yu-Kai
Published: August 2015

The efficiency of pyramid textured silicon solar cell with ZnO nanotip array was investigated. ZnO seed layer was first prepared on the top side of solar cell by radio frequency sputtering. Zinc nitrate and ammonium were used as precursors for the growth of ZnO nanotip array on ZnO seed layer by aqueous solution deposition at 70 °C. The efficiency of solar cell with ZnO nanotip array increases with the ZnO nanotip length, and the efficiency can be enhanced from 11.74% to 14.38%.
Comparative Cognitive Task Analyses of Experimental Science and Instructional Laboratory Courses
Authors: Wieman Carl
Published: August 2015

Undergraduate instructional labs in physics generate intense opinions. Their advocates are passionate as to their importance for teaching physics as an experimental activity and providing “hands-on” learning experiences, while their detractors (often but not entirely students) offer harsh criticisms that they are pointless, confusing and unsatisfying, and “cookbook.” Here, both to help understand the reason for such discrepant views and to aid in the design of instructional lab courses, I compare the mental tasks or types of thinking (“cognitive task analysis”) associated with a physicist doing tabletop experimental research with the cognitive tasks of students in an introductory physics instructional lab involving traditional verification/confirmation exercises.
The Importance of Measurement Data Spacing
Authors: Seixas T. M. , Salgueiro da Silva M. A.
Published: August 2015

When conducting experiments involving the measurement of physically related quantities, choosing an appropriate spacing for the experimental independent variable is a crucial procedure whose consequences may go beyond data graphical visualization. This is particularly true if the measured quantities are nonlinearly related and experimental errors are nonuniform. In this work, we show that measurement procedures should provide a higher density of data points in the range where experimental errors are larger, to more effectively average out random errors and thus mitigate accuracy errors in parameter determination. Knowing the effective experimental independent variable helps in defining an adequate data spacing.
Recognizing Prefixes in Scientific Quantities
Authors: Sokolowski Andrzej
Published: August 2015

Although recognizing prefixes in physical quantities is inherent for practitioners, it might not be inherent for students, who do not use prefixes in their everyday life experiences. This deficiency surfaces in AP Physics exams. For example, readers of an AP Physics exam reported “a common mistake of incorrectly converting nanometers to meters.” Similar students' mistakes were reported also by AP Chemistry readers “as in previous years, students still had difficulty converting kJ to J.” While traditional teaching focuses on memorizing the symbols of prefixes, little attention is given to helping learners recognize a prefix in a given quantity. I noticed in my teaching practice that by making the processes of identifying prefixes more explicit, students make fewer mistakes on unit conversion. Thus, this paper presents an outline of a lesson that focuses on prefix recognition. It is designed for a first-year college physics class; however, its key points can be addressed to any group of physics students.
Potential Danger in Pre-populating Exam Note Sheets with Formulas
Authors: McCaskey Timothy L.
Published: August 2015

In previous work, I allowed students in my introductory physics course to write note sheets to prepare for exams, and I analyzed the contents as a way of determining what students saw as important in my course. In the present study, I tried a new note sheet approach where I supplied some equations for their notes in advance, thinking that doing so would focus students on other important conceptual aspects of the course. In all cases, I gave a brief survey to get student perspectives on their exam preparation. In addition, I introduced an online pre-exam forum asking students to respond to two short questions about how they might prepare their notes for the exam.
Minority participation in high school physics
Authors: White Susan C.
Published: August 2015

In the May 2014 issue of The Physics Teacher, we reported that 39% of high school seniors in the 2013 class took at least one high school physics course prior to graduation. (See TPT 52, 214–15.) This month we take a closer look at participation in high school physics by racial/ethnic group. As we see below, Asian students are most likely to take a high school physics course, while the participation of African-Americans and Hispanics remains below 30%. As we will see over the next few months, the lower participation can be explained, at least in part, by socioeconomic factors. About half of Hispanic seniors and almost 45% of African-American seniors were enrolled in schools where the student body was deemed as “worse off” than their peers by principals and teachers, and these “worse off” schools were less likely to offer physics. In October, we will look at high school physics enrollment by socioeconomic status of the student body.
Go-to's for content knowledge
Authors: Riendeau Diane
Published: August 2015

There are three facets that contribute to great teaching in any subject. The teacher must know the content, have pedagogical knowledge, and manage students well. Master teachers know their subject matter so well that they can often answer questions that go beyond the scope of the class and can ask questions that inspire the class to learn more. They gather good labs and other resources that guide the students to a deep understanding of the concepts. They know how to motivate students to get them to give their best effort to the class.
Effects of acoustic streaming from moderate-intensity pulsed ultrasound for enhancing biofilm mitigation effectiveness of drug-loaded liposomes
Authors: Ma Dong , Green Adam M. , Willsey Graham G. , Marshall Jeffrey S. , Wargo Matthew J. , Wu Junru
Published: August 2015

Because biofilms have resistance to antibiotics, their control using minimum amounts of chemicals and energy becomes a critical issue particularly for resource-constrained long-term space and deep-sea explorations. This preliminary study investigates how ultrasound promoting penetration of antibiotic-loaded liposomes into alginate-based bacterial biofilms, resulting in enhanced bacterial (Ralstonia insidiosa) killing. Nano-sized liposomes are used as a delivery vehicle for the antibiotic gentamicin. Alginate-based synthetic biofilms, which are widely acknowledged as biofilm phantoms, filled with liposome solution are formed at the bottoms of six-well Petri dishes and exposed to ultrasound (frequency = 2.25 MHz, 10% duty cycle, and spatially and temporally averaged intensity ISAPA = 4.4 W/cm2). Gentamicin is released from liposomes after they are lysed using detergent solution (0.05% sodium dodecyl sulfate, 1.0% Triton X-100) and incubated for 20 min. The alginate biofilm is dissolved and diluted, counting of colony-forming units shows about 80% of the bacteria are killed. It has also been shown the liposome-capture density by the alginate film increases linearly with the ultrasound intensity up to ISAPA = 6.2 W/cm2 reaching approximately threefold that without ultrasound. Measurement by using particle-image velocimetry has demonstrated the acoustic streaming with modification by thermal convection controls the enhancement of the liposome capture rate.
Glandular odontogenic cyst: a rare entity revealed and a review of the literature
Authors: Anchlia Sonal , Bahl Sumit , Shah Vandana , Vyas Siddharth
Published: August 2015

A glandular odontogenic cyst (GOC) is a developmental cyst that is a clinically rare and histopathologically unusual type of odontogenic cyst. GOCs are now relatively well-known entities; their importance relates to the fact that they exhibit a propensity for recurrence rates from 21% to 55%, similar to odontogenic keratocysts, and may be confused microscopically with central mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Furthermore, some microscopic features of GOCs may also be found in dentigerous, botryoid, radicular and surgical ciliated cysts. The present case report aims to describe a typical case of GOC, throwing light on its epidemiology and origin, as well as on its clinical, radiographic and microscopic features, which may be helpful for diagnosis in problematic cases, long-term follow-up and to determine the most appropriate treatment.
Relationships between community social capital and injury in Canadian adolescents: a multilevel analysis
Authors: Vafaei Afshin , Pickett William , Alvarado Beatriz E
Published: August 2015

Background

Characteristics of social environments are potential risk factors for adolescent injury. Impacts of social capital on the occurrence of such injuries have rarely been explored.

Methods

General health questionnaires were completed by 8910 youth aged 14 years and older as part of the 2010 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study. These were supplemented with community-level data from the 2006 Canada Census of Population. Multilevel logistic regression models with random intercepts were fit to examine associations of interest. The reliability and validity of variables used in this analysis had been established in past studies, or in new analyses that employed factor analysis.

Results

Between school differences explained 2% of the variance in the occurrence of injuries. After adjustment for all confounders, community social capital did not have any impact on the occurrence of injuries in boys: OR: 1.01, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.29. However, living in areas with low social capital was associated with lower occurrence of injuries in girls (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.96). Other factors that were significantly related to injuries in both genders were younger age, engagement in more risky behaviours, and negative behavioural influences from peers.

Conclusions

After simultaneously taking into account the influence of community-level and individual-level factors, community levels of social capital remained a relatively strong predictor of injury among girls but not boys. Such gender effects provide important clues into the social aetiology of youth injury.
An improved preparation of some aryl α-l-arabinofuranosides for use as chromogenic substrates for α-l-arabinofuranosidases
Authors: Coyle Travis , Brumer Harry , Stubbs Keith A.
Published: August 2015

A short, robust, and expedient synthesis of various aryl α-l-arabinofuranosides using a trichloroacetimidate precursor is described. The procedure is compatible with a range of phenols with varying pKa values and may be amenable for preparing a wide range of other glycosides.
Design and testing of foam-inflated wings for small unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Bramesfeld Götz , Prinster Ryan
Published: August 2015

Inflatable wings can greatly improve the portability of small UAVs. The foam-inflated wing concept consists of a hybrid structure of rigid and flexible elements. This approach potentially reduces the packaging and logistical needs before deployment of a small UAV. The small packaging volume of the wing is achieved using spars and wing skin that are made out of flexible polyester-film material. For deployment, the cylindrical spars are rigidized using expanding foam that increases the buckling stiffness of the spars. Solid ribs that were previously attached to those spars provide high shape compliance for the external skin. Due to the solid rib structure, the chord length of the wing defines the maximum packing dimension before inflation. As demonstrated in tests, the inflation process of the hybrid wing is uncomplicated and swift. The subsequent foam-inflated structure is lightweight and can be tailored to the expected loads. In addition, the underlying ribs ensure a high aerodynamic quality, despite the inflatable nature of the hybrid wing structure. The feasibility of the concept of the hybrid wing structure has been demonstrated in flight tests.
Controlling a class of chaotic quantum system under disturbances and noisy measurements: Application to 1D Bose-Einstein condensate
Authors: Aguilar-López Ricardo , López-Pérez Pablo A. , Lara-Cisneros Gerardo , Femat Ricardo
Published: August 2015

In this paper, a robust nonlinear feedback control scheme with adaptive gain is proposed to control the chaotic behavior in a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC). The control goal concerns the track or regulation purposes. The BEC system is represented as stochastic ordinary differential equations with measured output perturbed by Gaussian noise, which represents the nature of the quantum systems. The convergence of the BEC control law is analyzed under the frame of the Lyapunov stability theory. Numerical experiments show an adequate performance of the proposed methodology under the required conditions. The results are applicable when the shape of the condensate is sufficiently simple.
A universal scaling behavior in magnetic resonance peak in high temperature superconductivity
Authors: Shin Seung Joon , Salk Sung-Ho Suck
Published: August 2015

Eminent inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements of high temperature cuprates currently lacking theoretical interpretations are the observed temperature dependence of magnetic resonance peak and linear scaling relation between the resonance peak energy, [Formula: see text] and the superconducting transition temperature, [Formula: see text]. Using our slave-boson approach of the [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] Hamiltonian (Phys. Rev. 64, 052501 (2001)) for this study, we show that starting from the pseudogap temperature [Formula: see text], the magnetic resonance peak increases with decreasing temperature, revealing its inflection point at [Formula: see text] and that spin pairing correlations are responsible for [Formula: see text]-wave superconductivity. We find that there exists a universal linear scaling behavior of [Formula: see text], irrespective of the Heisenberg exchange coupling.
Scene Categorization Through Combining LBP and SIFT Features Effectively
Authors: Bai Shung , Hou Jianjun , Ohnishi Noboru
Published: August 2015

In computer vision, Local Binary Pattern (LBP) and Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) are two widely used local descriptors. In this paper, we propose to combine them effectively for scene categorization. First, LBP and SIFT features are regularly extracted from training images for constructing a LBP feature codebook and a SIFT feature codebook. Then, a two-dimensional table is created by combining the obtained codebooks. For creating a representation for an image, LBP and SIFT features extracted from the same positions of the image are encoded together based on sparse coding by using the two-dimensional table. After processing all features in the input image, we adopt spatial max pooling to determine its representation. Obtained image representations are forwarded to a Support Vector Machine classifier for categorization. In addition, in order to improve the scene categorization performance further, we propose a method to select correlated visual words from large codebooks for constructing the two-dimensional table. Finally, for evaluating the proposed method, extensive experiments are implemented on datasets Scene Categories 8, Scene Categories 15 and MIT 67 Indoor Scene. It is demonstrated that the proposed method is effective for scene categorization.
Improving Ultra-Wideband Positioning Security Using a Pseudo-Random Turnaround Delay Protocol
Authors: Cui Xue-Rong , Li Juan , Zhang Hao , Gulliver T. Aaron , Wu Chunlei
Published: August 2015

Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is very suitable for indoor wireless localization and ranging. IEEE 802.15.4a is the first physical layer standard specifically developed for wireless ranging and positioning. While malicious devices are not typically present, snoopers, impostors and jammers can exist. The data link and network layers in standards such as Wi-Fi, IEEE 802.15.4 and 802.11 mainly provide authentication and encryption support, but security about ranging or location is rarely considered. Ranging can be achieved using just the preamble and start of frame delimiter (SFD), so in this case malicious devices can easily obtain position information. Therefore, the security of ranging or positioning protocols is very important, which differs from the case with data exchange protocols. To provide secure location services, a protocol is presented which is based on a pseudo-random turnaround delay. In this protocol, devices use different turnaround times so that it is difficult for a snooper to figure out the location of sensor devices in protected areas. At the same time, in the period of Hello frame transmission, together with the authentication mechanism of IEEE 802.15.4, an impostor cannot easily engages its deception attack.
Design and Verification of New n-Bit Quantum-Dot Synchronous Counters Using Majority Function-Based JK Flip-Flops
Authors: Angizi Shaahin , Sayedsalehi Samira , Roohi Arman , Bagherzadeh Nader , Navi Keivan
Published: August 2015

Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) is an attractive nanoelectronics paradigm which is widely advocated as a possible replacement of conventional CMOS technology. Designing memory cells is a very interesting field of research in QCA domain. In this paper, we are going to propose novel nanotechnology-compatible designs based on the majority gate structures. In the first step, this objective is accomplished by QCA implementation of two well-organized JK flip-flop designs and in the second step; synchronous counters with different sizes are presented as an application. To evaluate functional correctness of the proposed designs and compare with state-of-the-art, QCADesigner tool is employed.
Good Appearance and 3D Shape Descriptors for Object Category Recognition
Authors: Proença Pedro F. , Gaspar Filipe , Dias Miguel Sales
Published: August 2015

For the problem of object category recognition, we have studied different families of descriptors exploiting RGB and 3D information. We have proven practically that 3D shape-based descriptors are more suitable for this type of recognition due to low shape intra-class variance, as opposed to texture-based. Performance evaluation on training-set subsampling, suggests that the viewpoint invariance characteristics of 3D descriptors, favors significantly these descriptors while invariant SIFT descriptors can be ambiguous. In addition, we have also shown how an efficient Naive Bayes Nearest Neighbor (NBNN) classifier can scale to a large hierarchical RGB-D Object Dataset and achieve, with a single descriptor type, an accuracy close to state-of-the-art learning-based approaches using combined descriptors.
Multi-Pose and Occluded Facial Landmark Localization Via Sparse Shape Representation
Authors: Yu Yang , Zhang Shaoting , Yang Fei , Metaxas Dimitris
Published: August 2015

Automatic facial landmark localization is a challenging problem for real world images because of face pose variations and occlusions. This paper proposes a unified framework to robustly locate facial landmarks under different poses and occlusions. Instead of explicitly modeling the statistical point distribution, we use a sparse linear combination to approximate the observed shape, and hence alleviate the multi-pose problem. In addition, we use the sparsity constraint to handle outliers caused by occlusions. We also model the initial misalignment and use convex optimization techniques to solve them simultaneously and efficiently. We evaluated the proposed method extensively on both synthetic and real data. The experimental results are promising on handling pose variations and occlusions.
Dynamical analysis of a class of hepatitis C virus infection models with application of optimal control
Authors: Mojaver Aida , Kheiri Hossein
Published: August 2015

In this paper, we deal with the problem of optimal control of a deterministic model of hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the first part of our analysis, a mathematical modeling of HCV dynamics which can be controlled by antiretroviral therapy as fixed controls has been presented and analyzed which incorporates two mechanisms: infection by free virions and the direct cell-to-cell transmission. Basic reproduction number is calculated and the existence and stability of equilibria are investigated. In the second part, the optimal control problem representing drug treatment strategies of the model is explored considering control parameters as time-dependent in order to minimize not only the population of infected cells but also the associated costs. At the end of the paper, the impact of combination of the strategies in the control of HCV and their effectiveness are compared by numerical simulation.
Separability probability formulas and their proofs for generalized two-qubit X-matrices endowed with Hilbert–Schmidt and induced measures
Authors: Dunkl Charles F. , Slater Paul B.
Published: August 2015

Two-qubit X-matrices have been the subject of considerable recent attention, as they lend themselves more readily to analytical investigations than two-qubit density matrices of arbitrary nature. Here, we maximally exploit this relative ease of analysis to formally derive an exhaustive collection of results pertaining to the separability probabilities of generalized two-qubit X-matrices endowed with Hilbert–Schmidt and, more broadly, induced measures. Further, the analytical results obtained exhibit interesting parallels to corresponding earlier (but, contrastingly, not yet fully rigorous) results for general two-qubit states — deduced on the basis of determinantal moment formulas. Geometric interpretations can be given to arbitrary positive values of the random-matrix Dyson-index-like parameter [Formula: see text] employed.
Strategic and Economic Significances of the Construction of South Silk Road
Authors: WANG Mou
Published: August 2015

Ever since ancient times, South Silk Road has been an important business channel that connects China and Southeast Asian countries. In ancient times, it had great significances for international trades and cultural exchanges; today, South Silk Road constitutes the historical foundation for modern national defense, international trade and peaceful diplomacy with countries along the Road. As the sub-regional cooperation of the "One Belt and One Road" strategy, South Silk Road plays an important role in consolidating peripheral diplomacy and promoting opening and development of China's southwest region, which is of great strategic and economic significance. This paper proposes to initiate a cooperative construction plan, together with countries along South Silk Road, grounded upon integrative top design for promoting the development of South Silk Road. Branches of Silk Road Fund and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) would be encouraged to establish in Kunming. The plan would also support implementation of cooperative projects. It is expected to coordinate Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces to build Southeast Asian Economic Circle and to construct logistic and transport platforms of Yangtze Economic Belt; through integrating shipping and railway transportation, it would establish traffic system with high speed and low costs, and a South Silk Road Tourist Belt would be constructed for the emergence and proliferation of cultural exchanges and cross-border tourism products with international influences.
Social Construction Based on Long-Distance Water Diversion Projects — A Case Study on the Yuqiao Reservoir in Tianjin
Authors: GU Jintu , LUO Jing , ORDERUD Geir Inge
Published: August 2015

The exploding population in megacities and large cities has led to increasingly tight water supply, and large-scale cross-regional water diversion projects have arisen accordingly. A long-distance water diversion project creates environmental, economic, and social connections between the water source and receiving areas. In this paper, the Yuqiao Reservoir in Tianjin is taken as an example. Its severe situation of environmental pollution is introduced, and an analysis is conducted that the weaknesses of its current management measures are public service and social relations construction. This paper proposes the key concept of water relationship, defining it as a new-type, peer-to-peer, inter-area connection, and suggests that the construction should be steered in the four dimensions of social infrastructure, balanced mechanism design, environmental information communication, and mutual-aid environmental actions. This paper advocates that an environmental protection concept should be specifically directed, an action plan that gives balanced and reasonable consideration to public and private interests should be available for environmental actions, and environmental undertaking should be carried out on the basis of internal needs of participants.
Exposure to mechanical ventilation promotes tolerance to ventilator-induced lung injury by Ccl3 downregulation
Authors: Blázquez-Prieto Jorge , López-Alonso Inés , Amado-Rodríguez Laura , Batalla-Solís Estefanía , González-López Adrián , Albaiceta Guillermo M.
Published: August 2015

Inflammation plays a key role in the development of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Preconditioning with a previous exposure can damp the subsequent inflammatory response. Our objectives were to demonstrate that tolerance to VILI can be induced by previous low-pressure ventilation, and to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon. Intact 8- to 12-wk-old male CD1 mice were preconditioned with 90 min of noninjurious ventilation [peak pressure 17 cmH2O, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) 2 cmH2O] and extubated. Seven days later, preconditioned mice and intact controls were submitted to injurious ventilation (peak pressure 20 cmH2O, PEEP 0 cmH2O) for 2 h to induce VILI. Preconditioned mice showed lower histological lung injury scores, bronchoalveolar lavage albumin content, and lung neutrophilic infiltration after injurious ventilation, with no differences in Il6 or Il10 expression. Microarray analyses revealed a downregulation of Calcb, Hspa1b, and Ccl3, three genes related to tolerance phenomena, in preconditioned animals. Among the previously identified genes, only Ccl3, which encodes the macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1α), showed significant differences between intact and preconditioned mice after high-pressure ventilation. In separate, nonconditioned animals, treatment with BX471, a specific blocker of CCR1 (the main receptor for MIP-1α), decreased lung damage and neutrophilic infiltration caused by high-pressure ventilation. We conclude that previous exposure to noninjurious ventilation induces a state of tolerance to VILI. Downregulation of the chemokine gene Ccl3 could be the mechanism responsible for this effect.
Hypoxia Drives Breast Tumor Malignancy through a TET–TNFα–p38–MAPK Signaling Axis
Authors: Wu Min-Zu , Chen Su-Feng , Nieh Shin , Benner Christopher , Ger Luo-Ping , Jan Chia-Ing , Ma Li , Chen Chien-Hung , Hishida Tomoaki , Chang Hong-Tai , Lin Yaoh-Shiang , Montserrat Nuria , Gascon Pedro , Sancho-Martinez Ignacio , Izpisua Belmonte Juan Carlos
Published: August 2015

Hypoxia is a hallmark of solid tumors that drives malignant progression by altering epigenetic controls. In breast tumors, aberrant DNA methylation is a prevalent epigenetic feature associated with increased risk of metastasis and poor prognosis. However, the mechanism by which hypoxia alters DNA methylation or other epigenetic controls that promote breast malignancy remains poorly understood. We discovered that hypoxia deregulates TET1 and TET3, the enzymes that catalyze conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), thereby leading to breast tumor–initiating cell (BTIC) properties. TET1/3 and 5hmC levels were closely associated with tumor hypoxia, tumor malignancy, and poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. Mechanistic investigations showed that hypoxia leads to genome-wide changes in DNA hydroxymethylation associated with upregulation of TNFα expression and activation of its downstream p38–MAPK effector pathway. Coordinate functions of TET1 and TET3 were also required to activate TNFα–p38–MAPK signaling as a response to hypoxia. Our results reveal how signal transduction through the TET–TNFα–p38–MAPK signaling axis is required for the acquisition of BTIC characteristics and tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo, with potential implications for how to eradicate BTIC as a therapeutic strategy. Cancer Res; 75(18); 3912–24. ©2015 AACR.
Abstract A11: GIFT4-reprogrammed leukemic B cells for CLL immunotherapy.
Authors: Deng Jiusheng , Cohen Jonathon , Pennati Andrea , Wu Yuanqiang , Yuan Shala , Flowers Christopher , Galipeau Jacques
Published: August 2015

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the clonal proliferation and accumulation of typically CD5 positive B cells. Recently, we have developed a novel GM-CSF and IL-4 Fusion Transgene (named GIFT4), and found that GIFT4 protein triggers a robust anti-tumor B cell response (Deng et al. Cancer Research 2014). Considering CLL B cells broadly express the IL-4 receptor, we tested the immune function of human GIFT4 on CLL B cells, and discovered that GIFT4 protein possess a unique pharmaceutical property and reprograms leukemic B cells into anti-CLL effectors with T-helper features. We showed that GIFT4 protein led to hyper-phosphorylation of STAT5 in primary human CLL cells, which involed cluster of JAK1, JAK2 and JAK3 signaling. GIFT4 treated CLL B-cells up-regulated the expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD40, CD80 and CD86. Inhibition of JAK signaling with specific inhibitors suppressed the expression of the co-stimulatory molecules. GIFT4-reprogrammed CLL cells secreted IL-1β, IL-6, ICAM1 and substantial IL-2. GIFT4-CLL B cells further propelled the expansion of IFN-γ-producing autologous cytotoxic T cells and NK cells in vitro. Administration of GIFT4 protein in immune deficient NSG mice decreased the survival of primary CLL cells from patients in murine circulation. Altogether, our data demonstrate that GIFT4 has potent anti-CLL immune function by reprograming leukemic B cells into anti-CLL helper cells. We propose that the newly bio-engineered fusokine GIFT4 could serve as a potential therapeutic for CLL treatment, and GIFT4-reprogrammed leukemic B cells could provide an entirely novel B-cell driven therapeutic strategy for the potential personalized cellular immunotherapy for individuals with CLL.

Citation Format: Jiusheng Deng, Jonathon Cohen, Andrea Pennati, Yuanqiang Wu, Shala Yuan, Christopher Flowers, Jacques Galipeau. GIFT4-reprogrammed leukemic B cells for CLL immunotherapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(17 Suppl):Abstract nr A11.
Abstract A12: Combination of the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab and all-trans retinoic acid.
Authors: Nijhof Inger S. , Lokhorst Henk M. , Kessel Berris van , Doshi Parul , Sasser Kate , Mutis Tuna , Donk Niels WCJ van de
Published: August 2015

Background: Daratumumab (DARA) is an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody (mAb) with lytic activity on multiple myeloma (MM) cells, including ADCC (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity) and CDC (complement-dependent cytotoxicity). In current clinical phase I/II trials, DARA induced anti-MM activity; however, the depth of the response varied between patients. Further improvement of DARA-treatment can be achieved by modulating the mechanisms hampering DARA responsiveness.

Results: In a sub-analysis of 16 MM patients treated with DARA monotherapy (GEN501 trial), we observed that response to DARA was associated with baseline CD38 expression levels on the MM cells (R2= 0.40; P= 0.009). We also observed a significant decrease of CD38 expression on MM cells during DARA-treatment (median MFI decreased from 900 to 83).

Consistent with this idea, in vitro experiments with isogenic MM cell lines expressing different levels of CD38 have revealed that the level of CD38 expression correlates with DARA-mediated ADCC and CDC. Similarly, in bone marrow samples from 125 and 56 MM patients, we observed a significant correlation between CD38 expression and DARA-mediated ADCC (Pearson R= 0.34; P= 0.<0001) as well as CDC (Pearson R= 0.35; P= 0.0038) respectively. Altogether, this suggested that upregulation of CD38 expression, before and during DARA-treatment, may improve the anti-MM activity of DARA.

Indeed, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) induced a ~5-fold increase in CD38 expression both in 4 MM cell lines and primary MM cells from 5 DARA-naive patients, which resulted in synergistic improvement of DARA-mediated ADCC and CDC. The synergy between ATRA and DARA was observed not only in DARA-naive patients, but also in 2 DARA-treated patients, whose residual MM cells had lower CD38 expression following therapy.

Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that CD38 expression levels may predict response to DARA. Furthermore, we show that ATRA increases CD38 expression on MM cells, resulting in enhanced DARA-mediated lysis of MM cells. Our results provide the preclinical rationale for further evaluation of DARA combined with ATRA in MM patients.

Citation Format: Inger S. Nijhof, Henk M. Lokhorst, Berris van Kessel, Parul Doshi, Kate Sasser, Tuna Mutis, Niels WCJ van de Donk. Combination of the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab and all-trans retinoic acid. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(17 Suppl):Abstract nr A12.