bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“House of Prayer for All People”: A Biblical Foundation for Multicultural Ministry
Authors: Girgis Raafat
Published: April 2011

Abstract
Debates over immigration and diversity around the world have highlighted the divide between those cautious of and fearful about diversity, and those who welcome it. Profiling these attitudes, the author offers a developmental analogy and warrant for welcoming diversity as a key to congregational survival, innovation and growth. He then explores the biblical story as one that at key points turns on incorporating diversity, migration, and welcoming the stranger as instrumental in furthering God's dawning reign on the earth.
Korean Christian Zionism: A Sociological Study of Mission
Authors: Kim Sung‐Gun
Published: April 2011

From the perspective of the sociology of missions, this study explores the Korean Christian Zionists' mission work after 9/11. The current Pentecostal success in South Korea has spurred the nation to send more missionaries abroad than any other country except the United States. As America has been losing the trust of the world since 9/11, some evangelical fundamentalists argue that Korea should take over the initiative of world mission from the United States. The Jerusalem Jesus March in 2004 and the South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan in 2007 have served to admonish Korean churches to hastily reconsider coercing their missionaries to proselytize in dangerous areas such as Islamic lands. This study unfolds issues such as “spiritual subjectivism” and “Korea‐centrism”, illustrated by the Jesus March incident and the Afghan controversy, and suggests that the expansionism of Korean Pentecostal/evangelical missionaries taken up with the idea of “global spiritual conquest” is a manifestation of “Korean Christian Zionism”.
Voices and Visions from the Margins on Mission and Unity: A disability‐informed reading of the Pauline metaphor of the church as the body of Christ
Authors: George Samuel
Published: April 2011

Disability studies from a missional perspective in the Indian context are rare. Mission and unity cannot be “talked” about without the active inclusion of those in the margins; rather, they are the subject of mission and unity of the church which, in Pauline language, is the body of Christ. With the help of a disability‐informed reading of the Pauline metaphor of church as the body of Christ, an attempt is made to understand the integral constituent of this “body” and its mission and unity. Our deliberations on the metaphor of body make it amply clear that “weaker” members are indispensable for the mission and unity of the church. They are the paradigm for the manifestation of God. Mission and unity of the church depend on the inclusion and equal participation of the margins—the disabled.
Exact and Approximate Compression of Transfer Matrices for Graph Homomorphisms
Authors: Lundow Per Håkan , Markström Klas
Published: April 2011

The aim of this paper is to extend the previous work on transfer matrix compression in the case of graph homomorphisms. For H-homomorphisms of lattice-like graphs we demonstrate how the automorphisms of H, as well as those of the underlying lattice, can be used to reduce the size of the relevant transfer matrices. As applications of this method we give currently best known bounds for the number of 4- and 5-colourings of the square grid, and the number of 3- and 4-colourings of the three-dimensional cubic lattice. Finally, we also discuss approximate compression of transfer matrices.
On the Action of the Sporadic Simple Baby Monster Group on its Conjugacy Class 2B
Authors: Müller Jürgen
Published: April 2011

We determine the character table of the endomorphism ring of the permutation module associated with the multiplicity-free action of the sporadic simple Baby Monster groupBon its conjugacy class 2B, where the centraliser of a 2B-element is a maximal subgroup of shape 21+22.Co2. This is one of the first applications of a new general computational technique to enumerate big orbits.
Torsion Units in Integral Group Ring of the Mathieu Simple GroupM22
Authors: Bovdi V. A. , Konovalov A. B. , Linton S.
Published: April 2011

We investigate the possible character values of torsion units of the normalized unit group of the integral group ring of the Mathieu sporadic groupM22. We confirm the Kimmerle conjecture on prime graphs for this group and specify the partial augmentations for possible counterexamples to the stronger Zassenhaus conjecture.
Weak Convergence of the Euler Scheme for Stochastic Differential Delay Equations
Authors: Buckwar Evelyn , Kuske Rachel , Mohammed Salah-Eldin , Shardlow Tony
Published: April 2011

We study weak convergence of an Euler scheme for nonlinear stochastic delay differential equations (SDDEs) driven by multidimensional Brownian motion. The Euler scheme has weak order of convergence 1, as in the case of stochastic ordinary differential equations (SODEs) (i.e., without delay). The result holds for SDDEs with multiple finite fixed delays in the drift and diffusion terms. Although the set-up is non-anticipating, our approach uses the Malliavin calculus and the anticipating stochastic analysis techniques of Nualart and Pardoux.
Matching Simple Modules of Condensed Algebras
Authors: Noeske Felix
Published: April 2011

Let A be a finite dimensional algebra over a finite field F. Condensing an A-module V with two different idempotents e and e′ leads to the problem that to compare the composition series of V e and V e′, we need to match the composition factors of both modules. In other words, given a composition factor S of V e, we have to find a composition factor S′ of V e′ such that there exists a composition factor Ŝ of V with Ŝ e ≅ S and Ŝ e′ ≅ S′, or prove that no such S′ exists. In this note, we present a computationally tractable solution to this problem.
Computing a Chief Series and the Soluble Radical of a Matrix Group Over a Finite Field
Authors: Holt Derek F. , Stather Mark J.
Published: April 2011

We describe an algorithm for computing a chief series, the soluble radical, and two other characteristic subgroups of a matrix group over a finite field, which is intended for matrix groups that are too large for the use of base and strong generating set methods. The algorithm has been implemented in Magma by the second author.
Computing in Unipotent and Reductive Algebraic Groups
Authors: Cohen Arjeh M. , Haller Sergei , Murray Scott H.
Published: April 2011

The unipotent groups are an important class of algebraic groups. We show that techniques used to compute with finitely generated nilpotent groups carry over to unipotent groups. We concentrate particularly on maximal unipotent subgroups of split reductive groups and show how this improves computation in the reductive group itself.
A One-Dimensional Numerical Model for the Momentum Exchange in Regenerative Pumps
Authors: Quail Francis J. , Stickland Matthew , Baumgartner Armin
Published: April 2011

The regenerative pump is a rotor-dynamic turbomachine capable of developing high heads at low flow rates and low specific speeds. In spite of their low efficiency, usually less than 50%, they have found a wide range of applications as compact single-stage pumps with other beneficial features. The potential of a modified regenerative pump design is presented for the consideration of the performance improvements. In this paper the fluid dynamic behavior of the novel design was predicted using a one-dimensional model developed by the authors. Unlike most one-dimensional models previously published for regenerative pumps, the momentum exchange is numerically computed. Previous one-dimensional models relied on experimental data and correction factors; the model presented in this paper demonstrates an accurate prediction of the pump performance characteristics without the need for correction with experimental data. The validity of this approach is highlighted by the comparison of computed and measured results for two different regenerative pump standards. The pump performance is numerically assessed without the need of correction factors or other experimental data. This paper presents an approach for regenerative pumps using a physically valid geometry model and by resolving the circulatory velocity in the peripheral direction.
Effects of an Axisymmetric Contoured Endwall on a Nozzle Guide Vane: Convective Heat Transfer Measurements
Authors: Thrift A. A. , Thole K. A. , Hada S.
Published: April 2011

Heat transfer is a critical factor in the durability of gas turbine components, particularly in the first vane. An axisymmetric contour is sometimes used to contract the cross sectional area from the combustor to the first stage vane in the turbine. Such contouring can lead to significant changes in the endwall flows, thereby altering the heat transfer. This paper investigates the effect of axisymmetric contouring on the endwall heat transfer of a nozzle guide vane. Heat transfer measurements are performed on the endwalls of a planar and contoured passage whereby one endwall is modified with a linear slope in the case of the contoured passage. Included in this study is upstream leakage flow issuing from a slot normal to the inlet axis. Each of the endwalls within the contoured passage presents a unique flow field. For the contoured passage, the flat endwall is subject to an increased acceleration through the area contraction, while the contoured endwall includes both increased acceleration and a turning of streamlines due to the slope. Results indicate heat transfer is reduced on both endwalls of the contoured passage relative to the planar passage. In the case of all endwalls, increasing leakage mass flow rate leads to an increase in heat transfer near the suction side of the vane leading edge.
A General Approach for Geometric Error Modeling of Lower Mobility Parallel Manipulators
Authors: Liu Haitao , Huang Tian , Chetwynd Derek G.
Published: April 2011

This paper presents a general and systematic approach for geometric error modeling of lower mobility manipulators. The approach can be implemented in three steps: (1) development of a linear map between the pose error twist and source errors within an individual limb using the homogeneous transformation matrix method; (2) formulation of a linear map between the pose error twist and the joint error intensities of a lower mobility parallel manipulator; and (3) combination of these two models. The merit of this approach lies in that it enables the source errors affecting the compensatable and uncompensatable pose accuracy of the platform to be explicitly separated, thereby providing designers and/or field engineers with an informative guideline for the accuracy improvement achievable by suitable measures, i.e., component tolerancing in design, manufacturing and assembly processes, and kinematic calibration. Three typical and well-known parallel manipulators are taken as examples to illustrate the generality and effectiveness of this approach.
Gene Therapy for Parkinson's Disease Shows Promise
Authors: Björklund Anders , Björklund Tomas
Published: April 2011

A gene therapy trial for Parkinson's disease met its primary endpoint, but challenges remain.
Biomarkers for Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Sherer Todd B.
Published: April 2011

Identifying much-needed biomarkers for detecting early Parkinson’s disease will accelerate drug development.
Fishing for Answers
Authors: Gesty-Palmer Diane
Published: April 2011

A zebrafish model of tuberculosis reveals new insights into how drug tolerance emerges in mycobacteria.
Actionable Pharmacogenetics for Epilepsy
Authors: Niewold Timothy B.
Published: April 2011

An HLA allele is a major genetic risk factor for a severe adverse reaction to an anti-epileptic drug in Europeans.
Cooperative effects in the annelation of benzene by multiple etheno groups
Authors: Bao Xiaoguang , Hrovat David A. , Borden Weston Thatcher
Published: April 2011

The results of B3LYP/6-31G(d) calculations show that there is a strong cooperative effect on the energies that result from annelating benzene with 1, 2, and 3 etheno groups, to form 3, 4, and 5 respectively. The etheno annelation energies have been decomposed into two major contributors – etheno annelation, with all the bonds in the six-membered ring constrained to have the same C–C bond length as in D6h benzene, and optimization of the C–C bond lengths in the annelated benzene ring. The energies computed for each of these two steps show that the etheno groups behave cooperatively in both of them. The origin of the cooperativity, calculated for each step, is described and discussed.
Effect of functional knee brace use on acceleration, agility, leg power and speed performance in healthy athletes
Authors: Rishiraj Neetu , Taunton Jack E , Lloyd-Smith Robert , Regan William , Niven Brian , Woollard Robert
Published: April 2011

Objectives

To investigate performance levels and accommodation period to functional knee brace (FKB) use in non-injured braced subjects while completing acceleration, agility, lower extremity power and speed tasks.

Design

A 2 (non-braced and braced conditions) × 5 (testing sessions) repeated-measures design.

Methods

27 healthy male athletes were provided a custom fitted FKB. Each subject performed acceleration, agility, leg power and speed tests over 6 days; five non-braced testing sessions over 3 days followed by five braced testing sessions also over 3 days. Each subject performed two testing sessions (3.5 h per session) each day. Performance levels for each test were recorded during each non-braced and braced trial. Repeated measures analysis of variance, with a post hoc Tukey's test for any test found to be significant, were used to determine if accommodation to FKB was possible in healthy braced subjects.

Results

Initial performance levels were lower for braced than non-braced for all tests (acceleration p=0.106; agility p=0.520; leg power p=0.001 and speed p=0.001). However, after using the FKB for approximately 14.0 h, no significant performance differences were noted between the two testing conditions (acceleration non-braced, 0.53±0.04 s; braced, 0.53±0.04 s, p=0.163, agility non-braced, 9.80±0.74 s; braced, 9.80±0.85 s, p=0.151, lower extremity power non-braced, 58±7.4 cm; braced, 57±8.1 cm, p=0.163 and speed non-braced, 1.86±0.11 s; braced, 1.89±0.11 s, p=0.460).

Conclusions

An initial decrement in performance levels was recorded when a FKB is used during an alactic performance task. After 12.0–14.0 h of FKB use, performance measures were similar between the two testing conditions.
Identifying sedentary time using automated estimates of accelerometer wear time
Authors: Winkler Elisabeth A H , Gardiner Paul A , Clark Bronwyn K , Matthews Charles E , Owen Neville , Healy Genevieve N
Published: April 2011

Purpose

The authors evaluated the accuracy of three automated accelerometer wear-time estimation algorithms against self-report. Direct effects on sedentary time (<100 cpm) and indirect effects on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA, ≥1952 cpm) time were examined.

Methods

A subsample from the 2004/2005 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (n=148) completed activity logs and wore accelerometers for a total of 987 days. A published algorithm that allows movement within non-wear periods (Algorithm 1) was compared with one that allows less movement (Algorithm 2) or no movement (Algorithm 3). Implications for population estimates were examined using 2003/2004 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.

Results

Mean difference per day between the criterion and estimated wear time was negligible for all three algorithms (≤11 min), but 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were wide (±≥2 h). Respectively, the algorithms (1, 2 and 3) misclassified sedentary time as non-wear on 31.9%, 19.4% and 18% of days and misclassified non-wear time as sedentary on 42.8%, 43.7% and 51.3% of days. Use of Algorithm 2 (compared with Algorithm 1) affected population estimates of sedentary time (higher by 20 min/day) but not MVPA time. Agreement between Algorithms 1 and 2 was good for MVPA time (mean difference −0.08, LOA: −2.08, 1.91 min), but not for wear time or sedentary time.

Conclusion

Accelerometer wear time can be estimated accurately on average; however, misclassification can be substantial for individuals. Algorithm choice affects estimates of sedentary time. Allowing very limited movement within non-wear periods can improve accuracy.
Efficacies of different external controls for excessive foot pronation: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cheung Roy T H , Chung Raymond C K , Ng Gabriel Y F
Published: April 2011

Objectives

This meta-analysis investigated the efficacies of foot orthoses, motion control footwear and therapeutic adhesive taping in controlling foot pronation as compared with no-intervention conditions.

Data sources

Electronic searches on four electronic databases were performed and the reference lists of the screened articles were also scrutinised.

Review methods

Two reviewers screened the quasi-randomised or clinical controlled trials that examined the efficacy of the selected interventions in controlling calcaneal eversion. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed by I2index and Egger's regression intercept, respectively. Trial quality was rated by the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale.

Results

29 studies were selected. The I2indices revealed large heterogeneity which supported the use of a random effect model of meta-analysis. The Egger's regression intercepts suggested that publication bias of the included studies was marginally present in the motion control footwear and the therapeutic adhesive taping groups (p=0.06–0.07). All three interventions were effective in reducing calcaneal eversion (p<0.001) with therapeutic adhesive taping being most effective whereas Low-dye taping was less effective than the other taping techniques, such as high-dye and stirrups taping. Custom-made foot orthoses were more effective than prefabricated orthoses. Motion control footwear with heel flare or wedge design was less effective than those with dual midsole materials.

Conclusions

Foot orthoses, motion control footwear and therapeutic adhesive taping were able to control rearfoot eversion with therapeutic adhesive taping being the most effective. In the clinical practice, selection of an antipronation intervention should be based on patient characteristics, type of activity and personal preference.
‘11 for Health’, a football-based health education programme for children: a two-cohort study in Mauritius and Zimbabwe
Authors: Fuller Colin W , Junge Astrid , Dorasami Cadrivel , DeCelles Jeff , Dvorak Jiri
Published: April 2011

Objectives

To implement and assess Fédération Internationale de Football Association Medical Assessment and Research Centre's ‘11 for Health’ football-based health education programme for children.

Design

Prospective, 2-cohort study.

Setting

In-school groups (Mauritius); out-of-school groups (Zimbabwe).

Participants

Mauritius: 389 children, aged 12–15 years; Zimbabwe: 395 children, aged 10–14 years.

Intervention

Eleven 90-min sessions, each divided into two 45-min halves of Play Football (focusing on one football skill) and Play Fair (focusing on one health issue).

Main outcome measures

30-item questionnaire implemented pre and postintervention to assess children's health knowledge; six-item questionnaire implemented postintervention to assess children's views about the ‘11 for Health’ programme.

Results

Mean pre and postintervention health knowledge scores were greater in Mauritius (pre: 69.3%; post: 87.1%) than Zimbabwe (pre: 57.8%; post: 76.2%) but the mean gain in health knowledge was greater in Zimbabwe (18.4%) than Mauritius (17.8%). There were few significant differences in the outcomes for boys and girls in both countries. The ‘11 for Health’ programme was received positively by the children in both countries and there were no significant differences in the views of boys and girls in either country.

Conclusions

The study demonstrated that it was possible to achieve significant increases in children's knowledge for all health messages by implementing the ‘11 for Health’ programme in a school-based setting in collaboration with a national Football Association and in an out-of-school setting in collaboration with a non-government organisation. Based on these positive results, the authors recommend that the programme be widely implemented in Africa in co-operation with government and non-government organisations.
Injuries and injury risk factors among British army infantry soldiers during predeployment training
Authors: Wilkinson David M , Blacker Sam D , Richmond Victoria L , Horner Fleur E , Rayson Mark P , Spiess Anita , Knapik Joseph J
Published: April 2011

Purpose

This prospective cohort study examined injuries and injury risk factors in 660 British Army infantry soldiers during a predeployment training cycle.

Methods

Soldiers completed a questionnaire concerning physical characteristics, occupational factors, lifestyle characteristics (including physical training time) and previous injury. Direct measurements included height, body mass, sit-ups, push-ups and run time. Electronic medical records were screened for injuries over a 1-year period before operational deployment. Backward-stepping Cox regression calculated HR and 95% CI to quantify independent injury risk factors.

Results

One or more injuries were experienced by 58.5% of soldiers. The new injury diagnosis rate was 88 injuries/100 person-years. Most injuries involved the lower body (71%), especially the lower back (14%), knee (19%) and ankle (15%). Activities associated with injury included sports (22%), physical training (30%) and military training/work (26%). Traumatic injuries accounted for 83% of all injury diagnoses. Independent risk factors for any injury were younger age (17–19 years (HR 1.0), 20–24 years (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.93), 25–29 years (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.19) and 30–43 years (HR 0.41, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.63), previous lower limb injury (yes/no HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.87) and previous lower back injury (yes/no HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.63).

Conclusion

British infantry injury rates were lower than those reported for US infantry (range 101–223 injuries/100 soldier-years), and younger age and previous injury were identified as independent risk factors. Future efforts should target reducing the incidence of traumatic injuries, especially those related to physical training and/or sports.
LUKEWARM BLACK HOLES IN QUADRATIC GRAVITY
Authors: MATYJASEK JERZY , ZWIERZCHOWSKA KATARZYNA
Published: April 2011

Perturbative solutions to the fourth-order gravity describing spherically-symmetric, static and electrically charged black hole in an asymptotically de Sitter universe is constructed and discussed. Special emphasis is put on the lukewarm configurations, in which the temperature of the event horizon equals the temperature of the cosmological horizon.
FINITE-WIDTH EFFECTS IN THE NEAR-THRESHOLD ZZZ AND ZWW PRODUCTION AT ILC
Authors: PASECHNIK ROMAN , KUKSA VLADIMIR
Published: April 2011

We calculate the cross-section of the near-threshold off-shell ZZZ and ZW+W-production at the International Linear Collider taking into account their instability and the principal part of next-to-leading order corrections. The calculations are performed in the framework of the model of unstable particles with smeared mass-shell. We show that the contribution of the finite Z/W and H widths (their instability) is large in the Higgs resonance range (about -24% and -18% for ZZZ and ZW+W-, respectively, at [Formula: see text]) and should be taken into account in the Higgs boson studies at the future International Linear Collider.
CONTRIBUTION OF THE INTERPHASE INTERACTION TO THE INTERNAL ENERGY AND THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF DISPERSED MATRIX COMPOSITES
Authors: BORISOV V. S.
Published: April 2011

This paper is devoted to the analysis of physical processes in composite matrix materials whose properties are greatly affected by the interphase interaction of the matrix and the modifier. Contribution of this interaction to thermodynamic and dielectric properties of such materials is investigated by the example of a model system which is a colloid solution of solid particles with charged surface in a polar liquid. Mechanisms underlying formation and stabilization of specific structures near the interphase boundaries of the examined system are discussed. Special attention is paid to the assessment of additional contribution to the internal energy and heat capacity related to the electric interaction of solid and liquid components. Results obtained within the proposed model show that for a certain concentration of liquid (about several percent) the interphase energy in a unit of volume magnificently increases to the values of about 107–108 J/m3 and therefore exceeds heat motion energy of polar molecules. Moreover it was revealed that the electrical part of heat capacity is comparable to self-capacity of the liquid matrix provided that the surface charge density of solid particles is high enough.
QUANTIZATION OF MESOSCOPIC QUARTZ PIEZOELECTRIC CRYSTAL EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT
Authors: YAN ZHAN-YUAN , MA JIN-YING , ZHANG XIAO-HONG
Published: April 2011

In the framework of an advanced quantum theory for mesoscopic electric circuits in accord with the discreteness of electric charges, a mesoscopic quartz piezoelectric crystal equivalent circuit is quantized. To resolve the finite difference Schrödinger equation, an improved parameter perturbative method is proposed when WKB and perturbative method are inapplicable. With this method, the energy spectrum and wavefunctions of the system are obtained and used to calculate current quantum fluctuation as an application. The new method would be helpful to the application of the mesoscopic circuits quantum theory. Besides, the detail characters of energy spectrum and wavefunctions in the system would be helpful to the design of integrate circuit.
TOPOLOGICAL FERMI LIQUID EMERGING FROM A BOSONIC MODEL IN OPTICAL SUPERLATTICES
Authors: CHEN BO-LUN , KOU SU-PENG
Published: April 2011

In this paper, we systematically analyze the properties of the bosonic t–J model simulated in optical superlattices. In particular, by using a slave-particle approach, we show the emergence of a strange topological Fermi liquid with Fermi surfaces from a purely bosonic system. We also discuss the possibility of observing these phenomena in ultracold atom experiments. The result may provide some crucial insights into the origin of high-Tc superconductivity.
RESEARCH ON REFRACTIVE INDEX OF TERNARY SOLUTION
Authors: ZHU MIN , ZHANG TAO
Published: April 2011

It is known that many conventional methods are not suitable for calculating the refractive index of a medium composed of more than two ingredients. In this paper, refractive indices of H 2 O – NaCl – KBr ternary solutions have been calculated by using the equation n = 1 + ρΣ(cjDMj). The calculated results were in good agreement with the experimental results. Theoretically, the equation n = 1 + ρΣ(cjDMj) can be applied to calculate refractive index of a medium composed of any number of ingredients. This work supports this point.
SYNTHESIS OF THE NANOCRYSTALLINE NICKEL FERRITE BY A NOVEL MECHANO SOL–GEL AUTO-COMBUSTION METHOD
Authors: SHAHMIRZAEI M. , SEYYED EBRAHIMI S. A. , DEHGHAN R.
Published: April 2011

In this work, a novel method of mechano sol–gel auto-combustion has been developed for production of single phase nickel ferrite nanocrystalline powder, consisting of a sol–gel auto-combustion synthesis followed by a high energy milling process before calcination. Sol–gel auto-combustion was carried out using a gel including citric acid as a reductant and metal nitrates as oxidants. This gel exhibited a self-propagating behavior after ignition in air. The effects of the intermediate high energy milling on the physical properties of the final product after calcination were investigated. The results showed that with a high energy milling of the sol–gel auto-combusted powders with a ball-to-powder mass ratio of 20 for 20 h, the temperature of calcination for synthesis of the single phase ferrite reduced from 1000°C to 700°C and the size of the ferrite crystallites decreased from 72 nm to 15 nm.
ACTION DISCOVERY FOR SINGLE AND MULTI-AGENT REINFORCEMENT LEARNING
Authors: BANERJEE BIKRAMJIT , KRAEMER LANDON
Published: April 2011

The design of reinforcement learning solutions to many problems artificially constrain the action set available to an agent, in order to limit the exploration/sample complexity. While exploring, if an agent can discover new actions that can break through the constraints of its basic/atomic action set, then the quality of the learned decision policy could improve. On the flipside, considering all possible non-atomic actions might explode the exploration complexity. We present a novel heuristic solution to this dilemma, and empirically evaluate it in grid navigation tasks. In particular, we show that both the solution quality and the sample complexity improve significantly when basic reinforcement learning is coupled with action discovery. Our approach relies on reducing the number of decision points, which is particularly suited for multiagent coordination learning, since agents tend to learn more easily with fewer coordination problems (CPs). To demonstrate this we extend action discovery to multi-agent reinforcement learning. We show that Joint Action Learners (JALs) indeed learn coordination policies of higher quality with lower sample complexity when coupled with action discovery, in a multi-agent box-pushing task.
INVESTING IN THE COMMONS: A STUDY OF OPENNESS AND THE EMERGENCE OF COOPERATION
Authors: HOWLEY ENDA , DUGGAN JIM
Published: April 2011

This paper examines the evolution of agent strategies in a commons dilemma using a tag interaction model. Using a tag-mediated interaction model, individual's can determine their interactions based on their tag similarity. The experimental results show the significance of agent strategies that contribute to the overall value of the commons. The paper also examines the significance of viscosity on the emergence of cooperation in the commons dilemma. Viscosity represents a specific form of openness that will be examined in the paper. An initial series of experiments demonstrates the role of tags in the n-player dilemma while subsequent experiments examine the impact of openness on the evolution of agent strategies. The paper shows the emergence of cooperation through tag-mediated interactions. Simulation results show the emergence of strategies that contribute heavily to the value of the shared commons. The role of viscosity on the population strategy set is examined and this is similar to some forms of openness in multi-agent environments.
EXPLORING THE DIMENSIONS OF CONVENTION EMERGENCE IN MULTIAGENT SYSTEMS
Authors: VILLATORO DANIEL , SEN SANDIP , SABATER-MIR JORDI
Published: April 2011

Social conventions are useful self-sustaining protocols for groups to coordinate behavior without a centralized entity enforcing coordination. The emergence of such conventions in different multi agent network topologies has been investigated by several researchers, although exploring only specific cases of the convention emergence process. In this work we will provide multi-dimensional analysis of several factors that we believe determines the process of convention emergence, such as: the size of agents memory, the population size and structure, the learning approach taken by agents, the amount of players in the interactions, or the convention search space dimension. Although we will perform an exhaustive study of different network structures, we are concerned that different topologies will affect the emergence in different ways. Therefore, the main research question in this work is comparing and studying effects of different topologies on the emergence of social conventions. While others have investigated memory for learning algorithms, the effects of memory on the reward have not been investigated thoroughly. We propose a reward metric that is derived directly from the history of the interacting agents. Another research question to be answered is what effect does the history based reward function and the learning approach have on convergence time in different topologies. Experimental results show that all the factors analyzed affect differently the convention emergence process, being such information very useful for policy-makers when designing self-regulated systems.
DIFFUSION PROCESSES THROUGH SOCIAL GROUPS' DYNAMICS
Authors: APOLLONI ANDREA , GARGIULO FLORIANA
Published: April 2011

Axelrod's model describes the dissemination of a set of cultural traits in a society constituted by individual agents. In a social context, nevertheless, individual choices toward a specific attitude are also at the basis of the formation of communities, groups and parties. The membership in a group changes completely the behavior of single agents who start acting according to a social identity. Groups act and interact among them as single entities, but still conserve an internal dynamics. We show that, under certain conditions of social dynamics, the introduction of group dynamics in a cultural dissemination process avoids the flattening of the culture into a single entity and preserves the multiplicity of cultural attitudes. We also consider diffusion processes on this dynamical background, showing the conditions under which information as well as innovation can spread through the population in a scenario where the groups' choices determine the social structure.
TRUST AS THE BASIS OF COALITION FORMATION IN ELECTRONIC MARKETPLACES
Authors: WALTER FRANK E.
Published: April 2011

Despite the fact that social networks are ubiquitous on the Internet, only few websites exploit the potential of combining user communities and online marketplaces. Not many platforms allow users to engage in a phenomenon called "group buying" — buyers joining groups, or coalitions, to bundle their purchasing power towards sellers. We argue that this may be due to a lack of face-to-face interaction on the Internet; often, users do not know which other users to trust, which makes them suspicious of engaging in online business, in particular if many unknown other parties are involved. This situation, however, can be alleviated by leveraging the social networks of users: based on who a user knows and is connected to, a trust metric — for example, the TrustWebRank metric developed by us — can be computed to assess who else may be considered trustworthy to that user. In this paper, we build a simple agent-based model of coalition formation among agents in the setting of group buying in an electronic marketplace. In this model, agents use their trust relationships in order to determine who to form coalitions with. We show that this leads agents to experience high utility and that agents are able to learn who is trustworthy and who is not, even when they have no initial knowledge about the trustworthiness of other agents. This work may provide the foundation for a real-world application of an online coalition formation platform for e-commerce built on a social networking platform such as Facebook.
GENERATION OF GRAPH-STATE ENTANGLEMENT WITH ATOMIC ENSEMBLES VIA THE DIPOLE BLOCKADE MECHANISM
Authors: XIE HONG , CHEN MEI-XIANG
Published: April 2011

A scheme is proposed for generating graph-state entanglement between many atomic ensembles. In this scheme, the photons are transferred from the single-"spin" excitations of the atomic ensembles via the dipole blockade mechanism, which act as ancillary qubits and interfere with each other on linear optics apparatus. The quantum-entangled state of the atomic ensembles can be obtained under the conditional detection of the photons. Since the single-"spin" excitations can be deterministically created via strong long-range dipole–dipole interaction and the transferred efficiency is enhanced by the many-atom interference effects, our scheme can work with a high probability of success.
QUANTUM MECHANISM HELPS AGENTS COMBAT "BAD" SOCIAL CHOICE RULES
Authors: WU HAOYANG
Published: April 2011

Quantum strategies have been successfully applied to game theory for years. However, as a reverse problem of game theory, the theory of mechanism design is ignored by physicists. In this paper, the theory of mechanism design is generalized to a quantum domain. The main result is that by virtue of a quantum mechanism, agents who satisfy a certain condition can combat "bad" social choice rules instead of being restricted by the traditional mechanism design theory.
FIDELITY AND ENTANGLEMENT CLOSE TO QUANTUM PHASE TRANSITION IN A TWO-LEG XXZ SPIN LADDER
Authors: REN JIE , ZHU SHIQUN
Published: April 2011

The fidelity susceptibility and entanglement entropy in a system of two-leg XXZ spin ladder with rung coupling is investigated by using exact diagonalization of the system. The effects of rung coupling on fidelity susceptibility, entanglement entropy, and quantum phase transition are analyzed. It is found that the quantum phase transition between two different XY phases can be well-characterized by the fidelity susceptibility. Although the quantum phase transition from XY phase to rung singlet phase can be hardly detected by fidelity susceptibility, it can be predicted by the first derivative of the entanglement entropy of the system.
QUANTUM PHASE GATES WITH TRAPPED ATOMS COUPLING TO A SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSMISSION LINE RESONATOR
Authors: LI PENG-BO
Published: April 2011

We propose a hybrid approach with atoms trapped above the surface of a microwave superconducting transmission line resonator to implement a universal two-qubit phase gate based on geometric or dynamical phase shifts. These proposals exploit the Rydberg excitation blockade mechanism that results from the effective long-range dipole–dipole interactions mediated by the stripline cavity mode. The geometric one relies on the stimulated Raman adiabatic passage techniques involving only the ground states of the trapped atoms, while the dynamical phase gate employs the pulse area techniques. These proposals may provide interesting applications in the field of on-chip quantum computations.
A MINI-WALKING ROBOT: ARCHITECTURE, ALGORITHM, AND SYSTEM
Authors: WU XINYU , LE FULIANG , CHEN CHUNJIE , OU YONGSHENG
Published: April 2011

This paper describes an innovative mini-walking robot with Barbie's image. The most special feature of this walking robot is that its total weight and dimensions are expected to be lighter and smaller than other mini-walking robots. And the leg mechanism of the robot can work as smoothly as a human's with only one DOF. The model of this mini-walking robot can be expressed as a walking leg mechanism with a stick. The leg mechanism has been designed to avoid foot interference during walking; we ensure that more than one foot touches the ground all the time. The stick helps the robot move around stably; it supports most of the weight of the robot, and avoids overpressure on legs. Moreover, a dynamic structural model is developed in SimMechanism with toolboxes of Pro/Engineer to analyze parameters, which simulate leg mechanism, solve gait problems, and ensure that the gait of the robot can be more similar to humans. Finally, simulation results and real walking figures are given to verify the feasibility of the proposed mechanism and the real performance of this robot.
IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF CLINICAL DATASETS
Authors: SIVASANKAR E. , RAJESH R. S.
Published: April 2011

In this paper, Principal Component Analysis is used for feature extraction, and a statistical learning based Support Vector Machine is designed for functional classification of clinical data. Appendicitis data collected from BHEL Hospital, Trichy is taken and classified under three classes. Feature extraction transforms the data in the high-dimensional space to a space of fewer dimensions. The classification is done by constructing an optimal hyperplane that separates the members from the nonmembers of the class. For linearly nonseparable data, Kernel functions are used to map data to a higher dimensional space and there the optimal hyperplane is found. This paper works with different SVMs based on radial basis and polynomial kernels, and their performances are compared.
MODELING FOR STOCKPILE OPERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH BULK SOLID MATERIALS USING BUCKET WHEEL RECLAIMER
Authors: LU TIEN-FU
Published: April 2011

Bucket wheel reclaimer (BWR) is one of the main equipment which has been widely used for stacking/reclaiming bulk materials (i.e., iron ore and coal) in ports, iron-steel plants, coal storages, and power stations onto/from stockpiles by mining industry. Generally speaking, current BWRs are mostly manually operated, remotely operated, or automated to simply follow predefined trajectory patterns for stacking and reclaiming operations. BWRs are indeed very large in size, heavy in weight, expensive in price, and slow in motion. It is commonly agreed in the industry that the current stacking/reclaiming efficiency can be largely improved in several areas to obtain huge amount of savings in dollar terms. However, as stockpiles and BWRs are always heavily engaged in production and cannot be long spared or frequently interrupted for the required studies and developments for efficiency improvement, a close to real simulation environment including stockpiles, BWRs, and the associated environment would be highly valuable and greatly beneficial to carry out necessary studies, planning, preparations, and evaluations. This paper presents the progresses of the modeling work achieved so far for the simulation of stockpile operations associated with bulk solid materials using BWRs. The content covers the modeling of stockpiles, typical BWR, voxel-based reclaiming trajectory generation, and their implementation in a simplified stockyard. The result demonstrates a powerful simulation environment is being woven together and can be used as a tool for further investigations to improve relevant production efficiencies.
A VECTOR-HOST EPIDEMIC MODEL WITH HOST MIGRATION
Authors: KONG QINGKAI , QIU ZHIPENG , ZOU YUN
Published: April 2011

The host migration is one of the important elements that cause the worldwide diffusion and outbreak of many vector-host diseases. In this paper, we formulate a patchy model to investigate the effect of host migration between two patches on the spread of a vector-host disease. The results of the paper show that the reproduction number R0 is a threshold value that determines the uniform persistence and extinction of the disease. If the reproduction number R0 < 1 the disease free equilibrium (DFE) is locally asymptotically stable. If the reproduction number R0 > 1 then the DFE is unstable and the system is uniformly persistent. It is also shown that a unique endemic equilibrium, which exists when R0 > 1, is locally stable if both regions are identical.
EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF PARAMETER HETEROGENEITY ON THE INTRINSIC DYNAMICS OF HIV/AIDS IN HETEROSEXUAL SETTINGS
Authors: NGARAKANA-GWASIRA E. T. , BHUNU C. P. , MUSHAYABASA S. , HOVE-MUSEKWA S. D. , GARIRA W. , TCHUENCHE J. M.
Published: April 2011

A sex-structured staged progression model for heterosexual transmission dynamics of HIV/AIDS in a community to theoretically assess the effects of gender parameter accounting for population heterogeneity is formulated and analyzed. The basic model without this parameter is analyzed, and then extended to include gender heterogeneity in order to explore its role on the transmission dynamics of the disease. Mathematical properties including epidemic thresholds known as reproductive numbers are derived. The models are numerically analysed using some demographic and epidemiological parameters for Zimbabwe. These simulations suggest that the use of identical gender attributes simplifies computation at the expense of reality as it underestimates the size of the epidemic by 5%. This study demonstrates that the use of gender related parameter in the transmission dynamics of HIV gives a better estimate of the prevalence of the epidemic and should be given prominence.
A CTL-INCLUSIVE MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR ANTIRETROVIRAL TREATMENT OF HIV INFECTION
Authors: TARFULEA NICOLETA , BLINK ALLISON , NELSON ERIC , TURPIN DAVID
Published: April 2011

Treatment of HIV infection has traditionally consisted of antiretroviral therapy (ART), a regimen of pharmaceutical treatments that often produces unwanted physical side effects and can become costly over long periods of time. Motivated by a way to control the spread of HIV in the body without the need for large quantities of medicine, researchers have explored treatment methods which rely on stimulating an individual's immune response, such as the cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) response, in addition to the usage of antiretroviral drugs. This paper investigates theoretically and numerically the effect of immune effectors in modeling HIV pathogenesis, our results suggest the significant impact of the immune response on the control of the virus during primary infection. Qualitative aspects (including positivity, stability, uncertainty, and sensitivity analysis) are addressed. Additionally, by introducing drug therapy, we analyze numerically the model to assess the effect of treatment. Our results show that the inclusion of the CTL compartment produces a higher rebound for an individual's healthy helper T-cell compartment than does drug therapy alone. Furthermore, we quantitatively characterize successful drugs or drug combination scenarios.
High-Temperature Thermoelectric Property of Layered La2-2xCa1+2xMn2O7 Manganites (0.75 ≤x ≤1.0)
Authors: Toyoda Takeshi , Sasaki Naoya , Shimada Kazuhiro , Okube Maki , Sasaki Satoshi
Published: April 2011

La2-2x
Ca1+2x
Mn2O7 manganites with a doping concentration range of 0.75 ≤x ≤1.0 have been investigated to evaluate their thermoelectric properties in the high-temperature range from 400 to 1200 K. The materials, which are well known as n = 2 Ruddlesden–Popper compounds, have been confirmed as n-type semiconductors from the observation of the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficients. The electrical conductivity increases with increasing La concentration, suggesting hopping conduction. The thermal conductivity of the materials examined in this study is less than 1.0 W·m-1·K-1 at room temperature. The dimensionless figure of merit (Z
T) was drastically enhanced by La doping, and had the value of 0.018 at 1173 K for La0.05Ca2.95Mn2O7. This behavior is similar that of the well-known layered structure such as the p-type misfit-layered Ca3Co4O9 where high Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity.
Mechanism for Lower Resistivity of Niobium-Doped Anatase Titanium Dioxide Obtained in Oxygen-Reduced Atmosphere: Investigation by Generalized Gradient Approximation +U Method
Authors: Orita Nozomi
Published: April 2011

I investigated the mechanism by which the resistivity of niobium (Nb)-doped anatase titanium dioxide (TiO2) grown in an oxygen-reduced atmosphere decreases. For this purpose, I performed the generalized gradient approximation (GGA)+U calculation for the several oxygen-related defects in a Nb-doped TiO2 (TNO) supercell: an interstitial oxygen (Oint) atom in TNO, an Oint atom and an oxygen vacancy (VO) in TNO, and a VO in TNO. The obtained results showed that the Oint atoms trap the doped electrons and that the electrons are restored to the conduction bands by removing the Oint atoms. Therefore, removing the Oint atoms in oxygen-reduced atmosphere causes the lower resistivity. The defect formation enthalpies also indicated that the structure without the Oint atoms is stable in oxygen-reduced atmosphere.