bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of cognition using the Rao's Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests on a group of Brazilian patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Brooks Joseph Bruno Bidin , Borela Mariana Cossi Monseff , Fragoso Yara Dadalti
Published: January 2012

To assess the cognition of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using the Rao's Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB-N). METHOD: BRB-N was translated and adapted for control subjects. Subsequently, it was applied to a group of patients with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS. RESULTS: The assessment on the healthy controls (n=47) showed that the correlation between tests on the same cognitive domain was high and that there was a five-factor solution that explained 90% of the total variance. Except for the Word List Generation subset of tests, the performance of patients with RRMS (n=39) was worse than that of the healthy controls. CONCLUSION: BRB-N is a relatively simple method to assess cognition of patients with MS in the daily clinic. It does not take long to apply and does not require special skills or equipment.
Psychiatry disorders and dengue: Is there a relationship?
Authors: Caixeta Leonardo , Azevedo Paulo Verlaine Borges , Caixeta Marcelo , Reimer Cláudio Henrique Ribeiro
Published: January 2012

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of compulsive hoarding with dengue. METHOD: Fifty two adults notified by health vigilance authorities because of inappropriate trash accumulation in vacant lots in Goiânia, Central Brazil, completed a questionnaire regarding the presence and severity of hoarding behavior (Hoarding Rating Scale-Interview HRS-I). Five dimensions of hoarding are evaluated with this instrument: difficulty using spaces due to clutter, difficulty discarding possessions, excessive acquisition of objects, emotional distress and functional impairment due to hoarding behaviors. RESULTS: The sample was primarily male, with an average age of 49 years. Eighty six percent of the sample scored 14 or greater on the HRS-I, indicating pathological hoarding. The medias of the five HRS-I domains were high, indicating severeness of all dimentions of pathological hoarding. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the relationship between psychiatric disorder and actions upon environmental conditions that favors dengue, as well as its associated public health burden.
Prevalence of Enamel Defects in Permanent Teeth of Patients with Complete Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Ruiz Luciana Angélica , Maya Rafael Ribeiro , D'alpino Paulo Henrique Perlatt , Atta Maria Teresa , Da Rocha Svizero Nádia
Published: January 2012

Objective

To evaluate the prevalence, types, location, and characteristics of enamel defects in anterior permanent teeth of patients with complete unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate, as well as the relation with the cleft.

Setting

Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil.

Participants

Eighty patients of both genders, 12 years and older, with unilateral or bilateral cleft lip and palate.

Methods

A single examiner carried out clinical examination under artificial light with a dental probe and mirror after drying teeth according to the modified DDE index.

Results

Seventy-four of 80 patients presented with at least one tooth affected by enamel defects: 165 of 325 evaluated teeth (50.8%) presented enamel defects, with hypoplasia being the most prevalent (50.7%), followed by diffuse opacity (23.1%) and demarcated opacity (18.4%). The most affected tooth was 21 (36.5%), followed by 11 (34%), located at the middle (40%) and incisal (33%) thirds. Most defects occur at the buccal surface (47.7%), followed by the distal (22.7%), the mesial (19%), and the palatal (10.6%) surfaces. A significant relationship was found between the cleft side and enamel defects.

Conclusion

Upper anterior teeth of patients with complete cleft lip and palate present a high prevalence of enamel defects; the highest percentage on the cleft side suggests that the cleft does influence the occurrence of enamel defects in permanent teeth.
Notch1-Mediated Tumor Suppression in Cervical Cancer with the Involvement of SST Signaling and Its Application in Enhanced SSTR-Targeted Therapeutics
Authors: Franko-Tobin Laura G. , Mackey L. Vienna , Huang Wei , Song Xiangwei , Jin Baofeng , Luo Jing , Morris Lynsie M. , Liu Minqiu , Fuselier Joseph A. , Coy David H. , Wu Lizi , Sun Lichun
Published: January 2012

The role of Notch signaling in cervical cancer is seemingly controversial. To confirm the function of Notch signaling in this type of cancer, we established a stable Notch1-activated cervical cancer HeLa cell line. We found that Notch1 activation resulted in apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and tumor suppression. At the molecular level, we found that a variety of genes associated with cyclic AMP, G protein-coupled receptor, and cancer signaling pathways contributed to Notch1-mediated tumor suppression. We observed that the expression of somatostatin (SST) was dramatically induced by Notch1 signaling activation, which was accompanied by enhanced expression of the cognate SST receptor subtype 1 (SSTR1) and SSTR2. Certain genes, such as tumor protein 63 (TP63, p63), were upregulated, whereas others, such as B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), Myc, Akt, and STAT3, were downregulated. Subsequently, knockdown of Notch1-induced SST reversed Notch1-induced decrease of BCL-2 and increase of p63, indicating that Notch1-induced tumor suppression may be partly through upregulating SST signaling. Our findings support a possible crosstalk between Notch signaling and SST signaling. Moreover, Notch-induced SSTR activation could enhance SSTR-targeted cancer chemotherapy. Valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, suppressed cell growth and upregulated the expression of Notch1 and SSTR2. A combination therapy with VPA and the SSTR2-targeting cytotoxic conjugate CPT-SST strongly led to greater suppression, as compared to each alone. Our findings thus provide us with a promising clinical opportunity for enhanced cancer therapy using combinations of Notch1-activating agents and SSTR2-targeting agents.
REVERSING THE SIGNALED MAGNITUDE EFFECT IN DELAYED MATCHING TO SAMPLE: DELAY‐SPECIFIC REMEMBERING?
Authors: White K. Geoffrey , Brown Glenn S.
Published: January 2012

Pigeons performed a delayed matching‐to‐sample task in which large or small reinforcers for correct remembering were signaled during the retention interval. Accuracy was low when small reinforcers were signaled, and high when large reinforcers were signaled (the signaled magnitude effect). When the reinforcer‐size cue was switched from small to large partway through the retention interval, accuracy accordingly changed from low to high. The opposite happened when the cue was switched from large to small. This dissociation of forgetting from the passage of time raises the possibility that remembering is delay‐specific. The reversal of the signaled magnitude effect during the retention interval is consistent with an attentional account in which the stimulus control of remembering is influenced by extraneous events.
Potentials of Mouthwashes in Disinfecting Cariogenic Bacteria and Biofilms Leading to Inhibition of Caries
Authors: Oyanagi Takehiro , Tagami Junji , Matin Khairul
Published: January 2012

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of certain commercially available mouthwashes on cariogenic bacteria and biofilms, following the acquisition of inhibition potentials of caries.

Materials and Methods:

Mouthwashes containing I) chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG; 0.0005% w/v), II) benzethonium chloride (BTC; 0.01% w/v), III) an essential oil (Listerine), and IV) povidone-iodine (PVP-I; 0.035% w/v) were tested on planktonic cariogenic bacteria, biofilms, and an ex vivo caries model. Bacterial aliquots were inoculated with each solution separately and vortexed for 10 seconds at room temperature. Bacterial viability was subsequently investigated by fluorescence microscopy (FM) after staining with a BacLight viability kit and the number of colony-forming units (CFUs) was counted. Similarly, mouthwash solutions were applied to artificial cariogenic biofilms, and bacterial viability of the biofilms was investigated as stated above. Inhibition potentials of two selected mouthwashes of carious lesions were investigated using biofilm-induced caries and a secondary caries model. In all steps, a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution was included as a control.

Results:

Planktonic cariogenic bacteria and bacteria embedded in biofilms were killed in remarkably large numbers with Listerine and PVP-I treatment compared to PBS and other gargles. CFU counts also showed significant reduction after treatment with Listerine and PVP-I compared to other solutions (P<0.05). Listerine also displayed significant (P<0.05) inhibition effects in preventing the progression of demineralization.

Conclusion:

Bactericidal potencies of the mouthwashes varied significantly, suggesting that mouthwashes like Listerine can be useful for the prevention of caries and secondary caries.
The Coastal Boundary Layer and Air Pollution - A High Temporal Resolution Analysis in the East Mediterranean Coast
Authors: Uzan Leenes , Alpert Pinhas
Published: January 2012

The East Mediterranean (EM) coast is characterized by warm sea temperatures and a nearly linear coastline. Both parameters influence the sea breeze front and the atmospheric conditions most relevant to air pollution dispersion. Here, the high resolution boundary-layer diurnal variation is highlighted leading to a distinct pattern of spatial-temporal air pollution dispersion, for over 25 years, from Israel's largest coal-fired power plant. Over 4,000 air pollution events
were segregated by semi-objective synoptic systems and 7 years of boundary layer profiles carried out by acoustic radar. Results clarify why the highest air pollution events occur during summer at 12:00- 15:00 h through the average coincident drop of the boundary layer height down to 450 m above the ground. Here, the interaction between the synoptics and the sea-breezes is shown to play a significant role in the specific air pollution pattern.
Overcoming Challenges to Struvite Recovery from Anaerobically Digested Dairy Manure
Authors: Huchzermeier Matthew P. , Tao Wendong
Published: January 2012

Recovering struvite from dairy manure has consistently posed problems for researchers. This study separated solids from anaerobically digested dairy manure using a filtration system. Filtrate was rich in free magnesium (160 to 423 mg/L), ammonium (320 to 1800 mg N/L) and orthophosphate (93 to 332 mg P/L). High concentrations of free calcium (128 to 361 mg/L) and alkalinity (3309 to 6567 mg/L as CaCO3), however, may hinder struvite precipitation. Batch precipitation tests were conducted to identify and overcome factors that interfere with struvite formation. Precipitation tests at pH 9 identified calcium and ionic strength as most probable interferences. Calcium addition did not significantly change phosphorus removal efficiency, but decreased struvite purity because of formation of calcium phosphates when Ca:P activity ratio was greater than 0.5 to 1. Batch tests demonstrated effective calcium removal from anaerobically digested dairy manure through precipitation of calcium carbonate at pH 9 to 10 while retaining magnesium and orthophosphate, lessening hindrance to struvite formation.
Cotton‐Textile Wastewater Management: Investigating Different Treatment Methods
Authors: Georgiou D. , Aivasidis A.
Published: January 2012

The cotton‐textile industry consumes significant amounts of water during manufacturing, creating high volumes of wastewater needing treatment. The organic‐load concentration of cotton‐textile wastewater is equivalent to a medium‐strength municipal wastewater; the color of the water, however, remains a significant environmental issue. This research, in cooperation with a cotton‐textile manufacturer, investigated different treatment methods and different combinations of methods to identify the most cost‐effective approaches to treating textile wastewater. Although activated‐sludge is economical, it can only be used as part of an integrated wastewater management system because it cannot decolorize wastewater. Coagulation/flocculation methods are able to decolorize cotton‐wastewater; however, this process creates high amounts of wastewater solids, thus significantly increasing total treatment costs. Chemical oxidation is an environmentally friendly technique that can only be used as a polishing step because of high operating costs. Anaerobic digestion in a series of fixed‐bed bioreactors with immobilized methanogens using acetic acid as a substrate and a pH‐control agent followed by activated‐sludge treatment was found to be the most cost‐effective and environmentally safe cotton‐textile wastewater management approach investigated.
Anaerobic treatment applications and fundamentals: substrate specificity during phase separation
Authors: Fox Peter , Pohland Frederick G.
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT:  The effect of phase separation on anaerobic biodegradation was evaluated in terms of thermodynamic principles. Individual components of common wastewaters were considered, and results indicate that the response of different substrates to phase‐separated anaerobic treatment is diverse. A key element is the response of soluble substrates to acidification when syntrophic relationships are eliminated and biological reactions that require syntrophic relationships are altered. The acidification of carbohydrates and some proteins is thermodynamically favorable. In contrast, the acidification of fatty acids and aromatics is not thermodynamically favorable unless a sink for reducing equivalents is available. Reported data are consistent with this analysis and phase separation has been observed to enhance the treatment of carbohydrate wastewaters. In addition, the potential for detoxification of specific inhibitory compounds under acidifying conditions has been observed. Whether or not treatment of certain substrates will be enhanced by phase separation should be considered in the choice of reactor design, recognizing that various reactor designs exhibit different degrees of phase separation. This paper presents an overview on how phase‐separated treatment affects the biodegradation of specific substrates and relates this to the selection of reactor designs.
Effects of diet on survival, reproduction, and sensitivity of Ceriodaphnia dubia
Authors: LaRocca Christine A. , Francisco Donald E. , DiGiano Francis A.
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACT:  The effect of diet on the health and robustness of Ceriodaphnia dubia was investigated. C dubia were raised on three diets for 19 generations to evaluate survival and reproduction. The three diets used to culture C. dubia were the EPA‐recommended one containing the green alga, Selenastrum capricornutum, plus a mixture of yeast, cereal leaves (Sigma Chemical), and trout chow (YCT); one containing the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, plus YCT; and one with a combination of the two species of algae plus YCT. C. dubia also were subjected to various copper concentrations to evaluate the relative sensitivity to toxicants of animals raised on different diets. The levels of survival and reproduction of C. dubia raised on all three diets satisfied the both the EPA and North Carolina Division of Environmental Management Mini‐chronic Pass/Fail Ceriodaphnia Effluent Toxicity Test minimum standards for control animals used in a chronic toxicity test. Survival was not significantly different in any diet tested. Reproduction was higher in the S. capricornutum/C reinhardtii/YCT diet than in the other diets. C dubia raised on the S. capricornutum/C. reinhardtii/YCT diet were also less sensitive to copper than animals raised on the single algae diets. The results suggest that a diet that includes multiple species of algae is nutritionally superior to one that includes a single species of algae. The nature of the diet may determine whether a particular toxicant or effluent is toxic at a particular concentration.
In-situ polymerized molecularly imprinted polymeric thin films used as sensing layers in surface plasmon resonance sensors: Mini-review focused on 2010–2011
Authors: Lépinay Sandrine , Kham Khémara , Millot Marie-Claude , Carbonnier Benjamin
Published: January 2012

This review provides a short overview of polymeric thin films incorporating molecular imprints within their 3D macromolecular structure as synthetic recognition elements and prepared by in situ polymerization for surface plasmon resonance application. This review starts with a brief reminder of the principle of surface plasmon resonance detection. The second section is focused on molecularly imprinted materials. Bulk and thin film polymer formats can be obtained by free radical polymerization, where the functional monomer interacts specifically with the template and the cross-linker controls the rigidity of the imprinted cavities. Grafting polymerization is presented as a method of choice for covalent attachment of ultra-thin molecularly imprinted films on a surface plasmon resonance metallic substrate. Examples of electropolymerized thin films are also provided. In the rest of this contribution, surface plasmon resonance applications of molecularly imprinted polymers reported mainly over the last two years are presented with respect to the preparation mode. Also, applications of gold nanoparticle/molecularly imprinted polymer composites for the design of surface plasmon resonance-based sensors with enhanced sensitivity due to the phenomenon of localized surface plasmon resonance induced by the presence of gold nanoparticles are summarized.
Extractive distillation modeling of the ternary system 2-methoxy-2-methylpropane-methanol-butan-1-ol
Authors: Labovská Zuzana , Steltenpohl Pavol , Graczová Elena
Published: January 2012

Influence of model complexity on the separation equipment performance was investigated. As an example, separation of azeotrope formed by 2-methoxy-2-methylpropane and methanol was considered using butan-1-ol as an extractive solvent. Non-equilibrium model of a column for extractive distillation accounting for the mass and heat transfer rates was composed according to the rigorous Maxwell-Stefan theory. An empirical AICHE correlation was adopted for the calculation of binary mass transfer coefficients at column trays. Results of the column steady-state operation were compared with those obtained assuming different equilibrium models. Effect of the quality of the vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) description on the results of the separation simulation considering real behavior of either liquid or both equilibrium phases was tested. Real behavior of the liquid phase was computed according to the NRTL equation taking into account binary and, in some cases, also ternary equilibrium data. In case of real behavior of the vapor phase, the equation of state in the form of virial expansion was employed. Qualitative agreement was found comparing the simulation results calculated by equilibrium and non-equilibrium models of the extractive distillation column while using the same description of ternary VLE.
Web-Based “Crowdsourcing” Approach to Improve Areawide “Bikeability” Scoring
Authors: Krykewycz Gregory R. , Pollard Christopher , Canzoneri Nicholas , He Elizabeth
Published: January 2012

Various established methods are available for estimating the comfort or compatibility of roadways for bicycling. Making field measurements to create a complete areawide bicycle comfort (or bikeability) map for every roadway in a large geographic area can be prohibitively labor-intensive, however, and for this reason many large-scale applications rely heavily on available geographic information system data. This in turn can limit accuracy and credibility. This project employed a web-based “crowdsourcing” approach in which large-scale public and stakeholder participation was used to improve the quality of an initial bikeability data set. This approach allowed planners to draw on the expertise of local residents and bicyclists to increase the accuracy of ratings for specific locations and along specific roadways as well as to collect location-based comments for a new bike master plan. This paper details the process pursued, the level of participation generated, and project success in enhancing the quality of the “bikeability” data set. The paper also includes a handful of lessons learned for planners considering similar project applications of web-based public outreach.
Assessing Travel Demand Management for the Summer Olympic Games
Authors: Currie Graham , Delbosc Alexa
Published: January 2012

The Summer Olympic Games present the largest-ever transport challenge for host cities that are often already facing aging infrastructure and congestion pressures. This paper reviews approaches to travel demand management (TDM) for travel related to the Olympic Games and assesses documented evidence on travel impacts. The review aims to inform future planning for the games but also to provide lessons for general urban planning. This paper is part of a wider research project applying transport lessons from Olympic Games to the Hajj–Omrah pilgrimage in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Five Olympic TDM measures are described: travel capacity creation, travel behavior change, traffic efficiency, traffic bans, and public transit emphasis. Different approaches and their impact on travel are discussed, with particular emphasis on how base-load nongames travel is reduced. In general, more recent games have emphasized significant investment in high-capacity transit infrastructure and much stronger measures for reducing car use than conventionally occurs in host cities because of the relative capacity efficiency of these modes. There is some evidence that more recent games have adopted more subtle TDM approaches such as test events and communications strategies to reduce base load travel. Evidence suggests that reductions of up to 30% occur in systemwide base-load demand and that localized impacts can be up to 40%. The games provide a practical case study for general urban planning because strong TDM practices are applied to achieve significant change in congested cities. These changes provide an excellent basis to inform planning for congested cities facing similar challenges in general urban transport.
Car Drivers’ Preferences regarding Location and Contents of Parking Guidance Systems
Authors: Van Der Waerden Peter , Timmermans Harry , Barzeele Peter
Published: January 2012

The goal of this study is to provide insights into car drivers’ preferences on the location and contents of parking guidance systems (PGS). Both aspects of PGS are investigated with a stated choice experiment in which seven PGS-related features are examined: the name of the parking facility, the type of parking facility, the tariff at the parking facility, the occupancy rate per parking facility, the distance between parking and destinations, the number of parking facilities, and the routes to parking facilities. “Location” is defined as either the inner ring of the city, the entrances to the city, or nearness to the parking facilities. The study shows that a majority of car drivers are aware of the presence of PGS and that they use the information presented by PGS. Parking facility occupancy rate is the feature most preferred by drivers, followed by the presentation of the name of the parking facility, the parking tariff, and the route to the parking facility. Car drivers do not have a specific preference on the location of PGS. The influence of personal characteristics and experiences with PGS is limited.
Bottleneck and Queuing Analysis
Authors: Huntsinger Leta F. , Rouphail Nagui M.
Published: January 2012

This paper discusses the link performance functions used in travel demand models with a focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the most commonly used volume–delay functions. These include the Bureau of Public Roads function, the conical delay function, Highway Capacity Manual procedures, and the Akcelik function. Improvements to the volume–delay functions used in travel demand models are of particular importance in light of the increased emphasis on reliable speed outputs to support air quality initiatives, improved accessibility measures for various submodels, and the desire to evaluate a broader range of policy issues. One of the key challenges that analysts face in the development of locally calibrated volume–delay functions is how best to represent the regime in which the volume—or, more aptly stated, the demand—exceeds capacity, a regime that cannot be directly observed, even though it is required for highway assignment. This paper explores the use of freeway detector data along with bottleneck and queue analysis as a relatively straightforward approach for estimating demand beyond capacity for fitting locally calibrated volume–delay functions. The results of this study show that bottleneck analysis and queue length estimation are effective means of accomplishing this goal, providing a valuable tool for improving models with locally collected data.
Fundamental Diagram of Traffic Flow
Authors: Li Jia , Zhang H. Michael
Published: January 2012

A systematic approach is developed to identify the bivariate relation of two fundamental traffic variables, traffic volume and density, from single-loop detector data. The approach is motivated by the observation of a peculiar feature of traffic fluctuations. That is, in a short time, traffic usually experiences fluctuations without a significant change in speed. This fact is used to define equilibrium in a new manner, and a mixed integer programming approach is proposed for constructing a piecewise linear fundamental diagram (FD) accordingly. By construction, the proposed method is data adaptive and optimal in the sense of least absolute deviation. This method is used to perform a case study with data from one section of a multilane freeway. The results indicate that both capacity drop and concave–convex FD shapes abound in practice. Differences in traffic behavior across freeway lanes and along freeway sections revealed through the FD are discussed.
Low-Rank Unscented Kalman Filter for Freeway Traffic Estimation Problems
Authors: Ngoduy Dong
Published: January 2012

Data assimilation techniques are a process of using measurements combined with model predictions to (optimally) estimate the value of a certain set of variables. These techniques belong to a group of model-based estimation approaches. In traffic science, the Kalman filter and its family, namely, the extended Kalman filter (EKF), have been widely applied to problems of traffic state estimation. The EKF is successful for computation and provides some reasonably accurate results. However, traffic systems are generally so nonlinear that the linearization used in the EKF is not always straightforward. To avoid such linearization, another family of Kalman filter, the unscented Kalman filter (UKF), has been designed to account for the nonlinear system in which a set of deterministic sample points is chosen to capture the initial probability distribution. These sample points are then propagated through the nonlinear system, and the probability density function of the actual state is approximated by the ensemble of the estimates. In the UKF, the number of sample points is determined by the dimension of the states to be estimated so that it becomes computationally expensive when the size of traffic networks is increased. Thus an effort was made to approximate a UKF in which the required sample points were reduced. Numerical experiments were carried out to assess the relevance of the proposed approach with real traffic data, and comparisons with the UKF for the level of accuracy and computational time were made.
Message Based Analysis on Signaling System Number 7 and its Comparison with Multi-Frequency Coded Signaling
Authors: Alam Md Shah , Khan Mohammad Rezaul Huque
Published: January 2012

A message based comparative study between signaling system #7(SS7) and MFC Signaling is done. Here the limitations of SS7 and MFC signaling are also studied. The reasons for the transition from Multi-frequency Coded (MFC) Signaling to SS7 has been discussed. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/diujst.v7i1.9582 Daffodil International University Journal of Science and Technology Vol.7(1) 2012 15-19
Frequency Distribution of Bacteria Isolated from Different Industrial Effluents
Authors: Ali Amna , Naseem Fozia
Published: January 2012

Industrial system involves physical and chemical treatment as well as biological processes. Therefore, waste treatment systems such as the industrial effluents depend on the activities of communities of living organism. In this study, an attempt was made on the identification of the bacterial population involved in different industrial effluents. A total of thirty bacterial strains were isolated from glass, textile and pharmaceutical effluent samples on L.B. agar plates. A few, however, were re-cultured on other recommended media for verification of diagnostic characteristics. Maximum numbers of bacterial species were isolated from textile effluent. The results showed that a gramnegative bacillus with a yellow pigment was considered as a major group of the population. These are also being used in different waste water and metal treatment plants all over the world. Keywords: Bacterial identification; industrial effluents; gram negative. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/diujst.v7i1.9644   Daffodil International University Journal of Science and Technology Vol.7(1) 2012 28-33
Effect of Blend Ration of Quality Characteristics of Bamboo/Cotton Blended Ring Spun Yarn
Authors: Prakash C , Ramakrishnan G , Koushik CV
Published: January 2012

The present study reveals the comparison of physical properties of the bamboo/cotton blended yarn with similar 100 % cotton yarn. The bamboo-cotton blend ratios of each category of yarn (30s, 40s and 50s) were 67:33, 50:50, and 33:67, respectively. For each individual count of yarn, it was observed from the test result that the properties of 50:50/bamboo: cotton blended yarn showed very nearer property to the 100% cotton yarn. For Count (30s), 67:33/bamboo: cotton showed very closer property to the 50:50/bamboo: cotton blended yarn. It was also observed that for each count of yarns, which showed decreasing property with the increase of bamboo in the blend. The quality characters depend upon the ratio of bamboo and cotton in the blend. Keywords: Blending; Yarns; Bamboo/Cotton ratio; Ring spun yarn; Physical Properties DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/diujst.v7i1.9645   Daffodil International University Journal of Science and Technology Vol.7(1) 2012 34-37
System Level Modeling Methodology of Application Specific Instruction Set Processor (SIP) Using SystemC
Authors: Mukherji Rana , Das Manishita
Published: January 2012

In recent years, the development of application specific instruction set processors (ASIP) is the exclusive domain of the semiconductor houses and core vendors. This is due to the fact that constructing such architecture is a difficult assignment that needs skilled knowledge in distinct domains: application software development tools, processor hardware implementation, and system integration and verification. To specify the design and implementation of such systems and incorporate the functionality implemented in both hardware and software forms, we are compelled to move on from traditional Hardware Description Languages (HDLs). Since C and C++ are dominant languages used by chip architects, system engineers and software engineers today, we believe that a C++ based approach to hardware modeling is necessary. This will enable codesign, providing a more natural solution to partitioning fuctionality between hardware and software. In this paper, we discuss a design approach of SystemC (a C++ class library) for ASIP at the system-level which provides necessary features for modeling design hierarchy, concurrency and reactivity in hardware. To exemplify and validate the method we employed it to the design of a 32-bit ASIP for Hindi Text-to-Speech Synthesis developed by CEERI, Pilani (INDIA). Keywords: ASIP; System; System Level Design   DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/diujst.v7i1.9647 Daffodil International University Journal of Science and Technology Vol.7(1) 2012 44-49
Structural and Electrical Properties of Silicon Nitride Ceramic
Authors: Hosneara M , Hasnat A , Bhuyan AH
Published: January 2012

The effects of structural properties on the d.c. and a.c. electrical properties of different weight gain reaction bonded silicon nitride (RBSN) have been studied in this work. The degree of nitridation is assessed by the ‘weight gain’ of the ceramic, the percentage by which the weight is increased in the nitriding reaction. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, it is observed that a higher degree of nitradation sample has strong α-silicon nitride peaks. Intensity of α-silicon nitride peaks decreases with decreases weight gain. The higher degrees of nitridation, the samples have less significant Si peak. XRD patterns were recorded to calculate the lattice parameters of RBSN. The lattice parameters for three weight gain RBSN samples are found to be a =b = 7.7727 Å, c= 5.6565 Å (26% weight gain), a=b= 7.6272 Å, c= 5.6374 Å (42% weight gain) and a=b=7.6158 Å, c= 5.7732 Å (58.27% weight gain) and are in good agreement with the reported values from XRD patterns. Porosity (%) and surface morphology was observed by SEM. Keywords: Silicon nitride ceramic; electrical properties; structural properties.   DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/diujst.v7i1.9648   Daffodil International University Journal of Science and Technology Vol.7(1) 2012 50-58
Estimation of Optimal Time Step and Compare with of ODE Solver of MATLAB Package of RLC Circuit using Numerical Methods
Authors: Islam Sheikh Md Rabiul
Published: January 2012

In this paper analysis of a RLC circuit model that has been described optimal time step and minimize of error using numerical method. The goal is to reach the optimal time response due to the input for which optimal output response reaches a minimum error and also compared with ODE solver of MATLAB packages for the different cell (mesh) size of the RLC model. Table is constructed of the model to evaluate optimal time step and also CPU time into the simulation using MATLAB 7.6.0(R2008a).The values of register, capacitor and inductor as well as electromagnetic force are obtained through the mathematical relations of the model. The general analysis of the RLC circuit due to the optimal time step and minimum error is developed after several analysis and operations. The theoretical results show effectiveness of optimized of the model. Keywords: Optimal time step; MATLAB; Trapezoidal; Implicit Euler; Runge-Kutta method; RLC circuit. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/diujst.v7i1.9650   Daffodil International University Journal of Science and Technology Vol.7(1) 2012 67-73
An Estimation of the Entropy for a Double Exponential Distribution Based on Multiply Type-II Censored Samples
Authors: Kang Suk-Bok , Cho Young-Seuk , Han Jun-Tae , Kim Jinsoo
Published: January 2012

In many life-testing and reliability studies, the experimenter might not always obtain complete information on failure times for all experimental units. Multiply Type-II censored sampling arises in a life-testing experiment whenever the experimenter does not observe the failure times of some units placed on a life-test. In this paper, we obtain estimators for the entropy function of a double exponential distribution under multiply Type-II censored samples using the maximum likelihood estimation and the approximate maximum likelihood estimation procedures. We compare the proposed estimators in the sense of the mean squared errors by using Monte Carlo simulation.
The SSG Wave Energy Converter: Performance, Status and Recent Developments
Authors: Vicinanza Diego , Margheritini Lucia , Kofoed Jens Peter , Buccino Mariano
Published: January 2012

The Sea-wave Slot-cone Generator (SSG) is a Wave Energy Converter based on the wave overtopping principle; it employs several reservoirs placed on top of each other, in which the energy of incoming waves is stored as potential energy. Then, the captured water runs through turbines for electricity production. The system works under a wide spectrum of different wave conditions, giving a high overall efficiency. It can be suitable for shoreline and breakwater applications and presents particular advantages, such as sharing structure costs, availability of grid connection and recirculation of water inside the harbor, as the outlet of the turbines is on the rear part of the system. Recently, plans for the SSG pilot installations are in progress at the Svaaheia site (Norway), the port of Hanstholm (Denmark) and the port of Garibaldi (Oregon, USA). In the last-mentioned two projects, the Sea-wave Slot-cone Generator technology is integrated into the outer harbor breakwater and jetty reconstruction projects. In the last years extensive studies have been performed on the hydraulic and the structural response of this converter, with the aim of optimizing the design process. The investigations have been conducted by physical model tests and numerical simulations and many results have been published on both conference proceedings and journals. The main scope of this paper is reviewing the most significant findings, to provide the reader with an organic overview on the present status of knowledge.
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) as a Therapeutic Agent for Pain
Authors: Nieto Francisco Rafael , Cobos Enrique José , Tejada Miguel Ángel , Sánchez-Fernández Cristina , González-Cano Rafael , Cendán Cruz Miguel
Published: January 2012

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that blocks voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs). VGSCs play a critical role in neuronal function under both physiological and pathological conditions. TTX has been extensively used to functionally characterize VGSCs, which can be classified as TTX-sensitive or TTX-resistant channels according to their sensitivity to this toxin. Alterations in the expression and/or function of some specific TTX-sensitive VGSCs have been implicated in a number of chronic pain conditions. The administration of TTX at doses below those that interfere with the generation and conduction of action potentials in normal (non-injured) nerves has been used in humans and experimental animals under different pain conditions. These data indicate a role for TTX as a potential therapeutic agent for pain. This review focuses on the preclinical and clinical evidence supporting a potential analgesic role for TTX. In addition, the contribution of specific TTX-sensitive VGSCs to pain is reviewed.
Synthesis, Characterization and Cytotoxicity of New Rotundic Acid Derivatives
Authors: He Yu-Fang , Nan Min-Lun , Sun Jia-Ming , Meng Zhao-Jie , Yue Fa-Gui , Zhao Quan-Cheng , Yang Xiao-Hong , Wang Hui
Published: January 2012

Rotundic acid (RA, 1), a natural compound, exhibits potent tumor cell growth inhibiting properties. To date there are no reports on derivatives of RA. Furthermore, the 28-COOH position of RA might make it unstable and induced serious gastrointestinal side effects when it was applied in vivo. Therefore, in order to explore and make use of this compound, eight new amino acid derivatives of RA at the 28-COOH position were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxicities in vitro on three tumor cell lines including A375, HepG2 and NCI-H446. As a result, a few of these new amino acid derivatives showed stronger cytotoxicity. Compound 5a was found to have the best inhibition activity on the three tested human tumor cell lines with IC50 values of less than 10 μM compared with RA treatment. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity of compound 6b was significantly higher than that of RA on the A375 cell line and almost the same as RA on the HepG2 and NCI-H446 cell lines. Hence, compounds 5a and 6b may serve as potential lead compounds for the development of new anti-tumor drugs.
Lecithin-Linker Microemulsion Gelatin Gels for Extended Drug Delivery
Authors: Xuan Xiao-Yue , Cheng Yu-Ling , Acosta Edgar
Published: January 2012

This article introduces the formulation of alcohol-free, lecithin microemulsion-based gels (MBGs) prepared with gelatin as gelling agent. The influence of oil, water, lecithin and hydrophilic and lipophilic additives (linkers) on the rheological properties and appearance of these gels was systematically explored using ternary phase diagrams. Clear MBGs were obtained in regions of single phase microemulsions (μEs) at room temperature. Increasing the water content in the formulation increased the elastic modulus of the gels, while increasing the oil content had the opposite effect. The hydrophilic additive (PEG-6-caprylic/capric glycerides) was shown to reduce the elastic modulus of gelatin gels, particularly at high temperatures. In contrast to anionic (AOT) μEs, the results suggest that in lecithin (nonionic) μEs, the introduction of gelatin “dehydrates” the μE. Finally, when the transdermal transport of lidocaine formulated in the parent μE and the resulting MBG were compared, only a minor retardation in the loading and release of lidocaine was observed.
Vegetation Cover Analysis of Hazardous Waste Sites in Utah and Arizona Using Hyperspectral Remote Sensing
Authors: Im Jungho , Jensen John R. , Jensen Ryan R. , Gladden John , Waugh Jody , Serrato Mike
Published: January 2012

This study investigated the usability of hyperspectral remote sensing for characterizing vegetation at hazardous waste sites. The specific objectives of this study were to: (1) estimate leaf-area-index (LAI) of the vegetation using three different methods (i.e., vegetation indices, red-edge positioning (REP), and machine learning regression trees), and (2) map the vegetation cover using machine learning decision trees based on either the scaled reflectance data or mixture tuned matched filtering (MTMF)-derived metrics and vegetation indices. HyMap airborne data (126 bands at 2.3 × 2.3 m spatial resolution), collected over the U.S. Department of Energy uranium processing sites near Monticello, Utah and Monument Valley, Arizona, were used. Grass and shrub species were mixed on an engineered disposal cell cover at the Monticello site while shrub species were dominant in the phytoremediation plantings at the Monument Valley site. Regression trees resulted in the best calibration performance of LAI estimation (R2 > 0.80. The use of REPs failed to accurately predict LAI (R2 < 0.2). The use of the MTMF-derived metrics (matched filter scores and infeasibility) and a range of vegetation indices in decision trees improved the vegetation mapping when compared to the decision tree classification using just the scaled reflectance. Results suggest that hyperspectral imagery are useful for characterizing biophysical characteristics (LAI) and vegetation cover on capped hazardous waste sites. However, it is believed that the vegetation mapping would benefit from the use of higher spatial resolution hyperspectral data due to the small size of many of the vegetation patches ( < 1 m) found on the sites.
Development of a Low-Cost Airborne Ultrasound Sensor for the Detection of Brick Joints behind a Wall Painting
Authors: García-Diego Fernando-Juan , Bravo José María , Pérez-Miralles Juan , Estrada Héctor , Fernández-Navajas Angel
Published: January 2012

Non-destructive methods are of great interest for the analysis of cultural heritage. Among the different possible techniques, this paper presents a low cost prototype based on the emission and reception of airborne ultrasound without direct contact with the test specimen. We successfully performed a method test for the detection of brick joints under a XVth century Renaissance fresco of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the city of Valencia (Spain). Both laboratory and in situ results are in agreement. Using this prototype system, an early moisture detection system has been installed in the dome that supports the fresco. The result is encouraging and opens interesting prospects for future research.
Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks: How Do Acoustic Propagation Models Impact the Performance of Higher-Level Protocols?
Authors: Llor Jesús , Malumbres Manuel P.
Published: January 2012

Several Medium Access Control (MAC) and routing protocols have been developed in the last years for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs). One of the main difficulties to compare and validate the performance of different proposals is the lack of a common standard to model the acoustic propagation in the underwater environment. In this paper we analyze the evolution of underwater acoustic prediction models from a simple approach to more detailed and accurate models. Then, different high layer network protocols are tested with different acoustic propagation models in order to determine the influence of environmental parameters on the obtained results. After several experiments, we can conclude that higher-level protocols are sensitive to both: (a) physical layer parameters related to the network scenario and (b) the acoustic propagation model. Conditions like ocean surface activity, scenario location, bathymetry or floor sediment composition, may change the signal propagation behavior. So, when designing network architectures for UWSNs, the role of the physical layer should be seriously taken into account in order to assert that the obtained simulation results will be close to the ones obtained in real network scenarios.
A Radar-Enabled Collaborative Sensor Network Integrating COTS Technology for Surveillance and Tracking
Authors: Kozma Robert , Wang Lan , Iftekharuddin Khan , McCracken Ernest , Khan Muhammad , Islam Khandakar , Bhurtel Sushil R. , Demirer R. Murat
Published: January 2012

The feasibility of using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) sensor nodes is studied in a distributed network, aiming at dynamic surveillance and tracking of ground targets. Data acquisition by low-cost ( < $50 US) miniature low-power radar through a wireless mote is described. We demonstrate the detection, ranging and velocity estimation, classification and tracking capabilities of the mini-radar, and compare results to simulations and manual measurements. Furthermore, we supplement the radar output with other sensor modalities, such as acoustic and vibration sensors. This method provides innovative solutions for detecting, identifying, and tracking vehicles and dismounts over a wide area in noisy conditions. This study presents a step towards distributed intelligent decision support and demonstrates effectiveness of small cheap sensors, which can complement advanced technologies in certain real-life scenarios.