bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Petroleum generation and migration in the Cambro-Ordovician Laurentian margin succession of NW Scotland
Authors: Parnell John , Bowden Stephen , Mark Darren
Published: October 2017

Fluid inclusion and organic biomarker data show that there was formerly a hydrocarbon system in the Cambro-Ordovician Laurentian margin rocks of NW Scotland. Oil fluid inclusions occur in stylolitized Eriboll Formation sandstone, in K-feldspar cements with an
40
Ar/
39
Ar age of 415 ± 5.5/5.8 Ma (2σ, analytical precision/full external precision). Organic extracts from Durness Group black limestones yield biomarker ratios characteristic of high thermal maturity. Organic maturation to yield oil probably occurred during orogenic deformation along the Moine Thrust Zone. The recognition of a hydrocarbon system in Scotland adds to a huge hydrocarbon province in Laurentian rocks including North America and Greenland.

Supplementary material
:
Technical data for Ar-Ar dating are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3879616
Strength and morphological characteristics of organic soil stabilized with magnesium chloride
Authors: Wan Hassan Wan Hasmida , Rashid Ahmad Safuan A. , Latifi Nima , Horpibulsuk Suksun , Borhamdin Suhaila
Published: October 2017

Organic soil causes major problems in infrastructure development. It has high compressibility and low shear strength, and requires chemical stabilization if it is to be a sustainable geomaterial. This research investigated the strength and microstructural properties of organic soil stabilized with magnesium chloride (MgCl
2
). Unconfined compressive strength tests were undertaken to assess shear strength properties, and microstructural changes were monitored via field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDAX). The results confirm that MgCl
2
improves the compressive strength of organic soil. The strength of MgCl
2
-stabilized organic soil is increased to around 3 – 5 times that of untreated soil during the first 7 days of curing. FESEM results show that the porosity of organic soil is filled by a new cementitious compound, identified as magnesium silicate hydrate (M-S-H).
Leakage paths at the Lar Dam site, northern Iran
Authors: Morteza Mozafari , Ezzat Raeisi
Published: October 2017

The Lar Dam was constructed from 1974 to 1980 in the Lar River valley at the foot of the Damavand Volcano. The valley walls consist of Mesozoic limestone and Quaternary volcanic rocks, overlain by thick lacustrine deposits. Prior to dam construction, a few sinkholes were observed in the reservoir area, but after impoundment, several new sinkholes formed and leakage occurred through downstream springs. Despite extensive treatment works, the reservoir has currently impounded only 40% of its designed capacity, about 35 years after the commencement of operations. The Lar Reservoir is located inside the area of a large palaeo-lake, which formed as a result of blockage of the river valley by eruption of the Damavand Volcano during the Pleistocene. This lake existed for thousands of years, developing deep karst conduits in the limestone below the volcanic rocks toward downstream springs. With the construction of the Lar Reservoir, relict karst conduits were revived and leakage occurred. Two paths are proposed for reservoir leakage, considering the region's historical geology, present hydrogeological setting, tracer tests and isotopic studies, as well as the response of spring discharge and borehole water level to reservoir filling.
Stratigraphy, petrogenesis and geodynamic setting of Late Cretaceous volcanism on the SW margin of the Black Sea, Turkey
Authors: Keskİn Mehmet , Tüysüz Okan
Published: October 2017

The Western Pontide Magmatic Belt consists of two different magmatic series corresponding to two distinct periods of intense volcanism, separated by a pelagic limestone marker horizon resting on a regional unconformity. The first stage of magmatism and associated extensional tectonic regime prevailed in the region between the Middle Turonian and Early Santonian. During the first stage, magmas were derived from a depleted mantle source containing a clear subduction signature. The extrusives intercalated with marine clastic sediments and pelagic carbonates associated with thick debris-flow horizons and olistoliths. Based on geochemistry and depositional features, the first stage is interpreted as an extensional ensialic arc setting developed in response to northwards subduction of the Tethys Ocean beneath the southern margin of Laurasia. During the Late Santonian, the volcanism stopped and the whole region suddenly subsided with the deposition of a thin, but laterally continuous, pelagic limestone horizon. This subsidence may imply the break-up of the Laurasian continental lithosphere and the beginning of oceanic spreading in the Western Black Sea Basin. The intensified extension is interpreted to be linked to the southwards rollback of the subducting slab.

During the second stage in the Campanian, magmas were derived from two contrasting mantle sources: (1) a depleted lithospheric mantle enriched by a subduction component; and (2) an enriched asthenospheric mantle which is similar to that of the ocean island basalts (OIB). The depleted lithospheric source may be linked to the subcontinental lithospheric mantle of Laurasia, which was metasomatized by the previous Tethyan subduction event rather than by an active arc magmatism. Lavas derived from the depleted source are abundant throughout the stratigraphic column, whereas those from the enriched source dominate the end of the second stage. The presence of the alkaline lavas may indicate thinning of the lithosphere and upwelling of the asthenospheric mantle in the matured stages of rifting. We argue that the main cause of both rifting and temporal change in magma generation was the steepening and rollback of the northwards subducting slab of the Tethys Ocean. The aforementioned rollback also caused the Istanbul Zone to be moved to the south, and colliding with the Sakarya Zone in the south during the Maastrichtian. Based on geochemical, stratigraphic, palaeontological and sedimentary data, we suggest that the oceanic Western Black Sea Basin opened as an intra-arc basin during Turonian–Santonian time.
ACM-SIGBIO undergraduate research highlight
Authors: Mason Stephanie , Jagodzinski Filip , Chen Brian , Nissenson Michael , Si Dong , Valliani Aly , Soni Ameet , Fang Xiaowen , Qiao Wanli , Shehu Amarda
Published: October 2017

At ACM-BCB 2017, several contributions in the form of paper and poster presentations were given by undergraduate students. A solicitation then went out to the ACM-SIGBIO community to highlight undergraduate research in the ACM-SIBGIO newsletter. What follows below are four contributions that showcase computational biology and bioinformatics research performed by undergraduate students.
The pump, the exchanger, and the holy spirit: origins and 40-year evolution of ideas about the ouabain-Na+ pump endocrine system
Authors: Blaustein Mordecai P.
Published: October 2017

Two prescient 1953 publications set the stage for the elucidation of a novel endocrine system: Schatzmann’s report that cardiotonic steroids (CTSs) are all Na+ pump inhibitors, and Szent-Gyorgi’s suggestion that there is an endogenous “missing screw” in heart failure that CTSs like digoxin may replace. In 1977 I postulated that an endogenous Na+ pump inhibitor acts as a natriuretic hormone and simultaneously elevates blood pressure (BP) in salt-dependent hypertension. This hypothesis was based on the idea that excess renal salt retention promoted the secretion of a CTS-like hormone that inhibits renal Na+ pumps and salt reabsorption. The hormone also inhibits arterial Na+ pumps, elevates myocyte Na+ and promotes Na/Ca exchanger-mediated Ca2+ gain. This enhances vasoconstriction and arterial tone—the hallmark of hypertension. Here I describe how those ideas led to the discovery that the CTS-like hormone is endogenous ouabain (EO), a key factor in the pathogenesis of hypertension and heart failure. Seminal observations that underlie the still-emerging picture of the EO-Na+ pump endocrine system in the physiology and pathophysiology of multiple organ systems are summarized. Milestones include: 1) cloning the Na+ pump isoforms and physiological studies of mutated pumps in mice; 2) discovery that Na+ pumps are also EO-triggered signaling molecules; 3) demonstration that ouabain, but not digoxin, is hypertensinogenic; 4) elucidation of EO’s roles in kidney development and cardiovascular and renal physiology and pathophysiology; 5) discovery of “brain ouabain”, a component of a novel hypothalamic neuromodulatory pathway; and 6) finding that EO and its brain receptors modulate behavior and learning.
Recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of late lung development and bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Authors: Surate Solaligue David E. , Rodríguez-Castillo José Alberto , Ahlbrecht Katrin , Morty Rory E.
Published: October 2017

The objective of lung development is to generate an organ of gas exchange that provides both a thin gas diffusion barrier and a large gas diffusion surface area, which concomitantly generates a steep gas diffusion concentration gradient. As such, the lung is perfectly structured to undertake the function of gas exchange: a large number of small alveoli provide extensive surface area within the limited volume of the lung, and a delicate alveolo-capillary barrier brings circulating blood into close proximity to the inspired air. Efficient movement of inspired air and circulating blood through the conducting airways and conducting vessels, respectively, generates steep oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration gradients across the alveolo-capillary barrier, providing ideal conditions for effective diffusion of both gases during breathing. The development of the gas exchange apparatus of the lung occurs during the second phase of lung development—namely, late lung development—which includes the canalicular, saccular, and alveolar stages of lung development. It is during these stages of lung development that preterm-born infants are delivered, when the lung is not yet competent for effective gas exchange. These infants may develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a syndrome complicated by disturbances to the development of the alveoli and the pulmonary vasculature. It is the objective of this review to update the reader about recent developments that further our understanding of the mechanisms of lung alveolarization and vascularization and the pathogenesis of BPD and other neonatal lung diseases that feature lung hypoplasia.
Interventional strategies to combat muscle disuse atrophy in humans: focus on neuromuscular electrical stimulation and dietary protein
Authors: Dirks Marlou L. , Wall Benjamin T. , van Loon Luc J. C.
Published: October 2017

Numerous situations, such as the recovery from illness or rehabilitation after injury, necessitate a period of muscle disuse in otherwise healthy individuals. Even a few days of immobilization or bed rest can lead to substantial loss of skeletal muscle tissue and compromise metabolic health. The decline in muscle mass is attributed largely to a decline in postabsorptive and postprandial muscle protein synthesis rates. Reintroduction of some level of muscle contraction by the application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can augment both postabsorptive and postprandial muscle protein synthesis rates and, as such, prevent or attenuate muscle loss during short-term disuse in various clinical populations. Whereas maintenance of habitual dietary protein consumption is a prerequisite for muscle mass maintenance, supplementing dietary protein above habitual intake levels does not prevent muscle loss during disuse in otherwise healthy humans. Combining the anabolic properties of physical activity (or surrogates) with appropriate nutritional support likely further increases the capacity to preserve skeletal muscle mass during a period of disuse. Therefore, effective interventional strategies to prevent or alleviate muscle disuse atrophy should include both exercise (mimetics) and appropriate nutritional support.
Melanotic Schwannomas Are Rarely Seen Pigmented Tumors with Unpredictable Prognosis and Challenging Diagnosis
Authors: Keskin Elif , Ekmekci Sumeyye , Oztekin Ozgur , Diniz Gulden
Published: October 2017

Melanotic Schwannoma (MS) is rarely seen and potentially malignant neoplasm that is categorized as a variant of Schwannoma. MS most frequently involves intracranial structures followed by posterior nerve roots in the spinal canal. Approximately 50% of the cases with MS have psammomatous calcifications and this type of MS is related to Carney complex with autosomal dominant inheritance. Most cases of MS are benign, though 10% of them are malignant with metastatic potential. MS mimics melanoma and the differential diagnosis should be made excluding other melanin producing neoplasms especially melanoma. Case 1. A 42-year-old hypertensive male presented for checkup. He had a well-defined extraspinal oval lesion measuring 3.5 × 2.5 cm near right adrenal. Case 2. A 22-year-old female presented with neurofibromatosis-2, bilateral acoustic schwannomas and café au lait lesions on sacrococcygeal region. She had an intradural extramedullary lesion measuring 6.1 × 2.0 cm at L1-2 level. MS is a rare neoplasm composed of Schwann cells and melanin pigment. These tumors are usually benign but they may become aggressive. The biologic behavior of MS is difficult to predict; the patients have to be followed up for a longer period due to its malignant potential.
MicroRNA‐93 Regulates Hypoxia‐Induced Autophagy by Targeting ULK1
Authors: Li Wen , Yang Yue , Ba Zhaoyu , Li Shupeng , Chen Hao , Hou Xiaoyan , Ma Linlin , He Pengcheng , Jiang Lei , Li Longxuan , He Rongrong , Zhang Liangqing , Feng Du
Published: October 2017

The expression of the core autophagy kinase, Unc51‐like kinase 1 (ULK1), is regulated transcriptionally and translationally by starvation‐induced autophagy. However, how ULK1 is regulated during hypoxia is not well understood. Previously, we showed that ULK1 expression is induced by hypoxia stress. Here, we report a new ULK1‐modulating microRNA, miR‐93; its transcription is negatively correlated with the translation of ULK1 under hypoxic condition. miR‐93 targets ULK1 and reduces its protein levels under hypoxia condition. miR‐93 also inhibits hypoxia‐induced autophagy by preventing LC3‐I to LC3‐II transition and P62 degradation; these processes are reversed by the overexpression of an endogenous miR‐93 inhibitor. Re‐expression of ULK1 without miR‐93 response elements restores the hypoxia‐induced autophagy which is inhibited by miR‐93. Finally, we detected the effects of miR‐93 on cell viability and apoptosis in noncancer cell lines and cancer cells. We found that miR‐93 sustains the viability of MEFs (mouse embryonic fibroblasts) and inhibits its apoptosis under hypoxia. Thus, we conclude that miR‐93 is involved in hypoxia‐induced autophagy by regulating ULK1. Our results provide a new angle to understand the complicated regulation of the key autophagy kinase ULK1 during different stress conditions.
The Role of Hematological Indices in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Budzianowski Jan , Pieszko Konrad , Burchardt Paweł , Rzeźniczak Janusz , Hiczkiewicz Jarosław
Published: October 2017

An increased systemic and local inflammation plays a key role in the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This review will discuss the role of hematological indices: white blood cells (WBC), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), red cell distribution width (RDW), and platelet indices, that is, platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) in the case of ACS. In recent years, a strong interest has been drawn to these indices, given that they may provide independent information on pathophysiology, risk stratification, and optimal management. Their low-cost and consequent wide and easy availability in daily clinical practice have made them very popular in the laboratory testing. Furthermore, many studies have pointed at their effective prognostic value in all-cause mortality, major cardiovascular events, stent thrombosis, arrhythmias, and myocardial perfusion disorders in terms of acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina. The most recent research also emphasizes their significant value in the combined analysis with other markers, such as troponin, or with GRACE, SYNTAX, and TIMI scores, which improve risk stratification and diagnosis in ACS patients.
Evolution of Total Polyphenols Content and Antioxidant Activity in Broccoli Florets during Storage at Different Temperatures
Authors: Mahn Andrea , Rubio M. Paz
Published: October 2017

Broccoli has great potential as functional food because of its high content of bioactive compounds. Polyphenols are to a great extent responsible for the high antioxidant activity of broccoli. An important challenge to keep the health promoting properties of broccoli is preservation, with freezing and refrigeration being the preferred methods. Despite storage at low temperature reduces the rate of deterioration reactions, some reactions still occur, thus affecting the content of bioactive compounds. In this work, we investigated the evolution of total polyphenols content and antioxidant activity in blanched and unprocessed broccoli florets during storage at different temperatures (−45°C to 20°C). Both antioxidant activity and total polyphenols content increased at the beginning of storage at −21, −1, 10, and 20°C, followed by a decrease. Storage at −45°C produced no significant variations. The uneven behavior of antioxidant activity precluded modeling. The evolution of polyphenols was well described by a two-consecutive-reaction model, with r≥0.86 and MSE ≤ 0.1. The Ea values obtained for polyphenols formation (27–32 kJ/mol) and degradation (26–38 kJ/mol) confirm that, in both unprocessed and blanched broccoli, the same reactions are responsible for the evolution of polyphenols content. Our results may contribute to design preservation strategies of broccoli.
Postoperative MR Defecography following Failed STARR Procedure for Obstructive Defecation Syndrome: A Three-Centre Experience
Authors: Piloni Vittorio , Possanzini Marco , Bergamasco Mattia , Santi Gianluca
Published: October 2017

Aim. To describe the abnormalities at MR imaging and related complaints in patients with poor outcome after STARR procedure. Materials and Methods. The medical records of 21 symptomatic patients from centre 1, 31 patients from centre 2, and 63 patients from centre 3 were reviewed with regard to findings at MR defecography and related symptoms. Results. Regardless of the centre, most relevant imaging features and related complaints were (a) impaired emptying (82.11%), related complaint ODS; (b) persistent rectocele >2 cm and intussusception (39.3%), split evacuation and digitation; (c) pelvic organ descent on straining (39.8%), prolapse sensation; (d) small neorectum and loss of contrast (32.5%), urgency and incontinence; (e) anastomotic stricture and granuloma (28.4%), pain; and (f) nonrelaxing puborectalis muscle (19.5%), tenesmus. Less frequent findings included rectal pocket formation (5.6%) and rectovaginal sinus tract (1.6%). Patients were referred to MR imaging with an average time interval of 5 ± 2, 4 ± 1, and 2 ± 1 years in the three centres, respectively, and only rarely by the same surgeon who performed the operation: 1/21 (4.8%) in centre 1, 3/39 (7.7%) in centre 2, and 9/63 (14.3%) in centre 3. Conclusion. Most surgeons involved in STARR operation with subsequent poor outcome do not rely on MR imaging.
Inhibiting PI3Kβ with AZD8186 Regulates Key Metabolic Pathways in PTEN-Null Tumors
Authors: Lynch James T. , Polanska Urszula M. , Delpuech Oona , Hancox Urs , Trinidad Antonio G. , Michopoulos Filippos , Lenaghan Carol , McEwen Robert , Bradford James , Polanski Radek , Ellston Rebecca , Avivar-Valderas Alvaro , Pilling James , Staniszewska Anna , Cumberbatch Marie , Critchlow Susan E. , Cruzalegui Francisco , Barry Simon T.
Published: October 2017

Purpose: PTEN-null tumors become dependent on the PI3Kβ isoform and can be targeted by molecules such as the selective PI3Kβ inhibitor AZD8186. However, beyond the modulation of the canonical PI3K pathway, the consequences of inhibiting PI3Kβ are poorly defined.

Experimental Design: To determine the broader impact of AZD8186 in PTEN-null tumors, we performed a genome-wide RNA-seq analysis of PTEN-null triple-negative breast tumor xenografts treated with AZD8186. Mechanistic consequences of AZD8186 treatment were examined across a number of PTEN-null cell lines and tumor models.

Results: AZD8186 treatment resulted in modification of transcript and protein biomarkers associated with cell metabolism. We observed downregulation of cholesterol biosynthesis genes and upregulation of markers associated with metabolic stress. Downregulation of cholesterol biosynthesis proteins, such as HMGCS1, occurred in PTEN-null cell lines and tumor xenografts sensitive to AZD8186. Therapeutic inhibition of PI3Kβ also upregulated PDHK4 and increased PDH phosphorylation, indicative of reduced carbon flux into the TCA cycle. Consistent with this, metabolomic analysis revealed a number of changes in key carbon pathways, nucleotide, and amino acid biosynthesis.

Conclusions: This study identifies novel mechanistic biomarkers of PI3Kβ inhibition in PTEN-null tumors supporting the concept that targeting PI3Kβ may exploit a metabolic dependency that contributes to therapeutic benefit in inducing cell stress. Considering these additional pathways will guide biomarker and combination strategies for this class of agents. Clin Cancer Res; 23(24); 7584–95. ©2017 AACR.
Association between Cigar or Pipe Smoking and Cancer Risk in Men: A Pooled Analysis of Five Cohort Studies
Authors: Malhotra Jyoti , Borron Claire , Freedman Neal D. , Abnet Christian C. , van den Brandt Piet A. , White Emily , Milne Roger L. , Giles Graham G. , Boffetta Paolo
Published: October 2017

Introduction: Use of non-cigarette tobacco products such as cigars and pipe has been increasing, even though these products entail exposure to similar carcinogens to those in cigarettes. More research is needed to explore the risk of these products to guide cancer prevention efforts.

Methods: To measure the association between cigars and/or pipe smoking, and cancer incidence in men, we performed meta-analyses of data from five prospective cohorts. Cox regression was used to evaluate the association between different aspects of cigars and pipe smoking and risk of each smoking-related cancer (head and neck, esophagus, lung, stomach, liver, pancreas, kidney, and bladder) for each study. Adjusted HRs were combined using random-effects models.

Results: Cigars and/or pipe smokers were at increased risk for head and neck [HR, 1.51; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.22–1.87], lung (HR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.68–2.47), and liver cancers (HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.08–2.26). Ever-smokers of cigars and/or pipe had an increased risk of developing a smoking-related cancer when compared with never smokers of any tobacco product (overall HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03–1.12). The risk for smoking-related cancers was also increased in mixed smokers who smoked cigars or pipe as well as cigarettes, even when they were smoking predominantly pipe or cigars.

Discussion: This pooled analysis highlights the increased risk for smoking-related cancers, particularly for lung and head and neck cancers in exclusive and predominant smokers (former and current) of cigars and pipe. Tobacco prevention efforts should include these products in addition to cigarettes. Cancer Prev Res; 10(12); 704–9. ©2017 AACR.
Differential Gene Regulation and Tumor-Inhibitory Activities of Alpha-, Delta-, and Gamma-Tocopherols in Estrogen-Mediated Mammary Carcinogenesis
Authors: Das Gupta Soumyasri , Patel Misaal , Wahler Joseph , Bak Min Ji , Wall Brian , Lee Mao-Jung , Lin Yong , Shih Weichung Joe , Cai Li , Yang Chung S. , Suh Nanjoo
Published: October 2017

Despite experimental evidence elucidating the antitumor activities of tocopherols, clinical trials with α-tocopherol (α-T) have failed to demonstrate its beneficial effects in cancer prevention. This study compared the chemopreventive efficacy of individual tocopherols (α-, δ-, and γ-T) and a γ-T–rich tocopherol mixture (γ-TmT) in the August-Copenhagen Irish (ACI) rat model of estrogen-mediated mammary cancer. Female ACI rats receiving 17β-estradiol (E2) implants were administered with 0.2% α-T, δ-T, γ-T, or γ-TmT for 30 weeks. Although α-T had no significant effects on mammary tumor growth in ACI rats, δ-T, γ-T, and γ-TmT reduced mammary tumor volume by 51% (P < 0.05), 60% (P < 0.01), and 59% (P < 0.01), respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that δ-T, γ-T, and γ-TmT reduced levels of the cell proliferation marker, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, in the rat mammary tumors. To gain further insight into the biological functions of different forms of tocopherols, RNA-seq analysis of the tumors was performed. Treatment with γ-T induced robust gene expression changes in the mammary tumors of ACI rats. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified “Cancer” as a top disease pathway and “Tumor growth” and “Metastasis” as the top signaling pathways modulated by γ-T. Although the results need further functional validation, this study presents an unbiased attempt to understand the differences between biological activities of individual forms of tocopherols at the whole transcriptome level. In conclusion, δ-T and γ-T have superior cancer preventive properties compared to α-T in the prevention of estrogen-mediated mammary carcinogenesis. Cancer Prev Res; 10(12); 694–703. ©2017 AACR.
Targeting the Noncoding Genome: Superenhancers Meet Their Kryptonite
Authors: Wang Eric , Aifantis Ioannis
Published: October 2017

Summary: In this study, McKeown and colleagues carried out a genome-wide characterization and stratification of the enhancer landscape in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The authors' analysis led to the discovery of a novel RARA superenhancer found in a subset of patients with AML, rendering these leukemia cells highly sensitive to SY-1425, a highly potent RARA agonist able to induce myeloid differentiation in these high-expressing RARA AML subtypes. Cancer Discov; 7(10); 1065–6. ©2017 AACR.

See related article by McKeown et al., p. 1136.
Performance Analysis of Post Compensated Long Haul High Speed Coherent Optical OFDM System
Authors: Dhawan Divya , Gupta Neena
Published: October 2017

This paper addresses the performance analysis of OFDM transmission system based on coherent detection over high speed long haul optical links with high spectral efficiency modulation formats such as Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) as a mapping method prior to the OFDM multicarrier representation. Post compensation is used to compensate for phase noise effects. Coherent detection for signal transmitted at bit rate of 40 Gbps is successfully achieved up to distance of 3200km. Performance is analyzed in terms of Symbol Error Rate and Error Vector Magnitude by varying Optical Signal to Noise Ratio (OSNR) and varying the length of the fiber i.e transmission distance. Transmission performance is also observed through constellation diagrams at different transmission distances and different OSNRs.
Effect of Mobility on (I-V) Characteristics of Gaas MESFET
Authors: Azizi M , Azizi C
Published: October 2017

We present in this paper an analytical model of the current–voltage (I-V) characteristics for submicron GaAs MESFET transistors. This model takes into account the analysis of the charge distribution in the active region and incorporate a field depended electron mobility, velocity saturation and charge build-up in the channel. We propose in this frame work an algorithm of simulation based on mathematical expressions obtained previously. We propose a new mobility model describing the electric field-dependent. The predictions of the simulator are compared with the experimental data [01] and have been shown to be good.
Fuel Cell Impedance Model Parameters Optimization using a Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Ben Yahia Mohamed Sélmene , Allagui Hatem , Bouaicha Arafet , Mami Abdelkader
Published: October 2017

The objective of this paper is the PEM fuel cell impedance model parameters identification. This work is a part of a larger work which is the diagnosis of the fuel cell which deals with the optimization and the parameters identification of the impedance complex model of the Nexa Ballard 1200 W PEM fuel cell. The method used for the identification is a sample genetic algorithm and the proposed impedance model is based on electric parameters, which will be found from a sweeping of well determined frequency bands. In fact, the frequency spectrum is divided into bands according to the behavior of the fuel cell. So, this work is considered a first in the field of impedance spectroscopy So, this work is considered a first in the field of impedance spectroscopy. Indeed, the identification using genetic algorithm requires experimental measures of the fuel cell impedance to optimize and identify the impedance model parameters values. This method is characterized by a good precision compared to the numeric methods. The obtained results prove the effectiveness of this approach.
Modeling and Structure Optimization of Tapped Transformer
Authors: Namoune Abdelhadi , Hamid Azzedine , Taleb Rachid
Published: October 2017

In this paper, a simplified circuit model of the tapped transformer structure has been presented to extract the Geometric and technology parameters and offer better physical understanding. Moreover, the structure of planar transformer has been optimized by using changing the width and space of the primary coil, so as to enlarge the quality factor Q and high coupling coefficient K. To verify the results obtained by using these models, we have compared them with the results obtained by employing the MATLAB simulator. Very good agreement has been recorded for the effective primary inductance value, whereas the effective primary quality factor value has shown a somewhat larger deviation than the inductance.
Implementation of Algorithm for Vehicle Anti-Collision Alert System in FPGA
Authors: Jidin Aiman Zakwan , Siau Li Lim , Kadmin Ahmad Fauzan
Published: October 2017

Vehicle safety has becoming one of the important issues nowadays, due to the fact the number of road accidents, which cause injuries, deaths and also damages, keeps on increasing. One of the main factors which contribute to these accidents are human's lack of awareness and also carelessness. This paper presents the development and implementation of an algorithm to be utilized for vehicle anti-collision alert system, which may be useful to reduce the occurrence of accidents. This algorithm, which is to be deployed with the front sensors of the vehicle, is capable of alerting any occurrence of sudden slowing or static vehicles ahead, by sensing the rate of distance change. Furthermore, it also triggers an alert if the driver is breaching the safe distance from the vehicle ahead. This algorithm has been successfully implemented in Altera DE0 FPGA and its functionality was validated via hardware experimental tests.
Diagnosis of Faulty Sensors in Antenna Array using Hybrid Differential Evolution based Compressed Sensing Technique
Authors: Khan Shafqat Ullah , Rahim M. K. A. , Qureshi I. M. , Murad N. A.
Published: October 2017

In this work, differential evolution based compressive sensing technique for detection of faulty sensors in linear arrays has been presented. This algorithm starts from taking the linear measurements of the power pattern generated by the array under test. The difference between the collected compressive measurements and measured healthy array field pattern is minimized using a hybrid differential evolution (DE). In the proposed method, the slow convergence of DE based compressed sensing technique is accelerated with the help of parallel coordinate decent algorithm (PCD). The combination of DE with PCD makes the  minimization faster and precise. Simulation results validate the performance to detect faulty sensors from a small number of measurements.
Programming Learning Requirements Based on Multi Perspectives
Authors: Layth Khaleel Firas , Sahari Ashaari Noraidah , Tengku Wook Tengku Siti Meriam , Ismail Amirah
Published: October 2017

Students occasionally find it difficult to learn new programming languages. They often confront unfamiliar programming terms and having difficulty to visualize the processes that happen in computer memory. Weak students find this a burden and end up memorizing the processes without understanding them and their workings. This situation invariably leads students to obtain low grades in their programming subjects. The preliminary investigation of survey was produce in previous work; the results showed that students have experienced ineffective learning, lack of interest towards this course and lack of motivation. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to identify programming learning requirements based on previous work and verified from two perspectives (experts and students). Finally, the result was a group of requirements that should be considered in programming language course
Short-Term Measurements of Household Electricity Demand During Hot Weather in Kuala Lumpur
Authors: Ranjbar Nassir , Zaki Sheikh Ahmad , Yusoff Nelidya Md , Yakub Fitri , Hagishima Aya
Published: October 2017

The aim of this study was to conduct short-term measurements on household electricity demand under hot weather conditions in a residential area in Kuala Lumpur. The measurements included total and air conditioner (AC) electricity consumption of 10 households in an apartment building as well as outdoor air temperatures, which were collected from March to May 2016. Results indicated that the average AC electricity consumption contributed to a major portion of total household electricity consumption, which ranged from 19.4 to 52.3% during the measurement period. Additionally, 1-minute interval time series data indicated household energy consumption more accurately than 30- or 60-minute interval.
A New Methodology for Active Power Transmission Loss Allocation in Deregulated Power System
Authors: Hota Prakash Kumar , Naik Atulya Prasad
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a new method for transmission loss allocation in a deregulated power system. As the power loss is a nonlinear quantity, so to allocate the loss in a common transmission corrider is a difficult task. It allocates transmission losses to loads based on the actual power flow in the lossy lines due to the concerned load. Each lossy line is subdivided into as many sub-lines as corresponding to the numbers of load attached to it. The tracing of power flow through each sub-line is worked out by using proportional sharing method. The power loss in each lossy line is equal with the total loss due to all the sub-lines under it. Then by using Pro-rata for each lossy line, the individual loss for each sub-line is formulated. As the application of Pro-rata is limited to an individual line of the system, so the error in calculation is minimized. The total loss allocated to a particular load is the sum of losses occurred in each lossy lines through which the power is flowing to the concerned load. As this method is based on the actual flow of power in the transmission line corresponding to the concerned load, hence, the loss allocation made by the method gives proper and justifiable allocations to the different loads which are attached to the system. The proposed method is applied to a six-bus system and finds the mismatch in the commonly used methods. Then, it is applied to higher bus systems in which more accurate results are obtained compared to the other methods.
Security Enhancement in Networked Embedded System
Authors: Selokar Pradip Ram , Karule P T
Published: October 2017

In the developed system ARM9 is a master and Two ARM7s are slaves. The peripherals are being controlled by two ARM7 boards. The Peripherals are connected to the ARM7 through Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD). The CPLD is in turn connected to the ARM7 using Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI). The ARM7 boards collect the information from the peripherals and send it to the ARM9 board. The communication between ARM7 and ARM9 is via UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) over CAN (Controller Area Network). The ARM9 board has got the software intelligence. The ARM9 behaves as a master and two ARM7 boards behave as slaves. Being master ARM9 passes tokens to ARM7 which in turn returns (Acknowledges) the token. The ARM9 is further connected to Proxy via Ethernet. The proxy is further connected to the service platform (server) via Ethernet. So subsequently any decisions at any stage can be changed at server level. Further these commands can be passed on to ARM9 which in turn controls the peripherals through ARM7. (a) The system which we have developed consists of ARM9 as a master, Two ARM7 as Slaves. The communication between ARM9-ARM7 is via UART over a CAN,
 (b) Each ARM7 further communicates serially (RS232) with the two 8051 Microcontroller nodes, (c)Thus a networked Embedded System is developed wherein the serial data is brought over Ethernet. The ARM7 board, which is directly linked with the peripherals, can be modified of its functionality as and when required. The functionality of ARM7 can be modified by upgrading its firmware. To upgrade the firmware same communication link has been used. ARM7 receives the new firmware via same ARM9-ARM7 communication link. The Flash Write operation is performed using the source code to write the new firmware. Bootloader application for the ARM7 has been developed. The signature has been incorporated to assure authenticity of the new Firmware. Intel Hex File Format is used to parse the hex file.
Single Channel Speech Enhancement using Wiener Filter and Compressive Sensing
Authors: Sulong Amart , Gunawan Teddy Surya , Khalifa Othman O , Kartiwi Mira , Dao Hassan
Published: October 2017

The speech enhancement algorithms are utilized to overcome multiple limitation factors in recent applications such as mobile phone and communication channel. The challenges focus on corrupted speech solution between noise reduction and signal distortion. We used a modified Wiener filter and compressive sensing (CS) to investigate and evaluate the improvement of speech quality. This new method adapted noise estimation and Wiener filter gain function in which to increase weight amplitude spectrum and improve mitigation of interested signals. The CS is then applied using the gradient projection for sparse reconstruction (GPSR) technique as a study system to empirically investigate the interactive effects of the corrupted noise and obtain better perceptual improvement aspects to listener fatigue with noiseless reduction conditions. The proposed algorithm shows an enhancement in testing performance evaluation of objective assessment tests outperform compared to other conventional algorithms at various noise type conditions of 0, 5, 10, 15 dB SNRs. Therefore, the proposed algorithm significantly achieved the speech quality improvement and efficiently obtained higher performance resulting in better noise reduction compare to other conventional algorithms. 
The Evaluated Measurement of a Combined Genetic Algorithm and Artificial Immune System
Authors: Boonyopakorn Pongsarun , Meesad Phayung
Published: October 2017

This paper demonstrates a hybrid between two optimization methods which are the Artificial Immune System (AIS) and Genetic Algorithm (GA). The novel algorithm called the immune genetic algorithm (IGA), provides improvement to the results that enable GA and AIS to work separately which is the main objective of this hybrid. Negative selection which is one of the techniques in the AIS, was employed to determine the input variables (populations) of the system. In order to illustrate the effectiveness of the IGA, the comparison with a steady-state GA, AIS, and PSO were also investigated. The testing of the performance was conducted by mathematical testing, problems were divided into single and multiple objectives. The five single objectives were then used to test the modified algorithm, the results showed that IGA performed better than all of the other methods. The DTLZ multiobjective testing functions were then used. The result also illustrated that the modified approach still had the best performance.
Particle Swarm Optimization for the Path Loss Reduction in Suburban and Rural Area
Authors: Garah Messaoud , Oudira Houcine , Djouane Lotfi , Hamdiken Nazih
Published: October 2017

In the present work, a precise optimization method is proposed for tuning the parameters of the COST231 model to improve its accuracy in the path loss propagation prediction. The Particle Swarm Optimization is used to tune the model parameters. The predictions of the tuned model are compared with the most popular models. The performance criteria selected for the comparison of various empirical path loss models is the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The RMSE between the actual and predicted data are calculated for various path loss models. It turned out that the tuned COST 231 model outperforms the other studied models.
Fuzzy Association Rule Mining based Model to Predict Students’ Performance
Authors: Verma Sushil Kumar , Thakur R.S. , Jaloree Shailesh
Published: October 2017

The major intention of higher education institutions is to supply quality education to its students. One approach to get maximum level of quality in higher education system is by discovering knowledge for prediction regarding the internal assessment and end semester examination. The projected work intends to approach this objective by taking the advantage of fuzzy inference technique to classify student scores data according to the level of their performance. In this paper, student’s performance is evaluated using fuzzy association rule mining that describes Prediction of performance of the students at the end of the semester, on the basis of previous database like Attendance, Midsem Marks, Previous semester marks and Previous Academic Records were collected from the student’s previous database, to identify those students which needed individual attention to decrease fail ration and taking suitable action for the next semester examination.
Feasibility of Substitution of the Conventional Street Lighting Installation by the Photovoltaic Case Study on a Municipality in Agadir in Morocco
Authors: Outferdine Fatima , Bouhouch Lahoussine , Kourchi Mustapha , Ajaamoum Mohamed , Moudden Ali
Published: October 2017

In this work, we present a technical and economic study of the solar powered street lighting system of a municipality in the south of Morocco. The state of the conventional street lighting system is first analyzed in a substation of street lighting. Then a sizing method is applied to the photovoltaic installation in the testing area. A financial study, by comparison between conventional and PV-based lighting, is carried out showing the feasibility of the PV street lighting.
Miniature design of T-Shaped frequency Reconfigurable antenna for S-Band Application using Switching Technique
Authors: El Maleky Omar , Ben Abdelouahab Farid , Essaaidi Mohammad , Abdelfatah Nasri
Published: October 2017

The article presents a miniature antenna with a simple geometry and a simple approach for reconfiguration. In order to make the T-shaped antenna frequency reconfigurable, we integrated Switches in specific positions. The location of the switches is determined following a study of the distribution of the surface currents of the suggested antenna. Indeed, we found that the insertion of switches in places where the concentrations of surface currents are high is irrelevant. In fact, to redirect current flow, the PIN diodes or RF Switch must be placed in positions where the distribution of the surface currents is of low concentration. These locations facilitate the establishment of new trajectories of the flux of current. As a result, a miniature tunable antenna dimension 20mm*20mm*1.6mm printed on FR4 substrate with 4.4 permittivity and with  0.04 loss tangent,   the antenna  can be adopted in many communication devices in view of its small size, its low manufacturing cost and performance on frequency sweep, the antenna operates in S-Band with an acceptable band and gain. The antenna is simulated and optimized using CST Microwave Studio.
A Novel Approach Based on Decreased Dimension and Reduced Gray Level Range Matrix Features for Stone Texture Classification
Authors: Murthy G. S. N. , Rao. V Srininvasa , Veerraju T.
Published: October 2017

The human eye can easily identify the type of textures in flooring of the houses and in the digital images visually.  In this work, the stone textures are grouped into four categories. They are bricks, marble, granite and mosaic. A novel approach is developed for decreasing the dimension of stone image and for reducing the gray level range of the image without any loss of significant feature information. This model is named as “Decreased Dimension and Reduced Gray level Range Matrix (DDRGRM)” model. The DDRGRM model consists of 3 stages.  In stage 1, each 5×5 sub dimension of the stone image is reduced into 2×2 sub dimension without losing any important qualities, primitives, and any other local stuff.  In stage 2, the gray level of the image is reduced from 0-255 to 0-4 by using fuzzy concepts.  In stage 3, Co-occurrence Matrix (CM) features are derived from the DDRGRM model of the stone image for stone texture classification.  Based on the feature set values, a user defined algorithm is developed to classify the stone texture image into one of the 4 categories i.e. Marble, Brick, Granite and Mosaic. The proposed method is tested by using the K-Nearest Neighbor Classification algorithm with the derived texture features.  To prove the efficiency of the proposed method, it is tested on different stone texture image databases.  The proposed method resulted in high classification rate when compared with the other existing methods.
A Mixed Binary-Real NSGA II Algorithm Ensuring Both Accuracy and Interpretability of a Neuro-Fuzzy Controller
Authors: Titel Faouzi , Belarbi Khaled
Published: October 2017

In this work, a Neuro-Fuzzy Controller network, called NFC that implements a Mamdani fuzzy inference system is proposed. This network includes neurons able to perform fundamental fuzzy operations. Connections between neurons are weighted through binary and real weights. Then a mixed binary-real Non dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA II) is used to perform both accuracy and interpretability of the NFC by minimizing two objective functions; one objective relates to the number of rules, for compactness, while the second is the mean square error, for accuracy. In order to preserve interpretability of fuzzy rules during the optimization process, some constraints are imposed. The  approach  is  tested  on  two  control examples:  a single  input  single  output (SISO) system  and  a  multivariable (MIMO) system.
Privacy Preserving Auction Based Virtual Machine Instances Allocation Scheme for Cloud Computing Environment
Authors: Mohanty Suneeta , Pattnaik Prasant Kumar , Mund G. B.
Published: October 2017

Cloud Computing Environment provides computing resources in the form of Virtual Machines (VMs), to the cloud users through Internet. Auction-based VM instances allocation allows different cloud users to participate in an auction for a bundle of Virtual Machine instances where the user with the highest bid value will be selected as the winner by the auctioneer (Cloud Service Provider) to gain more. In this auction mechanism, individual bid values are revealed to the auctioneer in order to select the winner as a result of which privacy of bid values are lost. In this paper, we proposed an auction scheme to select the winner without revealing the individual bid values to the auctioneer to maintain privacy of bid values. The winner will get the access to the bundle of VM instances. This  scheme relies on a set of cryptographic protocols including Oblivious Transfer (OT) protocol and Yao’s protocol to maintain privacy of bid values.