bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sleep Quality and Quality of Life in COPD Patients with and without Suspected Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Zohal Mohammad Ali , Yazdi Zohreh , Kazemifar Amir Mohammad , Mahjoob Parisa , Ziaeeha Masomeh
Published: January 2014

Present study was designed to obtain association between sleep apnea with sleep quality and quality of life in COPD patients. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 139 patients with COPD in a chest clinic of a university hospital. All patients were evaluated by pulmonary function test for determination of severity of their disease. Also, Berlin questionnaire, Epworth sleepiness scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and St. George Respiratory questionnaires (SGRQ) were employed for assessment of patients. Analysis of data showed that quality of sleep was significantly correlated with quality of life (P<0.001). About half of the patients were at high risk for sleep apnea. The patients were divided into two groups according to the result of Berlin questionnaire. Significant differences were found between the groups for total score and each of three subscores of SGRQ suggesting worse quality of life in overlap syndrome (P<0.001). Also, patients with overlap syndrome had worse quality of sleep compared to patients without it (8.1±1.7versus6.2±2.3;P<0.001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that severity of COPD, coexisting obstructive sleep apnea, and sleep quality accounted for the SGRQ significantly (r2(coefficient of determination) = 0.08, 0.21, and 0.18, resp.). It is recommended that patient with COPD be evaluated for sleep apnea and sleep disorders during routine examinations and followups.
Potential of Cowpea Variety Mixtures to Increase Yield Stability in Subsistence Agriculture: Preliminary Results
Authors: Okonya Joshua S. , Maass Brigitte L.
Published: January 2014

CowpeaVigna unguiculata(L.) Walp. is an important leafy vegetable and grain legume in Uganda. Unlike in commercial agriculture, where variety mixtures are known to give higher and more stable yields, the performance of cowpea variety mixtures in subsistence agriculture is little known. Mixtures containing up to four cowpea varieties were subjected to all possible 2-way, 3-way, and 4-way combinations. These cowpea varieties and mixtures were grown at three locations in Soroti and Kumi districts in order to assess the relative mixture effect, defined as: Mixture effect (%) = (mixture yield − pure line component average)/pure line component average × 100. Yield data was subjected to one-way ANOVA using the GLM procedure of SYSTAT. PLABSTAT was used to generate ecovalence (Wi) values as a measure of stability with low ecovalence values indicating higher stability. The total cowpea dry matter (DM) yield was in the range of  3.7–6.7 g/m2(leaf) and 12.1–36.7 g/m2(grain), respectively. Mixture effects were between  −9.3–14.0% (leaf) and −30.3–21.9% (grain). Yield stability spanned  Wi= 0.06–5.30 (leaf) andWi= 4.45–894.84 (grain). The results suggested that yields of cowpea variety mixtures grown in marginal environments were more stable than of single varieties but not all mixtures yielded more than single varieties.
Analysis of Structure and Diversity of the Kilengwe Forest in the Morogoro Region, Tanzania
Authors: Kacholi David Sylvester
Published: January 2014

This study investigates the structure, species composition, and diversity of a section of the Kilengwe Forest in Tanzania. In order to accomplish the proposed objectives, 18 plots of 20 m × 20 m were randomly established in the forest and the number of tree species in each plot was identified and counted. The most important families and species were determined using importance value indices at the respective taxonomic levels. Diversity was measured using the Shannon-Wiener and Fisher alpha diversity indices. A total of 276 stems/ha representing 93 species/ha within 26 families were documented from 0.72 ha. Fabaceae and Julbernadia globiflora were the dominant family and species, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of the total species were rare. The average basal area of the forest was 7.1 m2/ha. The Shannon-Wiener index (4.02) and Fisher’s alpha diversity (35.5) indicated high species diversity within the forest. The species-area and species-abundance curves revealed an escalating trend implying that more sampling efforts could result in a higher number of species existing in the forest. The size class distribution displayed a reverse J-shaped pattern; however, the larger size classes DBH >50 cm were not represented. The study suggests the necessity for anthropogenic disturbance control as this is the major source of forest degradation in the studied area.
Downregulation of RelA (p65) by Rapamycin Inhibits Murine Adipocyte Differentiation and Reduces Fat Mass of C57BL/6J Mice despite High Fat Diet
Authors: Ray Peter D. , Maclellan Reid A. , He Jin , Liu Zhigang , Wu Jianguo
Published: January 2014

Rapamycin (RAPA) is a clinical immunosuppressive agent first reported in the literature in 1975 after its discovery in a soil sample from the island of Rapa Nui. Aside from the well-documented effects of RAPA on cell division and immunologic response, the literature reveals it to have negative effects on adipocyte and osteocyte differentiation as well. Understanding of the molecular effects of RAPA on cell differentiation is fragmentary in regard to these cell lineages. In this paper, we examined a potential mechanism for RAPA’s effects on adipocyte differentiationin vitroandin vivo. The data point to a unique role of Rel A (p65)—a component of the NF-κB system—in mediating this event. In murine adipose derived stem cell cultures (muADSCs) from C57BL/6J mice, RAPA was found to selectively downregulate RelA/p65, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and do so in a dose-dependent manner. This implies a novel role for RelA in adipocyte biology. Intracellular lipid accumulation—as subjectively observed—was also decreased in muADSCs treated with RAPA. Mice treated with RAPA had reduced overall body weight and reduced size of both intraabdominal and subcutaneous fat pads. When treated with RAPA, mice fed a high fat diet did not develop obesity and were not different from their regular diet controls in terms of body weight. These results suggested that RAPA inhibits adipogenesis and lipogenesis of muADSCs resulting in a prevention of obesity in C57BL/6J mice. This inhibition is strong enough to negate the effects of a high fat diet and seems to act by downregulating the RelA/p65 mTOR signaling pathway—a key component of the NF-κB family.
Is the Truth in Your Words? Distinguishing Children’s Deceptive and Truthful Statements
Authors: Williams Shanna Mary , Talwar Victoria , Lindsay R. C. L. , Bala Nicholas , Lee Kang
Published: January 2014

Children’s (N = 48) and adults’ (N = 28) truthful and deceptive statements were compared using a linguistics-based computer software program. Children (4 to 7 years of age) and adults (18 to 25 years of age) participated in a mock courtroom experiment, in which they were asked to recount either a true or fabricated event. Testimonies were then analyzed using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count Software (LIWC; Pennebaker et al. 2007). This software has been previously used to detect adults’ deceptive statements (e.g., Bond and Lee, 2005). To date, no research has used this method on children’s narratives, nor has this software been used to compare those narratives to adult counterparts. Markers generated through the LIWC program achieved detection rates of 72.40% for samples of both children’s and adults’ narratives combined. In contrast, adult laypersons’ (N = 48) detection rates, for the same narratives (i.e., both children and adults) were close to chance. More specifically, detection rates were above chance for truth (65.00%) and below chance for lies (45.00%). Thus, the linguistic profile provided through LIWC yielded greater accuracy for evaluating the veracity of children’s and adults’ narratives compared to adult laypersons’ detection accuracy.
Effects of Dietary Milled Seed Mixture on Fatty Acid Status and Inflammatory Markers in Patients on Hemodialysis
Authors: Ristic-Medic Danijela , Perunicic-Pekovic Gordana , Rasic-Milutinovic Zorica , Takic Marija , Popovic Tamara , Arsic Aleksandra , Glibetic Marija
Published: January 2014

Background. Plant seeds have gained interest for their health benefits due to their fatty acid content. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary consumption of milled sesame/pumpkin/flax seed mixture on glycemic control, serum lipids, phospholipid fatty acid status, and inflammatory factors in patients on hemodialysis.Methods. Thirty patients with well nutrition status (18 male, 12 female) were enrolled in the study. Participants consumed 30 g of milled sesame/pumpkin/flax (6 g/6 g/18 g, resp.) seeds mixture added to their habitual diet.Results. Total n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and levels of linoleic, dihomo-gamma-linolenic (DGLA), arachidonic, alpha-linolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acid were increased after 12 weeks of supplementation. A significant decrease of the serum triglyceride level (P<0.001), glucose, insulin, calculated IR HOMA (P<0.05), and inflammatory markers (TNF-alpha, IL-6, and hs-CRP,P<0.001) was observed after seed mixture treatment. The serum levels of CRP and TNF-alpha negative correlate with ALA, DHA, and DGLA.Conclusion. Results of this study indicated that dietary milled sesame/pumpkin/flax seed mixture added to a habitual diet lowered triglyceride and CRP, TNF-alpha, IL-6 levels, affect glycemic control and improved fatty acid profile and pruritus symptoms in hemodialysis patients.
Generalized Ulam-Hyers Stability, Well-Posedness, and Limit Shadowing of Fixed Point Problems forα-β-Contraction Mapping in Metric Spaces
Authors: Sintunavarat Wutiphol
Published: January 2014

We study the generalized Ulam-Hyers stability, the well-posedness, and the limit shadowing of the fixed point problem for new type of generalized contraction mapping, the so-calledα-β-contraction mapping. Our results in this paper are generalized and unify several results in the literature as the result of Geraghty (1973) and the Banach contraction principle.
A New Diagnostic Way for Behcet's Disease: Skin Prick with Self-Saliva
Authors: Kaneko Fumio , Togashi Ari , Nomura Erika , Nakamura Koichiro
Published: January 2014

Behcet's disease (BD) is a mysterious multisystemic disorder characterized by recurrent involvement of mucocutaneous (including recurrent aphthous stomatitis; RAS), ocular, intestinal, vascular, and/or nervous system organs. Previously, the positivity of “pathergy test”, which is one of the diagnostic examinations, was reported to be related to the possession of HLA-B51 gene in BD patients, even though the positivity is low and different from the countries. Here, instead of the ordinal pathergy test, we would like to propose the prick with self-saliva as a new diagnostic way for patients with RAS of BD based on the genetic intrinsic factors including HLA-B51 and extrinsic triggering factors. BD patients are considered to acquire the hypersensitivity against oral streptococci through the innate immune mechanism in the oral cavity. Bes-1 gene and 65 kD of heat shock protein (HSP-65) derived from oral S. sanguinis are supposed to play important roles as extrinsic factors in BD pathogenesis. Although the prick positivity was not related to the possession of HLA-B51 gene, the method is suggested to be a significant way for BD diagnosis. The results also suggest that BD symptoms are due to the vascular immune responses by monocytes expressed oral streptococcal agents of the patients.
Numerical Analysis for the Synthesis of Biodiesel Using Spectral Relaxation Method
Authors: Makukula Z. G. , Motsa S. S. , Shateyi S.
Published: January 2014

Biodiesel is an alternative diesel fuel chemically defined as the
mono‐alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable
oils or animal fat. It is becoming more attractive as an alternative
fuel due to the depleting fossil fuel resources. A mathematical
model for the synthesis of biodiesel from vegetable oils and animal
fats is presented in this study. Numerical solutions of the model
are found using a spectral relaxation method. The method, originally
developed for boundary value problems, is an iterative scheme based
on the Chebyshev spectral collocation method developed by decoupling
systems of equations using Gauss‐Seidel type of techniques. The
effects of the reaction rate constants and initial concentrations of
the reactants on the amount of the final product are being
investigated. The accuracy of the numerical results is validated by
comparison with known analytical results and numerical results
obtained using ode45, an efficient explicit 4th and
5th order Runge‐Kutta method used to integrate both linear and
nonlinear differential equations.
Why Are the Right and Left Hemisphere Conceptual Representations Different?
Authors: Gainotti Guido
Published: January 2014

The present survey develops a previous position paper, in which I suggested that the multimodal semantic impairment observed in advanced stages of semantic dementia is due to the joint disruption of pictorial and verbal representations, subtended by the right and left anterior temporal lobes, rather than to the loss of a unitary, amodal semantic system. The main goals of the present review are (a) to survey a larger set of data, in order to confirm the differences in conceptual representations at the level of the right and left hemispheres, (b) to examine if language-mediated information plays a greater role in left hemisphere semantic knowledge than sensory-motor information in right hemisphere conceptual knowledge, and (c) to discuss the models that could explain both the differences in conceptual representations at the hemispheric level and the prevalence of the left hemisphere language-mediated semantic knowledge over the right hemisphere perceptually based conceptual representations.
The Effects of Gallium Additions on Microstructures and Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Sn-9Zn Solder Alloys
Authors: Chen Kang I. , Cheng Shou C. , Cheng Chin H. , Wu Sean , Jiang Yeu-L. , Cheng Tsung-C.
Published: January 2014

The effects of gallium additions on microstructures and thermal and mechanical properties of the Sn-9Zn solder alloys are investigated in this study. The results show that the melting temperature of the alloys decreases with the increase in the Ga concentration, while the pasty ranges of the alloys are simultaneously enlarged. By adding a 0.25–0.5 wt.% Ga element, the Sn-matrix region is slightly increased and the Zn-rich phase becomes slightly coarser; however, the overall microstructure is still very similar to that of the Sn-9Zn alloy. It is found that, when the Ga concentration is less than 0.50 wt.%, the ultimate tensile strength and elongation are maintained at the same values. The addition of a 0.25–0.50 wt.% Ga to the Sn-9Zn alloy also leads to small cup and cone fracture surfaces which exhibit near-complete ductile fracturing. With the addition being increased to 0.75 wt.%, larger cup and cone fractures are observed. The 1.00 wt.% Ga alloy has lower strength and ductility due to the coarser and nonuniform microstructures. However, the fracture surfaces of the 1.00 wt.% Ga alloy show partial cleavage and a partially dimpled fracture.
Gray Matters in Multiple Sclerosis: Cognitive Impairment and Structural MRI
Authors: Messina Silvia , Patti Francesco
Published: January 2014

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease affecting central nervous system (CNS). Although MS is classically considered a white matter (WM) disease, the involvement of gray matter (GM) in the pathogenic process has been confirmed by pathology studies and MRI studies. Impairment of cognitive domains such as memory, mental processing speed, attention, and executive function can occur from the early stage of the disease and tends to worsen over time, despite stable physical symptoms. WM demyelination is moderately correlated with CI, suggesting that probably WM abnormalities alone cannot fully explain the extent of clinical symptoms in MS, including CI. Several MRI techniques have shown the involvement of GM in MS and the association between GM damage, physical disability, and CI. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of CI and GM damage assessed by structural brain MRI.
Factors Determining Disease Duration in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Postmortem Study of 103 Cases Using the Kaplan-Meier Estimator and Cox Regression
Authors: Armstrong R. A.
Published: January 2014

Factors associated with duration of dementia in a consecutive series of 103 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cases were studied using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and Cox regression analysis (proportional hazard model). Mean disease duration was 7.1 years (range: 6 weeks–30 years, standard deviation = 5.18); 25% of cases died within four years, 50% within 6.9 years, and 75% within 10 years. Familial AD cases (FAD) had a longer duration than sporadic cases (SAD), especially cases linked topresenilin(PSEN) genes. No significant differences in duration were associated with age, sex, orapolipoprotein E(Apo E) genotype. Duration was reduced in cases with arterial hypertension. Cox regression analysis suggested longer duration was associated with an earlier disease onset and increased senile plaque (SP) and neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology in the orbital gyrus (OrG), CA1 sector of the hippocampus, and nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM). The data suggest shorter disease duration in SAD and in cases with hypertensive comorbidity. In addition, degree of neuropathology did not influence survival, but spread of SP/NFT pathology into the frontal lobe, hippocampus, and basal forebrain was associated with longer disease duration.
Voice Quality Modelling for Expressive Speech Synthesis
Authors: Monzo Carlos , Iriondo Ignasi , Socoró Joan Claudi
Published: January 2014

This paper presents the perceptual experiments that were carried out in order to validate the methodology of transforming expressive speech styles using voice quality (VoQ) parameters modelling, along with the well-known prosody (F0, duration, and energy), from a neutral style into a number of expressive ones. The main goal was to validate the usefulness of VoQ in the enhancement of expressive synthetic speech in terms of speech quality and style identification. A harmonic plus noise model (HNM) was used to modify VoQ and prosodic parameters that were extracted from an expressive speech corpus. Perception test results indicated the improvement of obtained expressive speech styles using VoQ modelling along with prosodic characteristics.
Development of a Stereotaxic Device for Low Impact Implantation of Neural Constructs or Pieces of Neural Tissues into the Mammalian Brain
Authors: Jozwiak Andrzej , Liu Yiwen , Yang Ying , Gates Monte A.
Published: January 2014

Implanting pieces of tissue or scaffolding material into the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is wrought with difficulties surrounding the size of tools needed to conduct such implants and the ability to maintain the orientation and integrity of the constructs during and after their transplantation. Here, novel technology has been developed that allows for the implantation of neural constructs or intact pieces of neural tissue into the CNS with low trauma. By “laying out” (instead of forcibly expelling) the implantable material from a thin walled glass capillary, this technology has the potential to enhance neural transplantation procedures by reducing trauma to the host brain during implantation and allowing for the implantation of engineered/dissected tissues or constructs in such a way that their orientation and integrity are maintained in the host. Such technology may be useful for treating various CNS disorders which require the reestablishment of point-to-point contacts (e.g., Parkinson’s disease) across the adult CNS, an environment which is not normally permissive to axonal growth.
The Angiogenic Activity of Ascites in the Course of Ovarian Cancer as a Marker of Disease Progression
Authors: Gawrychowski Krzysztof , Szewczyk Grzegorz , Skopińska-Różewska Ewa , Małecki Maciej , Barcz Ewa , Kamiński Paweł , Miedzińska-Maciejewska Magdalena , Śmiertka Wacław , Szukiewicz Dariusz , Skopiński Piotr
Published: January 2014

Ovarian cancer cells are able to create invasive implants in the peritoneum and their growth is directly associated with the angiogenetic potential. This effect is probably stimulated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), which are both found in ascites. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of ascites produced by ovarian cancer on the angiogenesis. Peritoneal fluid was collected from patients with advanced ovarian cancer; cancer cells were separated from CD45+ leukocytes. Angiogenesis was assessed in mice, after intradermal injection of full cellular suspension together with supernatant or phosphate buffered saline, purified cancer cells suspension, or CD45+ leukocytes suspension. The angiogenesis index (AI) was assessed after 72 hours. VEGF and Il-8 were measured in the supernatant and cellular suspension. AI was the highest in the isolated cancer cells suspensions as well in the group stimulated with supernatant. Both VEGF and IL-8 were high in supernatants from ascites rich in cancer cells (>45%). A significant correlation was revealed between IL-8 concentration and AI. We conclude that ascites in patients with advanced ovarian cancer stimulates angiogenesis and this mechanism is dependent mostly on cancer cells activity and enhanced by cooperation with infiltrating leukocytes.
On Generalized Jordan Triple (σ,τ)-Higher Derivations in Prime Rings
Authors: Ashraf Mohammad , Khan Almas
Published: January 2014

Let R be a ring and let U be a Lie ideal of R. Suppose that σ,τ are endomorphisms of R, and ℕ is the set of all nonnegative integers. A family F={fn}n∈ℕ of mappings fn:R→R is said to be a generalized (σ,τ)-higher derivation (resp., generalized Jordan triple (σ,τ)-higher derivation) of R if there exists a (σ,τ)-higher derivation D={dn}n∈ℕ of R such that f0=IR, the identity map on R, fn(a+b)=fn(a)+fn(b), and fn(ab)=∑i+j=nfi(σn-i(a))dj(τn-j(b)) (resp., fn(aba)=∑i+j+k=nfi(σn-i(a))dj(σkτi(b))dk(τn-k(a))) hold for all a,b∈R and for every n∈ℕ. If the above conditions hold for all a,b∈U, then F is said to be a generalized (σ,τ)-higher derivation (resp., generalized Jordan triple (σ,τ)-higher derivation) of U into R. In the present paper it is shown that if U is a noncentral square closed Lie ideal of a prime ring R of characteristic different from two, then every generalized Jordan triple (σ,τ)-higher derivation of U into R is a generalized (σ,τ)-higher derivation of U into R.
Antioxidant Property of Aerial Parts and Root ofPhyllanthus fraternusWebster, an Important Medicinal Plant
Authors: Upadhyay Richa , Chaurasia Jitendra Kumar , Tiwari Kavindra Nath , Singh Karuna
Published: January 2014

In present study free radical scavenging potential of aerial parts and root ofPhyllanthus fraternuswas investigated. Extraction was done in water and ethanol. Total antioxidant capacity was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging method; ethanolic extract of aerial part was most potent in activity with 50% inhibition at 258 μg/mL concentration. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) was measured in terms of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) by using egg-yolk homogenates as lipid-rich media with EC50of aerial part (ethanolic) 1522 μg/mL which was found to be most active. Superoxide (SO) radical scavenging activity was measured using riboflavin-light-nitroblue tetrazolium assay. Ethanolic and aqueous extract of both aerial part and root was almost similar in superoxide radical scavenging activity. Reducing power was determined on the basis ofFe3+-Fe2+transformation in the presence of extract. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also measured by spectroscopic method. Results showed that the ethanolic fraction of aerial part is most active towards antioxidant potential and this activity is related to its polyphenolic content and reducing potential. Thus,P. fraternusextract can be used as potent natural antioxidant.
Intrusion-Tolerant Jini Service Architecture for Integrating Security and Survivability Support in DSN
Authors: Kim Sung-Ki , Kim Byung-Gyu , Min Byoung-Joon
Published: January 2014

Ubiquitous service environment based on DSN (distributed sensor networks) is poor in reliability of connection and has a high probability that the intrusion and the system failure may occur. In this paper, we propose an intrusion-tolerant Jini service architecture for integrating security and survivability support in order to provide end users with Jini services having a persistent state in ubiquitous environments. The proposed architecture is able to protect Jini service delivery not only from faults such as network partitioning or server crash but also from attacks exploiting flaws. It is designed to provide performance enough to show a low response latency so as to support seamless service usage. Through the experiment on a testbed, we have confirmed that the architecture is able to provide high security and availability at the level that the degradation of services quality is ignorable.
A Particle Swarm Optimization Variant with an Inner Variable Learning Strategy
Authors: Wu Guohua , Pedrycz Witold , Ma Manhao , Qiu Dishan , Li Haifeng , Liu Jin
Published: January 2014

Although Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) has demonstrated competitive performance in solving global optimization problems, it exhibits some limitations when dealing with optimization problems with high dimensionality and complex landscape. In this paper, we integrate some problem-oriented knowledge into the design of a certain PSO variant. The resulting novel PSO algorithm with an inner variable learning strategy (PSO-IVL) is particularly efficient for optimizing functions with symmetric variables. Symmetric variables of the optimized function have to satisfy a certain quantitative relation. Based on this knowledge, the inner variable learning (IVL) strategy helps the particle to inspect the relation among its inner variables, determine the exemplar variable for all other variables, and then make each variable learn from the exemplar variable in terms of their quantitative relations. In addition, we design a new trap detection and jumping out strategy to help particles escape from local optima. The trap detection operation is employed at the level of individual particles whereas the trap jumping out strategy is adaptive in its nature. Experimental simulations completed for some representative optimization functions demonstrate the excellent performance of PSO-IVL. The effectiveness of the PSO-IVL stresses a usefulness of augmenting evolutionary algorithms by problem-oriented domain knowledge.
mAb CZP-315.D9: An Antirecombinant Cruzipain Monoclonal Antibody That Specifically Labels the Reservosomes ofTrypanosoma cruziEpimastigotes
Authors: Batista Cassiano Martin , Medeiros Lia Carolina Soares , Eger Iriane , Soares Maurilio José
Published: January 2014

Reservosomes are large round vesicles located at the posterior end of epimastigote forms of the protozoanTrypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. They are the specific end organelles of the endocytosis pathway ofT. cruzi, and they play key roles in nutrient uptake and cell differentiation. These lysosome-like organelles accumulate ingested macromolecules and contain large amounts of a major cysteine proteinase (cruzipain or GP57/51 protein). Aim of this study was to produce a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against a recombinantT. cruzicruzipain (TcCruzipain) that specifically labels the reservosomes. BALB/c mice were immunized with purified recombinant TcCruzipain to obtain the mAb. After fusion of isolated splenocytes with myeloma cells and screening, a mAb was obtained by limiting dilution and characterized by capture ELISA. We report here the production of a kappa-positive monoclonal IgG antibody (mAb CZP-315.D9) that recognizes recombinant TcCruzipain. This mAb binds preferentially to a protein with a molecular weight of about 50 kDa on western blots and specifically labels reservosomes by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. The monoclonal CZP-315.D9 constitutes a potentially powerful marker for use in studies on the function of reservosomes ofT. cruzi.
Strongly Localized Image States of Spherical Graphitic Particles
Authors: Gumbs Godfrey , Balassis Antonios , Iurov Andrii , Fekete Paula
Published: January 2014

We investigate the localization of charged particles by the image potential of spherical shells, such as fullerene buckyballs. These spherical image states exist within surface potentials formed by the competition between the attractive image potential and the repulsive centripetal force arising from the angular motion. The image potential has a power law rather than a logarithmic behavior. This leads to fundamental differences in the nature of the effective potential for the two geometries. Our calculations have shown that the captured charge is more strongly localized closest to the surface for fullerenes than for cylindrical nanotube.
Noncrossing Monochromatic Subtrees and Staircases in 0-1 Matrices
Authors: Cai Siyuan , Grindstaff Gillian , Gyárfás András , Shull Warren
Published: January 2014

The following question is asked by the senior author (Gyárfás (2011)). What is the order of the largest monochromatic noncrossing subtree (caterpillar) that exists in every 2-coloring of the edges of a simple geometric Kn,n? We solve one particular problem asked by Gyárfás (2011): separate the Ramsey number of noncrossing trees from the Ramsey number of noncrossing double stars. We also reformulate the question as a Ramsey-type problem for 0-1 matrices and pose the following conjecture. Every n×n 0-1 matrix contains n−1 zeros or n−1 ones, forming a staircase: a sequence which goes right in rows and down in columns, possibly skipping elements, but not at turning points. We prove this conjecture in some special cases and put forward some related problems as well.
Frequency Selective Properties of Coaxial Transmission Lines Loaded with Combined Artificial Inclusions
Authors: Falcone Francisco , Gil Javier
Published: January 2014

The properties of a modified coaxial transmission line by periodic inclusions will be discussed. The introduction of split ring resonators, conductor stubs, air gaps, and combination of these gives rise to new frequency selective properties, such as stopband or passband behavior, observable in planar as well as volumetric metamaterial structures. These results envisage new potential applications and implementation of devices in coaxial transmission line technology.
A Function Private Attribute-Based Encryption
Authors: Han Fei , Qin Jing
Published: January 2014

The function privacy notion was proposed by Boneh, Raghunathan, and Segev in August 2013. It guarantees that the secret key reveals nothing to malicious adversary, beyond the unavoidable minimal information such as the length of ciphertext. They constructed a function private identity-based encryption that contains equality functionality. In this work we construct a new function private attribute-based encryption which supports more complex functionality. And we transform it to a searchable encryption. In searchable encryption, the trapdoor of searching keywords can be seen as the secret key. Hence, using this system can efficiently resist keyword guessing attack.
A Sarsa(λ)-Based Control Model for Real-Time Traffic Light Coordination
Authors: Zhou Xiaoke , Zhu Fei , Liu Quan , Fu Yuchen , Huang Wei
Published: January 2014

Traffic problems often occur due to the traffic demands by the outnumbered vehicles on road. Maximizing traffic flow and minimizing the average waiting time are the goals of intelligent traffic control. Each junction wants to get larger traffic flow. During the course, junctions form a policy of coordination as well as constraints for adjacent junctions to maximize their own interests. A good traffic signal timing policy is helpful to solve the problem. However, as there are so many factors that can affect the traffic control model, it is difficult to find the optimal solution. The disability of traffic light controllers to learn from past experiences caused them to be unable to adaptively fit dynamic changes of traffic flow. Considering dynamic characteristics of the actual traffic environment, reinforcement learning algorithm based traffic control approach can be applied to get optimal scheduling policy. The proposed Sarsa(λ)-based real-time traffic control optimization model can maintain the traffic signal timing policy more effectively. The Sarsa(λ)-based model gains traffic cost of the vehicle, which considers delay time, the number of waiting vehicles, and the integrated saturation from its experiences to learn and determine the optimal actions. The experiment results show an inspiring improvement in traffic control, indicating the proposed model is capable of facilitating real-time dynamic traffic control.
Geometric Assortative Growth Model for Small-World Networks
Authors: Shang Yilun
Published: January 2014

It has been shown that both humanly constructed and natural networks are often characterized by small-world phenomenon and assortative mixing. In this paper, we propose a geometrically growing model for small-world networks. The model displays both tunable small-world phenomenon and tunable assortativity. We obtain analytical solutions of relevant topological properties such as order, size, degree distribution, degree correlation, clustering, transitivity, and diameter. It is also worth noting that the model can be viewed as a generalization for an iterative construction of Farey graphs.
Primary Headache Disorders at a Tertiary Health Facility in Lagos, Nigeria: Prevalence and Consultation Patterns
Authors: Oshinaike Olajumoke , Ojo Oluwadamilola , Okubadejo Njideka , Ojelabi Olaitan , Dada Akinola
Published: January 2014

Background. Primary headaches are underdiagnosed and undertreated, with a significant impact on social activities and work.Aim.To determine the last-year prevalence and health care utilization pattern of primary headaches at a tertiary centre.Methods.A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst staff of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. 402 staff members were selected by simple random sampling and administered a detailed structured headache assessment questionnaire. Migraine and tension-type headache were diagnosed according to the criteria of the International Headache Society (2004).Results.The participants comprised 168 males and 234 females. The mean age was36.9±7.9years. The overall headache prevalence was 39.3% with female predominance (P<0.0001). Tension-type headache was the most prevalent at 72.8% and migraine at 18.9%. Unclassifiable headache constituted 8.2%. Migraine headache showed female preponderance (P=0.000). 80.4% of participants did not seek medical consultation compared with 19.6% who did (P=0.000). Of the latter, 83.9% consulted the general practitioner (GP), whilst 16.1% consulted the neurologist.Conclusions.Primary headache prevalence is high in our population. It is not recognised as that requiring care by most of the staff of this tertiary health facility; thus education is required to increase health care utilization.
Sonochemical Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Starch: A Comparison
Authors: Kumar Brajesh , Smita Kumari , Cumbal Luis , Debut Alexis , Pathak Ravinandan Nath
Published: January 2014

A novel approach was applied to synthesize silver nanoparticles using starch under sonication. Colloidal silver nanoparticles solution exhibited an increase of absorption from 420 to 440 nm with increase starch quantity. Transmission electron microscopy followed by selected area electron diffraction pattern analysis indicated the formation of spherical, polydispersed, amorphous, silver nanoparticles of diameter ranging from 23 to 97 nm with mean particle size of 45.6 nm. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirmed partial crystalline and amorphous nature of silver nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles synthesized in this manner can be used for synthesis of 2-aryl substituted benzimidazoles which have numerous biomedical applications. The optimized reaction conditions include 10 ml of 1 mM AgNO3, 25 mg starch, 11 pH range, and sonication for 20 min at room temperature.
Quantum Key Based Burst Confidentiality in Optical Burst Switched Networks
Authors: Balamurugan A. M. , Sivasubramanian A.
Published: January 2014

The optical burst switching (OBS) is an emergent result to the technology concern that could achieve a feasible network in future. They are endowed with the ability to meet the bandwidth requirement of those applications that require intensive bandwidth. There are more domains opening up in the OBS that evidently shows their advantages and their capability to face the future network traffic. However, the concept of OBS is still far from perfection facing issues in case of security threat. The transfer of optical switching paradigm to optical burst switching faces serious downfall in the fields of burst aggregation, routing, authentication, dispute resolution, and quality of service (QoS). This paper deals with employing RC4 (stream cipher) to encrypt and decrypt bursts thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the burst. Although the use of AES algorithm has already been proposed for the same issue, by contrasting the two algorithms under the parameters of burst encryption and decryption time, end-to-end delay, it was found that RC4 provided better results. This paper looks to provide a better solution for the confidentiality of the burst in OBS networks.
Binary Solvent Extraction System and Extraction Time Effects on Phenolic Antioxidants from Kenaf Seeds (Hibiscus cannabinusL.) Extracted by a Pulsed Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction
Authors: Wong Yu Hua , Lau Hwee Wen , Tan Chin Ping , Long Kamariah , Nyam Kar Lin
Published: January 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the best parameter for extracting phenolic-enriched kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinusL.) seeds by a pulsed ultrasonic-assisted extraction. The antioxidant activities of ultrasonic-assisted kenaf seed extracts (KSE) were determined by a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity assay, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assay,β-carotene bleaching inhibition assay, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) evaluations were carried out to determine the phenolic and flavonoid contents in KSE. The KSE from the best extraction parameter was then subjected to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to quantify the phenolic compounds. The optimised extraction condition employed 80% ethanol for 15 min, with the highest values determined for the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assay. KSE contained mainly tannic acid (2302.20 mg/100 g extract) and sinapic acid (1198.22 mg/100 g extract), which can be used as alternative antioxidants in the food industry.
Real-Time Tracking by Double Templates Matching Based on Timed Motion History Image with HSV Feature
Authors: Li Zhiyong , Li Pengfei , Yu Xiaoping , Hashem Mervat
Published: January 2014

It is a challenge to represent the target appearance model for moving object tracking under complex environment. This study presents a novel method with appearance model described by double templates based on timed motion history image with HSV color histogram feature (tMHI-HSV). The main components include offline template and online template initialization, tMHI-HSV-based candidate patches feature histograms calculation, double templates matching (DTM) for object location, and templates updating. Firstly, we initialize the target object region and calculate its HSV color histogram feature as offline template and online template. Secondly, the tMHI-HSV is used to segment the motion region and calculate these candidate object patches’ color histograms to represent their appearance models. Finally, we utilize the DTM method to trace the target and update the offline template and online template real-timely. The experimental results show that the proposed method can efficiently handle the scale variation and pose change of the rigid and nonrigid objects, even in illumination change and occlusion visual environment.
Influenza Viral Manipulation of Sphingolipid Metabolism and Signaling to Modulate Host Defense System
Authors: Vijayan Madhuvanthi , Hahm Bumsuk
Published: January 2014

Viruses attempt to create a distinctive cellular environment to favor viral replication and spread. Recent studies uncovered new functions of the sphingolipid signaling/metabolism during pathogenic virus infections. While sphingolipids such as sphingomyelin and ceramide were reported to influence the entry step of several viruses, sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes could directly alter viral replication processes. Influenza virus was shown to increase the level of sphingosine kinase (SK) 1 to promote virus propagation. The mechanism involves regulation of intracellular signaling pathways, leading to the amplification of influenza viral RNA synthesis and nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. However, bovine viral diarrhea virus inhibits SK1 to enhance the efficacy of virus replication, demonstrating the presence of virus-specific strategies for modulation of the sphingolipid system. Therefore, investigating the sphingolipid metabolism and signaling in the context of virus replication could help us design innovative therapeutic approaches to improve human health.
Comparison of Three Methods for Wind Turbine Capacity Factor Estimation
Authors: Ditkovich Y. , Kuperman A.
Published: January 2014

Three approaches to calculating capacity factor of fixed speed wind turbines are reviewed and compared using a case study. The first “quasiexact” approach utilizes discrete wind raw data (in the histogram form) and manufacturer-provided turbine power curve (also in discrete form) to numerically calculate the capacity factor. On the other hand, the second “analytic” approach employs a continuous probability distribution function, fitted to the wind data as well as continuous turbine power curve, resulting from double polynomial fitting of manufacturer-provided power curve data. The latter approach, while being an approximation, can be solved analytically thus providing a valuable insight into aspects, affecting the capacity factor. Moreover, several other merits of wind turbine performance may be derived based on the analytical approach. The third “approximate” approach, valid in case of Rayleigh winds only, employs a nonlinear approximation of the capacity factor versus average wind speed curve, only requiring rated power and rotor diameter of the turbine. It is shown that the results obtained by employing the three approaches are very close, enforcing the validity of the analytically derived approximations, which may be used for wind turbine performance evaluation.
Rheological and Quality Characteristics of Taftoon Bread as Affected by Salep and Persian Gums
Authors: Sahari M. A. , Mohammadi R. , Hamidi Esfehani Z.
Published: January 2014

Effects of salep gum at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, 3%, and 5% (w/w flour basis) and the Persian gum at concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, and 3% (w/w flour basis) and combination of the two gums at concentrations of 0.5% + 0.5%, 0.75% + 0.25%, and 0.25% + 0.75% on rheological properties of the wheat flour dough and quality of Taftoon bread were studied with regard to retardation of staling. Rheological (farinograph and extensograph) characteristics, staling, and organoleptic evaluations were performed on the dough and the resulting Taftoon bread. Statistical results showed that the salep gum at 5% and Persian gum at 3% (w/w flour basis) had a significant effect on the dough properties. Salep and Persian gums when each separately added increased and decreased dough water absorption, respectively. Both hydrocolloids increased the dough resistance to extension and decreased its extensibility. Persian gum shows dual nature in water absorption and some other baking properties. Textural studies revealed that addition of 5% salep gum (w/w flour basis) reduced the bread crumb firmness and delayed the staling process of the Taftoon bread. X-ray diffraction study also confirmed this result.
Roughness of(ℤ+,ℤ-)-Nonuniform Exponential Dichotomy for Difference Equations in Banach Spaces
Authors: Lupa Nicolae
Published: January 2014

In this paper we study the roughness of(ℤ+,ℤ-)-nonuniform exponential dichotomy for nonautonomous difference equations in the general context of infinite-dimensional spaces. An explicit form is given for each of the dichotomy constants of the perturbed equation in terms of the original ones. We emphasize that we do not assume any boundedness condition on the coefficients.
The Dependence of Global Ocean Modeling on Background Diapycnal Mixing
Authors: Deng Zengan
Published: January 2014

The Argo-derived background diapycnal mixing (BDM) proposed by Deng et al. (in publish) is introduced to and applied in Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Sensitive experiments are carried out using HYCOM to detect the responses of ocean surface temperature and Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) to BDM in a global context. Preliminary results show that utilizing a constant BDM, with the same order of magnitude as the realistic one, may cause significant deviation in temperature and MOC. It is found that the dependence of surface temperature and MOC on BDM is prominent. Surface temperature is decreased with the increase of BDM, because diapycnal mixing can promote the deep cold water return to the upper ocean. Comparing to the control run, more striking MOC changes can be caused by the larger variation in BDM.
Nonconjugated Polyelectrolyte as Efficient Fluorescence Quencher and Their Applications as Biosensors: Polymer-Polymer Interaction
Authors: Raj Vidya , Kunnetheeri Sreenivasan
Published: January 2014

A simple fluorescence quenching method for the quantitation in serum of an acute phase reactant, C-reactive protein (CRP), which can differentiate between viral and bacterial infections, is described, where material and reagent costs are minimal. The study harnesses a fluorescence quenching between a nonfluorescent polyelectrolyte containing a ligand (O-phosphorylethanolamine, PEA) and fluorophore (fluorescamine isomer 1) containing polyelectrolyte. The quenching was attributed due to strong polymer-polymer interaction through intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The nonlinear behaviour of Stern-Volmer plot indicates a binding induced quenching, that is, static quenching. However, fluorescence was found to increase in presence of C-reactive protein, due to the specific molecular recognition occurring between CRP and PEA, thereby excluding fluorophore containing chain. A definite correlation was found between concentration of CRP and fluorescence intensity and the method exhibited a linear relationship in the range of 40–360 ng/mL with a detection limit of 30 ± 2 ng/mL. The antibody free method was successfully applied for the analysis of CRP in human serum samples and the method showed good correlation with hospital measurements (y=1.0313x−0.1423;  n=32;  R=0.9998,  P<0.0001). Thus the fluorescence based polyelectrolyte biosensor is a potential system for rapid, and antibody free platform for CRP detection.