bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Status of Astronomy at Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Authors: Anguma Simon , Jurua Edward
Published: June 2011

In this paper, we describe the role astronomy has played in interesting students towards taking physics as a major subject during their final year in Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST). This has resulted into some former students from MUST taking up postgraduate studies in Astrophysics and Space Science in South African Universities. The plans to strengthen and develop Astronomy in Uganda are also discussed, and in particular, the strategies for organizing the IYA2009 are outlined.
Astronomical education in Mongolia
Authors: Dulmaa A. , Tsolmon R. , Lkhagvajav Ch. , Jargalsuren Sh. , Bayartungalag B. , Zaya M.
Published: June 2011

The history, current situation, education and future directions of modern Mongolian space science and astronomy is reviewed. This paper discusses recent efforts to develop astronomy education and research capacity in Mongolia with cooperation of the International Astronomical Union. Various capacity-building initiatives in space science including remote sensing in Mongolia are discussed.
Astronomy and space outreach new requirements for a new generation
Authors: Nolan Kevin
Published: June 2011

Shortcomings in current science outreach contribute to a disconnection between science and society; prompting new requirements in thinking about what science outreach is and how it is planned and implemented. It is proposed here that central to successful outreach should be focus on identifying and communicating value in, and the relevance of, science; rather than necessarily attempting to inspire interest in, or understanding of science. This, coupled to world coordinated identification of key science outreach directives, messages and plans point to more effective science outreach relevant to the global community.
STAR WEEK: A Successful Campaign in Japan
Authors: Watanabe Junichi
Published: June 2011

A campaign of the Star Week, set as August 1 – 7, has been started in 1995 throughout various life-learning facilities. Astronomical facilities including planetariums, science museums, and public observatories has been participating in this campaign, together with amateur astronomers clubs or private observatories. More than 300 astronomical events such as star watching parties were coordinated for general public every year. The Star Week has been grown up to one of the most successful campaigns not only for for astronomy but also for basic sciences in Japan over this 15 years. In this paper, a brief history and the present status of the Star Week are introduced together with the with some statistics.
The gears of the Antikythera Mechanism: an educational pathfinder to the solar system
Authors: Moussas Xenophon , Bampasidis Georgios , Bitsakis Yanis , Tassios Theodosios , Anastasiou Magdalini , Efstathiou Kyriakos , Fasoulopoulos Georgios , Kioleoglou Isidoros , Edmunds Mike , Zafeiropoulou Mary , Roumeliotis Manos , Malzbender Tom , Ramsey Andrew , Kriaris Dionysios , Spandagos Evangelos , Giannopoulos Nikos , Porligi Amalia , Daniels Eleni , Wright Michael T. , Sabry Reem , El-Mikaty Hoda , Henriksson Göran , Munktell Ing-Marie , Vafea Flora , Koufos Stratos , Prassopoulos Dimitrios , Zafiropoulos Vasili , Karakonstantis Andreas , Aggeioplasti Katerina , Delidou Eleni , Papoulias Costas , Papoulias George , Haley Paul , Mimouni Jamal , Valls-Gabaud David , Biggs Matt , Chochol Drahomir , Szubiakowski Jacek , Plucinska Ela , Jacyno Anna , Kakouris Alexandros , Pal'uš Pavel , Jančušková Danica , Feriančiková Mária , Czart Krystof , Xenakis Nikos , Gkini Magda Evgenia , Perpyraki Eva , Tziannoudakis Leonidas , Antoniou Panagiotis
Published: June 2011

The Antikythera Mechanism is the most sophisticated extant ancient astronomical instrument and analogue computer known and was assembled sometime between 150 and 100 BCE, almost a century after the death of Archimedes. The mechanism has a great educational potential as it appeals to inquiring minds as an astonishing artefact of science and technology. The latest research findings reveal significant cultural and social functions in its operations. This astonishing astronomical instrument has a clear interdisciplinary valueand it has that it may be used as an educational medium, to engage the general public, and especially to attract students both to/from exact sciences and to/from the humanities. The astronomical and technical knowledge embedded in the mechanism can also be used to introduce some aspects of modern science through the unknown technological achievements of Hellenic antiquity.
The Megalithic civilisation in Switzerland, its society and its monuments
Authors: Maillard Pauline , Berti Jérôme
Published: June 2011

The Swiss megaliths, just like the English sites, hold an obvious interest for archaeology and astronomy. Within the sites located in Switzerland, the megaliths of Corcelles–Concise have some particular characteristics which are, in our opinion, relevant to point out. Indeed, using recent astronomical software, we have been able to attribute to this site a probable astronomical function. This lead us to wonder about the general use of this kind of location, with some insights on a cultual plan.
Promoting astronomy for the development of society in Nepal
Authors: Bhattarai Suresh , Neupane Sudeep
Published: June 2011

Astronomy as one of the oldest sciences has influenced and spurred steady development of society and culture. Inherent superstitious beliefs and their related rituals that have been hampering the progress and prosperity of nations have been dispelled and reduced considerably through the promotion of astronomical activities at all levels of the society. For disseminating basic knowledge and logic of astronomical facts that were deemed important for the development of our society, various programmes have been conducted through mass media. Many talk programmes, seminars and star parties were organised in different places. Our experiences when planning and executing such programmes are summarised and illustrated. The effectiveness of our programmes with the participation of general public is discussed in detail. Positive results of our activities that have contributed towards creation of substantial awareness of astronomy for the development of our society in Nepal are explained.
Astronomical and space-based systems engineering
Authors: Mosser Benoît , Abergel Alain
Published: June 2011

The Master's degree “Outils et Systèmes de l'Astronomie et de l'Espace” (OSAE, “Astronomical and Space-based Systems Engineering”) is intended for students interested in Astronomy and Space technology. Students undergo a comprehensive training in partnership with international-level laboratories and with leading private companies. The degree provides physicists with a wide range of skills, appropriate for those whose intention is to participate in subsystems, equipment and engineering systems, and also for future project managers, working in the aerospace industry or similar technological industries or in national and European agencies. The 1-year course is given in collaboration with national and international institutions, laboratories and industries. It includes an extended training period (5 to 6 months) and a theoretical and practical specialization given by university and industrial teachers. It benefits from the network of laboratories associated with the Astronomy and Astrophysics doctorate school of the Île-de-France.
The Universe Observing Center a modern center to teach and communicate astronomy
Authors: Ribas Salvador J.
Published: June 2011

The Universe Observing Center is one of the parts of the Parc Astronòmic Montsec (PAM). PAM is an initiative of the Catalan government, through the Consorci del Montsec (Montsec Consortium), to take advantage of the capabilities and potential of the Montsec region to develop scientific research, training and outreach activities, particularly in the field of Astronomy. The choice of the Montsec mountains to install the PAM was motivated by the magnificent conditions for observing the sky at night; the sky above Montsec is the best (natural sky free of light pollution) in Catalonia for astronomical observations. The PAM has two main parts: the Observatori Astronòmic del Montsec (OAdM) and the Universe Observing Center (COU). The OAdM is a professional observatory with an 80-cm catadioptric telescope (Joan Oró Telescope). This telescope is a robotic telescope that can be controlled from anywhere in the world via the Internet. The COU is a large multipurpose center which is intended to become an educational benchmark for teaching and communicate astronomy and other sciences in Catalonia. The management of the COU has three main goals: 1) Teach primary and secondary school students in our Educational Training Camp. 2) Teach university students housing the practical astronomy lectures of the universities. 3) Communicate astronomy to the general public. The COU comprises special areas for these purposes: the Telescopes Park with more than 20 telescopes, a coelostat for solar observations and two dome containing full-automated telescopes. The most special equipment is “The Eye of Montsec”, with its 12m dome containing a multimedia digital planetarium and a platform for direct observation of the sky and the environment. During 2009 we expect around 10000 visitors in Montsec area to enjoy science with Montsec dark skies and an special natural environment.
The “Ciel, miroir des cultures” exhibition: a three-year awareness campaign on the sky as a mirror of cultures
Authors: Las Vergnas Olivier , Piednoël Eric , Gautier Gérard
Published: June 2011

The Ciel, miroir des cultures poster-exhibition was designed by the Association Française d'Astronomie and printed in 300 copies in 2005. Each copy is composed of 14 posters introducing the different ways human beings and societies have used the sky and the heavens in history. More than three hundred cultural events have now been using the exhibition in schools and community structures as public libraries and social centres, taking place mainly in low-income urban or suburban neighbourhoods. This three-year work demonstrated the relevance of this kind of tools and events to pedagogical and social aims, specifically if the event is not limited to showing posters and also offers an opportunity for dialogue.
Encounters with physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology at La Universidad de Los Andes: One way to make ours astronomy
Authors: Naranjo Orlando A. , Rosenzweig Patricia , Escalona Orlando B. , Reinoso Edgar Guzmán , Bocaranda Pablo , Echeverría Raúl , Aguirre Félix
Published: June 2011

Encounters with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology are carried out at the Universidad de Los Andes (Mérida, Venezuela) since 2000. The main purpose is that the minds of young people get familiarised with science and astronomy, through a well-established relationship linking universities and research centres with schools.
Preserving our sky heritage
Authors: Bonavitacola Michel , Le Gué Alain
Published: June 2011

We briefly relate the story of the fight against light pollution in France and make a projection into the future. Following the steps of Jean Kovalevsky who was the initiator of the protection of the astronomical sites in France, a few French amateur astronomers began the fight against light pollution in the 1990s. After a first conference for the night environmental protection in 1995 in Rodez, the second conference in 1998 creates the national association which will become in 2007 the National association for the Protection of the Sky and the Night Environment (ANPCEN). In 2008 light pollution is formally identified, by law, as a problem. Since 2005 the LICORNESS association continues to promote research on the impacts of light on the biotopes while protecting the astronomical sites.
The passion of popularising astronomy: StarTruck Odyssey – From expedition vehicle to mobile observatory
Authors: Meiser Gernot , Demy Pascale
Published: June 2011

A live-spoken multimedia presentation on large screen describing the project “Mobile Observatory”: making astronomy available to other communities and astronomy outreach at any location.
Seeing the stolen starlight with Herschel
Authors: Gomez Haley L. , Gomez Edward L. , Hargrave Peter
Published: June 2011

The Herschel Space Observatory is ESA's fourth Cornerstone mission and will be the largest, most sensitive telescope ever put into space. It will be the first space observatory to observe from the far-infrared to the submillimetre waveband, unveiling the cool, hidden universe for the first time. Herschel will observe stars and galaxies at the stage of formation and discover where all the cosmic dust polluting galaxies comes from. Given the huge public interest in large space missions such as Hubble and Spitzer, Herschel is an ideal opportunity to excite and inform the UK public during the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Here we present some of the education and outreach projects created by the Herschel Outreach Group (HOG).
Does Screening High School Students for Psychological Distress, Deliberate Self-Harm, or Suicidal Ideation Cause Distress – And Is It Acceptable?
Authors: Robinson Jo , Pan Yuen Hok , Martin Cathy , Hughes Ally , Baksheev Gennady N. , Dodd Simon , Bapat Swagata , Schwass Wayne , McGorry Patrick , Yung Alison R.
Published: June 2011

Background: Programs designed to detect students at risk of depression and suicidality have shown success ( Shaffer et al., 2004 ). Aims: The current study sought to examine whether or not such a program was acceptable to participants and whether or not it caused distress. Methods: Participants were boys aged 14 to 16. Participants were assessed using an on-line questionnaire; acceptability was measured via postal questionnaire. Results: Of 272 participants, 31 (11.4%) were considered at-risk; 13 required ongoing support, 8 of whom had not previously sought help. Overall screening did not appear to cause significant undue distress, although some differences were evident between at-risk and not at-risk students. All participants found the program acceptable. Conclusions: When conducted carefully, early detection programs can be an effective and acceptable method of identifying at-risk adolescents.
Functional analysis of hyperthermophilic endocellulase from Pyrococcus horikoshii by crystallographic snapshots
Authors: Kim Han-Woo , Ishikawa Kazuhiko
Published: June 2011

A hyperthermophilic membrane-related β-1,4-endoglucanase (family 5, cellulase) of the archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii was found to be capable of hydrolysing cellulose at high temperatures. The hyperthermophilic cellulase has promise for applications in biomass utilization. To clarify its detailed function, we determined the crystal structures of mutants of the enzyme in complex with either the substrate or product ligands. We were able to resolve different kinds of complex structures at 1.65–2.01 Å (1 Å=0.1 nm). The structural analysis of various mutant enzymes yielded a sequence of crystallographic snapshots, which could be used to explain the catalytic process of the enzyme. The substrate position is fixed by the alignment of one cellobiose unit between the two aromatic amino acid residues at subsites +1 and +2. During the enzyme reaction, the glucose structure of cellulose substrates is distorted at subsite −1, and the β-1,4-glucoside bond between glucose moieties is twisted between subsites −1 and +1. Subsite −2 specifically recognizes the glucose residue, but recognition by subsites +1 and +2 is loose during the enzyme reaction. This type of recognition is important for creation of the distorted boat form of the substrate at subsite −1. A rare enzyme–substrate complex was observed within the low-activity mutant Y299F, which suggested the existence of a trapped ligand structure before the formation by covalent bonding of the proposed intermediate structure. Analysis of the enzyme–substrate structure suggested that an incoming water molecule, essential for hydrolysis during the retention process, might be introduced to the cleavage position after the cellobiose product at subsites +1 and +2 was released from the active site.
Influence of real gas effects on ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability in plastic target
Authors: Fan Zhengfeng , Xue Chuang , Wang Lifeng , Ye Wenhua , Zhu Shaoping
Published: June 2011

In this research, real gas effects on ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability are investigated in a plastic target. The real gas effects are included by adopting the quotidian equation of state (QEOS) model. Theoretical solutions for both QEOS and ideal gas EOS are obtained and compared, based on a same set of ablation parameters. It is found that when real gas effects are considered, the density gradient becomes less steep than that of ideal gas assumption, even though this cannot be used directly to draw a stabilization conclusion for the real gas effects. Further analysis shows that when real gas effects are considered, lower ∂p/∂T in the dense shell region has the effect of stabilization, whereas the dependence of the internal energy on the density, lower specific heat (at constant volume) in the dense shell region, and higher specific heat in the low-density ablation region contribute to stronger destabilization effects. Overall, when real gas effects are considered, the destabilization effects are dominant for long wavelength perturbations, and the growth rates become much higher than the results of ideal gas assumption. In our specific case, the maximum relative error reaches 18%.
Effects of network topology, transmission delays, and refractoriness on the response of coupled excitable systems to a stochastic stimulus
Authors: Larremore Daniel B. , Shew Woodrow L. , Ott Edward , Restrepo Juan G.
Published: June 2011

We study the effects of network topology on the response of networks of coupled discrete excitable systems to an external stochastic stimulus. We extend recent results that characterize the response in terms of spectral properties of the adjacency matrix by allowing distributions in the transmission delays and in the number of refractory states and by developing a nonperturbative approximation to the steady state network response. We confirm our theoretical results with numerical simulations. We find that the steady state response amplitude is inversely proportional to the duration of refractoriness, which reduces the maximum attainable dynamic range. We also find that transmission delays alter the time required to reach steady state. Importantly, neither delays nor refractoriness impact the general prediction that criticality and maximum dynamic range occur when the largest eigenvalue of the adjacency matrix is unity.
Effect of rotating electric field on 3D complex (dusty) plasma
Authors: Wörner L. , Nosenko V. , Ivlev A. V. , Zhdanov S. K. , Thomas H. M. , Morfill G. E. , Kroll M. , Schablinski J. , Block D.
Published: June 2011

The effect of rotating electric field on 3D particle clusters suspended in rf plasma was studied experimentally. Spheroidal clusters were suspended inside a glass box mounted on the lower horizontal rf electrode, with gravity partially balanced by thermophoretic force. Clusters rotated in the horizontal plane, in response to rotating electric field that was created inside the box using conducting coating on its inner surfaces (“rotating wall” technique). Cluster rotation was always in the direction of applied field and had a shear in the vertical direction. The angular speed of rotation was 104–107 times lower than applied frequency. The experiment is compared to a recent theory.
Sample-to-sample fluctuations in real-network ensembles
Authors: Carlson Nicole , Kim Dong-Hee , Motter Adilson E.
Published: June 2011

Network modeling based on ensemble averages tacitly assumes that the networks meant to be modeled are typical in the ensemble. Previous research on network eigenvalues, which govern a range of dynamical phenomena, has shown that this is indeed the case for uncorrelated networks with minimum degree ≥ 3. Here, we focus on real networks, which generally have both structural correlations and low-degree nodes. We show that: (i) the ensemble distribution of the dynamically most important eigenvalues can be not only broad and far apart from the real eigenvalue but also highly structured, often with a multimodal rather than a bell-shaped form; (ii) these interesting properties are found to be due to low-degree nodes, mainly those with degree ≤ 3, and network communities, which is a common form of structural correlation found in real networks. In addition to having implications for ensemble-based approaches, this shows that low-degree nodes may have a stronger influence on collective dynamics than previously anticipated from the study of computer-generated networks.
Ion-erosion induced surface nanoporosity and nanotopography on Si
Authors: Süle P.
Published: June 2011

The low-energy ion-bombardment induced surface nanotopography and the nanopatterning of Si has been simulated by atomistic simulations using an approach based on molecular dynamics (MD). In order to speed up simulations a reasonable cutoff in simulation time and increased cooling rates for keeping in hand the system temperature have been used. We get an unexpectedly rich variety of disordered nanopatterns formed by the self-organization of the crater rims and adatoms islands generated by the individual ion impacts. Our results reveal that the low-energy (0.5 keV impact energy) ion-sputtered Si surface is not smooth at the sub-20 nm length scale and deep nanoholes rule the landscape. Moreover substantial nanoporosity is found beneath the surface with the size range of a few nanometer. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images are also shown obtained for low-fluence ion-sputtering of Si at 2 keV impact energy at 30° angle of incidence. STM images reveal similar features obtained by computer simulations: nanoholes can be seen with a few nanometer diameter. The overall topography landscape as well as the rms surface roughness also show similar features for the images obtained by STM or MD at 2 keV impact energy. The applied approach could make it possible the simulation of nanotopographic images at the molecular dynamics level of theory and could help resolve scanning probe microscopy images in the sub-20 nm length scale regime.
Spin transport properties of single metallocene molecules attached to single-walled carbon nanotubes via nickel adatoms
Authors: Wei Peng , Sun Lili , Benassi Enrico , Shen Ziyong , Sanvito Stefano , Hou Shimin
Published: June 2011

The spin-dependent transport properties of single ferrocene, cobaltocene, and nickelocene molecules attached to the sidewall of a (4,4) armchair single-walled carbon nanotube via a Ni adatom are investigated by using a self-consistent ab initio approach that combines the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism with the spin density functional theory. Our calculations show that the Ni adatom not only binds strongly to the sidewall of the nanotube, but also maintains the spin degeneracy and affects little the transmission around the Fermi level. When the Ni adatom further binds to a metallocene molecule, its density of states is modulated by that of the molecule and electron scattering takes place in the nanotube. In particular, we find that for both cobaltocene and nickelocene the transport across the nanotube becomes spin-polarized. This demonstrates that metallocene molecules and carbon nanotubes can become a promising materials platform for applications in molecular spintronics.
Transversal electric field effect in multilayer graphene nanoribbon
Authors: Bala Kumar S. , Guo Jing
Published: June 2011

We study the effect of transversal electric-field (E-field) on the electronic properties of multilayer armchair-graphene-nanoribbon (AGNR). The bandgap in multilayer-AGNRs can be reversibly modulated with the application of E-field. At optimized widths, we obtain a semiconductor (SC) to metallic (M) and a M-SC transitions. The AGNR electronic bands undergo vivid transformations due to the E-field, leading to phenomena such as an increase in electron velocity, a change in the sign of the electron effective mass, and the formation of linear dispersion with massless Dirac fermions similar to 2D-graphene. These effects are very useful and can be utilized for device applications.
Rapid changes in phenotype distribution during range expansion in a migratory bird
Authors: Gunnarsson Tómas Grétar , Sutherland William J. , Alves José A. , Potts Peter M. , Gill Jennifer A.
Published: June 2011

The capacity of species to track changing environmental conditions is a key component of population and range changes in response to environmental change. High levels of local adaptation may constrain expansion into new locations, while the relative fitness of dispersing individuals will influence subsequent population growth. However, opportunities to explore such processes are rare, particularly at scales relevant to species-based conservation strategies. Icelandic black-tailed godwits,
Limosa limosa islandica
, have expanded their range throughout Iceland over the last century. We show that current male morphology varies strongly in relation to the timing of colonization across Iceland, with small males being absent from recently occupied areas. Smaller males are also proportionately more abundant on habitats and sites with higher breeding success and relative abundance of females. This population-wide spatial structuring of male morphology is most likely to result from female preferences for small males and better-quality habitats increasing both small-male fitness and the dispersal probability of larger males into poorer-quality habitats. Such eco-evolutionary feedbacks may be a key driver of rates of population growth and range expansion and contraction.
Temperature alters the photoperiodically controlled phenologies linked with migration and reproduction in a night-migratory songbird
Authors: Singh Jyoti , Budki Puja , Rani Sangeeta , Kumar Vinod
Published: June 2011

We investigated the effects of temperature on photoperiodic induction of the phenologies linked with migration (body fattening and premigratory night-time restlessness,Zugunruhe) and reproduction (testicular maturation) in the migratory blackheaded bunting. Birds were exposed for four weeks to near-threshold photoperiods required to induce testicular growth (11.5 L:12.5 D and 12 L:12 D) or for 18 weeks to a long photoperiod (13 L:11 D) at 22°C or 27°C (low) and 35°C or 40°C (high) temperatures. A significant body fattening and half-maximal testicular growth occurred in birds under the 12 L, but not under the 11.5 L photoperiod. Further, one of six birds in both temperature groups on 11.5 L, and four and two of six birds, respectively, in low- and high-temperature groups on 12 L showed theZugunruhe. Buntings on 13 L in both temperature groups showed complete growth-regression cycles in body fattening,Zugunruheand testis maturation. In birds on 13 L, high temperature attenuated activity levels, delayed onset ofZugunruheby about 12 days, reduced body fattening and slowed testicular maturation. The effect of temperature seems to be on the rate of photoperiodic induction rather than on the critical day length. It is suggested that a change in temperature could alter the timing of the development of phenologies linked with seasonal migration and reproduction in migratory songbirds.
Visual Boosting in Pixel‐based Visualizations
Authors: Oelke Daniela , Janetzko Halldor , Simon Svenja , Neuhaus Klaus , Keim Daniel A.
Published: June 2011

Pixel‐based visualizations have become popular, because they are capable of displaying large amounts of data and at the same time provide many details. However, pixel‐based visualizations are only effective if the data set is not sparse and the data distribution not random. Single pixels – no matter if they are in an empty area or in the middle of a large area of differently colored pixels – are perceptually difficult to discern and may therefore easily be missed. Furthermore, trends and interesting passages may be camouflaged in the sea of details. In this paper we compare different approaches for visual boosting in pixel‐based visualizations. Several boosting techniques such as halos, background coloring, distortion, and hatching are discussed and assessed with respect to their effectiveness in boosting single pixels, trends, and interesting passages. Application examples from three different domains (document analysis, genome analysis, and geospatial analysis) show the general applicability of the techniques and the derived guidelines.
Visualization of Time‐Series Data in Parameter Space for Understanding Facial Dynamics
Authors: Tam G. K. L. , Fang H. , Aubrey A. J. , Grant P. W. , Rosin P. L. , Marshall D. , Chen M.
Published: June 2011

Over the past decade, computer scientists and psychologists have made great efforts to collect and analyze facial dynamics data that exhibit different expressions and emotions. Such data is commonly captured as videos and are transformed into feature‐based time‐series prior to any analysis. However, the analytical tasks, such as expression classification, have been hindered by the lack of understanding of the complex data space and the associated algorithm space. Conventional graph‐based time‐series visualization is also found inadequate to support such tasks. In this work, we adopt a visual analytics approach by visualizing the correlation between the algorithm space and our goal – classifying facial dynamics. We transform multiple feature‐based time‐series for each expression in measurement space to a multi‐dimensional representation in parameter space. This enables us to utilize parallel coordinates visualization to gain an understanding of the algorithm space, providing a fast and cost‐effective means to support the design of analytical algorithms.
Prostate Cancer Visualization from MR Imagery and MR Spectroscopy
Authors: Marino Joseph , Kaufman Arie
Published: June 2011

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers among males, and the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been suggested for its detection. A framework is presented for scoring and visualizing various MR data in an efficient and intuitive manner. A classification method is introduced where a cumulative score volume is created which takes into account each of three acquisition types. This score volume is integrated into a volume rendering framework which allows the user to view the prostate gland, the multi‐modal score values, and the surrounding anatomy. A visibility persistence mode is introduced to automatically avoid full occlusion of a selected score and indicate overlaps. The use of GPU‐accelerated multi‐modal single‐pass ray casting provides an interactive experience. User driven importance rendering allows the user to gain insight into the data and can assist in localization of the disease and treatment planning. We evaluate our results against pathology and radiologists'determinations.
WANG–LANDAU SIMULATION ON THERMODYNAMIC AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF HONEYCOMB LATTICE
Authors: YAO XIAOYAN
Published: June 2011

Wang–Landau algorithm of Monte Carlo simulation is performed to understand the thermodynamic and magnetic properties of antiferromagnetic Ising model on honeycomb lattice. The internal energy, specific heat, free energy and entropy are calculated to present the thermodynamic behavior. For magnetic property, the magnetization and magnetic susceptibility are discussed at different temperature upon different magnetic field. The antiferromagnetic order is confirmed to be the ground state of the system, and it can be destroyed by a large magnetic field.
ON PARTITIONS SEPARATING WORDS
Authors: HOLUB ŠTĚPÁN , KORTELAINEN JUHA
Published: June 2011

Partitions [Formula: see text] of A+ into m pairwise disjoint languages L1, L2, …, Lm such that [Formula: see text] for k = 1, 2, …, m are considered. It is proved that such a closed partition of A+ can separate the words u1, u2, …, um ∈ A+ (i.e., each Lk contains exactly one word of the sequence u1, u2, …, um) if and only if for each pair i, j of distinct elements in {1, 2, …, m}, the words ui and uj do not commute. Furthermore, it is proved that the separating languages can be chosen to be regular. In case that the Parikh images of the words are linearly independent, the choice of the separating languages may be based on geometrical intuition.
ARITHMETICAL RANK OF THE CYCLIC AND BICYCLIC GRAPHS
Authors: BARILE MARGHERITA , KIANI DARIUSH , MOHAMMADI FATEMEH , YASSEMI SIAMAK
Published: June 2011

We show that for the edge ideals of the graphs consisting of one cycle or two cycles of any length connected through a vertex, the arithmetical rank equals the projective dimension of the corresponding quotient ring.
A CAYLEY THEOREM FOR THE MULTIPLICATIVE SEMIGROUP OF A FIELD
Authors: NAZARI E. , MOVSISYAN Yu. M.
Published: June 2011

Since there exist two commutative elementarily equivalent semigroups of which one is the multiplicative semigroup of a field and the other is not a multiplicative semigroup of any field, it is impossible to characterize multiplicative semigroups of fields by formulas of the first order language (logic). In this work we characterize the multiplicative semigroup of a field by its binary representation (Cayley type theorem).
RADICALS DETERMINED BY SUBSETS OF RINGS
Authors: VELDSMAN STEFAN
Published: June 2011

Many radicals are determined by a property that subsets of a ring may satisfy; for example, the subsets of a ring singled out could be m-systems leading to the prime radical. Here this process is formalized. In addition, the conditions that a property of the subsets must satisfy to ensure that the corresponding radical fulfills a variety of criteria are described.
MULTIFRACTAL ANALYSIS OF SOME WEIGHTED QUASI-SELF-SIMILAR FUNCTIONS
Authors: AOUIDI JAMIL , MABROUK ANOUAR BEN
Published: June 2011

In this paper, a multifractal analysis of some non-self-similar functions based on the superposition of finite number of weighted quasi-self-similar ones ∑iωiFi is developed. In general, such superpositions do not yield neither a self-similar nor a quasi-self-similar outcome. Furthermore, there are two main problems that appear. Firstly, a phenomenon of regularity compensation may exist. Secondly, the computation of the spectrum of singularities and therefore the validity of the multifractal formalism based on the possibility of constructing Gibbs measures fail. In this paper, we propose to study such problems by conducting a multifractal analysis of such combinations and to check the validity of the multifractal formalism in the case where there is no compensation of regularity. Furthermore, we compute the box dimension of the associated graphs and provide some examples. The paper in its full subject re-considers the results of Ref. 3 in the quasi-self-similar case.
AN EFFICIENT SEPARABILITY CRITERION FOR n-PARTITE ARBITRARILY DIMENSIONAL QUANTUM STATES
Authors: LONG YINXIANG , QIU DAOWEN , LONG DONGYANG
Published: June 2011

In this paper, we obtain an efficient separability criterion for bipartite quantum pure state systems, which is based on the two-order minors of the coefficient matrix corresponding to quantum state. Then, we generalize this criterion to multipartite arbitrarily dimensional pure states. Our criterion is directly built upon coefficient matrices, but not density matrices or observables, so it has the advantage of being computed easily. Indeed, to judge separability for an arbitrary n-partite pure state in a d-dimensional Hilbert space, it only needs at most O(d) times operations of multiplication and comparison. Our criterion can be extended to mixed states. Compared with Yu's criteria, our methods are faster, and can be applied to any quantum state.
ENTANGLEMENT DYNAMICS OF THREE-QUBIT SYSTEM IN A COMMON NON-MARKOVIAN RESERVOIR
Authors: WANG YAN-HUI , MAN ZHONG-XIAO , ZHANG YING-JIE , XIA YUN-JIE
Published: June 2011

We study the entanglement dynamics of three two-level atoms interacting with a structured reservoir. The atoms are initially prepared in a mixed W state while the reservoir is in the vacuum. We show the dependence of entanglement dynamics on the purity of initial atomic state and on the amount of non-Markovianity. When the initial state of atoms is in a W pure state, the entanglement will decay asymptotically, while it vanishes in a finite time if the initial state is in a mixed W state. In addition, as the memory effect of the environment, entanglement can partially revive after it vanishes, and the revival degree is dependent on the strength of non-Markovian effect. In the end, we consider the entanglement generation and its evolution when the initial state of the atoms system is completely separable.
FRACTIONAL HADAMARD TRANSFORM WITH CONTINUOUS VARIABLES IN THE CONTEXT OF QUANTUM OPTICS
Authors: HU LI-YUN , XU XUE-XIANG , MA SHAN-JUN
Published: June 2011

We introduce the quantum fractional Hadamard transform with continuous variables. It is found that the corresponding quantum fractional Hadamard operator can be decomposed into a single-mode fractional operator and two single-mode squeezing operators. This is extended to the entangled case by using the bipartite entangled state representation. The new transformation presents more flexibility to represent signals in the fractional Hadamard domain with extra freedom provided by an angle and two-squeezing parameters.
WRITING ELECTRONIC FERROMAGNETIC STATES IN A HIGH-TEMPERATURE PARAMAGNETIC NUCLEAR SPIN SYSTEM
Authors: SOARES-PINTO D. O. , TELES J. , SOUZA A. M. , DEAZEVEDO E. R. , SARTHOUR R. S. , BONAGAMBA T. J. , REIS M. S. , OLIVEIRA I. S.
Published: June 2011

In this paper, we use Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to write electronic states of a ferromagnetic system into high-temperature paramagnetic nuclear spins. Through the control of phase and duration of radio frequency pulses, we set the NMR density matrix populations, and apply the technique of quantum state tomography to experimentally obtain the matrix elements of the system, from which we calculate the temperature dependence of magnetization for different magnetic fields. The effects of the variation of temperature and magnetic field over the populations can be mapped in the angles of spin rotations, carried out by the RF pulses. The experimental results are compared to the Brillouin functions of ferromagnetic ordered systems in the mean field approximation for two cases: the mean field is given by (i) B = B0+ λM and (ii) B = B0+ λM + λ′M3, where B0is the external magnetic field, and λ, λ′ are mean field parameters. The first case exhibits second order transition, whereas the second case has first order transition with temperature hysteresis. The NMR simulations are in good agreement with the magnetic predictions.
CULTURAL MULTIOBJECTIVE PSO WITH SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS FOR PARAMETERS USING ADDITIVE BINARY EPSILON INDICATOR
Authors: DANESHYARI MOAYED , YEN GARY G.
Published: June 2011

Multiobjective particle swarm optimization algorithms (MOPSO) have been broadly adopted to solve multiobjective optimization problems. In our previous work, a cultural MOPSO with dynamic flight parameters had been introduced in which some parameters had to be tuned. In this paper, the sensitivity analysis of the cultural MOPSO with respect to nine tuning parameters is investigated. The extensive study is performed on different sets of tuning parameters over six benchmark test problems. The additive binary epsilon indicator is adopted as a mean to compare every two algorithms. The graphical box plot comparisons demonstrate the robustness of cultural MOPSO.
A STUDY ON GENETIC ALGORITHM BASED HYBRID SOFTCOMPUTING MODEL FOR BENIGNANCY/MALIGNANCY DETECTION OF MASSES USING DIGITAL MAMMOGRAM
Authors: BHATTACHARYA MAHUA , SHARMA NAVEEN , GOYAL VAIBHAV , BHATIA SAGAR , DAS ARPITA
Published: June 2011

In present works authors have developed a computerized classification procedure for tumor mass in breasts using digital mammogram. The process implements genetic algorithm and hybrid neuro-fuzzy approaches to classify tumor masses into benign and malignant group in order to assist the physicians for treatment planning. The classification process is based on accurate analysis of shape and margin of tumor mass appearing in breast. The shape features using Fourier descriptors introduce a large number of feature vectors. Thus, to classify different boundaries, a standard multilayer preceptor needs large number of inputs. Simultaneously, to train the network, a large number of training cycles and huge memory are also required. It is obvious that a complicated structure invites the problem of over learning and misclassification. In proposed methodology genetic algorithm (GA) has been used for the searching of effective input feature vectors. Adaptive neuro-fuzzy model has been used for final classification of different boundaries of tumor masses. The proposed technique is an innovative soft computing approach that removes the limitation of conventional neural networks and indicates a promising direction of adaptation in a changing environment. The classification system utilizes a Euclidean distance function to detect the belongingness of masses in benign and in malignant classes along with degree of benignancy/malignancy. Presently 200 digitized mammograms from MIAS and other databases have been considered for the experiment and which have shown an average of approximately 86% correct classification as compared with clinical data with a highest rate of 88.9%.
Transcriptional profiling and network analysis of the murine angiotensin II-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm
Authors: Spin Joshua M. , Hsu Mark , Azuma Junya , Tedesco Maureen M. , Deng Alicia , Dyer Justin S. , Maegdefessel Lars , Dalman Ronald L. , Tsao Philip S.
Published: June 2011

We sought to characterize temporal gene expression changes in the murine angiotensin II (ANG II)-ApoE−/− model of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Aortic ultrasound measurements were obtained over the 28-day time-course. Harvested suprarenal aortic segments were evaluated with whole genome expression profiling at 7, 14, and 28 days using the Agilent Whole Mouse Genome microarray platform and Statistical Analysis of Microarrays at a false discovery rate of <1%. A group of angiotensin-treated mice experienced contained rupture (CR) within 7 days and were analyzed separately. Progressive aortic dilatation occurred throughout the treatment period. However, the numerous early expression differences between ANG II-treated and control were not sustained over time. Ontologic analysis revealed widespread upregulation of inflammatory, immune, and matrix remodeling genes with ANG II treatment, among other pathways such as apoptosis, cell cycling, angiogenesis, and p53 signaling. CR aneurysms displayed significant decreases in TGF-β/BMP-pathway signaling, MAPK signaling, and ErbB signaling genes vs. non-CR/ANG II-treated samples. We also performed literature-based network analysis, extracting numerous highly interconnected genes associated with aneurysm development such as Spp1, Myd88, Adam17 and Lox. 1) ANG II treatment induces extensive early differential expression changes involving abundant signaling pathways in the suprarenal abdominal aorta, particularly wide-ranging increases in inflammatory genes with aneurysm development. 2) These gene expression changes appear to dissipate with time despite continued growth, suggesting that early changes in gene expression influence disease progression in this AAA model, and that the aortic tissue adapts to prolonged ANG II infusion. 3) Network analysis identified nexus genes that may constitute aneurysm biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
The Evaluation of Estoque Model 1990 in Land/Sea Breezes Occurrence over Northern Persian Gulf
Authors: Hassanzadeh S. , Sedaghatkerdar A. , Soyuf Jahromi M.
Published: June 2011

This is a mesoscale modeling study of land/sea breeze in the vicinity of Bushehr, Iran which is on the coast of the Persian Gulf. Two days in September, 2002 are studied using the model presented in Estoque Model (1990) (hereafter referred to as EsM90). The EsM90 produces a realistic day-night wind field somewhat in agreement with observations provided by the Port and Shipping Organization of Iran. The study demonstrates that the model has a 3-hour delay predicting the time of the maximum of sea breeze, but accurately predicts when the end of the sea breeze occurs. Accurate estimates near mountains at the edge of the modeled region require a more complex simulation. The study shows that a reliable modeling of a complicated coastal environment like Bushehr not only depends on land/sea breezes but also on elevations and prevailing winds. This dependence is especially important when local thermal forcings are weak, for example, during late afternoon and at night.
Antitumor Actions of Ruthenium(III)-Based Nitric Oxide Scavengers and Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors
Authors: Flitney Frederick W. , Pritchard Rebecca J. , Kennovin Gordon D. , Bisland Stuart K. , Hirst David G. , Fricker Simon P.
Published: June 2011

The role of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) in the growth and vascularization of a rat carcinosarcoma (P22) has been investigated. Tumor-bearing animals were treated with (i) nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors, administered via the drinking water, including NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nonisoform-selective inhibitor, and 2 others that target the inducible (NOS II) enzyme preferentially, namely 1-amino-2-hydroxyguanidine or N-[3-(aminomethyl)benzyl]acetamidine hydrochloride; or (ii) daily injections (intraperitoneally) of 2 Ru(III) polyaminocarboxylates, AMD6221 and AMD6245, both of which are effective NO scavengers. L-NAME, AMD6221, and AMD6245 reduced tumor growth by approximately 60% to 75% of control rates. Tumor sections stained with abs to CD-31/platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 or NOS III showed that this was associated with a marked reduction (60%–77%) of tumor microvascular densitiy (MVD). Tumors resumed growing promptly when treatment was discontinued, accompanied by partial or complete restoration of MVDs. In contrast, NOS-II selective inhibitors had no effect on tumor growth or vascularization, indicating that both responses require complete blockade of NO production. The results corroborate the view that endogenous NO facilitates tumor development. We suggest that NO deprivation causes tumor feeder vessels to constrict, reducing tumor blood flow. The delivery of oxygen and essential nutrients to the developing tumor is impaired as a consequence, hampering further growth. Normalizing NO levels by withholding treatment causes tumor feeder vessels to dilate, increasing tumor perfusion and reestablishing conditions that allow tumors to begin growing again. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(9); 1571–80. ©2011 AACR.