bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oxidatively Modified Proteins in the Serous Subtype of Ovarian Carcinoma
Authors: Mehrabi Sharifeh , Partridge Edward E. , Seffens William , Yao Xuebiao , Aikhionbare Felix O.
Published: March 2014

Serous subtype of ovarian cancer is considered to originate from fallopian epithelium mucosa that has been exposed to physiological changes resulting from ovulation. Ovulation influences an increased in inflammation of epithelial ovarian cells as results of constant exposure of cells to ROS. The imbalance between ROS and antioxidant capacities, as well as a disruption of redox signaling, causes a wide range of damage to DNA, proteins, and lipids. This study applied spectrophotometric, dinitrophenylhydrazone (DNPH) assay, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and Western blot analyses to assess the levels of oxidatively modified proteins in 100 primary serous epithelial ovarian carcinoma and normal/surrounding tissues. These samples were obtained from 56 Caucasian and 44 African-American patients within the age range of61±10years. Analyses showed that the levels of reactive protein carbonyl groups increased as stages progressed to malignancy. Additionally, the levels of protein carbonyls in serous ovarian carcinoma among African Americans are 40% (P<0.05) higher relative to Caucasian at similar advanced stages. Results suggest that oxidative stress is involved in the modification of carbonyl protein groups, leading to increased aggressiveness of epithelial ovarian tumors and may contribute to the disease's invasiveness among African Americans.
The Combination Therapy with Zoledronic Acid and Propranolol Improves the Trabecular Microarchitecture and Mechanical Property in an Rat Model of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Authors: Khajuria Deepak Kumar , Razdan Rema , Mahapatra D. Roy
Published: March 2014

We conducted the present study to investigate the therapeutic effects of propranolol (PRO), alone and in combination with the antiresorptive agent ZOL, in a rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Female Wistar rats were OVX or sham-operated at 3 months of age. Twelve weeks after surgery, rats were randomized into six groups: (1) sham + vehicle, (2) OVX + vehicle, (3) OVX + ZOL (100 μg/kg, i.v. single dose), (4) OVX + ZOL (50 μg/kg, i.v. single dose), (5) OVX + PRO (0.1 mg/kg, s.c. 5 days per week), and (6) OVX + ZOL (50 μg/kg, i.v. single dose) + PRO (0.1 mg/kg, s.c. 5 days per week) for 12 weeks. At the end of treatment study, various bone parameters were evaluated. With respect to improvement in the mechanical strength of the lumbar spine and the femoral mid-shaft, the combination treatment of ZOL and PRO was more effective than each drug administered as a monotherapy. Moreover, combination therapy using ZOL and PRO preserved the trabecular microarchitecture better than single-drug therapy using ZOL or PRO in OVX rats. These data suggest that combination therapy with ZOL plus PRO represents a potentially useful therapeutic option for patients with osteoporosis.
The Application of Mesh‐Free Method in the Numerical Simulation of Beams with the Size Effect
Authors: Tian Yuan , Zhang Caili , Sun Yuzhou
Published: March 2014

The mesh‐free method is employed to implement the numerical simulation of the bending behavior of beams with the size effect. On the basis of the classical Bernoulli‐Euler beam theory, two higher‐order strain components are involved in the beam model. The intrinsic bulk length and the directional surface length components are introduced into the constitutive relationship to describe the size effect, and the variation of the total potential is provided. The moving‐least square approximation is used to construct the shape function and its second‐ and third‐order derivatives, and the choice of the scaling factor is discussed in detail. A mesh‐free scheme is built to implement numerical simulation, in which the higher‐order strains are directly approximated with the nodal components due to the higher‐order continuity of the shape function. The convergence of method is illustrated in virtue of an example of the simply supported beam, and the effect of the intrinsic bulk length and the directional surface length components are studied.
MNDO and DFT Computational Study on the Mechanism of the Oxidation of 1,2-Diphenylhydrazine by Iodine
Authors: Shallangwa Gideon A. , Uzairu Adamu , Ajibola Victor O. , Abba Hamza
Published: March 2014

The reaction mechanisms of the oxidation of 1,2-diphenylhydrazine by iodine have been examined using semiempirical and density functional theory methods, the oxidation proceeded via two independent pathways that can be separately monitored. One pathway involved the chain multistep mechanism. The other pathway occurred via a one-step mechanism in which a “cyclic” activated complex was formed which on disproportionation gave the products. The one-step “cyclic” activated complex mechanism proceeds more rapidly than the chain multistep mechanism. The results were explained by analyses based on computational energetics of the optimised reactants, intermediates, transition states, and products of the reaction of iodine with 1,2-diphenylhydrazine.
An Upper-Ontology-Based Approach for Automatic Construction of IOT Ontology
Authors: Xu Yuan , Zhang Chunhong , Ji Yang
Published: April 2014

Ontology gives us a reliable group of concepts and the relations between concepts in an IOT system. It does not only save words of format but also accurately transfers semantic data between human users and the computers. Hence, the usefulness of resources in IOT system depends on whether the domain ontology can be constructed effectively and correctly. In this paper we propose an automated method to construct the IOT ontology. First, we explain the necessity of introducing ontology automatic construction in IOT system and summarize the major challenges in existing approaches. Secondly, we introduced the existing ontology construction methods and summarize their issues. Thirdly, we give a framework of our ontology construction and research the key algorithms in detail: (1) knowledge-tuple extraction algorithm which contains contextual information; (2) concept semantic similarity algorithm which is based on the structure of tuple; (3) knowledge-tuple extraction model which is based on the structured information. Then we build a prototype and evaluate the ontology. Finally, we make conclusions and suggest directions for future research.
Hadoop-Based Distributed Sensor Node Management System
Authors: Jung In-Yong , Kim Ki-Hyun , Han Byong-John , Jeong Chang-Sung
Published: March 2014

We present a new architecture of HDSM (Hadoop-based distributed sensor node management system) for distributed sensor node management using Hadoop mapreduce framework and distributed file system (DFS). It offers various efficient ways for collecting sensor data and managing multiple sensor nodes by launching specific mapreduce applications on sensor nodes which upload data of sensor nodes to DFS and retrieve sensor data periodically from DFS. Additionally, it provides a flexible management scheme for sensor node by reconfiguring firmware or updating configurations and data formats of sensor nodes based on mapreduce framework. Also, it achieves a transparent and fault-tolerant architecture by exploiting various crucial features of Hadoop. Our experimental results show that it has efficient and stable performance.
Shortened Cervix in the Subsequent Pregnancy after Embolization for Postpartum Cervical Hemorrhage
Authors: Kozinszky Zoltan , Sand Sverre , Kløw Nils-Einar , Hald Kirsten
Published: March 2014

Introduction. Rupture of a branch of uterine artery during delivery often leads to a massive postpartum hemorrhage that can be successfully treated using uterine artery embolization.Case Report. A 33-year-old woman had a cesarean section at term followed by a secondary postpartum hemorrhage due to a ruptured cervicovaginal branch terminating in a large, partially thrombosed hematoma of the cervix. She was given selective uterine artery embolization, and she was discharged to home in stable condition on the third day after embolization. In the forthcoming pregnancy a shortened cervix was a risk of threatened premature delivery from 26 weeks of gestation onwards.Conclusion. Superselective unilateral embolization of a thrombosed hematoma in the cervix might prevent extensive iatrogenic trauma of the cervix, which allows preservation of reproductive function.
Secure and Fair Cluster Head Selection Protocol for Enhancing Security in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Paramasivan B. , Kaliappan M.
Published: March 2014

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are wireless networks consisting of number of autonomous mobile devices temporarily interconnected into a network by wireless media. MANETs become one of the most prevalent areas of research in the recent years. Resource limitations, energy efficiency, scalability, and security are the great challenging issues in MANETs. Due to its deployment nature, MANETs are more vulnerable to malicious attack. The secure routing protocols perform very basic security related functions which are not sufficient to protect the network. In this paper, a secure and fair cluster head selection protocol (SFCP) is proposed which integrates security factors into the clustering approach for achieving attacker identification and classification. Byzantine agreement based cooperative technique is used for attacker identification and classification to make the network more attack resistant. SFCP used to solve this issue by making the nodes that are totally surrounded by malicious neighbors adjust dynamically their belief and disbelief thresholds. The proposed protocol selects the secure and energy efficient cluster head which acts as a local detector without imposing overhead to the clustering performance. SFCP is simulated in network simulator 2 and compared with two protocols including AODV and CBRP.
Isocratic High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Assay of Olanzapine: Method Development and Validation
Authors: Basavaiah K. , Rajendraprasad N. , Vinay K. B.
Published: April 2014

An accurate, precise, sensitive, and rapid isocratic reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) method for the analysis of olanzapine (OLP) in bulk drug and in tablets has been developed and validated. Analysis was performed on a 150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm particle Intersil ODS 3V column with 10 mM disodium hydrogen phosphate buffer (pH 7.4)-acetonitrile (35 : 65) (v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1 with UV detection at 254 nm; the constant column temperature was 40°C. The runtime under these chromatographic conditions was less than 8 min. The calibration plot was linear over the concentration range of 2.5–20.0 μg mL−1 with limits of detection and quantification values of 50 and 200 ng mL−1, respectively. The precision and accuracy of the method were assessed by determination of validation data for precision (intraday RSD values of 0.11–0.28%, interday RSD values of 0.15–0.46%), accuracy (0.87–2.80% intraday, 0.33–1.80% interday), and specificity, in accordance with the ICH guidelines. The stability of standard solution and tablet extract was also studied over a period of 24 h. The method was applied for the determination of OLP in tablets with satisfactory results.
Practical Guidelines: Lung Transplantation in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Hirche T. O. , Knoop C. , Hebestreit H. , Shimmin D. , Solé A. , Elborn J. S. , Ellemunter H. , Aurora P. , Hogardt M. , Wagner T. O. F. , ECORN-CF Study Group
Published: March 2014

There are no European recommendations on issues specifically related to lung transplantation (LTX) in cystic fibrosis (CF). The main goal of this paper is to provide CF care team members with clinically relevant CF-specific information on all aspects of LTX, highlighting areas of consensus and controversy throughout Europe. Bilateral lung transplantation has been shown to be an important therapeutic option for end-stage CF pulmonary disease. Transplant function and patient survival after transplantation are better than in most other indications for this procedure. Attention though has to be paid to pretransplant morbidity, time for referral, evaluation, indication, and contraindication in children and in adults. This review makes extensive use of specific evidence in the field of lung transplantation in CF patients and addresses all issues of practical importance. The requirements of pre-, peri-, and postoperative management are discussed in detail including bridging to transplant and postoperative complications, immune suppression, chronic allograft dysfunction, infection, and malignancies being the most important. Among the contributors to this guiding information are 19 members of the ECORN-CF project and other experts. The document is endorsed by the European Cystic Fibrosis Society and sponsored by the Christiane Herzog Foundation.
Preparation of Naringenin/β-Cyclodextrin Complex and Its More Potent Alleviative Effect on Choroidal Neovascularization in Rats
Authors: Xu Xin-rong , Yu Hai-tao , Hang Li , Shao Yan , Ding Shu-hua , Yang Xue-wen
Published: March 2014

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is characterized by abnormal blood vessels growing from the choroid. Current remedies for CNV have not shown favorable therapeutic efficacy. It is urgent to identify and develop more safe and potent anti-CNV agents via multiple technologies. We previously showed that the natural product naringenin attenuated CNV. However, naringenin has poor water solubility and low bioavailability. Here, we prepared theβ-cyclodextrin (β-CD) complex of naringenin and characterized it using infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction analyses. Determination of content and solubility in the complex showed that naringenin accounted for 20.53% in the complex and its solubility was increased by more than 10-fold. Using a laser-induced CNV model in rats we demonstrated that naringenin/β-CD complex more significantly reduced CNV area than naringenin alone in rats. Furthermore, naringenin and itsβ-CD complex significantly inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of VEGF, COX-2, PI3K, p38MAPK, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in retina and choroid tissues. Naringenin/β-CD complex showed more significant inhibitory effect on VEGF and COX-2 expression than naringenin. These results collectively indicated that naringenin/β-CD complex could be a promising therapeutic option for CNV and that the beneficial effects could be linked to the anti-inflammatory properties of naringenin.
Effect of Fly Ash on Mortar Mixes with Quarry Dust as Fine Aggregate
Authors: Rai Baboo , Kumar Sanjay , Satish Kumar
Published: March 2014

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation carried out to evaluate the compressive strength and transverse strength of 1 : 3 mortar mixes in which natural sand was replaced with 20%, 50%, and 100% quarry dust by weight which were further modified by partially replacing cement with four percentages (15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%) of low calcium fly ash. The compressive strength was determined at 3, 7, 28, and 50 days of age while transverse strength was determined at 28 and 50 days age. Test results revealed that the combined use of quarry rock dust and fly ash exhibited excellent performance due to efficient microfilling ability and pozzolanic activity.
Soil Assessment along Toposequences in Rural Northern Nigeria: A Geomedical Approach
Authors: Hartmann Lena , Gabriel Marvin , Zhou Yuanrong , Sponholz Barbara , Thiemeyer Heinrich
Published: March 2014

Case numbers of endemic Ca-deficiency rickets (CDR) have been reported to be alarmingly rising among children of subsistence farms in developing countries within the last 30 years. Fluoride toxicities in the environment are known to not be related to the disease. To investigate if, instead, CDR is caused by a nutrient deficiency in the environment, subsistence farms in an endemic CDR area near Kaduna, northern Nigeria, were investigated for bedrock, slope forms, soil types, and soil characteristics. The natural environment was investigated according to the World Reference Base, soil texture was analysed by pipette and sieving, and plant-available macronutrients were determined using barium-chloride or Ca-acetate-lactate extraction. The analyses showed that granite and slope deposits were the dominant parent materials. The typical slope forms and soil types were Lixisols and Acrisols on pediments, Fluvisols in river valleys, and Plinthosols and Acrisols on plains. Compared with West African background values, all of the soils had normal soil textures but were low in macronutrients. Comparisons to critical limits, however, showed that only the P concentrations were critically low, which are typical for savanna soils. A link between nutrient deficiency in soils and CDR in the Kaduna area was therefore considered unlikely.
Nonlinearly Self-Adjoint, Conservation Laws and Solutions for a Forced BBM Equation
Authors: Gandarias Maria Luz , Khalique Chaudry Masood
Published: April 2014

We study a forced Benjamin-Bona-Mahony (BBM) equation. We prove that the equation is not weak self-adjoint; however, it is nonlinearly self-adjoint. By using a general theorem on conservation laws due to Nail Ibragimov and the symmetry generators, we find conservation laws for these partial differential equations without classical Lagrangians. We also present some exact solutions for a special case of the equation.
Analysis and Improvement of a Robust User Authentication Framework for Ubiquitous Sensor Networks
Authors: Chi Ling , Hu Liang , Li Hongtu , Chu Jianfeng
Published: March 2014

As an infrastructure of the ubiquitous sensor networks, the wireless sensor network plays an important role in generation of multi-networks integrated system. And currently the wireless sensor network is not only being used to monitor and analyze information about the environment but also being used for more dynamic systems. The security system is one of standards for measuring whether a wireless sensor networks is an outstanding wireless sensor network. RUASN proposes a robust user authentication framework for wireless sensor networks, based on a two-factor concept. This proposed scheme possessed many advantages against major existing attacks and performed well at efficiency and low consumption. However, we have identified that the resistance of collusion attacks is weak. After analyzing, we proved that we can obtain the session key via controlling a compromised sensor node and using the collusion attack when a user wants to establish a session with a legal node. Therefore, to enhance the resistance of collusion attacks, we present two ways to solve the security drawbacks of RUASN scheme. One is to add a slight improvement into the RUASN scheme to enhance this scheme. Another is using the Hardware Security Module. After a simple analysis, we have proved that the improved scheme can resist the collusion attack.
A Novel Self‐Powered Wireless Sensor Node Based on Energy Harvesting for Mechanical Vibration Monitoring
Authors: Zhang Xihai , Fang Junlong , Meng Fanfeng , Wei Xiaoli
Published: March 2014

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been expected to improve the capability of capturing mechanical vibration dynamic behaviors and evaluating the current health status of equipment. While the expectation for mechanical vibration monitoring using WSNs has been high, one of the key limitations is the limited lifetime of batteries for sensor node. The energy harvesting technologies have been recently proposed. One of them shares the same main idea, that is, energy harvesting from ambient vibration can be converted into electric power. Employing the vibration energy harvesting, a novel self‐powered wireless sensor node has been developed to measure mechanical vibration in this paper. The overall architecture of node is proposed. The wireless sensor node is described into four main components: the energy harvesting unit, the microprocessor unit, the radio transceiver unit, and accelerometer. Moreover, the software used to control the operation of wireless node is also suggested. At last, in order to achieve continuous self‐powered for nodes, two operation modes including the charging mode and discharging mode are proposed. This design can effectively solve the problem of continuous supply power of sensor node for mechanical vibration monitoring.
Weighted Lin-Wang Tests for Crossing Hazards
Authors: Koziol James A. , Jia Zhenyu
Published: March 2014

Lin and Wang have introduced a quadratic version of the logrank test, appropriate for situations in which the underlying survival distributions may cross. In this note, we generalize the Lin-Wang procedure to incorporate weights and investigate the performance of Lin and Wang’s test and weighted versions in various scenarios. We find that weighting does increase statistical power in certain situations; however, none of the procedures was dominant under every scenario.
Iterative Scheme with Errors for Common Zeros of Finite Accretive Mappings and Nonlinear Elliptic Systems
Authors: Wei Li , Tan Ruilin
Published: April 2014

We present a new iterative scheme with errors to solve the problems of finding common zeros of finitem-accretive mappings in a real Banach space. Strong convergence theorems are established, which extend the corresponding works given by some authors. Moreover, the relationship between zeros ofm-accretive mappings and one kind of nonlinear elliptic systems is investigated, from which we can see that some restrictions imposed on the iterative scheme are valid and the solution of one kind of nonlinear elliptic systems can be approximated by a suitably defined iterative sequence.
The Solution of Fourth Order Boundary Value Problem Arising out of the Beam‐Column Theory Using Adomian Decomposition Method
Authors: Kelesoglu Omer
Published: March 2014

Adomian decomposition method (ADM) is applied to linear nonhomogeneous boundary value problem arising from the beam‐column theory. The obtained results are expressed in tables and graphs. We obtain rapidly converging results to exact solution by using the ADM. This situation indicates that the method is appropriate and reliable for such problems.
On the Improvement of Wiener Attack on RSA with Small Private Exponent
Authors: Wu Mu-En , Chen Chien-Ming , Lin Yue-Hsun , Sun Hung-Min
Published: March 2014

RSA system is based on the hardness of the integer factorization problem (IFP). Given an RSA modulusN=pq, it is difficult to determine the prime factorspandqefficiently. One of the most famous short exponent attacks on RSA is the Wiener attack. In 1997, Verheul and van Tilborg use an exhaustive search to extend the boundary of the Wiener attack. Their result shows that the cost of exhaustive search is2r+8bits when extending the Weiner's boundaryrbits. In this paper, we first reduce the cost of exhaustive search from2r+8bits to2r+2bits. Then, we propose a method named EPF. With EPF, the cost of exhaustive search is further reduced to2r-6bits when we extend Weiner's boundaryrbits. It means that our result is 214times faster than Verheul and van Tilborg's result. Besides, the security boundary is extended 7 bits.
Multiple Periodic Solutions for Discrete Nicholson’s Blowflies Type System
Authors: Ding Hui-Sheng , Dix Julio G.
Published: March 2014

This paper is concerned with the existence of multiple periodic solutions for discrete Nicholson’s blowflies type system. By using the Leggett-Williams fixed point theorem, we obtain the existence of three nonnegative periodic solutions for discrete Nicholson’s blowflies type system. In order to show that, we first establish the existence of three nonnegative periodic solutions for then-dimensional functional difference systemyk+1=Akyk+fk, yk-τ, k∈ℤ, whereAkis not assumed to be diagonal as in some earlier results. In addition, a concrete example is also given to illustrate our results.
Efficient Maximum Power Point Tracking Algorithm for PV Application under Rapid Changing Weather Condition
Authors: Bataineh Khaled M. , Hamzeh Amr
Published: March 2014

This study presents a novel search algorithm of maximum power point tracking for photovoltaic power generation systems. The I-V characteristics and the P-V power output under specific irradiation and temperature conditions are simulated. The performance of the algorithm under fully shaded and sudden partially shaded conditions as well as variable insulations levels is investigated. The developed algorithm performs a wide-range search in order to detect rapidly changing weather conditions, and keeps the simulated stand-alone or grid-connected systems continuously operating close to the maximum power point. The performance of the developed algorithm, under extremely changing environmental conditions, is found to be superior compared to that of other conventional algorithms. The results of this study show that, under uniform radiations conditions, the developed algorithm takes only half of the time required by the Perturbation and Observe algorithms to reach maximum power point MMP. Furthermore, when PV is subjected to sudden partial shading conditions, the algorithm rapidly detects these changes and reaches the new MMP in less than a second.
Assessing Response UsingTc99m-MIBI Early after Interstitial Chemotherapy with Carmustine-Loaded Polymers in Glioblastoma Multiforme: Preliminary Results
Authors: Cecchin D. , Schiorlin I. , Della Puppa A. , Lombardi G. , Zucchetta P. , Bodanza V. , Gardiman M. P. , Rolma G. , Frigo A. C. , Bui F.
Published: March 2014

Introduction. Early signs of response after applying wafers of carmustine-loaded polymers (gliadel) are difficult to assess with imaging because of time-related imaging changes.Tc99m-sestamibi (MIBI) brain single-photon emission tomography (SPET) has reportedly been used to reveal areas of cellularity distinguishing recurrent neoplasm from radionecrosis. Our aim was to explore the role of MIBI SPET in assessing response soon after gliadel application in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the charts on 28 consecutive patients with a radiological diagnosis of GBM who underwent MIBI SPET/CT before surgery (with intracavitary gliadel placement in 17 patients), soon after surgery, and at 4 months. The area of uptake was selected using a volume of interest that was then mirrored contralaterally to obtain a semiquantitative ratio.Results. After adjusting for ratio at the baseline, the effect of treatment (gliadel versus non-gliadel) was not statistically significant. Soon after surgery, however, 100% of patients treated with gliadel had a decreased ratio, as opposed to 62.5% of patients in the non-gliadel groupP=0.0316. The difference between ratios of patients with radical versus partial resection reached statistical significance by a small marginP=0.0528.Conclusions. These data seem to suggest that the MIBI ratio could be a valuable tool for monitoring the effect of gliadel early after surgery.
A Hybrid Approach to Protect Palmprint Templates
Authors: Liu Hailun , Sun Dongmei , Xiong Ke , Qiu Zhengding
Published: March 2014

Biometric template protection is indispensable to protect personal privacy in large-scale deployment of biometric systems. Accuracy, changeability, and security are three critical requirements for template protection algorithms. However, existing template protection algorithms cannot satisfy all these requirements well. In this paper, we propose a hybrid approach that combines random projection and fuzzy vault to improve the performances at these three points. Heterogeneous space is designed for combining random projection and fuzzy vault properly in the hybrid scheme. New chaff point generation method is also proposed to enhance the security of the heterogeneous vault. Theoretical analyses of proposed hybrid approach in terms of accuracy, changeability, and security are given in this paper. Palmprint database based experimental results well support the theoretical analyses and demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed hybrid approach.
Synthesis and Characterization of SiO2Nanoparticles and Their Efficacy in Chemical Mechanical Polishing Steel Substrate
Authors: Kao M. J. , Hsu F. C. , Peng D. X.
Published: March 2014

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) technology is extensively used in the global planarization of highly value-added and large components in the aerospace industry. A nanopowder of SiO2was prepared by the sol-gel method and was compounded into polishing slurry for the CMP of steel substrate. The size of the SiO2abrasives was controlled by varying the sol-gel reaction conditions. The polishing efficacy of nano-SiO2was studied, and the CMP mechanism with nanosized abrasives was further investigated. The proposed methods can produce SiO2abrasives whose size can be controlled by varying the sol-gel reaction conditions. The size of the SiO2abrasives was controlled in the range from 58 to 684 nm. The roughness of the steel substrate strongly depends on the size of the abrasive, and the surface roughness decreases as the abrasive size declines. A super-smooth surface with a roughness of 8.4 nm is obtained with nanosized SiO2. Ideal CMP slurry can be used to produce material surfaces with low roughness, excellent global planarization, high selectivity, an excellent finish, and a low-defected rate.
Modulation of Endothelial Glycocalyx Structure under Inflammatory Conditions
Authors: Kolářová Hana , Ambrůzová Barbora , Švihálková Šindlerová Lenka , Klinke Anna , Kubala Lukáš
Published: April 2014

The glycocalyx of the endothelium is an intravascular compartment that creates a barrier between circulating blood and the vessel wall. The glycocalyx is suggested to play an important role in numerous physiological processes including the regulation of vascular permeability, the prevention of the margination of blood cells to the vessel wall, and the transmission of shear stress. Various theoretical models and experimental approaches provide data about changes to the structure and functions of the glycocalyx under various types of inflammatory conditions. These alterations are suggested to promote inflammatory processes in vessels and contribute to the pathogenesis of number of diseases. In this review we summarize current knowledge about the modulation of the glycocalyx under inflammatory conditions and the consequences for the course of inflammation in vessels. The structure and functions of endothelial glycocalyx are briefly discussed in the context of methodological approaches regarding the determination of endothelial glycocalyx and the uncertainty and challenges involved in glycocalyx structure determination. In addition, the modulation of glycocalyx structure under inflammatory conditions and the possible consequences for pathogenesis of selected diseases and medical conditions (in particular, diabetes, atherosclerosis, ischemia/reperfusion, and sepsis) are summarized. Finally, therapeutic strategies to ameliorate glycocalyx dysfunction suggested by various authors are discussed.
A Miniaturized Frequency Selective Surface Based on Square Loop Aperture Element
Authors: Li Wenxing , Wang Chunming , Zhang Yong , Li Yingsong
Published: March 2014

We propose a miniaturized band-pass frequency selective surface (FSS) with periodic unit cell structure. The proposed FSS is realized by symmetrically bending the edges of the square loop aperture element, by which our proposed FSS increases the resonant length, and, hence, reduces its size. In this FSS, each unit cell has a dimension of 0.0538λ × 0.0538λ, whereλrepresents the wavelength of the corresponding resonant frequency. Both the theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that our proposed FSS, having high polarization stability and angle stability, can achieve smaller size in comparison with the previously proposed structures.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Australasian Children and Adolescents
Authors: Day A. S. , Lemberg D. A. , Gearry R. B.
Published: March 2014

Many reports indicate increasing rates of inflammatory bowel disease, with data also showing changing patterns of this chronic disease in children and adolescents. This review focuses upon the available data of the epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease in children and adolescents in Australia and New Zealand (collectively termed Australasia). Recent data show high incidence of IBD (especially Crohn disease) in this area and indicate rising rates of IBD in children and adolescents.
A Semianalytical Solution for Multifractured Horizontal Wells in Box‐Shaped Reservoirs
Authors: Wang Lei , Wang Xiaodong , Zhang He , Hu Yunpeng , Li Chen
Published: April 2014

This paper presented a 3D point sink model through using Dirac function. Then, 3D point sink solution in boxed reservoirs was obtained through using Laplace transform and Fourier transform methods. Based on the flux and pressure equivalent conditions in Laplace space, a semianalytical solution for multifractured horizontal wells was also proposed for the first time. The production rate distribution was discussed in detail for multifractured horizontal wells. The calculative results show the outermost fractures had higher production ratio due to larger drainage area and the inner fractures were lower due to the strong interface between fractures. Type curves were established to analyze the flow characteristics, which would be divided into six stages, for example, bilinear flow region, the first linear flow region, the first radial flow region, the second linear flow region, the second radial flow region, and the boundary dominated flow region, respectively. Finally, effects of some sensitive parameters on type curves were also analyzed in detail.
Starlikeness of Functions Defined by Third-Order Differential Inequalities and Integral Operators
Authors: Chandrashekar R. , Ali Rosihan M. , Subramanian K. G. , Swaminathan A.
Published: April 2014

Sufficient conditions are obtained to ensure starlikeness of positive order for analytic functions defined in the open unit disk satisfying certain third-order differential inequalities. As a consequence, conditions for starlikeness of functions defined by integral operators are obtained. Connections are also made to earlier known results.
Development and Evaluation of Solbrax‐Water Nanoemulsions for Removal of Oil from Sand
Authors: Oliveira Priscila F. , Oliveira Thiago M. , Spinelli Luciana S. , Mansur Claudia R. E.
Published: March 2014

In recent years, surfactants have been used to clean up soils and aquifers contaminated by petroleum and petroleum derivatives. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate nanoemulsions for remediation of soil contaminated by petroleum, by using a commercial solvent Solbrax. The nanoemulsions were prepared by the phase inversion temperature (PIT) method, using oil phase Solbrax (a solvent extracted from naphtha with low aromatics content) and a nonionic ethoxylated lauryl ether surfactant. The surfactant concentrations were varied from 10 to 12 wt% and the oil phase was varied from 5 to 20 wt%. A 23 factorial experimental design with center point run was used to evaluate the soil washing process, varying time, temperature, and shear rate of the system. The results show that the most efficient system (with 90% efficiency) was that using the nanoemulsion containing 5 wt% of Solbrax and 12 wt% of surfactant after four hours of washing, on 240 rotation·min−1 of shear rate and at a temperature of 318 K.
Application of Extended Homotopy Analysis Method to the Two-Degree-of-Freedom Coupled van der Pol-Duffing Oscillator
Authors: Qian Y. H. , Chen S. M. , Shen L.
Published: March 2014

The extended homotopy analysis method (EHAM) is presented to establish the analytical approximate solutions for two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) coupled van der Pol-Duffing oscillator. Meanwhile, the comparisons between the results of the EHAM and standard Runge-Kutta numerical method are also presented. The results demonstrate that the analytical approximate solutions of the EHAM agree well with the numerical integration solutions. For EHAM as an analytical approximation method, we are not sure whether it can apply to all of the nonlinear systems; we can only verify its effectiveness through specific cases. As a result of the existence of nonlinear terms, we must study different types of systems, no matter from the complication of calculation and physical significance.
Pain Expression Recognition Based on pLSA Model
Authors: Zhu Shaoping
Published: March 2014

We present a new approach to automatically recognize the pain expression from video sequences, which categorize pain as 4 levels: “no pain,” “slight pain,” “moderate pain,” and “ severe pain.” First of all, facial velocity information, which is used to characterize pain, is determined using optical flow technique. Then visual words based on facial velocity are used to represent pain expression using bag of words. Final pLSA model is used for pain expression recognition, in order to improve the recognition accuracy, the class label information was used for the learning of the pLSA model. Experiments were performed on a pain expression dataset built by ourselves to test and evaluate the proposed method, the experiment results show that the average recognition accuracy is over 92%, which validates its effectiveness.
On the Starlikeness of Certain Class of Multivalent Analytic Functions
Authors: Shi Lei , Wang Zhi-Gang
Published: March 2014

The main purpose of this paper is to determine the conditions of starlikeness for certain class of multivalent analytic functions. Relevant connections of the results presented here with those obtained in earlier works are pointed out.
Game Theoretic Approach in Adapting QoS Routing Protocol for Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks
Authors: Sun Renke , Ding Enjie , Jiang Haifeng , Geng Runtong , Chen Wei
Published: March 2014

Network routing has a direct impact on the fairness and efficiency of the whole wireless multimedia sensor networks, the cooperation of nodes in term of routing can be considered as a group called routing coalition. In order to improve the fairness of the wireless multimedia sensors networks, each node should take into account the choices of joining a appropriate routing coalition. This paper presents a game theoretic approach, called coalitional routing game (CRG), which is guideline for nodes to choose the best coalition. The objective of the proposed method is to achieve fairness and QoS efficiency for each node in joining the routing coalition. The Shapley value is used as a solution for the CRG. The coalitional routing game is implemented in DSR protocol in network simulator NS-2 to verify its performance with simulations. Numerical analysis and simulations are conducted, and the results demonstrate that the CRG improves performance of the DSR compared to the same network with only DSR protocol.
Stability and Stabilization of Continuous‐Time Markovian Jump Singular Systems with Partly Known Transition Probabilities
Authors: Wei Jumei , Ma Rui
Published: April 2014

This paper investigates the problem of the stability and stabilization of continuous‐time Markovian jump singular systems with partial information on transition probabilities. A new stability criterion which is necessary and sufficient is obtained for these systems. Furthermore, sufficient conditions for the state feedback controller design are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
The Evaluation of Red Cell Distribution Width in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Tekce Hikmet , Kin Tekce Buket , Aktas Gulali , Tanrisev Mehmet , Sit Mustafa
Published: March 2014

Background. Red cell distribution width (RDW) has been used as a marker of iron deficiency; however, it is accepted as a marker of cardiovascular survival. We aimed to study RDW levels in hemodialysis (HD) patients and the association between RDW and inflammatory, nutritional, and volume markers.Methods. We included 296 HD patients with sufficient iron storage and without anemia or hypervolemia. We grouped patients into four groups according to clinical parameters, albumin, and C-reactive protein (CRP).Results. The lowest RDW levels were found in group 1 (13.2%). Although RDW of group 2 was higher than that of group 1, it was still in normal range (14.7% versus 13.2%,P=0.028). RDW levels of groups 3 (17.8%) and 4 (18.5%) were significantly higher than those of groups 1 and 2 and above normal range. A positive correlation was detected between RDW and HD duration, interdialytic weight gain (IDWG), serum phosphate, and CRP levels and a negative correlation was detected with serum albumin. HD duration, CRP, IDWG, and serum albumin have been found as independent predictors of RDW elevation.Conclusions. Results of the present study reflect adverse effects of inflammation, malnutrition, and excess IDWG on RDW elevation in an HD study cohort with sufficient iron storage and without anemia and hypervolemia.
3D Wide FOV Scanning Measurement System Based on Multiline Structured-Light Sensors
Authors: Gao He , Zhou Fuqiang , Peng Bin , Wang Yexin , Tan Haishu
Published: March 2014

Structured-light three-dimensional (3D) vision measurement is currently one of the most common approaches to obtain 3D surface data. However, the existing structured-light scanning measurement systems are primarily constructed on the basis of single sensor, which inevitably generates three obvious problems: limited measurement range, blind measurement area, and low scanning efficiency. To solve these problems, we developed a novel 3D wide FOV scanning measurement system which adopted two multiline structured-light sensors. Each sensor is composed of a digital CCD camera and three line-structured-light projectors. During the measurement process, the measured object is scanned by the two sensors from two different angles at a certain speed. Consequently, the measurement range is expanded and the blind measurement area is reduced. More importantly, since six light stripes are simultaneously projected on the object surface, the scanning efficiency is greatly improved. The Multiline Structured-light Sensors Scanning Measurement System (MSSS) is calibrated on site by a 2D pattern. The experimental results show that the RMS errors of the system for calibration and measurement are less than 0.092 mm and 0.168 mm, respectively, which proves that the MSSS is applicable for obtaining 3D object surface with high efficiency and accuracy.
On Exact Series Solution for Strongly Coupled Mixed Parabolic Boundary Value Problems
Authors: Soler Vicente , Defez Emilio , Verdoy José Antonio
Published: April 2014

This paper continues with the construction of the exact solution for parabolic coupled systems of the typeut=Auxx,A1u(0,t)+B1ux(0,t)=0,A2u(l,t)+B2ux(l,t)=0,0<x<1,t>0, andu(x,0)=f(x), whereA1,A2,B1, andB2are arbitrary matrices for which the block matrix(A1B1A2B2)is nonsingular, andAis a positive stable matrix. Although this problem has been solved in the literature (Soler et al., 2013), in this work we are using completely new conditions.
Adaptive Initialization Method Based on Spatial Local Information for k‐Means Algorithm
Authors: Liao Honghong , Xiang Jinhai , Sun Weiping , Dai Jianghua , Yu Shengsheng
Published: March 2014

k‐means algorithm is a widely used clustering algorithm in data mining and machine learning community. However, the initial guess of cluster centers affects the clustering result seriously, which means that improper initialization cannot lead to a desirous clustering result. How to choose suitable initial centers is an important research issue for k‐means algorithm. In this paper, we propose an adaptive initialization framework based on spatial local information (AIF‐SLI), which takes advantage of local density of data distribution. As it is difficult to estimate density correctly, we develop two approximate estimations: density by t‐nearest neighborhoods (t‐NN) and density by ϵ‐neighborhoods (ϵ‐Ball), leading to two implements of the proposed framework. Our empirical study on more than 20 datasets shows promising performance of the proposed framework and denotes that it has several advantages: (1) can find the reasonable candidates of initial centers effectively; (2) it can reduce the iterations of k‐means’ methods significantly; (3) it is robust to outliers; and (4) it is easy to implement.
A Family of Novel Exact Solutions to2+1-Dimensional KdV Equation
Authors: Wang Zhen , Zou Li , Zong Zhi , Qin Hongde
Published: March 2014

We introduce two subequations with different independent variables for constructing exact solutions to nonlinear partial differential equations. In order to illustrate the efficiency and usefulness, we apply this method to2+1-dimensional KdV equation, which was first derived by Boiti et al. (1986) using the idea of the weak Lax pair. As a result, we obtained many new exact solutions.
Development and Characterization of Liposomal Doxorubicin Hydrochloride with Palm Oil
Authors: Sabeti Bahareh , Noordin Mohamed Ibrahim , Mohd Shaharuddin , Hashim Rosnani , Dahlan Afendi , Akbari Javar Hamid
Published: March 2014

The usage of natural products in pharmaceuticals has steadily seen improvements over the last decade, and this study focuses on the utilization of palm oil in formulating liposomal doxorubicin (Dox). The liposomal form of Dox generally minimizes toxicity and enhances target delivery actions. Taking into account the antiproliferative and antioxidant properties of palm oil, the aim of this study is to design and characterize a new liposomal Dox by replacing phosphatidylcholine with 5% and 10% palm oil content. Liposomes were formed using the freeze_thaw method, and Dox was loaded through pH gradient technique and characterized throughin vitroandex vivoterms. Based on TEM images, large lamellar vesicles (LUV) were formed, with sizes of 438 and 453 nm, having polydispersity index of 0.21 ± 0.8 and 0.22 ± 1.3 and zeta potentials of about −31 and −32 mV, respectively. In both formulations, the entrapment efficiency was about 99%, and whole Dox was released through 96 hours in PBS (pH = 7.4) at 37°C. Comparing cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of LUV withCaelyxRon MCF7 and MDA-MBA 231 breast cancer cell lines indicated suitable uptake and lower IC50 of the prepared liposomes.
Cardiac Phosphoproteomics during Remote Ischemic Preconditioning: A Role for the Sarcomeric Z-Disk Proteins
Authors: Abdul-Ghani Safa , Heesom Kate J. , Angelini Gianni D. , Suleiman M-Saadeh
Published: March 2014

Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) induced by brief ischemia/reperfusion cycles of remote organ (e.g., limb) is cardioprotective. The myocardial cellular changes during RIPC responsible for this phenomenon are not currently known. The aim of this work was to identify the activation by phosphorylation of cardiac proteins following RIPC. To achieve our aim we used isobaric tandem mass tagging (TMT) and reverse phase nanoliquid chromatography tandem spectrometry using a Linear Trap Quadropole (LTQ) Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometer. Male C57/Bl6 mice were anesthetized by an intraperitoneal injection of Tribromoethanol. A cuff was placed around the hind limb and inflated at 200 mmHg to prevent blood flow as confirmed by Laser Doppler Flowmetry. RIPC was induced by 4 cycles of 5 min of limb ischemia followed by 5 min of reperfusion. Hearts were extracted for phosphoproteomics. We identified approximately 30 phosphoproteins that were differentially expressed in response to RIPC protocol. The levels of several phosphoproteins in the Z-disk of the sarcomere including phospho-myozenin-2 were significantly higher than control. This study describes and validates a novel approach to monitor the changes in the cardiac phosphoproteome following the cardioprotective intervention of RIPC and prior to index ischemia. The increased level of phosphorylated sarcomeric proteins suggests they may have a role in cardiac signaling during RIPC.