bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMPLEX DYNAMICS AND CHAOS CONTROL IN NONLINEAR FOUR-OLIGOPOLIST GAME WITH DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS
Authors: PU XIAOSONG , MA JUNHAI
Published: April 2013

A dynamic four-oligopolist game characterized by firms with different expectations is modeled by four-dimensional nonlinear difference equations, where the market has a quadratic inverse demand function and the firm possesses a cubic total cost function. The Nash equilibrium of the local stability of the proposed model is studied. Then the bifurcation diagrams and Lyapunov exponents of the system are presented to show that four-oligopolist game model behaves chaotically with the variation of the parameters. Finally, the state variables' feedback and parameter variation method are effectively used to control the delay in the appearance of bifurcation.
NEW APPROACH IN MODELING PERISTALTIC TRANSPORT OF NON-NEWTONIAN FLUID
Authors: YAZDANPANH-ARDAKANI KOHYAR , NIROOMAND-OSCUII HANIEH
Published: April 2013

Transporting content in most biological systems is done through peristaltic transport phenomenon, examples of which include urine transport from kidney to bladder, swallowing of food through esophagus, the movement of chyme in small intestine, lymph transport in the lymphatic vessels, and in the vasomotion of small blood vessels such as arterioles. The present investigation simulated a transient peristaltic transport by developing a model based on fluid–solid interaction (FSI) method. The conduit in which peristaltic flow occurred was assumed to be axisymmetric. The propagating wave was simulated by prescribing a set of displacements, along the radial direction, on the wall. Both fluid and solid domains underwent large deformations as load applied. Due to large deformations, the adaptive discretization was considered. The ADINA 8.5 software, as finite element analytical software, was applied to study peristaltic transport. The results indicated that the present numerical method can properly introduce the features of the flow. The obtained results reveal that as amplitude ratio increases, axial velocity will increase, resulting in an increase in volume flux. Volume flux fluctuates through the passage of time in a cycle and along a wavelength. An increase in index of non-Newtonian fluid results in a decrease in velocity and increase in wall shear stress. It is observed that by increasing the amplitude of propagating wave, reflux will be increased; meanwhile, peristalsis works as a more efficient pumping process against the pressure applied as a boundary condition. The discussion on reflux according to its physiological importance seems to be helpful, thus the net displacement of the fluid particles after the transit of a single wave was calculated.
ARITHMETIC PROGRESSIONS ON CONIC SECTIONS
Authors: ALVARADO ALEJANDRA , GOINS EDRAY HERBER
Published: April 2013

The set {1, 25, 49} is a 3-term collection of integers which forms an arithmetic progression of perfect squares. We view the set {(1, 1), (5, 25), (7, 49)} as a 3-term collection of rational points on the parabola y = x2whose y-coordinates form an arithmetic progression. In this exposition, we provide a generalization to 3-term arithmetic progressions on arbitrary conic sections [Formula: see text] with respect to a linear rational map [Formula: see text]. We explain how this construction is related to rational points on the universal elliptic curve Y2+ 4XY + 4kY = X3+ kX2classifying those curves possessing a rational 4-torsion point.
ON IHARA'S LEMMA FOR DEGREE ONE AND TWO COHOMOLOGY OVER IMAGINARY QUADRATIC FIELDS
Authors: KLOSIN KRZYSZTOF
Published: April 2013

We prove a version of Ihara's Lemma for degree q = 1, 2 cuspidal cohomology of the symmetric space attached to automorphic forms of arbitrary weight (k ≥ 2) over an imaginary quadratic field with torsion (prime power) coefficients. This extends an earlier result of the author [Ihara's lemma for imaginary quadratic fields, J. Number Theory128(8) (2008) 2251–2262] which concerned the case k = 2, q = 1. Our method is different from [Ihara's lemma for imaginary quadratic fields, J. Number Theory128(8) (2008) 2251–2262] and uses results of Diamond [Congruence primes for cusp forms of weight k ≥ 2, Astérisque196–197 (1991) 205–213] and Blasius–Franke–Grunewald [Cohomology of S-arithmetic subgroups in the number field case, Invent. Math.116(1–3) (1994) 75–93]. We discuss the relationship of our main theorem to the problem of the existence of level-raising congruences.
CONGRUENCE PROPERTIES OF BORCHERDS PRODUCT EXPONENTS
Authors: MONKS KEENAN , PELUSE SARAH , YE LYNNELLE
Published: April 2013

In his striking 1995 paper, Borcherds [Automorphic forms on Os+2,2(ℝ) and infinite products, Invent. Math.120 (1995) 161–213] found an infinite product expansion for certain modular forms with CM divisors. In particular, this applies to the Hilbert class polynomial of discriminant -d evaluated at the modular j-function. Among a number of powerful generalizations of Borcherds' work, Zagier made an analogous statement for twisted versions of this polynomial. He proves that the exponents of these product expansions, A(n,d), are the coefficients of certain special half-integral weight modular forms. We study the congruence properties of A(n,d) modulo a prime ℓ by relating it to a modular representation of the logarithmic derivative of the Hilbert class polynomial.
ON THE RATIO OF THE ARITHMETIC AND GEOMETRIC MEANS OF THE PRIME NUMBERS AND THE NUMBER e
Authors: HASSANI MEHDI
Published: April 2013

We study the asymptotic behavior of the sequence with general term consisting of the ratio An by Gn, the arithmetic and geometric means of the prime numbers p1, p2, …, pn, respectively, in which, pn denotes the nth prime number.
A 2-ADIC CONTROL THEOREM FOR MODULAR CURVES
Authors: KUMAR NARASIMHA
Published: April 2013

We study the behavior of ordinary parts of the homology modules of modular curves, associated to a decreasing sequence of congruence subgroups Γ1(N2r) for r ≥ 2, and prove a control theorem for these homology modules.
THE INFLUENCE OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING FUNCTIONAL GROUPS ON THE SURFACE BEHAVIOR AND ROUGHNESS CHARACTERISTICS OF GRAPHENE OXIDE
Authors: ALLAHBAKHSH AHMAD , SHARIF FARHAD , MAZINANI SAEEDEH
Published: April 2013

The effects of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface roughness of graphene oxide are thoroughly studied using three-dimensional atomic force microscopy images, ball-and-stick model and wire-frame view results. Moreover, X-ray diffraction method and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are employed for characterizing the structural and chemical behavior of graphene oxide, respectively. Graphene oxide sheets show a clear concavity on one side when the aggregation of functional groups increased on the other side. This behavior could be the main reason for the surface fluctuation of graphene oxide sheets that is observed in microscopic images. In addition, the individual graphene oxide sheet presents greater values of mean roughness compared to multilayered sheets.
Thermal Annealing of Exfoliated Graphene
Authors: Xueshen Wang , Jinjin Li , Qing Zhong , Yuan Zhong , Mengke Zhao
Published: April 2013

Monolayer graphene is obtained by mechanical exfoliation using scotch tapes. The effects of thermal annealing on the tape residues and edges of graphene are researched. Atomic force microscope images showed that almost all the residues could be removed in N2/H2 at 400°C but only agglomerated in vacuum. Raman spectra of the annealed graphene show both the 2D peak and G peak blueshift. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the 2D peak becomes larger and the intensity ratio of the 2D peak to G peak decreases. The edges of graphene are completely attached to the surface of the substrate after annealing.
An Effective Heuristic-Based Approach for Partitioning
Authors: Zhao Xibin , Zhang Hehua , Jiang Yu , Song Songzheng , Jiao Xun , Gu Ming
Published: April 2013

As being one of the most crucial steps in the design of embedded systems, hardware/software partitioning has received more concern than ever. The performance of a system design will strongly depend on the efficiency of the partitioning. In this paper, we construct a communication graph for embedded system and describe the delay-related constraints and the cost-related objective based on the graph structure. Then, we propose a heuristic based on genetic algorithm and simulated annealing to solve the problem near optimally. We note that the genetic algorithm has a strong global search capability, while the simulated annealing algorithm will fail in a local optimal solution easily. Hence, we can incorporate simulated annealing algorithm in genetic algorithm. The combined algorithm will provide more accurate near-optimal solution with faster speed. Experiment results show that the proposed algorithm produce more accurate partitions than the original genetic algorithm.
Synthesis and Microbial Activity of Novel 3‐Methyl‐2‐pyrazolin‐5‐one Derivatives
Authors: Mostafa Mohamed S. , Abd El-Salam Nasser M. , Alothman Othman Y.
Published: April 2013

2‐Oxo‐2H‐chromene‐3‐carbohydrazide derivatives 2a,b react with 2‐{[4‐(substituted thiazol‐2‐yl)iminoethyl)‐phenyl]hydrazono}‐3‐oxo‐butyric acid ethyl esters 4a–c to give 3‐methyl‐1‐[(2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐yl) carbonyl]‐4‐{[4‐(substituted thiazol‐2‐yl)iminoethyl)‐phenyl]hydrazono}]‐2‐pyrazolin‐5‐one derivatives 5a–f. A considerable increase in the reaction rate had been observed with better yield using microwave irradiation for the synthesis of compounds 2a, b, 3a–c, and 5a–f. The synthesized products were tested against B. subtilis, S. aureus, and E. coli as well as C. albicans compared with tetracycline and nystatin as reference drugs.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Violet with TiSiW12O40/TiO2
Authors: Yang Shuijin , Xu Yulin , Huang Yongkui , Zhou Guohui , Yang Zhiyuan , Yang Yun , Wang Guohong
Published: April 2013

The photocatalytic degradation of methyl violet using TiSiW12O40/TiO2as a novel eco-friendly catalyst under simulated natural light irradiation was investigated. The physical characterizations were carried out by TG/DTA, FT-IR, XRD, and UV-visible spectra. The effects of the initial methyl violet concentration, the solution pH, and catalyst dosage on the photocatalytic degradation rate of methyl violet were also examined. The results demonstrated that at optimal condition (initial concentration of methyl violet is 20 mg/L, catalyst dosage is 0.3 g, and the pH is 5.5), the degradation rate of methyl violet is as high as 82.4% after 3 h under simulated natural light irradiation. The reaction of photocatalysis for methyl violet can be expressed as first-order kinetic model.
A Cost-Sensitive Ensemble Method for Class-Imbalanced Datasets
Authors: Zhang Yong , Wang Dapeng
Published: April 2013

In imbalanced learning methods, resampling methods modify an imbalanced dataset to form a balanced dataset. Balanced data sets perform better than imbalanced datasets for many base classifiers. This paper proposes a cost-sensitive ensemble method based on cost-sensitive support vector machine (SVM), and query-by-committee (QBC) to solve imbalanced data classification. The proposed method first divides the majority-class dataset into several subdatasets according to the proportion of imbalanced samples and trains subclassifiers using AdaBoost method. Then, the proposed method generates candidate training samples by QBC active learning method and uses cost-sensitive SVM to learn the training samples. By using 5 class-imbalanced datasets, experimental results show that the proposed method has higher area under ROC curve (AUC), F-measure, and G-mean than many existing class-imbalanced learning methods.
Constructing a CDS-Based Network Backbone for Data Collection in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Kui Xiaoyan , Sheng Yu , Du Huakun , Liang Junbin
Published: April 2013

Data collection is one of the most important operations in wireless sensor networks. Currently, many researches focus on using a connected dominating set to construct a virtual backbone for data collection in WSNs. Most researchers concentrate on how to construct a minimum connected dominating set because a small virtual backbone incurs less maintenance. Unfortunately, computing a minimum size CDS is NP-hard, and the minimum connected dominating sets may result in unbalanced energy consumption among nodes. In this paper, we investigate the problem of constructing an energy-balanced CDS to effectively preserve the energy of nodes in order to extend the network lifetime in data collection. An energy-balanced connected dominating set scheme named DGA-EBCDS is proposed, and each node in the network can effectively transmit its data to the sink through the virtual backbone. When constructing the virtual backbone in DGA-EBCDS, we prioritize selecting those nodes with higher energy and larger degree. This method makes the energy consumption among nodes more balanced. Furthermore, the routing decision in DGA-EBCDS considers both the path length and the remaining energy of nodes in the path; it further prolongs the lifetime of nodes in the backbone. Our conclusions are verified by extensive simulation results.
Continuum Modeling and Control of Large Nonuniform Wireless Networks via Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations
Authors: Zhang Yang , Chong Edwin K. P. , Hannig Jan , Estep Donald
Published: April 2013

We introduce a continuum modeling method to approximate a class of large wireless networks by nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). This method is based on the convergence of a sequence of underlying Markov chains of the network indexed byN, the number of nodes in the network. AsNgoes to infinity, the sequence converges to a continuum limit, which is the solution of a certain nonlinear PDE. We first describe PDE models for networks with uniformly located nodes and then generalize to networks with nonuniformly located, and possibly mobile, nodes. Based on the PDE models, we develop a method to control the transmissions in nonuniform networks so that the continuum limit is invariant under perturbations in node locations. This enables the networks to maintain stable global characteristics in the presence of varying node locations.
Clinical Significance of Amyloid Precursor Protein in Patients with Testicular Germ Cell Tumor
Authors: Yamada Yuta , Fujimura Tetsuya , Takahashi Satoru , Takayama Kenichi , Urano Tomohiko , Murata Taro , Obinata Daisuke , Ouchi Yasuyoshi , Homma Yukio , Inoue Satoshi
Published: April 2013

Introduction. The biological role of amyloid precursor protein (APP) is not well understood, especially in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the immunoreactivity (IR) and expression of APP in TGCTs and evaluated its clinical relevance.Materials and Methods. We performed an analysis of immunohistochemistry and mRNA expression of APP in 64 testicular specimens and 21 snap-frozen samples obtained from 1985 to 2004. We then evaluated the association between APP expression and clinicopathological status in TGCTs.Results. Positive APP IR was observed in 9.8% (4/41) of seminomatous germ cell tumors (SGCTs) and 39.1% (9/23) of nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NGCTs). NGCTs showed significantly more cases of positive IR(P=0.00870)and a higher mRNA expression level compared with those of SGCTs(P=0.0140). Positive APP IR was also significantly associated withα-fetoprotein (αFP) elevation(P=0.00870)and venous invasion(P=0.0414).Conclusion. We observed an elevated APP expression in TGCTs, especially in NGCTs. APP may be associated with a more aggressive cancer in TGCTs.
Effective Admittivity of Biological Tissues as a Coefficient of Elliptic PDE
Authors: Seo Jin Keun , Bera Tushar Kanti , Kwon Hyeuknam , Sadleir Rosalind
Published: April 2013

The electrical properties of biological tissues can be described by a complex tensor comprising a simple expression of the effective admittivity. The effective admittivities of biological tissues depend on scale, applied frequency, proportions of extra- and intracellular fluids, and membrane structures. The effective admittivity spectra of biological tissue can be used as a means of characterizing tissue structural information relating to the biological cell suspensions, and therefore measuring the frequency-dependent effective conductivity is important for understanding tissue’s physiological conditions and structure. Although the concept of effective admittivity has been used widely, it seems that its precise definition has been overlooked. We consider how we can determine the effective admittivity for a cube-shaped object with several different biologically relevant compositions. These precise definitions of effective admittivity may suggest the ways of measuring it from boundary current and voltage data. As in the homogenization theory, the effective admittivity can be computed from pointwise admittivity by solving Maxwell equations. We compute the effective admittivity of simple models as a function of frequency to obtain Maxwell-Wagner interface effects and Debye relaxation starting from mathematical formulations. Finally, layer potentials are used to obtain the Maxwell-Wagner-Fricke expression for a dilute suspension of ellipses and membrane-covered spheres.
Definitive Endoderm Formation from Plucked Human Hair-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and SK Channel Regulation
Authors: Illing Anett , Stockmann Marianne , Swamy Telugu Narasimha , Linta Leonhard , Russell Ronan , Müller Martin , Seufferlein Thomas , Liebau Stefan , Kleger Alexander
Published: April 2013

Pluripotent stem cells present an extraordinary powerful tool to investigate embryonic development in humans. Essentially, they provide a unique platform for dissecting the distinct mechanisms underlying pluripotency and subsequent lineage commitment. Modest information currently exists about the expression and the role of ion channels during human embryogenesis, organ development, and cell fate determination. Of note, small and intermediate conductance, calcium-activated potassium channels have been reported to modify stem cell behaviour and differentiation. These channels are broadly expressed throughout human tissues and are involved in various cellular processes, such as the after-hyperpolarization in excitable cells, and also in differentiation processes. To this end, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) generated from plucked human hair keratinocytes have been exploitedin vitroto recapitulate endoderm formation and, concomitantly, used to map the expression of the SK channel (SKCa) subtypes over time. Thus, we report the successful generation of definitive endoderm from hiPSCs of ectodermal origin using a highly reproducible and robust differentiation system. Furthermore, we provide the first evidence that SKCas subtypes are dynamically regulated in the transition from a pluripotent stem cell to a more lineage restricted, endodermal progeny.
The Inhibition of Inflammasome by Brazilian Propolis (EPP-AF)
Authors: Hori Juliana I. , Zamboni Dario S. , Carrão Daniel B. , Goldman Gustavo Henrique , Berretta Andresa A.
Published: April 2013

Propolis extracts have gained the attention of consumers and researchers due to their unique chemical compositions and functional properties such as its anti-inflammatory activity. Recently, it was described a complex that is also important in inflammatory processes, named inflammasome. The inflammasomes are a large molecular platform formed in the cell cytosol in response to stress signals, toxins, and microbial infections. Once activated, the inflammasome induces caspase-1, which in turn induces the processing of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1βand IL-18. So, to understand inflammasomes regulation becomes crucial to treat several disorders including autoinflammatory diseases. Since green propolis extracts are able to regulate inflammatory pathways, this work purpose was to investigate if this extract could also act on inflammasomes regulation. First, the extract was characterized and it demonstrated the presence of important compounds, especially Artepillin C. This extract was effective in reducing the IL-1βsecretion in mouse macrophages and this reduction was correlated with a decrease in activation of the protease caspase-1. Furthermore, we found that the extract at a concentration of 30 μg/mL was not toxic to the cells even after a 18-hour treatment. Altogether, these data indicate that Brazilian green propolis (EPP-AF) extract has a role in regulating the inflammasomes.
The Downstream Regulation of Chemokine Receptor Signalling: Implications for Atherosclerosis
Authors: Patel Jyoti , Channon Keith M. , McNeill Eileen
Published: April 2013

Heterotrimeric G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key mediators of intracellular signalling, control numerous physiological processes, and are one of the largest class of proteins to be pharmacologically targeted. Chemokine-induced macrophage recruitment into the vascular wall is an early pathological event in the progression of atherosclerosis. Leukocyte activation and chemotaxis during cell recruitment are mediated by chemokine ligation of multiple GPCRs. Regulation of GPCR signalling is critical in limiting vascular inflammation and involves interaction with downstream proteins such as GPCR kinases (GRKs), arrestin proteins and regulator of G-protein signalling (RGS) proteins. These have emerged as new mediators of atherogenesis by functioning in internalisation, desensitisation, and signal termination of chemokine receptors. Targeting chemokine signalling through these proteins may provide new strategies to alter atherosclerotic plaque formation and plaque biology.
Laminar Mixed Convection in the Entrance Region of Horizontal and Inclined Semicircular Ducts
Authors: El Hasadi Yousef M. F.
Published: April 2013

Laminar mixed convection in the entrance region of horizontal and inclined semicircular ducts has been investigated. The governing momentum and energy equations were solved numerically using a marching technique with finite control volume approach following the SIMPLER algorithm. Results were obtained for thermal boundary condition of uniform heat input axially and uniform wall temperature circumferentially, incorporating Pr = 7, Re = 500, inclination angles (α = 0° and 20°), and a wide range of Grashof numbers. These results include velocity and temperature distributions at different axial locations as well as axial distribution of local Nusselt number and local wall friction factor. It was found that Nusselt number is close to the forced convection values near the entrance region, then decreases to minimum value as the distance from the entrance increases, and then rises due to the effect of free convection before reaching a constant value (fully developed). As Grashof number increases Nusselt number and wall friction factor increase in both developing and fully developed regions for horizontal and inclined ducts. A comparison with the experimental data in the thermal entrance region was also conducted and the comparison was satisfactory.
Validation of the Antidiabetic and Hypolipidemic Effects of Hawthorn by Assessment of Gluconeogenesis and Lipogenesis Related Genes and AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphorylation
Authors: Shih Chun-Ching , Lin Cheng-Hsiu , Lin Yih-Jiun , Wu Jin-Bin
Published: April 2013

Since with the increased use of antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effect of phytonutrients for daily supplement has gained considerable attention worldwide, we examine the effect and molecular mechanism ofCrataegus pinnatifidaBge. var.majorN.E. Br. (hawthorn) by quantifying the expression of hepatic gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis on diabetes and dyslipidemia in high-fat (HF)-fed C57BL/6J mice. Firstly, mice were divided randomly into two groups: the control (CON) group was fed with a low-fat diet, whereas the experimental group was fed a 45% HF diet for 8 weeks. Afterwards, the CON group was treated with vehicle, whereas the HF group was subdivided into five groups and was given orally hawthorn extract (including 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 g/kg/day extracts) or rosiglitazone (Rosi) or vehicle for 4 weeks afterward. Diabetic mice showed an increase in plasma glucose and insulin. Glucose lowering was comparable with Rosi-treated mice. This study demonstrated that hawthorn was effective in ameliorating the HF diet-induced hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolaemia. Hawthorn extract significantly increases the hepatic protein contents of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and reduces expression of phosphenol pyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose production. Furthermore, hawthorn decreased in hepatic triacylglycerol and cholesterol synthesis (including sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), SREBP2). An increase in expressions of apoA-I gene and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was detected in HF-fed mice treated with high dose hawthorn. Our data suggest that hawthorn extract are capable of decreasing glucose production and triacylglycerol synthesis by inducing AMPK-phosphorylation and hawthorn is a candidate source of antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic phytonutrients factors.
PhyllanthusSuppresses Prostate Cancer Cell, PC-3, Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis through Multiple Signalling Pathways (MAPKs, PI3K/Akt, NFκB, and Hypoxia)
Authors: Tang Yin-Quan , Jaganath InduBala , Manikam Rishya , Sekaran Shamala Devi
Published: April 2013

Phyllanthusis a traditional medicinal plant that has been found to have antihepatitis, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. The present studies were to investigate thein vitromolecular mechanisms of anticancer effects ofPhyllanthus(P. amarus, P. niruri, P. urinaria,andP. watsonii) plant extracts in human prostate adenocarcinoma. The cancer ten-pathway reporter array was performed and revealed that the expression of six pathway reporters were significantly decreased (Wnt, NFκB, Myc/Max, hypoxia, MAPK/ERK, and MAPK/JNK) in PC-3 cells after treatment withPhyllanthusextracts. Western blot was conducted and identified several signalling molecules that were affected in the signalling pathways including pan-Ras, c-Raf, RSK, Elk1, c-Jun, JNK1/2, p38 MAPK, c-myc, DSH,β-catenin, Akt, HIF-1α, GSK3β, NFκB p50 and p52, Bcl-2, Bax, and VEGF, in treated PC-3 cells. A proteomics-based approach, 2D gel electrophoresis, was performed, and mass spectrometry (MS/MS) results revealed that there were 72 differentially expressed proteins identified in treated PC-3 cells and were involved in tumour cell adhesion, apoptosis, glycogenesis and glycolysis, metastasis, angiogenesis, and protein synthesis and energy metabolism. Overall, these findings suggest thatPhyllanthuscan interfere with multiple signalling cascades involved in tumorigenesis and be used as a potential therapeutic candidate for treatment of cancer.
Stochastic Congestion Pricing among Multiple Regions: Competition and Cooperation
Authors: Wang Hua , Mao Wei , Shao Hu
Published: April 2013

Previous studies of road congestion pricing problem assume that transportation networks are managed by a central administrative authority with an objective of improving the performance of the whole network. In practice, a transportation network may be comprised of multiple independent local regions with relative independent objectives. In this paper, we investigate the cooperative and competitive behaviors among multiple regions in congestion pricing considering stochastic conditions; especially demand uncertainty is taken into account in transportation modelling. The corresponding congestion pricing models are formulated as a bilevel programming problem. In the upper level, congestion pricing model either aims to maximize the regional social welfare in competitive schemes or attempts to maximize the total social welfare of multiple regions in cooperative schemes. In the lower level, travellers are assumed to follow a reliability-based stochastic user equilibrium principle considering risks of late arrival under uncertain conditions. Numerical examples are carried out to compare the effects of different pricing schemes and to analyze the impact of travel time reliability. It is found that cooperative pricing strategy performs better than competitive strategy in improving network performance, and the pricing effects of both schemes are quite sensitive to travel time reliability.
RobustH∞Filter Design for Itô Stochastic Pantograph Systems
Authors: Yan Zhiguo , Huang Yulin
Published: April 2013

The problem of robustH∞filter design is investigated for stochastic pantograph systems governed by linear Itô differential equation. First, a sufficient condition for asymptotic mean-square stability of stochastic pantograph systems is presented by means of Lyapunov approach. Then, based on matrix inequalities, theH∞filtering problem for this kind of systems is studied and a sufficient condition for the existence of theH∞filter is derived. Furthermore, the explicit expression of the desired filter parameters is characterized. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the results.
On Bilipschitz Extensions in Real Banach Spaces
Authors: Huang M. , Li Y.
Published: April 2013

Suppose thatEandE'denote real Banach spaces with dimension at least 2, thatD≠EandD'≠E'are bounded domains with connected boundaries, thatf:D→D'is anM-QH homeomorphism, and thatD'is uniform. The main aim of this paper is to prove thatfextends to a homeomorphismf¯:D¯→D¯'andf-∣∂Dis bilipschitz if and only iffis bilipschitz inD¯. The answer to some open problems of Väisälä is affirmative under a natural additional condition.
Considering Late-Time Acceleration in Some Cosmological Models
Authors: Sadatian S. Davood
Published: April 2013

We study two cosmological models: a nonminimally coupled scalar field on brane world model and a minimally coupled scalar field on Lorentz invariance violation model. We compare some cosmological results in these scenarios. Also, we consider some types of Rip singularity solution in both models.
Multiresolution Network Temporal and Spatial Scheduling Model of Scenic Spot
Authors: Ge Peng , Liao Zhixue , Liu Chang , Ren Peiyu , Guo Zhaoxia
Published: April 2013

Tourism is one of pillar industries of the world economy. Low-carbon tourism will be the mainstream direction of the scenic spots' development, and theωpath of low-carbon tourism development is to develop economy and protect environment simultaneously. However, as the tourists' quantity is increasing, the loads of scenic spots are out of control. And the instantaneous overload in some spots caused the image phenomenon of full capacity of the whole scenic spot. Therefore, realizing the real-time schedule becomes the primary purpose of scenic spot’s management. This paper divides the tourism distribution system into several logically related subsystems and constructs a temporal and spatial multiresolution network scheduling model according to the regularity of scenic spots’ overload phenomenon in time and space. It also defines dynamic distribution probability and equivalent dynamic demand to realize the real-time prediction. We define gravitational function between fields and takes it as the utility of schedule, after resolving the transportation model of each resolution, it achieves hierarchical balance between demand and capacity of the system. The last part of the paper analyzes the time complexity of constructing a multiresolution distribution system.
New Algorithm for Constructing and Computing Scale Invariants of 3D Tchebichef Moments
Authors: Wu Haiyong , Coatrieux Jean Louis , Shu Huazhong
Published: April 2013

Scale invariants of Tchebichef moments are usually achieved by a linear combination of corresponding invariants of geometric moments or via an iterative algorithm to eliminate the scale factor. According to the properties of Tchebichef polynomials, we propose a new approach to construct scale invariants of Tchebichef moments. An algorithm based on matrix multiplication is also provided to efficiently compute the 3D moments and invariants. Several experiments are carried out to validate the effectiveness of our descriptors and algorithm.
Bivariate Positive Operators in Polynomial Weighted Spaces
Authors: Agratini Octavian
Published: April 2013

This paper aims to two-dimensional extension of some univariate positive approximation processes expressed by series. To be easier to use, we also modify this extension into finite sums. With respect to these two new classes designed, we investigate their approximation properties in polynomial weighted spaces. The rate of convergence is established, and special cases of our construction are highlighted.
Implicit Relaxed and Hybrid Methods with Regularization for Minimization Problems and Asymptotically Strict Pseudocontractive Mappings in the Intermediate Sense
Authors: Ceng Lu-Chuan , Ansari Qamrul Hasan , Wen Ching-Feng
Published: April 2013

We first introduce an implicit relaxed method with regularization for finding a common element of the set of fixed points of an asymptotically strict pseudocontractive mappingSin the intermediate sense and the set of solutions of the minimization problem (MP) for a convex and continuously Frechet differentiable functional in the setting of Hilbert spaces. The implicit relaxed method with regularization is based on three well-known methods: the extragradient method, viscosity approximation method, and gradient projection algorithm with regularization. We derive a weak convergence theorem for two sequences generated by this method. On the other hand, we also prove a new strong convergence theorem by an implicit hybrid method with regularization for the MP and the mappingS. The implicit hybrid method with regularization is based on four well-known methods: the CQ method, extragradient method, viscosity approximation method, and gradient projection algorithm with regularization.
Multigranular Uncertain Linguistic Prioritized Aggregation Operators and Their Application to Multiple Criteria Group Decision Making
Authors: Peng Ding-Hong , Wang Tie-Dan , Gao Chang-Yuan , Wang Hua
Published: April 2013

We investigate multiple criteria group decision-making problems in which there are priority relationships between the decision elements (criteria and experts), and decision information provided by decision makers takes the form of multigranular uncertain linguistic information. Firstly, some operational laws and possibility degree of multi-granular uncertain linguistic variables are introduced. Then, some new linguistic aggregation operators based on the prioritized aggregation operator, such as the multigranular uncertain linguistic prioritized weighted average (MULPWA) operator and the multigranular uncertain linguistic prioritized ordered weighted average (MULPOWA) operator, are developed and their desirable properties are studied. The prominent characteristics of these proposed operators are that they can aggregate directly the uncertain linguistic variables whose values form the linguistic term sets with different granularities and convey the prioritization phenomenon among the aggregated arguments. Furthermore, based on the MULPWA and MULPOWA operators, an approach to deal with multiple criteria group decision-making problems under multi-granular uncertain linguistic environments is developed. Finally, a practical example is provided to illustrate the multiple criteria group decision-making process.
Corticomuscular Coherence Analysis on Hand Movement Distinction for Active Rehabilitation
Authors: Lou Xinxin , Xiao Siyuan , Qi Yu , Hu Xiaoling , Wang Yiwen , Zheng Xiaoxiang
Published: April 2013

Active rehabilitation involves patient’s voluntary thoughts as the control signals of restore device to assist stroke rehabilitation. Although restoration of hand opening stands importantly in patient’s daily life, it is difficult to distinguish the voluntary finger extension from thumb adduction and finger flexion using stroke patients’ electroencephalography (EMG) on single muscle activity. We propose to implement corticomuscular coherence analysis on electroencephalography (EEG) and EMG signals on Extensor Digitorum to extract their intention involved in hand opening. EEG and EMG signals of 8 subjects are simultaneously collected when executing 4 hand movement tasks (finger extension, thumb adduction, finger flexion, and rest). We explore the spatial and temporal distribution of the coherence and observe statistically significant corticomuscular coherence appearing at left motor cortical area and different patterns within beta frequency range for 4 movement tasks. Linear discriminate analysis is applied on the coherence pattern to distinguish finger extension from thumb adduction, finger flexion, and rest. The classification results are greater than those by EEG only. The results indicate the possibility to detect voluntary hand opening based on coherence analysis between single muscle EMG signal and single EEG channel located in motor cortical area, which potentially helps active hand rehabilitation for stroke patients.
Artificial Mosaic Generation with Gradient Vector Flow and Tile Cutting
Authors: Battiato Sebastiano , Milone Alfredo , Puglisi Giovanni
Published: April 2013

Mosaics are images obtained by cementing together small colored fragments and are an ancient example of discrete primitive-based images. Artificial mosaics are illustrations composed by a set of small images called “tiles” that tessellate a source image aiming to reproduce the original visual information in a mosaic-like style. In this paper, we propose a mosaic generation technique based on gradient vector flow (GVF) together with a set of tile cutting heuristics evaluated according to aesthetic criteria. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been confirmed by a series of tests and comparisons with state-of-the-art techniques.
Supplementation ofLactobacillus plantarumK68 and Fruit-Vegetable Ferment along with High Fat-Fructose Diet Attenuates Metabolic Syndrome in Rats with Insulin Resistance
Authors: Huang Hui-Yu , Korivi Mallikarjuna , Tsai Chun-Han , Yang Jo-Hsuan , Tsai Ying-Chieh
Published: April 2013

Lactobacillus plantarumK68 (isolated fromfu-tsai) and fruit-vegetable ferment (FVF) have been tested for antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties in a rat model of insulin resistance, induced by chronic high fat-fructose diet. Fifty rats were equally assigned into control (CON), high fat-fructose diet (HFFD), HFFD plus K68, HFFD plus FVF, and HFFD plus both K68 and FVF (MIX) groups. Respective groups were orally administered with K68 (1×109 CFU/0.5 mL) or FVF (180 mg/kg) or MIX for 8 weeks. We found that HFFD-induced increased bodyweights were prevented, and progressively increased fasting blood glucose and insulin levels were reversed (P<0.01) by K68 and FVF treatments. Elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and HOMA-IR values were controlled in supplemented groups. Furthermore, dyslipidemia, characterized by elevated total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) with HFFD, was significantly (P<0.01) attenuated with MIX. Elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1β(IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), were controlled (P<0.01) by K68, FVF, and MIX treatments. Moreover, decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were substantially (P<0.01) restored by all treatments. Experimental evidences demonstrate that K68 and FVF may be effective alternative medicine to prevent HFFD-induced hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperlipidemia, possibly associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant efficacies.
Progression from Excessive to Deficient Syndromes in Chronic Hepatitis B: A Dynamical Network Analysis of miRNA Array Data
Authors: Chen Qi-Long , Lu Yi-Yu , Zhang Gui-Biao , Song Ya-Nan , Zhou Qian-Mei , Zhang Hui , Zhang Wei , Su Shi-Bing
Published: April 2013

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment is regarded as a safe and effective method for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), which requires a traditional diagnosis method to distinguish the TCM syndrome. In this study, we study the differences and similarities among excessive, excessive-deficient, and deficient syndromes, by an integrative and comparative analysis of weighted miRNA expression or miRNA-target network in CHB patients. We first calculated the differential expressed miRNAs based on random modulet-test and classified three CHB TCM syndromes using SVM method. Then, miRNA target genes were obtained by validated database and predicted programs subsequently, the weighted miRNA-target networks were constructed for different TCM syndromes. Furthermore, prioritize target genes of networks of CHB TCM syndromes progression analyzed using DAVID online analysis. The results have shown that the difference between TCM syndromes is distinctly based on hierarchical cluster and network structure. GO and pathway analysis implicated that three CHB syndromes more likely have different molecular mechanisms, while the excessive-deficient and deficient syndromes are more dangerous than excessive syndrome in the process of tumorigenesis. This study suggested that miRNAs are important mediators for TCM syndromes classification as well as CHB development progression and therefore could be potential diagnosis and therapeutic molecular markers.
Nonstationary INAR(1) Process with th-Order Autocorrelation Innovation
Authors: Yu Kaizhi , Zou Hong , Shi Daimin
Published: April 2013

This paper is concerned with an integer-valued random walk process withqth-order autocorrelation. Some limit distributions of sums about the nonstationary process are obtained. The limit distribution of conditional least squares estimators of the autoregressive coefficient in an auxiliary regression process is derived. The performance of the autoregressive coefficient estimators is assessed through the Monte Carlo simulations.
Efficient Finite Element Methodology Based on Cartesian Grids: Application to Structural Shape Optimization
Authors: Nadal E. , Ródenas J. J. , Albelda J. , Tur M. , Tarancón J. E. , Fuenmayor F. J.
Published: April 2013

This work presents an analysis methodology based on the use of the Finite Element Method (FEM) nowadays considered one of the main numerical tools for solving Boundary Value Problems (BVPs). The proposed methodology, so-called cg-FEM (Cartesian grid FEM), has been implemented for fast and accurate numerical analysis of 2D linear elasticity problems. The traditional FEM uses geometry-conforming meshes; however, in cg-FEM the analysis mesh is not conformal to the geometry. This allows for defining very efficient mesh generation techniques and using a robust integration procedure, to accurately integrate the domain’s geometry. The hierarchical data structure used in cg-FEM together with the Cartesian meshes allow for trivial data sharing between similar entities. The cg-FEM methodology uses advanced recovery techniques to obtain an improved solution of the displacement and stress fields (for which a discretization error estimator in energy norm is available) that will be the output of the analysis. All this results in a substantial increase in accuracy and computational efficiency with respect to the standard FEM. cg-FEM has been applied in structural shape optimization showing robustness and computational efficiency in comparison with FEM solutions obtained with a commercial code, despite the fact that cg-FEM has been fully implemented in MATLAB.
Single-Resistance-Controlled Sinusoidal Oscillator Using Single VD-DIBA
Authors: Pushkar K. L. , Bhaskar D. R. , Prasad Dinesh
Published: April 2013

This paper presents a new single-resistance-controlled sinusoidal oscillator (SRCO). The proposed oscillator employs only one voltage differencing differential input buffered amplifier (VD-DIBA), two resistors, and two grounded capacitors. The proposed configuration offers the following advantageous features: (i) independent control of condition of oscillation and frequency of oscillation, (ii) low active and passive sensitivities, and (iii) a very good frequency stability. The validity of the proposed SRCO has been established by SPICE simulations using 0.35 μm MIETEC technology.
The Tumor-Suppressive Function ofUNC5Dand Its Repressed Expression in Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Lu Dan , Dong Dong , Zhou Yu , Lu Min , Pang Xue-Wen , Li Yan , Tian Xiao-Jun , Zhang Yu , Zhang Jun
Published: April 2013

Purpose: As a newly added member of the UNC5H receptors, the function of UNC5D/H4 in tumorigenesis remains poorly defined. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of UNC5D in primary renal cell carcinomas (RCC), analyze the mechanisms responsible for its downregulation in RCC, and assess its functional relevance to tumor growth and migration.

Experimental Design: Forty-four paired primary RCCs and corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues were collected. The mRNA and protein expression level of UNC5D was assessed by reverse transcriptase-PCR, real-time PCR, or immunohistochemistry. Epigenetic alterations in UNC5D promoter and LOH in the UNC5D locus were also analyzed. Ectopic expression of UNC5D in renal cancer cells with silenced expression of UNC5D was used for analysis of the biologic functions of UNC5D.

Results: UNC5D expression was attenuated in multiple carcinoma cell lines including renal cancer cells. Similar reduction was also observed in primary RCC tissues as compared with paired adjacent noncancerous tissues. Methylation-specific PCR showed hypermethylation in UNC5D promoter in a significant proportion (18 of 44) of tumor tissue (40.9%). LOH of UNC5D was observed in 13 of 44 patients with RCCs (29.5%). Restoration of UNC5D expression in renal cancer cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation, anchorage-dependent and -independent growth, as well as migration and invasion, whereas knockdown of UNC5D promoted cell growth. Furthermore, ectopic expression of UNC5D induced G2–M cell-cycle arrest.

Conclusions: UNC5D is a functional tumor suppressor that is frequently downregulated in RCCs due to promoter hypermethylation and LOH. Clin Cancer Res; 19(11); 2883–92. ©2013 AACR.
Role of Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 in the Regulation of Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Jiang Ding-Sheng , Bian Zhou-Yan , Zhang Yan , Zhang Shu-Min , Liu Yi , Zhang Rui , Chen Yingjie , Yang Qinglin , Zhang Xiao-Dong , Fan Guo-Chang , Li Hongliang
Published: April 2013

IRF4, a member of the interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family, was previously shown to be restricted in the immune system and involved in the differentiation of immune cells. However, we interestingly observed that IRF4 was also highly expressed in both human and animal hearts. Given that several transcription factors have been shown to regulate the pathological cardiac hypertrophy, we then ask whether IRF4, as a new transcription factor, plays a critical role in pressure overload–elicited cardiac remodeling. A transgenic mouse model with cardiac-specific overexpression of IRF4 was generated and subjected to an aortic banding for 4 to 8 weeks. Our results demonstrated that overexpression of IRF4 aggravated pressure overload–triggered cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and dysfunction. Conversely, IRF4 knockout mice showed an attenuated hypertrophic response to chronic pressure overload. Mechanistically, we discovered that the expression and activation of cAMP response element–binding protein (CREB) were significantly increased in IRF4-overexpressing hearts, while being greatly reduced in IRF4-KO hearts on aortic banding, compared with control hearts, respectively. Similar results were observed in ex vivo cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes on the treatment with angiotensin II. Inactivation of CREB by dominant-negative mutation (dnCREB) offset the IRF4-mediated hypertrophic response in angiotensin II–treated myocytes. Furthermore, we identified that the promoter region of CREB contains 3 IRF4 binding sites. Altogether, these data indicate that IRF4 functions as a necessary modulator of hypertrophic response by activating the transcription of CREB in hearts. Thus, our study suggests that IRF4 might be a novel target for the treatment of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and failure.