bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of a novel HLA‐B*44 allele, HLA‐B*44:237N, in a Chinese individual
Authors: Qiang W. , Zhu Y.‐Y. , Shen G. , Zou J.
Published: August 2016

B*44:237N differs from B*44:03:01 by nucleotides deletion at nucleotide 286 and 287 in exon 2.
Do the Characteristics of Independent Directors and Supervisory Board Members Matter in China?
Authors: Xu Hongmei , Lin Jiang
Published: August 2016

This paper investigates and compares the characteristics of independent directors and supervisory board members in Chinese listed firms. The occupational backgrounds of independent directors and supervisory board members in listed firms are very different. Besides, different firms have different preferences in employing independent directors and supervisory board members according to their demands. Moreover, the empirical results show that characteristics of independent directors and supervisory board members have no clear relationship with firm performance. No matter their professional backgrounds or age, the independent directors and supervisory board members do not have the authority to affect the decision making process of management. Thus they cannot really contribute to firm performance.
Vapor deposition of molybdenum oxide using bis(ethylbenzene) molybdenum and water
Authors: Drake Tasha L. , Stair Peter C.
Published: August 2016

Three molybdenum precursors—bis(acetylacetonate) dioxomolybdenum, molybdenum isopropoxide, and bis(ethylbenzene) molybdenum—were tested for molybdenum oxide vapor deposition. Quartz crystal microbalance studies were performed to monitor growth. Molybdenum isopropoxide and bis(ethylbenzene) molybdenum achieved linear growth rates 0.01 and 0.08 Å/cycle, respectively, using atomic layer deposition techniques. Negligible MoOx growth was observed on alumina powder using molybdenum isopropoxide, as determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Bis(ethylbenzene) molybdenum achieved loadings of 0.5, 1.1, and 1.9 Mo/nm2 on alumina powder after one, two, and five cycles, respectively, using atomic layer deposition techniques. The growth window for bis(ethylbenzene) molybdenum is 135–150 °C. An alternative pulsing strategy was also developed for bis(ethylbenzene) molybdenum that results in higher growth rates in less time compared to atomic layer deposition techniques. The outlined process serves as a methodology for depositing molybdenum oxide for catalytic applications. All as-deposited materials undergo further calcination prior to characterization and testing.
Approximate analytical time-domain Green's functions for the Caputo fractional wave equation
Authors: Kelly James F. , McGough Robert J.
Published: August 2016

The Caputo fractional wave equation [Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc. 13, 529–539 (1967)] models power-law attenuation and dispersion for both viscoelastic and ultrasound wave propagation. The Caputo model can be derived from an underlying fractional constitutive equation and is causal. In this study, an approximate analytical time-domain Green's function is derived for the Caputo equation in three dimensions (3D) for power law exponents greater than one. The Green's function consists of a shifted and scaled maximally skewed stable distribution multiplied by a spherical spreading factor 1/(4πR). The approximate one dimensional (1D) and two dimensional (2D) Green's functions are also computed in terms of stable distributions. Finally, this Green's function is decomposed into a loss component and a diffraction component, revealing that the Caputo wave equation may be approximated by a coupled lossless wave equation and a fractional diffusion equation.
Pressure signature and evaluation of hammer pulses during underwater implosion in confining environments
Authors: Gupta Sachin , Matos Helio , Shukla Arun , LeBlanc James M.
Published: August 2016

The fluid structure interaction phenomenon occurring in confined implosions is investigated using high-speed three-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC) experiments. Aluminum tubular specimens are placed inside a confining cylindrical structure that is partially open to a pressurized environment. These specimens are hydrostatically loaded until they naturally implode. The implosion event is viewed, and recorded, through an acrylic window on the confining structure. The velocities captured through DIC are synchronized with the pressure histories to understand the effects of confining environment on the implosion process. Experiments show that collapse of the implodable volume inside the confining tube leads to strong oscillating water hammer waves. The study also reveals that the increasing collapse pressure leads to faster implosions. Both peak and average structural velocities increase linearly with increasing collapse pressure. The effects of the confining environment are better seen in relatively lower collapse pressure implosion experiments in which a long deceleration phase is observed following the peak velocity until wall contact initiates. Additionally, the behavior of the confining environment can be viewed and understood through classical water hammer theory. A one-degree-of-freedom theoretical model was created to predict the impulse pressure history for the particular problem studied.
Metabolic syndrome in people with a long-standing spinal cord injury: associations with physical activity and capacity
Authors: de Groot Sonja , Adriaansen Jacinthe J. , Tepper Marga , Snoek Govert J. , van der Woude Lucas H.V. , Post Marcel W.M.
Published: August 2016

This study investigated (i) the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in people with a long-standing spinal cord injury (SCI); (ii) whether personal or lesion characteristics are determinants of the MetS; and (iii) the association with physical activity or peak aerobic capacity on the MetS. In a cross-sectional study, persons with SCI (N = 223; time since injury of ≥10 years) were tested. The individual components of the MetS were assessed together with the physical activity measured by the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PASIPD), while peak aerobic capacity was tested during a graded wheelchair exercise test on a treadmill. Thirty-nine percent of the participants had MetS. In a multivariate logistic regression analyses and after performing a backward regression analysis, only age and education were significant determinants of the MetS. A 10-year increase in age leads to a 1.5 times more chance to have the MetS. Furthermore, people with a low education will multiply the relative risk of MetS compared with people with high education by almost 2. With and without correcting for confounders, no significant relationship was found between PASIPD or peak aerobic capacity and the MetS. It can be concluded that the prevalence of the MetS is high (39%) in people with a long-standing SCI but is comparable to the general Dutch population. Older people and those with a lower education level are most at risk for the MetS. Physical activity and peak aerobic fitness were not related to the MetS in this group with a long-standing SCI.
DETERMINANTS OF ENERGY AND CO2 EMISSION INTENSITIES: A STUDY OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN INDIA
Authors: SAHU SANTOSH K. , MEHTA DEEPANJALI
Published: August 2016

This paper investigates determinants of energy and emission intensities of manufacturing firms in India, from 2000 to 2014. Given that Indian manufacturing sector is one of the world’s most polluting sectors in terms of CO2 emissions; we arrive at firm level determinants of energy and carbon dioxide emission intensities from consumption of three primary sources of energy, namely (1) Coal, (2) Natural Gas and (3) Petroleum. The results of the regression analysis suggest that there are inter-firm differences in energy and emission intensity. The results indicate that smaller and larger firms are both energy and emission intensive compared to medium sized firms. Similarly, firms spending more in research and development activities are found to be energy and emission efficient, compare to others. Hence, in the global competitive business environment, Government of India should carefully formulate policies suitable for the medium sized firms to make them energy and emission efficient.
CHINA’S IMBALANCED SEX RATIO AND SATISFACTION WITH MARRIAGE
Authors: CHENG ZHIMING , SMYTH RUSSELL
Published: August 2016

China’s imbalanced sex ratio has increased the prevalence of hypergamous (marrying up) and hypogamous (marrying down) marriages. We explore the implications of this phenomena for satisfaction with one’s spouse in terms of sexual satisfaction along a range of dimensions, care received from one’s spouse, affection expressed to, and received from one’s spouse and the prevalence of domestic violence in the home. The main argument that we develop in the paper is that assortative mating is associated with higher satisfaction levels with one’s spouse because those involved in homogamous marriages will have more shared values, have more empathy for each other and be better able to communicate with each other, both in terms of everyday living and in terms of their sex lives. We test this argument using data from the China Health and Family Life Survey. We find considerable support for the argument that marrying up, or down, lowers satisfaction with one’s spouse.
Exploring the Standard Model at the LHC
Authors: Vachon Brigitte
Published: August 2016

The ATLAS and CMS collaborations have performed studies of a wide range of Standard Model processes using data collected at the Large Hadron Collider at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. These measurements are used to explore the Standard Model in a new kinematic regime, perform precision tests of the model, determine some of its fundamental parameters, constrain the proton parton distribution functions, and study new rare processes observed for the first time. Examples of recent Standard Model measurements performed by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations are summarized in this report. The measurements presented span a wide range of event final states including jets, photons, W/Z bosons, top quarks, and Higgs bosons.
Nonsingular cosmology from an unstable Higgs field
Authors: Brandenberger Robert H. , Cai Yi-Fu , Wan Youping , Zhang Xinmin
Published: August 2016

The observed value of the Higgs mass indicates an instability of the Higgs scalar at large energy scales, and hence also at large field values. In the context of early universe cosmology, this is often considered to lead to problems. Here, we point out that we can use the instability of the Higgs field to generate an ekpyrotic phase of contraction. In the context of string theory, it is possible that at very high energy densities, extra states become massless leading to an [Formula: see text]-brane which causes the transition between a contracting phase in the past and the current expanding phase. Thus, the Higgs field may be useable to generate a nonsingular bouncing cosmology in which the anisotropy problem of usual bouncing scenarios is mitigated.
Critical behaviors and phase transitions of black holes in higher order gravities and extended phase spaces
Authors: Sherkatghanad Zeinab , Mirza Behrouz , Mirzaiyan Zahra , Mansoori Seyed Ali Hosseini
Published: August 2016

We consider the critical behaviors and phase transitions of Gauss–Bonnet–Born–Infeld-AdS black holes (GB–BI-AdS) for [Formula: see text] and the extended phase space. We assume the cosmological constant, [Formula: see text], the coupling coefficient [Formula: see text], and the BI parameter [Formula: see text] to be thermodynamic pressures of the system. Having made these assumptions, the critical behaviors are then studied in the two canonical and grand canonical ensembles. We find “reentrant and triple point phase transitions” (RPT-TP) and “multiple reentrant phase transitions” (multiple RPT) with increasing pressure of the system for specific values of the coupling coefficient [Formula: see text] in the canonical ensemble. Also, we observe a reentrant phase transition (RPT) of GB–BI-AdS black holes in the grand canonical ensemble and for [Formula: see text]. These calculations are then expanded to the critical behavior of Born–Infeld-AdS (BI-AdS) black holes in the third-order of Lovelock gravity and in the grand canonical ensemble to find a van der Waals (vdW) behavior for [Formula: see text] and a RPT for [Formula: see text] for specific values of potential [Formula: see text] in the grand canonical ensemble. Furthermore, we obtain a similar behavior for the limit of [Formula: see text], i.e. charged-AdS black holes in the third-order of the Lovelock gravity. Thus, it is shown that the critical behaviors of these black holes are independent of the parameter [Formula: see text] in the grand canonical ensemble.
A Hybrid Analytical and Finite Element Method for Mid-Frequency Vibration Analysis of Plate Structures with Discontinuities
Authors: Ma Yongbin , Zhang Yahui , Wang Bo Ping
Published: August 2016

A hybrid analytical and numerical method is presented for the mid-frequency vibration analysis of a class of plate structures with discontinuities based on the concept of structural partitioning. The type of structures considered includes rectangular plates with internal property discontinuity, homogeneous but non-rectangular plates, or built-up structures composed of rectangular homogenous plates with complex joints. Compared with the conventional finite element (FE) method, the present method has the advantage of high accuracy and high efficiency in the analysis of mid-frequency vibration of the structures of concern. The main idea of the proposed approach is to divide the whole structure into uniform rectangular plate regions and other non-rectangular regions. The vibration behavior of the rectangular regions is accurately and efficiently described by analytical wave solutions so that the FE modeling for these regions is not necessary. The other non-rectangular regions are modeled by the conventional FE method. The analytical waves used to describe the rectangular regions are obtained by the symplectic method, thereby avoiding the limitation of the conventional analytical method in dealing with plates having two opposite edges simply supported. By enforcing the displacement continuity and force equilibrium at the connection interfaces, the dynamic coupling is established between the rectangular regions described in terms of the analytical waves and the regions modeled by FEs. Furthermore, the hybrid solution formulation for the mid-frequency vibration of the entire structure is proposed. The high accuracy and efficiency of the present method are demonstrated by several numerical examples, with the effect of element size of the FE regions investigated. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method is analyzed.
Development of a New Fence Type Blast Wall for Blast Protection: Numerical Analysis
Authors: Zong Ruiqing , Hao Hong , Shi Yanchao
Published: August 2016

Blast wall is considered to be an effective passive measure for blast protection since it can effectively reduce the blast loads and protect the building structures and people behind it. However, the current practice in blast wall design mainly depends on the structural strength and ductility to resist blast loads. These designs often lead to huge solid walls which are not only expensive, but also unsuitable for construction in urban areas, as they are not aesthetically appealing. Moreover, failure of solid blast wall may generate a significant amount of debris, which imposes great threats to people and structures behind the wall. In this paper, a new fence type blast wall, instead of the solid wall, is proposed to resist the blast loads based on the concept of wave interference. The proposed fence wall uses structural columns placed at strategic locations as wave stoppers to generate wave reflection, diffraction and interaction between the reflected and diffracted waves from different columns to result in self-cancellation of wave energy, thus leads to substantial reduction in blast wall size in design. Numerical simulations are carried out to investigate the effectiveness of the fence wall layout with different column geometries, column spacing, column dimensions, and fence layers on blast loads reduction. Based on the results, an effective design of the fence type blast wall is proposed, which can reduce the pressure and impulse of the blast loads behind the wall upto 70%.
Strength Assessment of Corroded Pipelines — Finite Element Simulations and Parametric Studies
Authors: Belachew Chanyalew Taye , Che Ismail Mokhtar , Karuppanan Saravanan
Published: August 2016

Pipelines are one of the most efficient means for transporting hydrocarbons from one point to the other. However, there is a great risk of pipelines operation failure due to the detrimental effects of corrosion. At the point of corrosion, the pipe wall becomes thinner and loses its mechanical resistance. In such cases, reliable defect assessment methods are necessary to decide whether to resume continual operation or to shut down for maintenance or replacement. However, the available assessment methods are over-conservative, which enforce either unnecessary maintenance or premature replacement. Furthermore, the defect assessment methods should not only ensure safe operation, but also optimized operation cost. Therefore, a new assessment method was developed based on the nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis and a parametric study of geometric parameters related to the corrosion defect. The new method was validated with burst test database, which can predict the burst pressure of corroded pipelines with better accuracy and consistency.
Effects of Interior Partition Walls on Natural Period of High Rise Buildings
Authors: Sofi Massoud , Lumantarna Elisa , Duffield Colin , Mendis Priyan
Published: August 2016

In regions of low to moderate seismicity, serviceability limits states such as inter-story drift under wind load govern the design of the lateral load resisting structural systems of high rise buildings. The key objective in this regard is to provide adequate lateral stiffness to control lateral deflections and inter-story drifts. Current design practice assumes that the structural system alone provides lateral resistance against wind, the dominant load considered for countries like Australia. The contribution of nonstructural components (NSCs) such as interior partition walls on lateral stiffness is generally disregarded in the analysis of the buildings, even though it is commonly acknowledged that the NSCs play a significant role on the lateral stiffness of buildings. This technical note presents the results of a parametric study on the effects of NSCs, in particular, the effects of masonry interior partition walls on the fundamental period of buildings. The parameters considered in this study include: the number and length of walls, their material properties, the number of parallel moment resisting frames and the height of buildings. The results of this study indicate that interior walls can have significant effects on the lateral stiffness of buildings.
Typicality in Pure Wave Mechanics
Authors: Barrett Jeffrey A.
Published: August 2016

Hugh Everett III's pure wave mechanics is a deterministic physical theory with no probabilities. He nevertheless sought to show how his theory might be understood as making the same statistical predictions as the standard collapse formulation of quantum mechanics. We will consider Everett's argument for pure wave mechanics, how it depends on the notion of branch typicality, and the relationship between the predictions of pure wave mechanics and the standard quantum probabilities.
Finite 2-groups with some prescribed minimal nonabelian subgroups
Authors: Janko Zvonimir
Published: August 2016

We determine up to isomorphism finite nonabelian [Formula: see text]-groups all of whose minimal nonabelian subgroups, except one, are isomorphic to [Formula: see text] (Theorem 1) and also, we determine finite nonabelian [Formula: see text]-groups all of whose minimal nonabelian subgroups, except one, are isomorphic to [Formula: see text] (Theorem 2).
Uniaxial-Strain Effects in the Paclitaxel Drug Molecule Adsorption on Nitrogen-Doped Graphene
Authors: Azizi Ali , Ebrahimi Sadollah
Published: August 2016

It has been recently investigated [A. Azizi and S. Ebrahimi, Nano 9, 1450088 (2004).] the Paclitaxel (PTX) anticancer drug molecule adsorption on nitrogen doped graphene (NG). However, the surface strain effect on adsorption is not considered in the literature. In this study, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we show that the PTX molecule adsorption can be tuned by exploiting the rippling effect of the strained NG. The dependence of the nitrogen concentration in the presence of ripples on the surface, arising due to thermal fluctuations, is examined. We have also considered the connection between the average distance of PTX from NG surface and the maximum induced deformation on the surface structure. It is demonstrated that the average distance of PTX from NG is increased with increasing the strain until a critical value is reached, and then it has remained almost constant. To this end, the dependence of the degree of ripple-type distortion of the surface on the PTX adsorption is investigated.
Molecular dynamics simulation and free energy analysis of the interaction of platinum-based anti-cancer drugs with DNA
Authors: Jalili Seifollah , Maddah Mina , Schofield Jeremy
Published: August 2016

Cisplatin and oxaliplatin are two widely-used anti-cancer drugs which covalently bind to a same location in DNA strands. Platinum agents make intrastrand and interstrand cross-links with the N7 atoms of guanine nucleotides which prevent DNA from polymerization by causing a distortion in the double helix. Molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations were carried out to investigate the binding of two platinum-based anti-cancer drugs with DNA. We compared the binding of these drugs which differ in their carrier ligands, and hence their potential interactions with DNA. When a platinum agent binds to nucleotides, it causes a high amount of deformation in DNA structure. To find the extent of deformation, torsion angles and base pair and groove parameters of DNA were considered. These parameters were compared with normal B-DNA which was considered as the undamaged DNA. The formation of hydrogen bonds between drugs and DNA nucleotides was examined in solution. It was shown that oxaliplatin forms more hydrogen bonds than cisplatin. Our results confirm that the structure of the platinated DNA rearranges significantly and cisplatin tries to deform DNA more than oxaliplatin. The binding free energies were also investigated to understand the affinities, types and the contributions of interactions between drugs and DNA. It was concluded that oxaliplatin tendency for binding to DNA is more than cisplatin in solvent environment. The binding free energy was calculated based on the MM/PBSA and MM/GBSA methods and the results of QM/MM calculations verified them.
Categorical quantum mechanics II: Classical-quantum interaction
Authors: Coecke Bob , Kissinger Aleks
Published: August 2016

This is the second part of a three-part overview, in which we derive the category-theoretic backbone of quantum theory from a process ontology, treating quantum theory as a theory of systems, processes and their interactions. In this part, we focus on classical–quantum interaction. Classical and quantum systems are treated as distinct types, of which the respective behavioral properties are specified in terms of processes and their compositions. In particular, classicality is witnessed by ‘spiders’ which fuse together whenever they connect. We define mixedness and show that pure processes are extremal in the space of all processes, and we define entanglement and show that quantum theory indeed exhibits entanglement. We discuss the classification of tripartite qubit entanglement and show that both the GHZ-state and the W-state come from spider-like families of processes, which differ only in how they behave when they are connected by two or more wires. We define measurements and provide fully comprehensive descriptions of several quantum protocols involving classical data flow. Finally, we give a notion of ‘genuine quantumness’, from which special processes called ‘phase spiders’ arise, and get a first glimpse of quantum nonlocality.
Non-barotropic magnetohydrodynamics as a five function field theory
Authors: Yahalom Asher
Published: August 2016

We show that ideal non-barotropic magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) of a certain topology is mathematically equivalent to a five function field theory with an induced geometrical structure.
A PATENT ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN DIRECT INNOVATIVE R&D ACTIVITIES IN CENTRAL EUROPE: THE CZECH CASE
Authors: RUGRAFF ERIC
Published: August 2016

This paper questions the nature of the foreign direct R&D investments in Central Europe. Do the affiliates of the multinationals still undertake adaptive R&D? Have they recently engaged in innovative R&D activities in their Central European affiliates? Because patents result from the firm's investments in basic research and applied development, we consider patent data as a good proxy of the firm's genuine inventive activity. We build a sample made of the 10 multinationals representing the most active R&D investors in the Czech Republic — the Central European leader as regards of foreign direct R&D investments — and in the major foreign direct R&D sectors — electronics, electrical equipment, machinery and motor vehicles — and assess the recent evolution of their patenting activity. We suggest that (a) even these major R&D investors still only marginally apply for patents in their Czech affiliates; (b) there is no under-evaluation of the innovation activity of the Czech affiliates due to a geographical separation of inventions — in the Czech Republic — and patent location — in Western Europe; (c) the researchers working in the Czech affiliates are still not sufficiently oriented towards innovation activities to be integrated in the patenting-oriented international teams built by the multinationals. Foreign direct R&D investments in Central Europe remain mostly production supportive and associated with the international exploitation of technology produced in the Western headquarters and affiliates. Despite the strong engagement of the Czech government towards foreign direct R&D, real innovative R&D increases very slowly.
Experimental Assessment of a Domestic Split Type Air-Conditioner Working with R410A
Authors: Elraheim D. Abd , Mahmoud Osama E. , Fatouh M.
Published: August 2016

The objective of the present work is to assess experimentally the performance characteristics of a R410A domestic air conditioner under different in-door operating conditions. In order to achieve this objective, a test facility of the investigated system is developed and experiments are conducted. Experimental results on R410A air conditioning system are obtained over a wide range of in-door operating conditions. Experimental results confirmed that the cooling capacity, compressor power and COP increase by 90.9%, 5.2% and 81.5%, respectively, as air humidity ratio increases from 8 to 25.5[Formula: see text]gw kg[Formula: see text]. The cooling capacity, condenser heat load, compressor power and COP increase by 7.2%, 6.1%, 2.8% and 4.1%, respectively, when the evaporator air inlet temperature increases from 28[Formula: see text]C to 34[Formula: see text]C for a given humidity ratio. COP increases by 25.6% while pressure ratio decreases by 2.5% as the air volume flow rate increases from 400 to 550[Formula: see text]m3 h[Formula: see text].
Helical Capillary Tube Sizing Charts for All Mixture Ratios of R125, R134a and R32
Authors: Pirompugd Worachest , Wongwises Somchai
Published: August 2016

This research presents two helical capillary tube sizing charts for R407C and R410A, two correction charts for another tube size, and a correction chart for all mixture ratios of R125, R134a and R32. These charts are obtained from the homogeneous flow model including the effect of gravitational force. It is verified by comparison with experimental data obtained from the published literature. From the model, the sizing charts for a diameter of 1.63[Formula: see text]mm, length of 2.03[Formula: see text]m, and helix diameter of 500[Formula: see text]mm are developed. Two charts for size correction are also developed. The first one is for tube diameter of 0.5–5[Formula: see text]mm and length of 0.25–10[Formula: see text]m. The second one is for helix diameter of 20–1000[Formula: see text]mm. Finally, one more chart for mixture ratio correction is proposed. This chart can be applied to all mixture ratios of R125, R134a and R32.
Systemic Research on the Green Development in Western China: A Non-Technological Innovation Perspective
Authors: JIANG Wei
Published: August 2016

Western China, at the frontier of China’s ecological civilization construction, is facing the urgent need of green development with well-rounded non-technological innovation system. This paper introduces and expands the Multi-level Governance (MLG) model and, by means of case comparison, explores the non-technological innovation system for green development. Research found that effective non-technological innovation system can set off competition among the same level of local governments, and generate the domino effect of preference to green development, thus driving them to adjust the development strategies and policies, increase green investment and improve the efficiency of green development. Therefore, realizing the systemic transition to green development, through the establishment of a non-technological innovation system, improvement in its MLG and matching cadre assessment system as well as initiative preference intervene, will enhance the effectiveness of green development in Western China.
A Cognitive Robot Control Architecture for Autonomous Execution of Surgical Tasks
Authors: Preda Nicola , Ferraguti Federica , De Rossi Giacomo , Secchi Cristian , Muradore Riccardo , Fiorini Paolo , Bonfè Marcello
Published: August 2016

The research on medical robotics is starting to address the autonomous execution of surgical tasks, without effective intervention of humans apart from supervision and task configuration. This paper addresses the complete automation of a surgical robot by combining advanced sensing, cognition and control capabilities, developed according to rigorous assessment of surgical requirements, formal specification of robotic system behavior and software design and implementation based on solid tools and frameworks. In particular, the paper focuses on the cognitive control architecture and its development process, based on formal modeling and verification methods as best practices to ensure safe and reliable behavior. Full implementation of the proposed architecture has been tested on an experimental setup including a novel robot specifically designed for surgical applications, but adaptable to different selected tasks (i.e. needle insertion, wound suturing).
General Template Units for the Finite Volume Method in Box-Shaped Domains
Authors: Cruz Luis M. De La , Ramos Eduardo
Published: August 2016

In this work, we develop an extension of the Curiously Recurring Template Pattern (CRTP), which allows us to organize three related concepts in a class hierarchy. Generalizations, specializations and special procedures are the concepts that we use to define and implement several tools. We call these tools
general template units
because they are well-defined building blocks (units) for numerically solving partial differential equations (PDEs), are based on the use of
templates
of the C++ language, and can be applied in the solution of different kinds of problems. We focus on the solution of PDEs using the Finite Volume Method (FVM) in box-shaped domains. The three concepts just mentioned are intensively used to generate optimized codes for each case study. The convenience of our approach is highlighted in the numerical solutions of the examples of application, including laminar thermal convection, turbulent thermal convection, as well as a two-phase flow model in porous media, all of them in one, two, and three dimensions. The mathematical models of these examples were obtained using the axiomatic formulation, which provides generality, simplicity, and clarity to tackle any continuum mechanics application. The ideas explained in this work are quite simple but powerful in solving fluid dynamics problems, in which the conservativeness of the FVM is an important feature. The techniques developed in this work allow us to swap easily between numerical schemes for computing the coefficients obtained by applying the FVM.
Parallel and Distributed Collaborative Filtering
Authors: Karydi Efthalia , Margaritis Konstantinos
Published: August 2016

Collaborative filtering is among the most preferred techniques when implementing recommender systems. Recently, great interest has turned toward parallel and distributed implementations of collaborative filtering algorithms. This work is a survey of parallel and distributed collaborative filtering implementations, aiming to not only provide a comprehensive presentation of the field's development but also offer future research directions by highlighting the issues that need to be developed further.
Vaccination with Astragalus and Ginseng Polysaccharides Improves Immune Response of Chickens against H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus
Authors: Abdullahi Auwalu Yusuf , Kallon Sanpha , Yu Xingang , Zhang Yongliang , Li Guoqing
Published: August 2016

To determine the effect of astragalus and ginseng polysaccharides (APS, GPS) on immune response and improvement of H5N1 vaccine, 360-day-old broilers were randomly divided into 8 groups of 45 chicks, comprising APS groups (1–3); GPS groups (4–6); vaccine group (7); and blank control (8) (without polysaccharide and vaccine). From day 12 after hatch groups 1–3 were given APS and groups 4–6 with GPS both at 100, 200, and 400 (mg/kg), respectively. At day 15 after hatch, groups 1–7 were vaccinated with 0.3 mL H5N1 vaccine subcutaneously; daily weight gain (DWG) and serum Ig antibody (by HI-test) were measured on 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after vaccination. Serum antibody titers and expression of cytokines (IL-2, IL-10, I FN-γ, and TNF) were determined by ELISA and RT-PCR. Results revealed that all the polysaccharide groups were numerically increased in antibody levels and the expression of cytokines was significant (P<0.05) in the APS and GPS groups compared to corresponding vaccine group and blank control. DWG was higher (P<0.05) in 400 mg/kg APS groups than control groups. Thus oral supplements of GPS and APS have shown their potential in the improvement of immune response and could be used as adjuvant in a formulation of H5N1 vaccine.
Impact of Pediatric Chronic Dialysis on Long-Term Patient Outcome: Single Center Study
Authors: Levy Erez Daniella , Krause Irit , Dagan Amit , Cleper Roxana , Falush Yafa , Davidovits Miriam
Published: August 2016

Objective.Owing to a shortage of kidney donors in Israel, children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may stay on maintenance dialysis for a considerable time, placing them at a significant risk. The aim of this study was to understand the causes of mortality.Study Design. Clinical data were collected retrospectively from the files of children on chronic dialysis (>3 months) during the years 1995–2013 at a single pediatric medical center.Results.110 patients were enrolled in the study. Mean age was10.7±5.27 yrs. (range: 1 month–24 yrs). Forty-five children (42%) had dysplastic kidneys and 19 (17.5%) had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Twenty-five (22.7%) received peritoneal dialysis, 59 (53.6%) hemodialysis, and 6 (23.6%) both modalities sequentially. Median dialysis duration was 1.46 years (range: 0.25–17.54 years). Mean follow-up was13.5±5.84 yrs. Seventy-nine patients (71.8%) underwent successful transplantation, 10 (11.2%) had graft failure, and 8 (7.3%) continued dialysis without transplantation. Twelve patients (10.9%) died: 8 of dialysis-associated complications and 4 of their primary illness. The 5-year survival rate was 84%: 90%for patients older than 5 years and 61%for younger patients.Conclusions.Chronic dialysis is a suitable temporary option for children awaiting renal transplantation. Although overall long-term survival rate is high, very young children are at high risk for life-threatening dialysis-associated complications.
Improving MQTT Data Delivery in Mobile Scenarios: Results from a Realistic Testbed
Authors: Luzuriaga Jorge E. , Perez Miguel , Boronat Pablo , Cano Juan Carlos , Calafate Carlos , Manzoni Pietro
Published: August 2016

MQTT is being widely used for data delivery in IoT applications but its architecture does not properly handle mobility when disconnection periods tend to be large. In this paper we describe an experimental evaluation, made in a real environment, of a solution that guarantees that there is no information loss when variable length hand-offs appear due to the movement of a node. Our proposal modifies the classical publish/subscribe scheme by introducing an intermediate buffer that takes care of message transfer. Finally, we study the impact related to the connectivity of mobile devices of the use of the standard LinuxNetwork Manager. We propose a cross-layer solution that improves the device connectivity in conjunction with the data layer management. We show that our solution improves the data delivery guaranteeing that no information is lost.
The High Photocatalytic Activity of SnO2Nanoparticles Synthesized by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Viet Pham Van , Thi Cao Minh , Hieu Le Van
Published: August 2016

Tin oxide nanoparticles (SnO2NPs) were prepared at low temperature by hydrothermal method. Synthesized SnO2NPs were confirmedviacharacterization techniques such as UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The synthesized nanoparticles were in the size of 3 nm and they have high photocatalytic activity. The result showed that SnO2NPs degraded 88.88% MB solution after 30 minutes of UV illumination and reached 90.0% for 120 minutes (2 hours) of UV illumination. Moreover, they degraded 79.26% MB solution after 90 minutes (1.5 hours) under assisted sunlight illumination.
Cognitive Function before and during Treatment with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Patients with Depression or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Sayyah Mehdi , Eslami Kaveh , AlaiShehni Shabnam , Kouti Leila
Published: August 2016

Objectives. Identification of adverse effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is of great importance due to their extensive use in medicine. Some studies have reported the effects of SSRIs on cognitive functions, but the results are conflicting. This study was designed to assess the effect of these drugs on cognition of patients with depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Methods. Patients with depression or OCD, naïve to therapy, and candidates of receiving one drug from SSRI class, voluntarily, entered this study. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test was the tool to assess their cognitive functions. MMSE scores of each patient were recorded prior to taking SSRIs and at weeks 3, 5, and 8 of drug therapy.Results. 50 patients met our inclusion criteria, with a baseline mean MMSE score of 23.94. At 3, 5, and 8 weeks of treatment, the mean scores were 22.1, 21.4, and 20.66, respectively. With apvalue of <0.0001, the gradual decline was statistically significant.Conclusion. The MMSE scores of our patients showed a gradual decline over the consecutive weeks after taking SSRI drugs. It seems that the use of SSRIs in patients with depression or OCD, can cause cognitive dysfunction in the acute phase of treatment.
Design of Robust Systems for Stabilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Equipment
Authors: Sushchenko Olha , Goncharenko Andriy
Published: August 2016

The paper deals with the structural synthesis of robust system for stabilization of observation equipment operated on unmanned aerial vehicles. The model of the triaxial stabilization system taking into consideration necessary kinematic transformations is developed. The matrix weighting transfer functions ensuring design of the system with the desired amplitude-frequency characteristics of the system are chosen. The features of the robust structural synthesis for the researched system are considered. The structure and parameters of the robust controller, based on robust structural synthesis including the methods of the mixed sensitivity and loop-shaping, are obtained. The results of the synthesized system simulation are represented. The obtained results allow implementing stabilization of observation equipment in difficult conditions of real operation. This improves the quality of photography, mapping, survey, and so forth and gives advantages of accuracy for images representations of the territory flown. The obtained results are significant for stabilization of equipment operated at a moving base.
Induction of Osmoregulation and Modulation of Salt Stress inAcacia gerrardiiBenth. by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi andBacillus subtilis(BERA 71)
Authors: Hashem Abeer , Abd_Allah E. F. , Alqarawi A. A. , Al-Huqail A. A. , Shah M. A.
Published: August 2016

The role of soil microbiota in plant stress management, though speculated a lot, is still far from being completely understood. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to examine synergistic impact of plant growth promoting rhizobacterium,Bacillus subtilis(BERA 71), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Claroideoglomus etunicatum;Rhizophagus intraradices; andFunneliformis mosseae) to induce acquired systemic resistance in Talh tree (Acacia gerrardiiBenth.) against adverse impact of salt stress. Compared to the control, the BERA 71 treatment significantly enhanced root colonization intensity by AMF, in both presence and absence of salt. We also found positive synergistic interaction betweenB.subtilisand AMFvis-a-visimprovement in the nutritional value in terms of increase in total lipids, phenols, and fiber content. The AMF and BERA 71 inoculated plants showed increased content of osmoprotectants such as glycine, betaine, and proline, though lipid peroxidation was reduced probably as a mechanism of salt tolerance. Furthermore, the application of bioinoculants to Talh tree turned out to be potentially beneficial in ameliorating the deleterious impact of salinity on plant metabolism, probably by modulating the osmoregulatory system (glycine betaine, proline, and phenols) and antioxidant enzymes system (SOD, CAT, POD, GR, APX, DHAR, MDAHR, and GSNOR).
Analysis of Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Pandemic SARS Spread in Mainland China
Authors: Cao Chunxiang , Chen Wei , Zheng Sheng , Zhao Jian , Wang Jinfeng , Cao Wuchun
Published: August 2016

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is one of the most severe emerging infectious diseases of the 21st century so far. SARS caused a pandemic that spread throughout mainland China for 7 months, infecting 5318 persons in 194 administrative regions. Using detailed mainland China epidemiological data, we study spatiotemporal aspects of this person-to-person contagious disease and simulate its spatiotemporal transmission dynamics via the Bayesian Maximum Entropy (BME) method. The BME reveals that SARS outbreaks show autocorrelation within certain spatial and temporal distances. We use BME to fit a theoretical covariance model that has a sine hole spatial component and exponential temporal component and obtain the weights of geographical and temporal autocorrelation factors. Using the covariance model, SARS dynamics were estimated and simulated under the most probable conditions. Our study suggests that SARS transmission varies in its epidemiological characteristics and SARS outbreak distributions exhibit palpable clusters on both spatial and temporal scales. In addition, the BME modelling demonstrates that SARS transmission features are affected by spatial heterogeneity, so we analyze potential causes. This may benefit epidemiological control of pandemic infectious diseases.
Identification of MicroRNAs Involved in Growth Arrest and Apoptosis in Hydrogen Peroxide‐Treated Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line HepG2
Authors: Luo Yuan , Wen Xinyu , Wang Ling , Gao Jing , Wang Zi , Zhang Chunyan , Zhang Pengjun , Lu Chengrong , Duan Lianning , Tian Yaping
Published: August 2016

Although both oxidative stress and microRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles in physiological and pathological processes, little is known about the interactions between them. In this study, we first described the regulation of H2O2 in cell viability, proliferation, cycle, and apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. Then, miRNAs expression was profiled after H2O2 treatment. The results showed that high concentration of H2O2 (600 μM) could decrease cell viability, inhibit cell proliferation, induce cell cycle arrest, and finally promote cell apoptosis. Conversely, no significant effects could be found under treatment with low concentration (30 μM). miRNAs array analysis identified 131 differentially expressed miRNAs (125 were upregulated and 6 were downregulated) and predicted 13504 putative target genes of the deregulated miRNAs. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the putative target genes were associated with H2O2‐induced cell growth arrest and apoptosis. The subsequent bioinformatics analysis indicated that H2O2‐response pathways, including MAPK signaling pathway, apoptosis, and pathways in cancer and cell cycle, were significantly affected. Overall, these results provided comprehensive information on the biological function of H2O2 treatment in HepG2 cells. The identification of miRNAs and their putative targets may offer new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for liver cancer.
High Dimensional Variable Selection with Error Control
Authors: Kim Sangjin , Halabi Susan
Published: August 2016

Background.The iterative sure independence screening (ISIS) is a popular method in selecting important variables while maintaining most of the informative variables relevant to the outcome in high throughput data. However, it not only is computationally intensive but also may cause high false discovery rate (FDR). We propose to use the FDR as a screening method to reduce the high dimension to a lower dimension as well as controlling the FDR with three popular variable selection methods: LASSO, SCAD, and MCP.Method.The three methods with the proposed screenings were applied to prostate cancer data with presence of metastasis as the outcome.Results.Simulations showed that the three variable selection methods with the proposed screenings controlled the predefined FDR and produced high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) scores. In applying these methods to the prostate cancer example, LASSO and MCP selected 12 and 8 genes and produced AUROC scores of 0.746 and 0.764, respectively.Conclusions. We demonstrated that the variable selection methods with the sequential use of FDR and ISIS not only controlled the predefined FDR in the final models but also had relatively high AUROC scores.
Effect of Additional Sulfide and Thiosulfate on Corrosion of Q235 Carbon Steel in Alkaline Solutions
Authors: Quan Bian Li , Li Jun Qi , Chen Chao Yi
Published: August 2016

This paper investigated the effect of additional sulfide and thiosulfate on Q235 carbon steel corrosion in alkaline solutions. Weight loss method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with EDS, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical measurements were used in this study to show the corrosion behavior and electrochemistry of Q235 carbon steel. Results indicate that the synergistic corrosion rate of Q235 carbon steel in alkaline solution containing sulfide and thiosulfate is larger than that of sulfide and thiosulfate alone, which could be due to redox reaction of sulfide and thiosulfate. The surface cracks and pitting characteristics of the specimens after corrosion were carefully examined and the corrosion products film is flake grains and defective. The main corrosion products of specimen induced by S2−and S2O32-are FeS, FeS2, Fe3O4, and FeOOH. The present study shows that the corrosion mechanism of S2−and S2O32-is different for the corrosion of Q235 carbon steel.