bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CB1 and CB2 contribute to antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of electroacupuncture on experimental arthritis of the rat temporomandibular joint
Authors: Gondim Delane Viana , Araújo Joana Cláudia Bezerra , Cavalcante André Luiz Cunha , Havt Alexandre , Quetz Josiane da Siva , Brito Gerly Anne de Castro , Ribeiro Ronaldo de Albuquerque , Lima Vale Mariana
Published: November 2012

Electroacupuncture (EA) and cannabinoids have been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects in animal models of arthritis. Male Wistar rats were injected with saline or zymosan (2 mg) into the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). EA (10 Hz, 30 min) was performed 2 h after or 1 h before zymosan administration. AM251 or AM630 (3 mg/kg, i.p.)were administered before EA treatment. Mechanical hypernociception was accessed after zymosan administration. Rats were sacrificed 6 h after zymosan administration and the joint was removed for histopathological analysis. The gene expression of CB1 and CB2 receptors was assessed after sacrifice of the TMJ arthritic animals. EA inhibited zymosan-induced hypernociception (p < 0.05). AM251 reversed significantly the antinociceptive effect of EA, suggesting that the CB1 receptor is involved in this effect. AM630 reversed the anti-inflammatory effect of EA. CB1 and CB2 receptor gene expression was upregulated 6 h after zymosan-induced arthritis in the EA-treated group. We observed downregulation of CB2 receptor gene expression in the EA group at the 24th hour compared with the 6th hour. Higher CB1 receptor gene expression was also found compared with the 6th hour. EA produced antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects, and these effects appeared to be mediated through CB1 and CB2 receptor activation.
ALGORITHMIC COMBINATORICS ON PARTIAL WORDS
Authors: BLANCHET-SADRI F.
Published: November 2012

Algorithmic combinatorics on partial words, or sequences of symbols over a finite alphabet that may have some do-not-know symbols or holes, has been developing in the past few years. Applications can be found, for instance, in molecular biology for the sequencing and analysis of DNA, in bio-inspired computing where partial words have been considered for identifying good encodings for DNA computations, and in data compression. In this paper, we focus on two areas of algorithmic combinatorics on partial words, namely, pattern avoidance and subword complexity. We discuss recent contributions as well as a number of open problems. In relation to pattern avoidance, we classify all binary patterns with respect to partial word avoidability, we classify all unary patterns with respect to hole sparsity, and we discuss avoiding abelian powers in partial words. In relation to subword complexity, we generate and count minimal Sturmian partial words, we construct de Bruijn partial words, and we construct partial words with subword complexities not achievable by full words (those without holes).
QUOTIENT COMPLEXITY OF STAR-FREE LANGUAGES
Authors: BRZOZOWSKI JANUSZ , LIU BO
Published: November 2012

The quotient complexity, also known as state complexity, of a regular language is the number of distinct left quotients of the language. The quotient complexity of an operation is the maximal quotient complexity of the language resulting from the operation, as a function of the quotient complexities of the operands. The class of star-free languages is the smallest class containing the finite languages and closed under boolean operations and concatenation. We prove that the tight bounds on the quotient complexities of union, intersection, difference, symmetric difference, concatenation and star for star-free languages are the same as those for regular languages, with some small exceptions, whereas 2n-1 is a lower bound for reversal.
CHARACTERIZATIONS OF BOUNDED SEMILINEAR LANGUAGES BY ONE-WAY AND TWO-WAY DETERMINISTIC MACHINES
Authors: IBARRA OSCAR H. , SEKI SHINNOSUKE
Published: November 2012

A bounded language [Formula: see text] (for some k ≥ 1 and not-necessarily distinct nonempty words x1, …, xk) is bounded semilinear if the set [Formula: see text] is semilinear. We give characterizations of bounded semilinear languages in terms of one-way and two-way deterministic counter machines.
AROUND DOT-DEPTH ONE
Authors: KUFLEITNER MANFRED , LAUSER ALEXANDER
Published: November 2012

The dot-depth hierarchy is a classification of star-free languages. It is related to the quantifier alternation hierarchy of first-order logic over finite words. We consider subclasses of languages with dot-depth 1/2 and dot-depth 1 obtained by prohibiting the specification of prefixes or suffixes. As it turns out, these language classes are in one-to-one correspondence with fragments of alternation-free first-order logic without min- or max-predicate, respectively. For all fragments, we obtain effective algebraic characterizations. Moreover, we give new proofs for the decidability of the membership problem for dot-depth 1/2 and dot-depth 1.
PROBING HIGH-CAPACITY PEERS TO REDUCE DOWNLOAD TIMES IN P2P FILE SHARING SYSTEMS WITH STOCHASTIC SERVICE CAPACITIES
Authors: LI KEQIN
Published: November 2012

The main problem for an individual user peer in a peer-to-peer network with heterogeneous source peers is the peer selection problem, namely, switching among source peers and finally settling on one, while keeping the total time of probing and downloading to a minimum. There has been little investigation on selecting source peers with stochastic service capacities. The main contribution of this paper is to address the problem of reducing download times in peer-to-peer file sharing systems with stochastic service capacities. A precise analysis of the expected download time is given when the service capacity of a source peer is a random variable. A chunk-based switching and peer selection algorithm using the method of probing high-capacity peers is proposed and the expected download time of the algorithm is analyzed. Two subproblems of the optimal choice of the threshold of high-capacity source peers and the optimal order of probing are also solved. The performance of the algorithm is compared with the random chunk-based switching method. It is shown that noticeable performance improvement can be obtained.
LARGE SIMPLE BINARY EQUALITY WORDS
Authors: HADRAVOVÁ JANA , HOLUB ŠTĚPÁN
Published: November 2012

Let two nonperiodic binary morphisms g,h: {a,b}* → Δ* be given. A word w is called a solution of g and h if g(w)=h(w). We say that a solution w is simple if whenever w1, w1u, w2and w2u' are prefixes of wωsuch that [Formula: see text] for some word z, then |u|=|u'|=k|w|, for some k ∈ ℕ. In this paper we will study simple solutions and show that if a word w is a simple solution containing at least nine occurrences of the letter a and at least nine occurrences of the letter b, then either w=(ab)ia, or w=ajbkwith gcd (j, k) = 1, up to the exchange of letters a and b.
MULTI-CHAIN MODEL WITH SUCCESSIVE COLLISION AND HIGH-ENERGY NUCLEUS–NUCLEUS COLLISIONS
Authors: NODA HUJIO , NAKARIKI SHIN-ICHI , TASHIRO TSUTOMU
Published: November 2012

High-energy nucleus–nucleus collisions are studied in the multi-chain model with successive collision. Analytic forms for the longitudinal momentum distribution of the inclusive reaction are discussed. It is shown that the longitudinal momentum distribution in nucleus–nucleus collisions is expressed in the Glauber probability with the hypergeometric distribution.
THERMODYNAMICS OF EVOLVING LORENTZIAN WORMHOLES AT APPARENT HORIZON IN f(R) THEORY OF GRAVITY
Authors: SAIEDI H.
Published: November 2012

In the context of modified f(R) gravity, we attempt to study the thermodynamic properties of the evolving Lorentzian wormholes at the apparent horizon. It is shown that the wormhole can be derived from a particular f(R) model in the radiation background. Moreover, it has been shown that the field equations can be cast to a similar form [Formula: see text] at the apparent horizon for the evolving Lorentzian wormhole. Compared to the case of Einstein's general relativity, an additional term [Formula: see text] appears here.
ELECTRODYNAMIC EFFECT OF ANISOTROPIC EXPANSIONS IN THE UNIVERSE
Authors: CIARCELLUTI PAOLO
Published: November 2012

In the presence of anisotropic cosmic expansions at global or local scale the equations of electrodynamics in expanding spacetime are modified and presented here. A new effect should arise in regions of local anisotropic expansion in a cosmologically isotropic background. These regions should naturally exist, being connected with scales decoupling from the Hubble flow. Possible observational consequences of this effect are suggested. In particular, we predict the appearance or variation of the polarization of electromagnetic radiation coming from or passing through these regions. This effect is observable and possibly already observed in the polarization of quasars.
ALPHA-DECAY HALF-LIVES OF DEFORMED NUCLEI BY AN ANGLE-DEPENDENT POTENTIAL
Authors: JAVADIMANESH E. , HASSANABADI H. , RAJABI A. A. , RAHIMOV H. , ZARRINKAMAR S.
Published: November 2012

The half-lives of deformed nuclei are reported. We consider an angle-dependent potential which yields multipole approximations. We see that the results are in better agreement with the experimental data when the multipole approximation is solely considered for the daughter nuclei.
RADIATIVE PRODUCTION OF LIGHTEST NEUTRALINOS IN e+e-COLLISIONS IN SUPERSYMMETRIC GRAND UNIFIED MODELS
Authors: PANDITA P. N. , PATRA MONALISA
Published: November 2012

We study the production of the lightest neutralinos in the radiative process [Formula: see text] in supersymmetric models with grand unification. We consider models wherein the standard model (SM) gauge group SU(3)c×SU(2)L×U(1)Yis unified into the grand unified gauge groups SU(5) or SO(10). We study this process at energies that may be accessible at a future International Linear Collider (ILC). We compare and contrast the dependence of the signal cross-section on the grand unified gauge group, and different representations of the grand unified gauge group, into which the SM gauge group is unified. We carry out a comprehensive study of the radiative production process which includes higher-order QED corrections in our calculations. In addition we carry out a detailed study of the background to the signal process coming from the SM radiative neutrino production [Formula: see text], as well as from the radiative production of the scalar partners of the neutrinos (sneutrinos) [Formula: see text]. The latter can be a major supersymmetric background to the radiative production of neutralinos when the sneutrinos decay invisibly. It is likely that the radiative production of the lightest neutralinos may be a viable channel to study supersymmetric partners of the SM particles at the first stage of an ILC, where heavier sparticles may be too heavy to be produced in pairs.
H THEOREM AND SUFFICIENT CONDITIONS FOR THE DISCRETE VELOCITY DIRECTION MODEL
Authors: ZHANG ZHENYU , PENG CHENG , XU JIANZHONG
Published: November 2012

In this paper, we prove that an H theorem exists for the discrete velocity direction model and provide a set of sufficient conditions, in which the speed distribution functions can be both at equilibrium state and at nonequilibrium state in all flow regimes. To enhance the numerical stability, we simplify the governing equations of the discrete velocity direction model by these sufficient conditions and apply these sufficient conditions to boundary conditions and initial conditions.
SIMPLIFICATION OF SUPPORT VECTOR SOLUTIONS USING AN ARTIFICIAL BEE COLONY ALGORITHM
Authors: TSAI YIHJIA , YEH JIH PIN
Published: November 2012

Support vector machines (SVMs) are a relatively recent machine learning technique. One of the SVM problems is that SVM is considerably slower in test phase caused by the large number of support vectors, which limits its practical use. To address this problem, we propose an artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm to search for an optimal subset of the set of support vectors obtained through the training of the SVM, such that the original discriminant function is best approximated. Experimental results show that the proposed ABC algorithm outperforms some other compared methods in terms of the classification accuracy when the solution is reduced to the same size.
ONLINE SPEAKER DIARIZATION FOR MULTIMEDIA DATA RETRIEVAL ON MOBILE DEVICES
Authors: PARK KYUNG-MI , PARK JEONG-SIK , BAE JAE-HYUN , OH YUNG-HWAN
Published: November 2012

Speaker diarization detects speaker change points in spoken data and organizes speaker clusters so that each cluster contains one speaker's segments. This study aims to develop online speaker diarization for multimedia data retrieval on mobile devices. Researchers have proposed various methods of diarization, but most approaches thus far depend on an empirically determined threshold as a criterion or work in an offline manner that requires prior knowledge, such as the overall number of speakers. There are therefore clear drawbacks with mobile devices, on which various types of spoken data are frequently played and replaced. A new approach to online speaker segmentation and clustering is proposed for overcoming these drawbacks. The proposed segmentation method considers the temporal locality of an analysis window, assuming that each window contains only a small number of speakers. In accordance with this property, a local universal background model (UBM) is constructed in a window and the model is used to detect speaker change points. A cluster boundary-based dynamic decision criterion is proposed for speaker clustering. This approach estimates the internal characteristics of clusters and uses them to determine cluster boundaries. In experiments using a broadcast news corpus, our techniques exhibited superior performance compared to conventional approaches.
POWER SAVING CIRCUIT DESIGN TECHNIQUES FOR IMPLANTABLE NEURO-STIMULATORS
Authors: LEHMANN TORSTEN , CHUN HOSUNG , YANG YUANYUAN
Published: November 2012

Keeping power consumption low in implantable neuro-stimulators such as Cochlear Implants or Vision Prostheses is one of the major design challenges in their circuit design. Usually electrode impedance and stimulation currents required to elicit physiological responses mandates the use of large stimulation voltages, again dictating the use of high-voltage integrated circuit technologies. Power consumption in the stimulating circuits and associated supply generation circuits are the major contributors to overall system power dissipation. In this paper we present circuit design techniques that address power consumption in both stimulating circuits and power supply circuits. First, our power supply design approach is to recycle currents between the two low-voltage power supply needed for the stimulating circuits, whereby power consumption in these circuits can be close to halved. Second, our stimulating circuits design approach is to use very small quiescent currents, fast turn-on time and pre-stimulating dynamic calibration which allow the delivery of charge balanced bi-phasic stimulation pulses with very good power efficiency. A variation of this include passive charge recovery for further power reduction. In combination, significant implant power consumption reduction is achieved.
CHALLENGES AND DIRECTIONS IN COMPUTATIONAL FLUID–STRUCTURE INTERACTION
Authors: BAZILEVS YURI , TAKIZAWA KENJI , TEZDUYAR TAYFUN E.
Published: November 2012

In this lead paper of the special issue, we provide some comments on challenges and directions in computational fluid–structure interaction (FSI). We briefly discuss the significance of computational FSI methods, their components, moving-mesh and nonmoving-mesh methods, mesh moving and remeshing concepts, and FSI coupling techniques.
SPACE–TIME VMS METHODS FOR MODELING OF INCOMPRESSIBLE FLOWS AT HIGH REYNOLDS NUMBERS
Authors: TAKIZAWA KENJI , MONTES DARREN , MCINTYRE SPENSER , TEZDUYAR TAYFUN E.
Published: November 2012

Deforming-Spatial-Domain/Stabilized Space–Time (DSD/SST) formulation was developed for flow problems with moving interfaces and has been successfully applied to some of the most complex problems in that category. A new version of the DSD/SST method for incompressible flows, which has additional subgrid-scale representation features, is the space–time version of the residual-based variational multiscale (VMS) method. This new version, called DSD/SST-VMST and also Space–Time VMS (ST-VMS), provides a more comprehensive framework for the VMS method. We describe the ST-VMS method, including the embedded stabilization parameters, and assess its performance in computation of flow problems at high Reynolds numbers by comparing the results to experimental data. The computations, which include those with 3D airfoil geometries and spacecraft configurations, signal a promising future for the ST-VMS method.
A COMPRESSIBLE LAGRANGIAN FRAMEWORK FOR MODELING THE FLUID–STRUCTURE INTERACTION IN THE UNDERWATER IMPLOSION OF AN ALUMINUM CYLINDER
Authors: KAMRAN KAZEM , ROSSI RICCARDO , OÑATE EUGENIO , IDELSOHN SERGIO RODOLFO
Published: November 2012

We propose a fully Lagrangian monolithic system for the simulation of the underwater implosion of cylindrical aluminum containers. A variationally stabilized form of the Lagrangian shock hydrodynamics is exploited to deal with the ultrahigh compression shock waves that travel in both air and water domains. The aluminum cylinder, which separates the internal atmospheric-pressure air from the external high-pressure water, is modeled by a three-node rotation-free shell element. The cylinder undergoes fast transient deformations, large enough to produce self-contact along it. A novel elastic frictionless contact model is used to detect contact and compute the non-penetrating forces in the discretized domain between the mid-planes of the shell. Mesh quality in the vicinity of the cylinder is guaranteed by regenerating the mesh in the air and water domains when large displacements occur. A monolithic fluid–structure interaction (FSI) system is then solved. Two schemes are tested, implicit using the predictor/multi-corrector Bossak scheme, and explicit, using the forward Euler scheme. The results of the two simulations are compared with experimental data.
APPLICATION OF FLOCKING MECHANISM TO THE MODELING OF STOCHASTIC VOLATILITY
Authors: AHN SHINMI , BAE HYEONG-OHK , HA SEUNG-YEAL , KIM YONGSIK , LIM HYUNCHEUL
Published: November 2012

In this study, we present a new stochastic volatility model incorporating a flocking mechanism between individual volatilities of assets. Collective phenomena of asset pricing and volatilities in financial markets are often observed; these phenomena are more apparent when the market is in critical situations (market crashes). In the classical Heston model, the constant theoretical mean of the square of the volatility was employed, which can be assumed a priori. Our proposed model does not assume this mean value a priori, we instead use the flocking effect to continuously update the theoretical mean value using the local weighted average of individual volatility values. To perform this function, we use the Cucker–Smale flocking mechanism to calculate the local mean. For some classes of interaction weights such as all-to-all and symmetric coupling with a positive lower bound, we show that the fluctuations of the square process of volatility are uniformly bounded, such that the overall dynamics are mainly dictated by the averaged process. We also provide several numerical examples showing the dynamics of volatility.
BLOW-UP IN TWO-COMPONENT NONLINEAR SCHRÖDINGER SYSTEMS WITH AN EXTERNAL DRIVEN FIELD
Authors: JÜNGEL ANSGAR , WEISHÄUPL RADA-MARIA
Published: November 2012

A system of two nonlinear Schrödinger equations in up to three space dimensions is analyzed. The equations are coupled through cubic mean-field terms and a linear term which models an external driven field described by the Rabi frequency. The intraspecific mean-field expressions may be non-cubic. The system models, for instance, two components of a Bose–Einstein condensate in a harmonic trap. Sufficient conditions on the various model parameters for global-in-time existence of strong solutions are given. Furthermore, the finite-time blow-up of solutions is proved under suitable conditions on the parameters and in the presence of at least one focusing nonlinearity. Numerical simulations in one and two space dimensions verify and complement the theoretical results. It turns out that the Rabi frequency of the driven field may be used to control the mass transport and hence to influence the blow-up behavior of the system.
FIBERED AND PRIMITIVE/SEIFERT TWISTED TORUS KNOTS
Authors: DOLESHAL BRANDY GUNTEL
Published: November 2012

The twisted torus knots lie on the standard genus 2 Heegaard surface for S3, as do the primitive/primitive and primitive/Seifert knots. It is known that primitive/primitive knots are fibered, and that not all primitive/Seifert knots are fibered. Since there is a wealth of primitive/Seifert knots that are twisted torus knots, we consider the twisted torus knots to partially answer the question of which primitive/Seifert knots are fibered. A braid computation shows that a particular family of twisted torus knots is fibered, and that computation is then used to generalize the results of a previous paper by the author.
OPERATIONAL SOFTWARE PERFORMABILITY EVALUATION BASED ON MARKOVIAN RELIABILITY GROWTH MODEL WITH SYSTEMABILITY
Authors: TOKUNO KOICHI , FUKUDA TOSHINORI , YAMADA SHIGERU
Published: November 2012

In this paper, we discuss the operational performability evaluation model for the software-based system, introducing the concept of systemability which is defined as the reliability characteristic subject to the uncertainty of the field environment. Assuming that the software system can process the multiple tasks simultaneously and that the arrival process of the tasks follows a nonhomogeneous Poisson process, we analyze the distribution of the number of tasks whose processes can be completed within the processing time limit with the infinite-server queuing theory. Here we take the position that the software reliability characteristic in the testing phase is originally different from that in the operation phase. Then, the software failure-occurrence phenomenon in the operation phase is described with the Markovian software reliability model with systemability, i.e., we consider the randomness of the environmental factor which is introduced to bridge the gap between the software failure-occurrence characteristics during the testing and the operation phases. We derive several software performability measures considering the real-time property; these are given as the functions of time and the number of debugging activities. Finally, we illustrate several numerical examples of the measures to investigate the impact of consideration of systemability on the system performability evaluation.
PRACTICAL APPROXIMATION FOR THE PROPORTIONAL HAZARD MODEL WITH TIME-DEPENDENT COVARIATES AND REPEATED EVENTS
Authors: MENDES ALEXANDRE , FARD NASSER
Published: November 2012

Cox's proportional hazard model is potentially the most used method in life data and survival analysis. Although the method is relatively simple to understand, its major difficulties in estimation are observed when time-dependent covariates with repeated events are used as input variables. An alternative approach to simplify hazard ratio prediction for repeated events is evaluated for a practical application using small appliances reliability data from an accelerated experimental design based on consumer usage.
Are Green Fund Investors Really Socially Responsible?
Authors: Chung Huimin , Lee Han-Hsing , Tsai Pei-Chun
Published: November 2012

This paper investigates the performance, fund characteristics, fund flow of green fund and the impact of subprime mortgage crisis on fund flow volatility. In terms of fund performance, our results show that there is no consistently significant difference between performance of green funds and conventional funds. As for fund characteristics, green funds are more sensitive to market and size risks compared to conventional funds, while they are less sensitive to value and momentum factors than conventional funds. Consistent with prior literature, there exists an asymmetric phenomenon for green funds, that is, fund flows of green funds are significantly related to lagged positive return but not significantly associated with lagged negative returns in normal market conditions. During the subprime mortgage crisis, both mature green and mature conventional funds experienced fund outflows. However, volatility of green funds flows is much lower than their conventional counterparts. Our results suggest that green fund investors can derive utility from the social responsibility attribute, and they are really more socially responsible when making investment decisions.
A SIMPLE MODEL OF REPRESSION AND REVOLT IN AUTOCRACIES APPLIED TO THE ARAB SPRING
Authors: GILLI MARIO
Published: November 2012

The aim of this paper is to provide a specific point of view on the protests that have characterized the Arab countries from December 2010 and are still going on. To understand some of the reasons behind these events, I propose a sequential game with asymmetric information on the likelihood of having a successful uprising. This means that on one hand the government choices may signal the true state of nature and on the other hand the citizens' choices are a way to learn the truth. I assume specific parameters' values to obtain a full characterization of the set of equilibria. This allows to show the interaction of three main factors in determining the possible resulting political regimes: the country's wealth, the autocratic institutions and the general political mood. The complex interaction of these three variables explains why apparently heterogeneous countries may have similar political processes and apparently similar countries face different political situations.
DIRECT EXCHANGE IN LINEAR ECONOMIES
Authors: FLÅM SJUR DIDRIK , GRAMSTAD KJETIL
Published: November 2012

Considered here is direct exchange of production allowances or input factors. Motivated by practical modeling and compution, we suppose every owner or user of such items has a linear technology. The issue is whether competitive market equilibrium can be reached merely via iterated bilateral barters. This paper provides positive and constructive answers.
SUBGAME CONSISTENT SOLUTION FOR COOPERATIVE STOCHASTIC DYNAMIC GAMES WITH RANDOM HORIZON
Authors: YEUNG DAVID W. K. , PETROSYAN LEON A.
Published: November 2012

In cooperative stochastic dynamic games a stringent condition — that of subgame consistency — is required for a dynamically stable cooperative solution. In particular, a cooperative solution is subgame consistent if an extension of the solution policy to a subgame starting at a later time with a state brought about by prior optimal behavior would remain optimal. This paper extends subgame consistent solutions to cooperative stochastic dynamic (discrete-time) games with random horizon. In the analysis new forms of the stochastic Bellman equation and the stochastic Isaacs–Bellman equation in discrete time are derived. Subgame consistent cooperative solutions are obtained for stochastic dynamic games. Analytically tractable payoff distribution mechanisms which lead to the realization of these solutions are developed. This is the first time that subgame consistent solutions for cooperative stochastic dynamic games with random horizon are presented.
SIMPLE EQUILIBRIA IN SEMI-INFINITE GAMES
Authors: POŁOWCZUK WOJCIECH , RADZIK TADEUSZ , WIȨCEK PIOTR
Published: November 2012

In the paper two-person nonzero-sum semi-infinite games with bounded payoffs are studied — both with countable and uncountable infinite strategy space. Under some concavity/convexity assumptions they are shown to possess ε-equilibria (equilibria) in strategies with supports consisting of at most two points of the players' pure strategy spaces. Further the games without any concavity/convexity properties are studied. It is proved that they possess ε-equilibria (equilibria) in strategies having certain finite supports.
EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDY OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE WPD FLEXIBLE LOOP OF HUMAN PROTEIN TYROSINE PHOSPHATASE PTP1B IN COMPLEX WITH HALIDE IONS
Authors: KATZ ALINE , SAENZ-MÉNDEZ PATRICIA , COUSIDO-SIAH ALEXANDRA , PODJARNY ALBERTO D. , VENTURA OSCAR N.
Published: November 2012

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a post-translational modification mechanism, crucial for the regulation of nearly all aspects of cell life. This dynamic, reversible process is regulated by the balanced opposing activity of protein tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases. In particular, the protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is implicated in the regulation of the insulin-receptor activity, leptin-stimulated signal transduction pathways and other clinically relevant metabolic routes, and it has been found overexpressed or overregulated in human breasts, colon and ovary cancers. The WPD loop of the enzyme presents an inherent flexibility, and it plays a fundamental role in the enzymatic catalysis, turning it into a potential target in the design of new efficient PTP1B inhibitors. In order to determine the interactions that control the spatial conformation adopted by the WPD loop, complexes between the enzyme and halide ions ( Br- and I- in particular) were crystallized and their crystallographic structure determined, and the collective movements of the aforementioned complexes were studied through Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. Both studies yielded concordant results, indicating the existence of a relationship between the identity of the ion present in the complex and the strength of the interactions it establishes with the surrounding protein residues.
SINGLET OXYGEN DETECTION DURING PHOTOSENSITIZATION
Authors: LI BUHONG , LIN HUIYUN , CHEN DEFU , WILSON BRIAN C. , GU YING
Published: November 2012

Singlet oxygen (1O2) is a highly reactive oxygen species involved in numerous chemical and photochemical reactions in different biological systems and in particular, in photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, the quantification of 1O2 generation during in vitro and in vivo photosensitization is still technically challenging. To address this problem, indirect and direct methods for 1O2 detection have been intensively studied. This review presents the available methods currently in use or under development for detecting and quantifying 1O2 generation during photosensitization. The advantages and limitations of each method will be presented. Moreover, the future trends in developing PDT- 1O2 dosimetry will be briefly discussed.
MULTIPHOTON MICROSCOPIC IMAGING OF MOUSE INTESTINAL MUCOSA BASED ON TWO-PHOTON EXCITED FLUORESCENCE AND SECOND HARMONIC GENERATION
Authors: XU REN'AN , ZHU XIAOQIN , HE NING , ZHUO SHUANGMU , XU JIAN , JIANG SHANGHAI , LI HONGSHENG , CHEN JIANXIN
Published: November 2012

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM), based on two-photon excited fluorescence and second harmonic generation, enables direct noninvasive visualization of tissue architecture and cell morphology in live tissues without the administration of exogenous contrast agents. In this paper, we used MPM to image the microstructures of the mucosa in fresh, unfixed, and unstained intestinal tissue of mouse. The morphology and distribution of the main components in mucosa layer such as columnar cells, goblet cells, intestinal glands, and a little collagen fibers were clearly observed in MPM images, and then compared with standard H&E images from paired specimens. Our results indicate that MPM combined with endoscopy and miniaturization probes has the potential application in the clinical diagnosis and in vivo monitoring of early intestinal cancer.
Health Reform in China: Three Years After
Authors: QIAN Jiwei
Published: November 2012

In 2009, China initiated a new round of health reform to establish a well functioning health system by 2020. Local pilot reforms were encouraged for all five components of the health reform. Between 2009 and 2011, the growth in government health expenditure was a hefty RMB1.24 trillion. Three years on, total health expenditure was over RMB2.2 trillion, or about 4.8% of GDP in 2011. Issues that remain to be tackled include addressing the incentives of providers and insurers as well as improving quality of services and medicines.
China Embarks on Massive Social Housing Construction Programme
Authors: ZHOU Zhihua
Published: November 2012

In March 2011 the Chinese government announced its plan to construct 36 million social housing in 2011-2015. Although capital and land provisions for 2011 had been made, some problems have emerged. Chinese social housing development should be legislated to provide legal evidence not only for the proper implementation of this plan in the coming years, but also for social housing development in the coming decades.
China Intensifies Economic Relations with Central Asia
Authors: TONG Sarah Y. , CHIANG Min-hua
Published: November 2012

China's recent deepening relations with Central Asia aim to ensure regional security, satisfy its rising energy demand and generate economic gains for China's western regions. Bilateral relations will likely intensify, as China's energy demand continues to rise; serious constraints however remain, including possible protectionist sentiments in Central Asia due to rising trade imbalances, growing competition for influence among big powers and the relatively poor infrastructure in the region.
Ileitis Secondary to Oral Capecitabine Treatment?
Authors: Radwan Rami , Namelo Wanangwa C. , Robinson Mark , Brewster Alison E. , Williams Gethin L.
Published: November 2012

The efficacy of capecitabine as adjuvant therapy in colon cancer is well demonstrated and its lower toxicity rates when compared with 5-FU make it an increasingly more favourable option for patients. This case highlights the awareness of a potentially severe side effect related to the use of capecitabine, yet through the early identification of symptoms patients can be managed conservatively.
A Game-Based Virtualized Reality Approach for Simultaneous Rehabilitation of Motor Skill and Confidence
Authors: Thin Alasdair G.
Published: November 2012

Virtualized reality games offer highly interactive and engaging user experience and therefore game-based approaches (GBVR) may have significant potential to enhance clinical rehabilitation practice as traditional therapeutic exercises are often repetitive and boring, reducing patient compliance. The aim of this study was to investigate if a rehabilitation training programme using GBVR could simultaneously improve both motor skill (MS) and confidence (CON), as they are both important determinants of daily living and physical and social functioning. The study was performed using a nondominant hand motor deficit model in nonambidextrous healthy young adults, whereby dominant and nondominant arms acted as control and intervention conditions, respectively. GBVR training was performed using a commercially available tennis-based game. CON and MS were assessed by having each subject perform a comparable real-world motor task (RWMT) before and after training. Baseline CON and MS for performing the RWMT were significantly lower for the nondominant hand and improved after GBVR training, whereas there were no changes in the dominant (control) arm. These results demonstrate that by using a GBVR approach to address a MS deficit in a real-world task, improvements in both MS and CON can be facilitated and such approaches may help increase patient compliance.
An Optimization Model of the Single‐Leg Air Cargo Space Control Based on Markov Decision Process
Authors: Qin Chun-rong , Luo Li , You Yang , Xiao Yong-xi
Published: November 2012

Based on the single‐leg air cargo issues, we establish a dynamic programming model to consider the overbooking and space inventory control problem. We analyze the structure of optimal booking policy for every kind of booking requests and show that the optimal booking decision is of threshold type (known as booking limit policy). Our research provides a theoretical support for the air cargo space control.
Design of a Dual-Band On-Body Antenna for a Wireless Body Area Network Repeater System
Authors: Kwon Kyeol , Ha Jaegeun , Lee Soonyong , Choi Jaehoon
Published: November 2012

A dual-band on-body antenna for a wireless body area network repeater system is proposed. The designed dual-band antenna has the maximum radiation directed toward the inside of the human body in the medical implantable communication service (MICS) band in order to collect vital information from the human body and directed toward the outside in the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band to transmit that information to a monitoring system. In addition, the return loss property of the antenna is insensitive to human body effects by utilizing the epsilon negative zeroth-order resonance property.
Generalized Transversal Lightlike Submanifolds of Indefinite Sasakian Manifolds
Authors: Wang Yaning , Liu Ximin
Published: November 2012

We introduce and study generalized transversal lightlike submanifold of indefinite Sasakian manifolds which includes radical and transversal lightlike submanifolds of indefinite Sasakian manifolds as its trivial subcases. A characteristic theorem and a classification theorem of generalized transversal lightlike submanifolds are obtained.
Muscarinic Receptors and Their Antagonists in COPD: Anti-Inflammatory and Antiremodeling Effects
Authors: Karakiulakis George , Roth Michael
Published: November 2012

Muscarinic receptors are expressed by most cell types and mediate cellular signaling of their natural ligand acetylcholine. Thereby, they control numerous central and peripheral physiological organ responses to neuronal activity. In the human lung, muscarinic receptors are predominantly expressed by smooth muscle cells, epithelial cells, and fibroblasts. Antimuscarinic agents are used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and to a lesser extent for asthma. They are primarily used as bronchodilators, but it is now accepted that they are also associated with anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antiremodeling effects. Remodeling of the small airways is a major pathology in COPD and impairs lung function through changes of the extracellular matrix. Glycosaminoglycans, particularly hyaluronic acid, and matrix metalloproteases are among extracellular matrix molecules that have been associated with tissue inflammation and remodeling in lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Since muscarinic receptors have been shown to influence the homeostasis of glycosaminoglycans and matrix metalloproteases, these molecules may be proved valuable endpoint targets in clinical studies for the pharmacological exploitation of the anti-inflammatory and antiremodeling effects of muscarinic inhibitors in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.
Application of Sumudu Decomposition Method to Solve Nonlinear System of Partial Differential Equations
Authors: Eltayeb Hassan , Kılıçman Adem
Published: November 2012

We develop a method to obtain approximate solutions of nonlinear system of partial differential equations with the help of Sumudu decomposition method (SDM). The technique is based on the application of Sumudu transform to nonlinear coupled partial differential equations. The nonlinear term can easily be handled with the help of Adomian polynomials. We illustrate this technique with the help of three
examples, and results of the present technique have close agreement with approximate solutions obtained with the help of Adomian decomposition method (ADM).
Application of Multistep Generalized Differential Transform Method for the Solutions of the Fractional‐Order Chua′s System
Authors: Freihat Asad , Momani Shaher
Published: November 2012

We numerically investigate the dynamical behavior of the fractional‐order Chua′s system. By utilizing the multistep generalized differential transform method (MSGDTM), we find that the fractional‐order Chua′s system with “effective dimension” less than three can exhibit chaos as well as other nonlinear behavior. Numerical results are presented graphically and reveal that the multistep generalized differential transform method is an effective and convenient method to solve similar nonlinear problems in fractional calculus.
Improved Maximum Likelihood S‐FSK Receiver for PLC Modem in AMR
Authors: Bali Mohamed Chaker , Rebai Chiheb
Published: November 2012

This paper deals with an optimized software implementation of a narrowband power line modem. The modem is a node in automatic meter reading (AMR) system compliant to IEC 61334‐5‐1 profile and operates in the CENELEC‐A band. Because of the hostile communication environments of power line channel, a new design approach is carried out for an S‐FSK demodulator capable of providing lower bit error rate (BER) than standard specifications. The best compromise between efficiency and architecture complexity is investigated in this paper. Some implementation results are presented to show that a communication throughput of 9.6 kbps is reachable with the designed S‐FSK modem.
A Two‐Wheeled Self‐Balancing Robot with the Fuzzy PD Control Method
Authors: Wu Junfeng , Zhang Wanying , Wang Shengda
Published: November 2012

A two‐wheeled self‐balancing robot with a fuzzy PD control method is described and analyzed as an example of a high‐order, multiple‐variable, nonlinear, strong‐coupling, and unstable system. Based on a system structure model, a kinetic equation is constructed using Newtonian dynamics and mechanics. After a number of simulation experiments, we get the best Q, R, and state‐feedback matrices. Then a fuzzy PD controller is designed for which the position and speed of the robot are inputs and for which the angle and angle rate of the robot are controlled by a PD controller. Finally, this paper describes a real‐time control platform for the two‐wheeled self‐balancing robot that controls the robot effectively, after some parameter debugging. The result indicates that the fuzzy PD control algorithm can successfully achieve self‐balanced control of the two‐wheeled robot and prevent the robot from falling.
A Time Scheduling Model of Logistics Service Supply Chain with Mass Customized Logistics Service
Authors: Liu Weihua , Yang Yi , Li Xiang , Xu Haitao , Xie Dong
Published: November 2012

With the increasing demand for customized logistics services in the manufacturing industry, the key factor in realizing the competitiveness of a logistics service supply chain (LSSC) is whether it can meet specific requirements with the cost of mass service. In this case, in‐depth research on the time‐scheduling of LSSC is required. Setting the total cost, completion time, and the satisfaction of functional logistics service providers (FLSPs) as optimal targets, this paper establishes a time scheduling model of LSSC, which is constrained by the service order time requirement. Numerical analysis is conducted by using Matlab 7.0 software. The effects of the relationship cost coefficient and the time delay coefficient on the comprehensive performance of LSSC are discussed. The results demonstrate that with the time scheduling model in mass‐customized logistics services (MCLSs) environment, the logistics service integrator (LSI) can complete the order earlier or later than scheduled. With the increase of the relationship cost coefficient and the time delay coefficient, the comprehensive performance of LSSC also increases and tends towards stability. In addition, the time delay coefficient has a better effect in increasing the LSSC’s comprehensive performance than the relationship cost coefficient does.
AutoGPA: An Automated 3D-QSAR Method Based on Pharmacophore Alignment and Grid Potential Analysis
Authors: Asakawa Naoyuki , Kobayashi Seiichi , Goto Junichi , Hirayama Noriaki
Published: November 2012

3D-QSAR approach has been widely applied and proven to be useful in the case where no reliable crystal structure of the complex between a biologically active molecule and the receptor is available. At the same time, however, it also has highlighted the sensitivity of this approach. The main requirement of the traditional 3D-QSAR method is that molecules should be correctly overlaid in what is assumed to be the bioactive conformation. Identifying an active conformation of a flexible molecule is technically difficult. It has been a bottleneck in the application of the 3D-QSAR method. We have developed a 3D-QSAR software named AutoGPA especially based on an automatic pharmacophore alignment method in order to overcome this problem which has discouraged general medicinal chemists from applying the 3D-QSAR methods to their “real-world” problems. Applications of AutoGPA to three inhibitor-receptor systems have demonstrated that without any prior information about the three-dimensional structure of the bioactive conformations AutoGPA can automatically generate reliable 3D-QSAR models. In this paper, the concept of AutoGPA and the application results will be described.
Curious Vascular Tumor
Authors: Jghaimi Faissal , Baallal Hasna , Fakhri Anas , Rais Hanane , Karbout Noama , Akhdari Nadia , Amal Said , Belaabidia Badia
Published: November 2012

Introduction. Sinusoidal hemangioma is a rare variant of acquired cavernous hemangioma predominantly occurring in females. Very few case reports have been described in the literature.Case Report. We present a case of a 46-year-old woman who noticed a slowly growing, cutaneous nodule on the left breast. Local excision of the lesion was performed and histology allowed to find a sinusoidal hemangioma. No recurrence was noticed.Conclusion. The very few reports of such a lesion in the literature reflect either rarity of such lesions or unfamiliarity of this subset among the pathologists.
A Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Stomach Demonstrating a Stepwise Progression from Low- to High-Grade Malignancy
Authors: Nakajima Takahiko , Ushijima Tomonori , Kihara Atsushi , Murata Kenichiro , Sugiyama Toshiro , Tsuneyama Koichi , Imura Johji , Fukushima Junichi , Horiuchi Hajime
Published: November 2012

We report a case of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the stomach that demonstrated a stepwise progression from low- to high-grade malignancy. The patient had been followed for a small gastric submucosal tumor that had turned malignant after 8 years of indolence, manifested by tarry stools. The tumor was enucleated, and gastric GIST was diagnosed. The most significant histological finding was that the tumor comprised two clearly demarcated areas, one with less aggressive characteristics and the other with highly aggressive characteristics. The patient exhibited multiple liver metastases 24 months after surgery. Imatinib mesylate was not administered throughout the clinical course because it was not available for clinical use at that time. The patient followed an unfavorable clinical course and died of liver dysfunction 55 months after surgery. Autopsy was performed. By comparing the immunohistochemical profiles of primary and metastatic tumors, it was established that only the tumor cells with highly aggressive characteristics had metastasized.
Complex Transforms for Systems of Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Ibrahim Rabha W.
Published: November 2012

We provide a complex transform that maps the complex fractional differential equation into
a system of fractional differential equations. The homogeneous and nonhomogeneous cases for equivalence
equations are discussed and also nonequivalence equations are studied. Moreover, the existence and uniqueness
of solutions are established and applications are illustrated.