bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Science Self‐Efficacy and School Transitions: Elementary School to Middle School, Middle School to High School
Authors: Lofgran Brandi B. , Smith Leigh K. , Whiting Erin F.
Published: October 2015

This study examined the science self‐efficacy beliefs of students at the transition from elementary school (Grade 6) to middle school (Grade 7) and the transition from middle school (Grade 8) to high school (Grade 9). The purpose was to determine whether students' perceived competence is impacted at these important school transitions and if the effect is mediated by gender and ethnicity. Science self‐efficacy was measured through a modified Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire for Children, which was adapted to focus specifically on science self‐efficacy. Multiple ordinary least squares regression was used to analyze the data. Two models were developed, one using ninth grade as the comparison group and the other using sixth grade as the comparison group. In each model, the independent variables (grade level, gender, and ethnicity) were regressed on the dependent variable, science self‐efficacy. The most striking finding was the large and significant decline in science self‐efficacy scores for ninth graders at the transition to high school. We also found that females and Hispanic students had lower scores across grades as compared to males and Caucasians. How these results relate to existing studies, and implications for practice and future research are discussed.
CO2‐dependent metabolic modulation in red blood cells stored under anaerobic conditions
Authors: Dumont Larry J. , D'Alessandro Angelo , Szczepiorkowski Zbigniew M. , Yoshida Tatsuro
Published: October 2015

BACKGROUND

Anaerobic red blood cell (RBC) storage reduces oxidative damage, maintains adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and 2,3‐diphosphoglycerate (DPG) levels, and has superior 24‐hour recovery at 6 weeks compared to standard storage. This study will determine if removal of CO2 during O2 depletion by gas exchange may affect RBCs during anaerobic storage.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

This is a matched three‐arm study (n = 14): control, O2 and CO2 depleted with Ar (AN), and O2 depleted with 95%Ar/5%CO2 (AN[CO2]). RBCs in additives AS‐3 or OFAS‐3 were evenly divided into three bags, and anaerobic conditions were established by gas exchange. Bags were stored at 1 to 6°C in closed chambers under anaerobic conditions or ambient air, sampled weekly for up to 9 weeks for a panel of in vitro tests. A full metabolomics screening was conducted for the first 4 weeks of storage.

RESULTS

Purging with Ar (AN) results in alkalization of the RBC and increased glucose consumption. The addition of 5% CO2 to the purging gas prevented CO2 loss with an equivalent starting and final pH and lactate to control bags (p > 0.5, Days 0‐21). ATP levels are higher in AN[CO2] (p < 0.0001). DPG was maintained beyond 2 weeks in the AN arm (p < 0.0001). Surprisingly, DPG was lost at the same rate in both control and AN[CO2] arms (p = 0.6).

CONCLUSION

Maintenance of ATP in the AN[CO2] arm demonstrates that ATP production is not solely a function of the pH effect on glycolysis. CO2 in anaerobic storage prevented the maintenance of DPG, and DPG production appears to be pH dependent. CO2 as well as O2 depletion provides metabolic advantage for stored RBCs.
Predicting the Peen Forming Effectiveness of Ti-6Al-4V Strips With Different Thicknesses Using Realistic Finite Element Simulations
Authors: Yang Fan , Gao Yukui
Published: October 2015

This paper is intended to quantify the relationship between the peen forming effectiveness and various involved parameters through a realistic numerical study. For this purpose, a new finite element (FE) model is proposed with full geometry representation, random shots generation, and rate-dependent material law of kinematic strain-hardening. The mesh sensitivity and effects of boundary conditions are carefully examined. The FE model is validated by comparing the results with the experimental measurements. The proposed model is then used to investigate the effects of the peening intensity (represented as the shot velocity) and the strip thickness on the peen-formed deflection and the residual stress distribution for strips made of Ti-6Al-4V. Our results indicate the existence of a maximum convex deflection for different strip thicknesses. In addition, a reversed deflection (i.e., concaved curvature) is observed for severe peening conditions (i.e., thin strip under high peening intensity). Our simulations verify the previous proposition that a concaved curvature can be generated only when the whole cross section is plastically deformed.
Transverse Vibrations of Mixed-Mode Cracked Nanobeams With Surface Effect
Authors: Hu Kai-Ming , Zhang Wen-Ming , Peng Zhi-Ke , Meng Guang
Published: October 2015

Slant edge cracked effect considering the inherent relation between surface energy and mixed-mode crack propagations on the free transverse vibrations of nanobeams with surface effect is investigated. First, the slant edge cracked effect, which considers residual surface stress effect on the crack tip fields of a mode-I and mode-II surface edge crack, is developed and the corresponding stress intensity factors (SIFs) and local flexibility coefficients are derived. Moreover, a refined continuum model of slant cracked nanobeams is established by considering both slant edge cracked effect and surface effect. The effects of fracture angles, crack depth, surface elasticity, surface stress, and surface density on the local flexibility and free transverse vibration characteristics of cracked nanobeams are, respectively, analyzed. The results show that the flexibility coefficients distribute symmetrically about residual surface stress. Fracture angles have a profound influence on both the symmetries of the mode shapes and the natural frequencies of nanobeams, and the influence becomes more pronounced as crack depth ratios increase. Furthermore, the natural frequencies will first decrease and then increase with fracture angles when the slant edge cracked effect is considered. The results demonstrate that the inherent relation between surface energy and crack propagations should be considered for both the stress distributions at the crack tip and the dynamic behavior of cracked nanobeams.
Estimation of Operating Parameters of a Water–LiBr Vapor Absorption Refrigeration System Through Inverse Analysis
Authors: Gogoi T. K.
Published: October 2015

In this paper, an inverse problem is solved for estimating parameters of a steam-driven water–lithium bromide (LiBr) vapor absorption refrigeration system (VARS) using a differential evolution (DE)-based inverse approach. Initially, a forward model simulates the steady-state performance of the VARS at various operating temperatures and evaporator cooling loads (CLs). A DE-based inverse analysis is then performed to estimate the operating parameters taking VARS coefficient of performance (COP), CL, total irreversibility, and exergy efficiency as objective functions (one objective function at a time). DE-based inverse technique estimates the parameters within a very short period of elapsed time. Over 50 and 100 numbers of generations are sufficient for retrieval of COP and exergy efficiency, respectively, while it requires 150 generations for total irreversibility and CL. The study reveals that multiple combinations of parameters within a given range satisfy a particular objective function which serves as design guidelines in selecting appropriate operating parameters.
Performance and Emission Characteristics of Diesel Engine Using Alumina Nanoparticle Blended Biodiesel Emulsion Fuel
Authors: Anbarasu A. , Karthikeyan A. , Balaji M.
Published: October 2015

Diesel engines are widely used for their low fuel consumption and better efficiency. An investigation was carried out with a single cylinder diesel engine to establish the effects of alumina nanoparticle incorporation into the Canola biodiesel (BD) emulsion fuel. The Canola BD was formed from the Canola oil by transesterification process, and later the Canola BD emulsion fuel was prepared in the fraction of 83% of Canola BD, 15% of water, and 2% of surfactants (by volume). The alumina nanoparticles were blended with the Canola BD emulsion fuel at different ratios systematically. The entire study was conducted in the diesel engine using the three fuels, namely, neat BD, Canola BD emulsion fuel, and alumina nanoparticle blended Canola emulsion fuels consecutively. The experimental results revealed a considerable improvement in the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) for the alumina blended Canola emulsion fuels compared with that of neat Canola BD and Canola BD emulsion fuel. At the full load, the BTE observed for the Canola BD fuel was 30.7%, whereas it was 27.81% and 31.6% for the Canola BD emulsion fuel and alumina nanoparticle blended emulsion fuel, respectively. The use of a nanoparticle blended BD fuel reduced the hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions but increased oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions due to the increased oxygen content in the BD fuel but it was reduced in nanoparticle blended fuel. The smoke emission was reduced by 50% with the use of the nanoparticle blended emulsion fuel.
The Effects of Fuel Mixtures in Nonpremixed Combustion for a Bluff-Body Flame
Authors: Chen Lu , Battaglia Francine
Published: October 2015

A numerical investigation is presented assessing the effects of hydrogen compositions and nonflammable diluent mixtures on the combustion and NO emission characteristics of syngas nonpremixed flames for a bluff-body burner. An assessment of turbulent nonpremixed modeling techniques is presented and is compared with the experiments of Correa and Gulati (1992, “Measurements and Modeling of a Bluff Body Stabilized Flame,” Combust. Flame, 89(2), pp. 195–213). The realizable k–ε and the Reynolds stress (RSM) turbulence models were found to perform the best. As a result, increased hydrogen content caused the radial velocity and strain rate to decrease, which was important for mixing whereby NO production decreased. Also, the effectiveness of nonflammable diluent mixtures of N2, CO2, and H2O was characterized in terms of the ability to reduce NO emission in syngas nonpremixed flames. Results indicated that CO2 was the most effective diluent to reduce NO emission and H2O was more effective than N2. CO2 produced low levels of OH radical, which made CO2 the most effective diluent. Although H2O increased OH radicals, it was still effective to reduce thermal NO because of its high specific heat. It will be numerically shown that hydrogen concentration in the H2/CO/N2 flame does not significantly affect temperature but dramatically decreases NO emission, which is important for industrial applications that can use hydrogen in syngas flames.
Estimating the Theoretical Performance Limits of a Biogas Powered Dual Fuel Diesel Engine Using Emulsified Rice Bran Biodiesel as Pilot Fuel
Authors: Bora Bhaskor J. , Saha Ujjwal K.
Published: October 2015

The present study is an attempt to estimate the energy and the exergy potential of a biogas run dual fuel diesel engine using emulsified rice bran biodiesel (RBB) as pilot fuel at varying compression ratio (CR) and injection timing (IT). The objective is to arrive at an optimum setting of the engine based on dual fuel characteristics using energy and exergy analysis. The pilot fuel considered for this study is a two-phase stable water emulsion of RBB having water content (5%), surfactants (3%), and hydrophilic lipophilic balance value of 6. For experimentation, a 3.5 kW single cylinder, direct injection (DI), natural aspirated water-cooled, variable CR (VCR) diesel engine is converted into a dual fuel engine. Experiments are conducted for 12 different combinations of CR of 18, 17.5, and 17 and IT of 23 deg, 26 deg, 29 deg, and 32 deg bottom top dead center (BTDC) at full load conditions of brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) of 4.24 bar. The parameters analyzed are the energy and exergy potential of fuel input, shaft work, cooling water, exhaust gas, exergy destruction, peak cylinder pressure (PCP), peak heat release rate (PHRR), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), exergy efficiency, exhaust gas temperature (EGT), entropy generation rate, and emission analysis. The results indicate that the combination of CR = 18 and IT = 29 deg BTDC gives a better thermodynamic performance for this particular range of the operating parameters for a raw biogas run dual fuel diesel engine using emulsified RBB as pilot fuel.
Spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus during alcoholic hepatitis: the alcohol killed the virus?
Authors: Silva Mário Jorge , Calinas Filipe
Published: October 2015

Spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus during chronic infection is uncommon. We report the case of a patient who cleared hepatitis C virus during an episode of presumed alcoholic hepatitis. A brief discussion on the immunological aspects of chronic hepatitis C and the impact of alcohol consumption on it is presented as well.
Microvascular proliferation in luminal A and basal-like breast cancer subtypes
Authors: Kraby Maria Ryssdal , Krüger Kristi , Opdahl Signe , Vatten Lars J , Akslen Lars A , Bofin Anna M
Published: October 2015

Aims

The aims of this study were to examine microvessel density (MVD), proliferating MVD (pMVD) and Vascular Proliferation Index (VPI) in basal-like phenotype (BP) and luminal A subtypes of breast cancer and to study their prognostic value.

Methods

Dual-colour immunohistochemistry for von Willebrand factor and Ki67 was done on sections from 62 luminal A and 62 BP tumours matched for grade and selected from 909 breast cancers previously reclassified into molecular subtypes. Associations between MVD, pMVD and VPI, molecular subtypes and breast cancer prognosis were estimated using linear regression and survival analyses.

Results

Both pMVD (difference 1.9 microvessels/mm2(p=0.002)) and VPI (difference 1.7 percentage points (p=0.014)) were higher in BP tumours compared with luminal A. No clear difference between subtypes was found for MVD. However, only MVD was associated with prognosis. HR for breast cancer death for all cases was 1.10 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.18) per 10 vessels increase. Among luminal A tumours, HR was 1.22 per 10 vessels increase (p<0.001) and in BP it was 1.04 (p=0.37).

Conclusions

High MVD was associated with poor prognosis in luminal A, but not in BP cancers. Vascular proliferation was higher in BP, indicating a more active angiogenesis than in luminal A tumours. The luminal A subgroup comprised mostly histopathological grade 3 cancers in this selected series, and further studies are needed to clarify whether MVD provides additional prognostic information for luminal A tumours irrespective of grade. This may contribute to stratification of this large group of patients and may aid in identifying tumours with a particularly good prognosis.
Recognition of an important G-quadruplex in the HIV-1 promoter with natural small molecules
Authors: Wang Weixuan , Sui Yang , Zhang Lulu , Tan Wei , He Xiangwei , Xie Xiangming
Published: October 2015

Targeting a G-quadruplex with chemical small molecules is a useful strategy for gene therapy for disease. The guanine-rich sequence d(5′-TG1G2CCTG3G4G5CG6G7G8ACTG9G10G11-3′) in the HIV-1 promoter can form a G-quadruplex structure. In this study, circular dichroism was performed to study the conformation and thermal stability of the HIV-1 G-quadruplex before and after adding small molecules. A DMS footprinting assay was used to identify which guanosine can be integrated into the G-quadruplex structure. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was used to evaluate the binding affinities of the small molecules with the G-quadruplex. Our results showed that G1, G2, G3, G4, G7, G8, G9, and G10 of the above oligonucleotides formed a two G-tetrad antiparallel G-quadrulex, and nitidine chloride was found to have the highest binding affinity toward the HIV-1 G-quadruplex among the eight studied small molecules. The Tm value of the G-quadruplex was enhanced from 56.6 to 63.2 °C when fourfold nitidine chloride was added. This is potentially a novel approach for anti-HIV-1 drug development.
CsF/clinoptilolite: an efficient solid base in SNAr and copper-catalyzed Ullmann reactions
Authors: Keipour Hoda , Hosseini Abolfazl , Afsari Amir , Oladee Razieh , Khalilzadeh Mohammad A. , Ollevier Thierry
Published: October 2015

CsF/clinoptilolite was found to be an efficient solid base catalyst for both SNAr and Ullmann ether reactions. A general and efficient one-step procedure was developed for the synthesis of biaryl ethers via direct coupling of electron-deficient aryl halides to phenols using CsF/clinoptilolite. The protocol was also applied to electron-rich aryl halides by addition of a catalytic amount of copper oxide nanoparticles. Both SNAr and Ullmann reactions were rapid and provided good to excellent yields.
Nanosilica A-300 influence on water structures formed on the bioactive agent Enoxil
Authors: Turov Vladimir V. , Lupascu Tudor , Krupska Tatyana V. , Povar Igor
Published: October 2015

The interactions of water and aqueous solutions of HCl with the Enoxil preparation and its composite system Enoxil–SiO2(1:1) have been studied by low-temperature1H NMR spectroscopy. The antacid properties in the preparation, manifested in the transformation of a concentrated solution of HCl in a weakly concentrated one, have been established. In the composite system, adsorbed HCl in a hydrophobic environment of CDCl3may generate a system of clusters with different acid concentrations, while the equilibrium is shifted toward less concentrated forms.
Modeling potential river management conflicts between frogs and salmonids
Authors: Railsback Steven F. , Harvey Bret C. , Kupferberg Sarah J. , Lang Margaret M. , McBain Scott , Welsh Hart H.
Published: October 2015

Management of regulated rivers for yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylii) and salmonids exemplifies potential conflicts among species adapted to different parts of the natural flow and temperature regimes. Yellow-legged frogs oviposit in rivers in spring and depend on declining flows and warming temperatures for egg and tadpole survival and growth, whereas salmonid management can include high spring flows and low-temperature reservoir releases. We built a model of how flow and temperature affect frog breeding success. Its mechanisms include adults selecting oviposition sites to balance risks of egg dewatering by decreasing flow versus scouring by high flow, temperature effects on development, habitat selection by tadpoles, and mortality via dewatering and scouring. In simulations of a regulated river managed primarily for salmonids, below-natural temperatures delayed tadpole metamorphosis into froglets, which can reduce overwinter survival. However, mitigating this impact via higher temperatures was predicted to cause adults to oviposit before spring flow releases for salmonids, which then scoured the egg masses. The relative timing of frog oviposition and high flow releases appears critical in determining conflicts between salmonid and frog management.
Mechanistic and statistical approaches to predicting wind damage to individual maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) trees in forests
Authors: Kamimura Kana , Gardiner Barry , Dupont Sylvain , Guyon Dominique , Meredieu Céline
Published: October 2015

Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) forests in the Aquitaine region, southwestern France, suffered catastrophic damage from storms Martin (1999) and Klaus (2009), and more damage is expected in the future due to forest structural change and climate change. Thus, developing risk assessment methods is one of the keys to finding forest management strategies to reduce future damage. In this paper, we evaluated two approaches to calculate wind damage risk to individual trees using data from different damage data sets from two storm events. Airflow models were coupled either with a mechanistic model (GALES) or a bias-reduced logistic regression model to discriminate between damaged and undamaged trees. The mechanistic approach was found to successfully discriminate the trees for different storms but only in locations with soil conditions similar to where the model parameters were obtained from previous field experiments. The statistical approach successfully discriminated the trees only when applied to similar data as that used for creating the models, but it did not work at an acceptable level for other data sets. One variable, decade of stand establishment, was a significant variable in all statistical models, suggesting that site preparation and tree establishment could be a key factor related to wind damage in this region.
Identification of environmental stress biomarkers in seedlings of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Authors: Popović Milica , Šuštar Vid , Gričar Jozica , Štraus Ines , Torkar Gregor , Kraigher Hojka , de Marco Ario
Published: October 2015

Climate development models predict alterations that will critically influence plant metabolism in southern and central Europe. Although the molecular players involved in the response to climatic stress factors have been well described in crops, little information is available for forest tree species. Consequently, the identification of molecular biomarkers suitable for evaluating the actual impact of different environmental stress conditions on forest plants would be of great importance for monitoring purposes and forest management. In this study, we evaluated a biochemical methodology for the assessment of temperature stress in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings by analyzing a set of metabolites and enzymes involved in free radical scavenging and cell wall synthesis. The results indicate that the combined analysis of the specific activities and isoform profile of peroxidases, superoxide dismutases, and glutathione peroxidases coupled with the amount variation of phenolic compounds enabled the discrimination between stressed and control seedlings. This approach represents a promising platform for the assessment of temperature stress in forest trees and could also enhance selection and breeding practices, allowing for plants more tolerant and (or) resistant to abiotic stress.
Nonexistence results for a fractional Hénon–Lane–Emden equation on a half-space
Authors: Tang Sufang , Dou Jingbo
Published: October 2015

Consider the following Dirichlet problem involving the fractional Hénon–Lane–Emden Laplacian: [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is the upper half-Euclidean space. We first show that the above equation is equivalent to the following integral equation: [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the Green function in [Formula: see text] with the same Dirichlet condition. Then we prove the nonexistence of positive solutions by using the method of moving planes in integral forms.
Discriminating complex networks through supervised NDR and Bayesian classifier
Authors: Yan Ke-Sheng , Rong Li-Li , Yu Kai
Published: October 2015

Discriminating complex networks is a particularly important task for the purpose of the systematic study of networks. In order to discriminate unknown networks exactly, a large set of network measurements are needed to be taken into account for comprehensively considering network properties. However, as we demonstrate in this paper, these measurements are nonlinear correlated with each other in general, resulting in a wide variety of redundant measurements which unintentionally explain the same aspects of network properties. To solve this problem, we adopt supervised nonlinear dimensionality reduction (NDR) to eliminate the nonlinear redundancy and visualize networks in a low-dimensional projection space. Though unsupervised NDR can achieve the same aim, we illustrate that supervised NDR is more appropriate than unsupervised NDR for discrimination task. After that, we perform Bayesian classifier (BC) in the projection space to discriminate the unknown network by considering the projection score vectors as the input of the classifier. We also demonstrate the feasibility and effectivity of this proposed method in six extensive research real networks, ranging from technological to social or biological. Moreover, the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed method is proved by the contrast experiments with the existing method.
Social network sampling using spanning trees
Authors: Jalali Zeinab S. , Rezvanian Alireza , Meybodi Mohammad Reza
Published: October 2015

Due to the large scales and limitations in accessing most online social networks, it is hard or infeasible to directly access them in a reasonable amount of time for studying and analysis. Hence, network sampling has emerged as a suitable technique to study and analyze real networks. The main goal of sampling online social networks is constructing a small scale sampled network which preserves the most important properties of the original network. In this paper, we propose two sampling algorithms for sampling online social networks using spanning trees. The first proposed sampling algorithm finds several spanning trees from randomly chosen starting nodes; then the edges in these spanning trees are ranked according to the number of times that each edge has appeared in the set of found spanning trees in the given network. The sampled network is then constructed as a sub-graph of the original network which contains a fraction of nodes that are incident on highly ranked edges. In order to avoid traversing the entire network, the second sampling algorithm is proposed using partial spanning trees. The second sampling algorithm is similar to the first algorithm except that it uses partial spanning trees. Several experiments are conducted to examine the performance of the proposed sampling algorithms on well-known real networks. The obtained results in comparison with other popular sampling methods demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed sampling algorithms in terms of Kolmogorov–Smirnov distance (KSD), skew divergence distance (SDD) and normalized distance (ND).
Therapeutic Potential of Young Green Barley Leaves in Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: An Overview
Authors: Lahouar Lamia , El-Bok Safia , Achour Lotfi
Published: October 2015

Medicinal plants have played a major role as a functional food and pharmacological source of active substances. Barley grass (BG) is young green barley leaves. It is the young grass of the common barley plant Hordeum vulgare L. of the family Poeaceae (Graminae). It is a type of green grasses, and the only vegetation on the earth that can supply sole nutritional support from birth to old age. It contains a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, as well as eight essential amino acids that we must get from our diets. BG possesses several pharmacological activities as anticancer activity, anti-oxidant activity and anti-inflammatory activity. It has been argued that BG helps blood flow, digestion and general detoxification of the body. The major pharmacologic interest of BG is its use in the treatment of chronic diseases. The beneficial effects observed in chronic disease may be related to bioactive compounds contained in BG such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and bioflavonoids (lutonarin and saponarin). Thus, this paper is focused on the various studies that emphasize the therapeutic potential of BG in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.
The universal Ehrenfest scheme on black holes
Authors: Zhang Li-Chun , Zhao Ren
Published: October 2015

By use of the Jacobi determinant, we verify that, for a thermodynamic system which satisfies the first law of thermodynamics, if only there is second-order phase transition in the system, the Prigogine–Defay ratio is the constant 1. This conclusion is universal and independent of the concrete forms of the thermodynamic functions and also apply to black holes.
PALS and DSC measurements in 8 MeV electron irradiated natural rubber filled with different fillers
Authors: Mandal Arunava , Pan Sandip , Roychowdhury Anirban , Sengupta Asmita
Published: October 2015

The effect of high energy electron irradiation on the microstructure and thermal properties of natural rubber (NR) filled with different fillers at different concentrations are studied. The samples are irradiated with 8 MeV electron beam to a total dose of 100 KGy. The change in free volume size and specific heat due to addition of fillers and irradiation are studied using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) respectively. The Positron lifetime spectra are de-convoluted into two components. The longer lived component [Formula: see text] signifies the pick-off annihilation of ortho-positronium (o-Ps) at free volume site which may be related to the radius of the free volume holes. It is observed that the specific heat [Formula: see text] and free volume size are all affected by both irradiation and addition of fillers.
Transfer of high-dimensional quantum state through an XXZ-Heisenberg quantum spin chain
Authors: Yang Zhe , Gao Ming , Qin Wei
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we propose and analyze an efficient high-dimensional quantum state transfer (QST) scheme through an XXZ-Heisenberg spin chain in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. By the use of a combination of coherent quantum coupling and free spin wave approximation, pure unitary evolution results in a perfect high-dimensional swap operation between two remote quantum registers mediated by a uniform quantum data bus and the feasibility is confirmed by numerical simulations. Also, we observe that either the strong z-directional coupling or high quantum spin number can partly suppress the thermal excitations and protect quantum information from the thermal noises when the quantum data bus is in the thermal equilibrium state.
Stereoscopic Face Reconstruction from a Single 2-Dimensional Face Image Using Orthogonality of Normal Surface and Y-Ratio
Authors: Srichumroenrattana Natchamol , Lipikorn Rajalida , Lursinsap Chidchanok
Published: October 2015

This paper modified the method of three-dimensional (3-dimensional) face reconstruction from a single two-dimensional (2-dimensional) image based on the Lambertian model consisting of height estimation, normal surface estimation, albedo calculation and image normalization, normal surface calculation, actual height calculation, and error correction. In height estimation, the facial height of each input image is estimated from the average facial height of face images in the training data set. The estimated height is used for estimating the normal surface by applying our proposed pattern morphing method (PMM). To calculate the actual normal surface, the albedo of the input face image is calculated to normalize the image first. Then, the actual normal surface is derived by using our proposed Y-ratio calculation with improved computational time. Finally, the actual height of input face image is computed afterwards to construct the 3-dimensional face. Two face databases of 110 human face images containing 10 real and 100 synthetic images were tested by our proposed method with uniform reflectance and high level of heterogeneous reflectance abilities. The experimental results were compared with the results obtained from other existing methods, such as the traditional minimization, shape propagation, local, and linear approaches. Our method can accurately reconstruct 3-dimensional face from a single 2-dimensional face image with the error less than 6%.
Genetic-Algorithm-based Test Pattern Generation for Crosstalk Faults between On-Chip Aggressor and Victim
Authors: Duganapalli Kishore , Palit Ajoy K. , Anheier Walter
Published: October 2015

With the shrinking feature size and increasing aspect ratios of interconnects in DSM chips, the coupling noise between adjacent interconnects has become a major signal integrity (SI) issue, giving rise to crosstalk failures. In older technologies, SI issues have been ignored because of high noise immunity of the CMOS circuits and the process technology. However, as CMOS technologies lower down the supply voltage as well as the threshold voltage of a transistor, digital designs are more and more susceptible to noise because of the reduction of noise margin. The genetic algorithms (GAs) have been applied earlier in different engineering disciplines as potentially good optimization tools and for various applications in VLSI design, layout, EDIF digital system testing and also for test automation, particularly for stuck-at-faults and crosstalk-induced delay faults. In this paper, an elitist GA has been developed that can be used as an ATPG tool for generating the test patterns for crosstalk-induced faults between on-chip aggressor and victim and as well as for stuck-at-faults. It has been observed that the elitist GA, when the fitness function is properly defined, has immense potential in extracting the suitable test vectors quickly from randomly generated initial patterns.
An Early Stage Design Flow for Switching Noise Attenuation
Authors: Zeidler Steffen , Fan Xin , Schrape Oliver , Krstić Miloš
Published: October 2015

In the design of highly complex integrated circuits (ICs), switching noise is a raising problem. To handle this, current shaping techniques are applied to reduce current peaks causing ground bounce and voltage drops. Such techniques distribute the switching activity by adding phases and/or jitter to the clock of different domains. However, they are usually performed at later phases of the design process, i.e., in the chip layout. In this phase, the timing margins of the logic paths are typically fixed, which limit the clock phases that can be introduced between the domains. In this paper, we present a novel design preconditioning flow, which addresses the optimization of power noise characteristics of a design already at the frontend level. This allows early RTL-level design modifications, e.g., clock inversion or pipeline stage insertion, which potentially facilitate noise mitigation or enhance clock skewing in later design stages.
Resolution depth of positive braids
Authors: Kaplan Elliot , Krcatovich David , O’Brien Patricia
Published: October 2015

The depth of a link measures the minimum height of a resolving tree for the link whose leaves are all unlinks. We show that the depth of the closure of a strictly positive braid word is the length of the word minus the number of distinct letters.
Bar-Natan’s geometric complex and a categorification of the Dye–Kauffman–Miyazawa polynomial
Authors: Tagami Keiji
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we construct a categorification of the two-variable Dye–Kauffman–Miyazawa polynomial by utilizing Bar-Natan’s construction of the Khovanov homology and homotopy quantum field theories (HQFTs) given by Turaev. In particular, for any stable equivalence class, we construct a [Formula: see text]-graded link homology over [Formula: see text] whose graded Euler characteristic is the two-variable Dye–Kauffman–Miyazawa polynomial. Moreover, we show that it is isomorphic to a special case of Dye–Kauffman–Manturov’s categorification. In this sense, we explain the special case of Dye–Kauffman–Manturov’s homology in terms of Bar-Natan’s construction.
Quarkonia in high energy nuclear collisions
Authors: Liu Yunpeng , Zhou Kai , Zhuang Pengfei
Published: October 2015

We first review the cold and hot nuclear matter effects on quarkonium production in high energy collisions, then discuss three kinds of models to describe the quarkonium suppression and regeneration: the sequential dissociation, the statistical production and the transport approach, and finally make comparisons between the models and the experimental data from heavy ion collisions at SPS, RHIC and LHC energies.
Left localizations of left Artinian rings
Authors: Bavula V. V.
Published: October 2015

For an arbitrary left Artinian ring [Formula: see text], explicit descriptions are given of all the left denominator sets [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] and left localizations [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]. It is proved that, up to [Formula: see text]-isomorphism, there are only finitely many left localizations and each of them is an idempotent localization, i.e. [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a left denominator set of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is an idempotent. Moreover, the idempotent [Formula: see text] is unique up to a conjugation. It is proved that the number of maximal left denominator sets of [Formula: see text] is finite and does not exceed the number of isomorphism classes of simple left [Formula: see text]-modules. The set of maximal left denominator sets of [Formula: see text] and the left localization radical of [Formula: see text] are described.
An equivalence criterion for the generalized injectivity of modules with respect to algebraic classes of homomorphisms
Authors: Macías-Díaz Jorge E. , Macías Siegfried
Published: October 2015

Departing from a general definition of injectivity of modules with respect to suitable algebraic classes of morphisms, we establish conditions under which two modules are isomorphic when they are isomorphic to submodules of each other. The main result of this work extends both Bumby’s criterion for the isomorphism of injective modules and the well-known Cantor–Bernstein–Schröder’s theorem on the cardinality of sets. In the way, various properties on essential extensions, injective modules and injective hulls are generalized. The applicability of our main theorem embraces the cases of [Formula: see text]-injective and pure-injective modules as particular scenarios. Many of the propositions which lead to the proof of the main result of this paper are valid for arbitrary categories.
On an injectivity lemma in the proof of Tannakian duality
Authors: Phùng Hô Hai
Published: October 2015

In this short work we give a very short and elementary proof of the injectivity lemma, which plays an important role in the Tannakian duality for Hopf algebras over a field. Based on this we provide some generalizations of this fact to the case of flat coalgebras over a Noetherian domain.
On spectra of automorphic extensions of finite simple groups F4(q) and 3D4(q)
Authors: Grechkoseeva Mariya A. , Zvezdina Mariya A.
Published: October 2015

The spectrum [Formula: see text] of a finite group [Formula: see text] is the set of the orders of its elements. Let [Formula: see text] be one of the groups [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. We describe the spectra of [Formula: see text] and determine [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Combining this result with earlier work, we determine all finite groups [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text].
On cofactors of subnormal subgroups
Authors: Monakhov Victor , Sokhor Irina
Published: October 2015

For a soluble finite group [Formula: see text] and a prime [Formula: see text] we let [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. We obtain upper bounds for the rank, the nilpotent length, the derived length, and the [Formula: see text]-length of a finite soluble group [Formula: see text] in terms of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
A Class of Level-2 Fuzzy Decision-Making Model with Expected Objectives and Chance Constraints: Application to Supply Chain Network Design
Authors: Zhou Xiaoyang , Tu Yan , Han Jing , Xu Jiuping , Ye Xionghui
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we concentrate on dealing with a class of decision-making problems with level-2 fuzzy coefficients. We first discuss how to transform a level-2 fuzzy decision-making model with expected objectives and chance constrained into crisp equivalent models, then an interactive fuzzy satisfying method is introduced to obtain the decision makers satisfying solution. In addition, the technique of level-2 simulations is applied to deal with general level-2 fuzzy models which are usually hard to be converted into their crisp equivalents. Furthermore, based on the level-2 fuzzy programming, we focus on the supply chain network design problem where the total transport costs and the customer demands are assumed to be level-2 fuzzy numbers, a hybrid intelligent algorithm based on GA is used to solve the general supply chain design model. Finally, a numerical example and a case study are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the model and the algorithm.
Stress Analysis of Free-Edge Laminated Composite Plates by Two Bending Elements
Authors: Rezaiee-Pajand M. , Shahabian F. , Tavakoli F. H.
Published: October 2015

Two higher order triangular elements will be formulated for inter-laminar stresses analysis in free edge of the laminated composite bending plates. The analysis is based on a displacement model and includes the higher order shear deformation. To demonstrate the validity and efficiency of the proposed method, the orthotropic laminated composite plates with arbitrary laminations and boundary conditions will be analyzed. In this paper, the effects of increasing the number of nodes and the degree of interpolation functions will be studied. It will be proven that by using particular higher order interpolation, more accurate stress resultants for plates can be predicted. Furthermore, a good rate of convergence will be found by utilizing only a very coarse mesh.
Para-Kähler–Einstein structures on Walker 4-manifolds
Authors: Iscan Murat , Caglar Gulnur
Published: October 2015

A 4-dimensional Walker manifold [Formula: see text] is a semi-Riemannian manifold [Formula: see text] of signature (++––) (or neutral), which admits a field of null 2-plane. The goal of this paper is to study certain almost paracomplex structures [Formula: see text] on 4-dimensional Walker manifolds. We discuss when these structures are integrable and when the para-Kähler forms are symplectic. We show that such a Walker 4-manifold can carry a class of indefinite para-Kähler–Einstein 4-manifolds, examples of indefinite para-Kähler 4-manifolds, and also almost indefinite para-Hermitian–Einstein 4-manifold. Finally, we give a counterexample for the almost para-Hemitian version of Goldberg conjecture.
Deformation quantization and boundary value problems
Authors: Tarkhanov Nikolai
Published: October 2015

We describe a natural construction of deformation quantization on a compact symplectic manifold with boundary. On the algebra of quantum observables a trace functional is defined which as usual annihilates the commutators. This gives rise to an index as the trace of the unity element. We formulate the index theorem as a conjecture and examine it by the classical harmonic oscillator.
Proper projective symmetry in the most general non-static spherically symmetric four-dimensional Lorentzian manifolds
Authors: Shabbir Ghulam , Mahomed F. M. , Qureshi M. A.
Published: October 2015

A study of proper projective symmetry in the most general form of non-static spherically symmetric space-time is given using direct integration and algebraic techniques. In this study, we show that when the above space-time admits proper projective symmetry it becomes a very special class of static spherically symmetric space-times.
A converse theorem for metaplectic Eisenstein series on the double and triple covers of SL2(ℚ(−D))
Authors: Petkov Vladislav
Published: October 2015

In this work, we prove a converse theorem for metaplectic Eisenstein series on the [Formula: see text]th metaplectic cover of the group [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is an imaginary quadratic number field containing the [Formula: see text]th roots of unity. This is an analog to previous converse theorems relating certain double Dirichlet series to the Mellin transforms of Eisenstein series of half-integer weight. We also propose a way to generalize this result to any number field.
Amicable pairs with few distinct prime factors
Authors: Luca Florian , Phaovibul M. Tip
Published: October 2015

An amicable pair [Formula: see text] is a pair of distinct positive integers [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the sum of divisors function. In this note, we prove that if [Formula: see text] are amicable and [Formula: see text] is odd, then [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the number of distinct prime factors.
Continuous distributions arising from the Three Gap Theorem
Authors: Polanco Geremías , Schultz Daniel , Zaharescu Alexandru
Published: October 2015

The well-known Three Gap Theorem states that there are at most three gap sizes in the sequence of fractional parts [Formula: see text]. It is known that if one averages over [Formula: see text], the distribution becomes continuous. We present an alternative approach, which establishes this averaged result and also provides good bounds for the error terms.
Low-Cost Fabrication of UV Photodetector Based on Hexagonal Nanocrystal ZnO:Al/p-Si Heterojunction
Authors: Duan Li , Wei Feng , Fan Jibin , Yu Xiaochen , Zhang Wenxue , Zhang Yan , He Fengni , Cheng Xiaojiao , Tian Ye
Published: October 2015

ZnO:Al/p-Si heterojunction was fabricated by depositing a hexagonal nanocrystal ZnO:Al film on p-type Si substrate using a simple chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The vertically aligned hexagonal ZnO:Al nanocrystals reduce the grain boundary scattering and provide good conductivity. The ZnO:Al/Si heterojunction shows obvious photocurrent under ultraviolet (UV) illumination. A high UV-to-visible rejection ratio of the ZnO:Al/Si heterojunction indicates that the hexagonal nanocrystal ZnO:Al film is a good material for fabricating UV photodetectors. Furthermore, the response speed of the photodetector based on ZnO:Al hexagonal nanocrystal film is faster than that of most previously reported photodetectors based on ZnO:Al nanorods. We infer it is because the ZnO:Al nanocrystals film has a smaller surface to volume ratio than the ZnO:Al nanorod array.
The influence on biotissue laser resection of a strongly absorbing layer at the optical fiber tip
Authors: Kuznetsova Daria , Elagin Vadim , Karabut Maria , Shakhova Maria , Bredikhin Vladimir , Snopova Liudmila , Shakhov Andrei , Sapogova Natalia , Bityurin Nikita , Bagratashvili Victor , Kamensky Vladislav
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we consider a method of laser resection using the silica glass core from which the cladding layer has been removed as the cutting part of a laser scalpel. An absorbing layer coating the silica fiber tip markedly alters its biotissue cutting characteristics. The results of histological studies of skin after exposure to a laser scalpel with and without a strongly absorbing coating (SAC) at a wavelength of 0.97[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m show that resection using a coated scalpel is more sparing. When an uncoated scalpel was used, skin injury was more apparent in both its surface spread and the depth of structural damage, resulting in poorer tissue regeneration.
Maximum weight induced multicliques and complete multipartite subgraphs in directed path overlap graphs
Authors: Gavril Fanica
Published: October 2015

A graph is a directed path overlap graph if it is the overlap graph of family of directed paths in a rooted directed tree. A graph is a multiclique if its connected components are cliques. A graph is a complete multipartite graph if it is the complement of a multiclique. A graph is a multiclique-multipartite graph if its vertex set has a partition [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] is complete multipartite, [Formula: see text] is a multiclique and every two vertices [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] are adjacent. We describe a polynomial time algorithm to find a maximum weight induced complete multipartite (MWICM) subgraph in a directed path overlap graph. In addition, we describe polynomial time algorithms to find maximum weight induced (restricted) multicliques (MWIM) and multiclique-multipartite (MWIMM) subgraphs in directed path overlap graphs.