bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural Reliability Based Dynamic Positioning of Turret‐Moored FPSOs in Extreme Seas
Authors: Wang Yuanhui , Zou Chuntai , Ding Fuguang , Dou Xianghui , Ma Yanqin , Liu Yanwen
Published: July 2014

FPSO is widely used during the deep‐sea oil and gas exploration operations, for which it is an effective way to keep their position by means of positioning mooring (PM) technology to ensure the long‐term reliability of operations, even in extreme seas. Here, a kind of dynamic positioning (DP) controller in terms of structural reliability is presented for the single‐point turret‐moored FPSOs. Firstly, the mathematical model of the moored FPSO in terms of kinematics and dynamics is established. Secondly, the catenary method is applied to analyze the mooring line dynamics, and mathematical model of one single mooring line is set up based on the catenary equation. Thereafter, mathematical model for the whole turret mooring system is established. Thirdly, a structural reliability index is defined to evaluate the breaking strength of each mooring line. At the same time, control constraints are also considered to design a state feedback controller using the backstepping technique. Finally, a series of simulation tests are carried out for a certain turret‐moored FPSO with eight mooring lines. It is shown in the simulation results that the moored FPSO can keep its position well in extreme seas. Besides, the FPSO mooring line tension is reduced effectively to ensure mooring lines safety to a large extent in harsh sea environment.
An Observer‐Based Finite Control Set Model Predictive Control for Three‐Phase Power Converters
Authors: Liu Tao , Xia Changliang , Gu Xin , Shi Tingna
Published: July 2014

Finite control set model predictive control (FCS‐MPC) for three‐phase power converters uses a discrete mathematical model of the power converter to predict the future current value for all possible switching states. The circuit parameters and measured input currents are necessary components. For this reason, parameter error and time delay of current signals may degrade the performance of the control system. In the previous studies of the FCS‐MPC, few articles study these aspects in detail and almost no method is proposed to avoid these negative influences. This paper, first, investigates the negative impacts of inductance inaccuracy and AC‐side current distortion due to the time delay caused by filter on FCS‐MPC system. Then, it proposes an observer‐based FCS‐MPC approach with which the inductance error can be corrected, the current signal’s time delay caused by filter can be compensated, and therefore the performance of FCS‐MPC will be improved. At last, as an example, it illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach with experimental testing results for a power converter.
Design of a Free-Ruthenium In2S3Crystalline Photosensitized Solar Cell
Authors: Kwak Byeong Sub , Im Younghwan , Kang Misook
Published: July 2014

A new type of sulfide-based, solid-state dye material that is sensitive to visible radiation was assessed as a potential replacement for commercial ruthenium complex dyes in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) assembly. The In2S3crystals on the surface of the TiO2bottom blocking layer were grown as a solid-state dye material. Scanning electron microscopy of In2S3revealed a microsized, 3D-connected sheet-like shape, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction to be a beta-structure. The efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells assembled with a layer grown with In2S3increased with increasing In2S3mole concentrations to 0.05 M (1.02%) but decreased at concentrations greater than 0.6~0.8%. This suggests that crystalline In2S3acts as a dye sensitized to visible radiation, but the short-circuit current density is too low compared to the commercially available ruthenium dye. This suggests that In2S3crystals did not grow densely but were bulk-grown with large pores, resulting in a smaller amount of In2S3per unit area. Two IPCE curves were observed, which were assigned to TiO2and In2S3, meaning that the TiO2surfaces were covered completely with In2S3crystals. The exposure of TiO2eventually leads to a reaction with the electrolytes, resulting in lower quantum efficiency.
A Review of the Potential Utility of Mycophenolate Mofetil as a Cancer Therapeutic
Authors: Majd Nazanin , Sumita Kazutaka , Yoshino Hirofumi , Chen Dillon , Terakawa Jumpei , Daikoku Takiko , Kofuji Satoshi , Curry Richard , Wise-Draper Trisha M. , Warnick Ronald E. , Guarnaschelli Jessica , Sasaki Atsuo T.
Published: July 2014

Tumor cells adapt to their high metabolic state by increasing energy production. To this end, current efforts in molecular cancer therapeutics have been focused on signaling pathways that modulate cellular metabolism. However, targeting such signaling pathways is challenging due to heterogeneity of tumors and recurrent oncogenic mutations. A critical need remains to develop antitumor drugs that target tumor specific pathways. Here, we discuss an energy metabolic pathway that is preferentially activated in several cancers as a potential target for molecular cancer therapy.In vitrostudies have revealed that many cancer cells synthesize guanosine triphosphate (GTP), via thede novopurine nucleotide synthesis pathway by upregulating the rate limiting enzyme of this pathway, inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH). Non-proliferating cells use an alternative purine nucleotide synthesis pathway, the salvage pathway, to synthesize GTP. These observations pose IMPDH as a potential target to suppress tumor cell growth. The IMPDH inhibitor, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), is an FDA-approved immunosuppressive drug. Accumulating evidence shows that, in addition to its immunosuppressive effects, MMF also has antitumor effects via IMPDH inhibitionin vitroandin vivo. Here, we review the literature on IMPDH as related to tumorigenesis and the use of MMF as a potential antitumor drug.
Motivation Mechanism Prevents Adverse Selection in Industrial Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance
Authors: Zhao Mingxia , Li Changhong
Published: July 2014

Choosing proper partners is the key to the success of the alliance. Based on the analysis of the characters of the Industrial Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance, a new kind of cooperative organization occurred in China in recent years. The problem of “adverse selection” at the stage of the its establishment is discussed in this paper. The game model is built based on motivation theory and the principle-agent theory and then proved by examples. The conclusions can be got from the model. By setting the ranges of funds, preferential policy, and sharable profits and designing membership rules, the organizer of the Industrial Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance can motivate the risk neutral applicant to reveal his real capacity and the one with higher capacity to participate intothe alliance more actively and even can set capacity threshold for applicants implicitly.
Synthesis of Submicron Hexagonal Plate-Type SnS2and Band Gap-Tuned Sn1−xTixS2Materials and Their Hydrogen Production Abilities on Methanol/Water Photosplitting
Authors: Kim Kang Min , Kwak Byeong Sub , Kang Sora , Kang Misook
Published: July 2014

SnS2and Sn1−xTixS2(x= 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 mol) materials were designed using solvothermal method with the aim to enhance hydrogen production from water/methanol water photosplitting. Scanning electron microscopy revealed hexagonal plates with one side, 3.0 μm in length, in the SnS2materials. Pure SnS2showed absorption band edges of above 660 nm, and the absorption was shifted to low wavelengths with the insertion of Ti ions. The evolution of H2from MeOH/H2O (1 : 1) photosplitting over SnS2hexagonal plates in the photocatalytic liquid system was 0.016 mL h−1 g−1, and the evolutions were enhanced in Sn1−xTixS2. In particular, 0.049 mL h−1 g−1of H2gas was produced in Sn0.7Ti0.3S2without electrolytes and it increased significantly to more than 90.6% (0.47 mL h−1 g−1evolutions) at higher pH using 0.1 M of KOH. Based on the UV-visible absorption spectra, the high photocatalytic activity of Sn1−xTixS2was attributed to the existence of an appropriate band-gap state that retarded recombination between the electrons and holes.
On the Hyers-Ulam Stability of Differential Equations of Second Order
Authors: Alqifiary Qusuay H. , Jung Soon-Mo
Published: July 2014

By using of the Gronwall inequality, we prove the Hyers-Ulam stability of differential equations of second order with initial conditions.
Amenability and Contractibility Modulo an Ideal of Banach Algebras
Authors: Rahimi Hamidreza , Tahmasebi Elham
Published: July 2014

We investigate the concept of amenability modulo an ideal of Banach algebra, showing that amenability modulo an ideal can be characterized by the existence of virtual and approximate diagonal modulo an ideal. We also study the concept of contractible modulo an ideal of Banach algebra. As a consequence, we prove a version of Selivanov's theorem for a large class of semigroups, includingE-inversiveE-semigroup and eventually inverse semigroups.
Stem Cells: Innovations in Clinical Applications
Authors: Sutton Morgan T. , Bonfield Tracey L.
Published: July 2014

The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as clinical therapeutics is a relatively new avenue of study for treatment of a variety of diseases. The therapeutic impact of the MSCs is based upon their multiplicities of function and interaction with host tissues. MSCs can be anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, antimicrobial, and regenerative, all which may improve outcomes in scenarios of damaged tissues and inflammation. Although most studies focus on utilizing MSCs to direct clinical efficacy, it is the ability to orchestrate host response in surrounding tissue that is especially unique and versatile. This orchestration of host response can be applied to a variety of clinical scenarios not only through cell-cell interactions but also through production of bioactive secreted factors. These bioactive factors include small proteins, chemokines, cytokines, and other cellular regulators. These factors have the capacity to induce angiogenesis or blood vessel development, be chemotactic, and induce cellular recruitment. MSCs also have the capacity to differentiate with the implicated environment to regenerate tissue or accommodate host tissue in a cell specific manner. The differentiation cannot only be donein vivobut also can be optimizedin vitroprior toin vivoadministration, potentiating the versatility of the MSCs and opening avenues for corrective therapy and cell delivery of genes. The differentiation process depends on the environment with which the MSCs are put and results in active communication between the newly administered cells host tissue. Since these properties have been identified, there are a variety of clinical trials and studies being conducted on MSCs ability to treat human disease. This review outlines the potential use of MSCs, the types of tissue, and the innovative applications of MSCs for the treatment of diseases.
The First Passage Time Problem for Mixed-Exponential Jump Processes with Applications in Insurance and Finance
Authors: Yin Chuancun , Wen Yuzhen , Zong Zhaojun , Shen Ying
Published: July 2014

This paper studies the first passage times to constant boundaries for mixed-exponential jump diffusion processes. Explicit solutions of the Laplace transforms of the distribution of the first passage times, the joint distribution of the first passage times and undershoot (overshoot) are obtained. As applications, we present explicit expression of the Gerber-Shiu functions for surplus processes with two-sided jumps, present the analytical solutions for popular path-dependent options such as lookback and barrier options in terms of Laplace transforms, and give a closed-form expression on the price of the zero-coupon bond under a structural credit risk model with jumps.
Procedure of Active Residual Heat Removal after Emergency Shutdown of High-Temperature-Gas-Cooled Reactor
Authors: Yang Xingtuan , Sun Yanfei , Ju Huaiming , Jiang Shengyao
Published: July 2014

After emergency shutdown of high-temperature-gas-cooled reactor, the residual heat of the reactor core should be removed. As the natural circulation process spends too long period of time to be utilized, an active residual heat removal procedure is needed, which makes use of steam generator and start-up loop. During this procedure, the structure of steam generator may suffer cold/heat shock because of the sudden load of coolant or hot helium at the first few minutes. Transient analysis was carried out based on a one-dimensional mathematical model for steam generator and steam pipe of start-up loop to achieve safety and reliability. The results show that steam generator should be discharged and precooled; otherwise, boiling will arise and introduce a cold shock to the boiling tubes and tube sheet when coolant began to circulate prior to the helium. Additionally, in avoiding heat shock caused by the sudden load of helium, the helium circulation should be restricted to start with an extreme low flow rate; meanwhile, the coolant of steam generator (water) should have flow rate as large as possible. Finally, a four-step procedure with precooling process of steam generator was recommended; sensitive study for the main parameters was conducted.
Sharp Inequalities for Trigonometric Functions
Authors: Yang Zhen-Hang , Jiang Yun-Liang , Song Ying-Qing , Chu Yu-Ming
Published: July 2014

We establish several sharp inequalities for trigonometric functions and present their corresponding inequalities for bivariate means.
Dynamic Placement of Virtual Machines with Both Deterministic and Stochastic Demands for Green Cloud Computing
Authors: Yue Wenying , Chen Qiushuang
Published: July 2014

Cloud computing has come to be a significant commercial infrastructure offering utility‐oriented IT services to users worldwide. However, data centers hosting cloud applications consume huge amounts of energy, leading to high operational cost and greenhouse gas emission. Therefore, green cloud computing solutions are needed not only to achieve high level service performance but also to minimize energy consumption. This paper studies the dynamic placement of virtual machines (VMs) with deterministic and stochastic demands. In order to ensure a quick response to VM requests and improve the energy efficiency, a two‐phase optimization strategy has been proposed, in which VMs are deployed in runtime and consolidated into servers periodically. Based on an improved multidimensional space partition model, a modified energy efficient algorithm with balanced resource utilization (MEAGLE) and a live migration algorithm based on the basic set (LMABBS) are, respectively, developed for each phase. Experimental results have shown that under different VMs’ stochastic demand variations, MEAGLE guarantees the availability of stochastic resources with a defined probability and reduces the number of required servers by 2.49% to 20.40% compared with the benchmark algorithms. Also, the difference between the LMABBS solution and Gurobi solution is fairly small, but LMABBS significantly excels in computational efficiency.
Predictive Control for Earthquake Response Mitigation of Buildings Using Semiactive Fluid Dampers
Authors: Oliveira F. , Morais P. , Suleman A.
Published: July 2014

A predictive control strategy in conjunction with semiactive control algorithms is proposed for damping control of base-isolated structures employing semiactive fluid dampers when subjected to earthquake loads. The controller considers the delays resulting from the device’s dynamics and an observer for state estimation. Twenty artificial accelerograms were generated according to the Eurocode 8 for the Portuguese territory and considered for the numerical simulations of the base-isolated structure representative model. The results of a parametric study on a single degree of freedom model provide an indication for controller design in this type of problems. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed strategies, the response of a 10-storey base-isolated dual frame-wall building employing semiactive systems is compared with the original, passive solution and with an earlier proposed optimal controller for this type of problems. It is shown that a well-tuned controller could outperform the original structure, the structural system with a passive device (optimized) as well as with the semiactive optimal controller, in terms of relative displacement and absolute acceleration reductions.
Multifunctional Thermally Remendable Nanocomposites
Authors: Sosa Edward D. , Darlington Thomas K. , Hanos Brian A. , O’Rourke Mary Jane E.
Published: July 2014

Challenges associated with damage tolerance in polymer matrix composites must be successfully addressed in order to ensure highly reliable structures with significant weight savings. Self-healing materials provide a viable means to surmount damage tolerance concerns, thereby allowing for the realization of the mass reduction such structures have promised but not yet achieved. Introduction of multifunctional properties into self-healing composites can further extend their usefulness. This study examines the incorporation of carbon nanotubes into a self-healing composite in order to achieve this. Composite panels were fabricated with carbon fibers, a bismaleimide tetrafuran (2MEP4F) polymer resin, and various carbon nanotube materials. The composites exhibit enhancement in electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. The healing mechanism is a thermally activated reversible polymerization of the 2MEP4F resin. The proposed method of heating exploits the enhanced microwave absorption inherent to carbon nanotubes to provide the thermal energy required for the reversible polymerization. Microwave testing demonstrated that the heating efficiency is increased, allowing uniform heating to the required temperature for polymer healing. Impacted composites show localized heating at the damage site, which implies that microwave heating can also be used as a means for damage detection and potential structural health monitoring.
Expression Profiling of Abiotic Stress-Inducible Genes in response to Multiple Stresses in Rice (Oryza sativaL.) Varieties with Contrasting Level of Stress Tolerance
Authors: Basu Supratim , Roychoudhury Aryadeep
Published: July 2014

The present study considered transcriptional profiles and protein expression analyses from shoot and/or root tissues under three abiotic stress conditions, namely, salinity, dehydration, and cold, as well as following exogenous abscisic acid treatment, at different time points of stress exposure in threeindicarice varieties, IR-29 (salt sensitive), Pokkali, and Nonabokra (both salt tolerant). The candidate genes chosen for expression studies wereHKT-1, SOS-3, NHX-1, SAPK5, SAPK7, NAC-1, Rab16A, OSBZ8, DREBP2, CRT/DREBP, WRKY24,andWRKY71, along with the candidate proteins OSBZ8, SAMDC, and GST. Gene expression profile revealed considerable differences between the salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant rice varieties, as the expression in the latter was higher even at the constitutive level, whereas it was inducible only by corresponding stress signals in IR-29. Whether in roots or shoots, the transcriptional responses to different stressors peaked following 24 h of stress/ABA exposure, and the transcript levels enhanced gradually with the period of exposure. The generality of stress responses at the transcriptional level was therefore time dependent. Heat map data also showed differential transcript abundance in the three varieties, correlating the observation with transcript profiling.In silicoanalysis of the upstream regions of all the genes represented the existence of conserved sequence motifs in single or multiple copies that are indispensable to abiotic stress response. Overall, the transcriptome and proteome analysis undertaken in the present study indicated that genes/proteins conferring tolerance, belonging to different functional classes, were overrepresented, thus providing novel insight into the functional basis of multiple stress tolerance inindicarice varieties. The present work will pave the way in future to select gene(s) for overexpression, so as to generate broad spectrum resistance to multiple stresses simultaneously.
Strong Convergence for Hybrid ImplicitS-Iteration Scheme of Nonexpansive and Strongly Pseudocontractive Mappings
Authors: Kang Shin Min , Rafiq Arif , Ali Faisal , Kwun Young Chel
Published: July 2014

LetKbe a nonempty closed convex subset of a real Banach spaceE, letS:K→Kbe nonexpansive, and let  T:K→Kbe Lipschitz strongly pseudocontractive mappings such thatp∈FS∩FT=x∈K:Sx=Tx=xandx-Sy≤Sx-Sy and x-Ty≤Tx-Tyfor allx, y∈K. Letβnbe a sequence in0, 1satisfying (i)∑n=1∞βn=∞; (ii)limn→∞⁡βn=0.For arbitraryx0∈K, letxnbe a sequence iteratively defined byxn=Syn, yn=1-βnxn-1+βnTxn, n≥1.Then the sequencexnconverges strongly to a common fixed pointpofSandT.
Multispectral Image Compression Based on DSC Combined with CCSDS-IDC
Authors: Li Jin , Xing Fei , Sun Ting , You Zheng
Published: July 2014

Remote sensing multispectral image compression encoder requires low complexity, high robust, and high performance because it usually works on the satellite where the resources, such as power, memory, and processing capacity, are limited. For multispectral images, the compression algorithms based on 3D transform (like 3D DWT, 3D DCT) are too complex to be implemented in space mission. In this paper, we proposed a compression algorithm based on distributed source coding (DSC) combined with image data compression (IDC) approach recommended by CCSDS for multispectral images, which has low complexity, high robust, and high performance. First, each band is sparsely represented by DWT to obtain wavelet coefficients. Then, the wavelet coefficients are encoded by bit plane encoder (BPE). Finally, the BPE is merged to the DSC strategy of Slepian-Wolf (SW) based on QC-LDPC by deep coupling way to remove the residual redundancy between the adjacent bands. A series of multispectral images is used to test our algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed DSC combined with the CCSDS-IDC (DSC-CCSDS)-based algorithm has better compression performance than the traditional compression approaches.
Using Improved Ant Colony Algorithm to Investigate EMU Circulation Scheduling Problem
Authors: Zhou Yu , Zhou Leishan , Wang Yun
Published: July 2014

High-speed railway is one of the most important ways to solve the long-standing travel difficulty problem in China. However, due to the high acquisition and maintenance cost, it is impossible for decision-making departments to purchase enough EMUs to satisfy the explosive travel demand. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study how to utilize EMU more efficiently and reduce costs in the case of completing a given task in train diagram. In this paper, an EMU circulation scheduling model is built based on train diagram constraints, maintenance constraints, and so forth; in the model solving process, an improved ACA algorithm has been designed. A case study is conducted to verify the feasibility of the model. Moreover, contrast tests have been carried out to compare the efficiency between the improved ACA and the traditional approaches. The results reveal that improved ACA method can solve the model with less time and the quality of each representative index is much better, which means that efficiency of the improved ACA method is higher and better scheduling scheme can be obtained.
Bayesian Analysis for Dynamic Generalized Linear Latent Model with Application to Tree Survival Rate
Authors: Cheng Yu-sheng , Ding Mei-wen , Xia Ye-mao , Zhan Wen-fa
Published: July 2014

Logistic regression model is the most popular regression technique, available for modeling categorical data especially for dichotomous variables. Classic logistic regression model is typically used to interpret relationship between response variables and explanatory variables. However, in real applications, most data sets are collected in follow-up, which leads to the temporal correlation among the data. In order to characterize the different variables correlations, a new method about the latent variables is introduced in this study. At the same time, the latent variables about AR (1) model are used to depict time dependence. In the framework of Bayesian analysis, parameters estimates and statistical inferences are carried out via Gibbs sampler with Metropolis-Hastings (MH) algorithm. Model comparison, based on the Bayes factor, and forecasting/smoothing of the survival rate of the tree are established. A simulation study is conducted to assess the performance of the proposed method and a pika data set is analyzed to illustrate the real application. Since Bayes factor approaches vary significantly, efficiency tests have been performed in order to decide which solution provides a better tool for the analysis of real relational data sets.
A Real‐Time and Low Power Working Method for Mobile WSN
Authors: Du Xiaotong , Zhang Wei , Li Dong
Published: July 2014

In many mobile wireless sensor network (WSN) applications, the low power problem is often ignored to maintain the real‐time property of monitoring nodes. To solve the long‐time working problems of mobile nodes and the whole WSN network, this paper provides a new working method. First, the real‐time and consumption features are compared between the Random Mechanism (RM) and Time‐Division Mechanism (TDM) through experiments. Secondly, a mobile Time‐Division Mechanism based on subnet node ID is designed to reduce the power consumption on the premise of real‐time requirements effectively. At the same time, relevant experimental results demonstrate that time synchronization mechanism cannot improve the real‐time performance effectively.
Eta Prime Gluonic Contribution to the Nucleon Self-Energy in an Effective Theory
Authors: Upadhyay A. , Singh J. P.
Published: July 2014

We estimate a possibleη′gluonic contribution to the self-energy of a nucleon in an effective theory. The couplings of the topological charge density to nucleons give rise to OZI violatingη′-nucleon interactions. The one-loop self-energy of nucleon arising due to these interactions is studied using a heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory. The divergences have been removed using appropriate form factors. The nontrivial structure of the QCD vacuum has also been taken into account. The numerical results are sensitive to the choice of the regulator to a nonnegligible extent. We get the total contribution to the nucleon mass coming from its interaction with the topological charge densityδmtot≅-(2.5–7.5)% of the nucleon mass.
New Developments in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Authors: Changwei Yang , Tianbao Su , Jianjing Zhang , Lin Du
Published: July 2014

Based on the review on the advances of several important problems in geotechnical seismic engineering, the authors propose the initial analysis theory of time-frequency-amplitude (known as TFA for short), in an effort to realize the organic combination of time and frequency information and develop a groundbreaking concept to the traditional idea in the geotechnical seismic engineering area.
High Association between Human Circulating MicroRNA-497 and Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Li Zhenci , Lu Jing , Luo Yi , Li Shaonan , Chen Minsheng
Published: July 2014

Recent papers have reported the fundamental roles of miR-497 in infarction which acute myocardial infarction (AMI) belongs to. However, the expression levels of miR-497 in AMI patients were unclear, especially the circulating miR-497 that was detectable in the human plasma. In this study, we focused on the expression levels of circulating miR-497 in AMI and the roles of plasma miR-497 as a promising biomarker for AMI. The plasma miR-497 levels were detected from 27 AMI patients and 31 healthy volunteers by qRT-PCR. The cTnI concentrations of these samples were also analyzed by ELISA. Results showed circulating miR-497 levels were upregulated in AMI patients at 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, and 24 h, by contrast to those in control. Interestingly, time courses of circulating miR-497 levels displayed similar trends to that of cTnI concentrations in AMI patients; further study revealed the high correlation between circulating miR-497 and cTnI concentrations (r=0.573,P<0.001). At last, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed and declared that there was a faithworthy sensitivity and specificity to identify the AMI patients by using circulating miR-497. In conclusion, circulating miR-497 might be a promising biomarker for AMI identification and there was high association between human miR-497 and acute myocardial infarction.
Approximate Solutions by Truncated Taylor Series Expansions of Nonlinear Differential Equations and Related Shadowing Property with Applications
Authors: De la Sen M. , Ibeas A. , Nistal R.
Published: July 2014

This paper investigates the errors of the solutions as well as the shadowing property of a class of nonlinear differential equations which possess unique solutions on a certain interval for any admissible initial condition. The class of differential equations is assumed to be approximated by well-posed truncated Taylor series expansions up to a certain order obtained about certain, in general nonperiodic, sampling pointsti∈[t0,tJ]fori=0,1,…,Jof the solution. Two examples are provided.
Significance of Persistent Inflammation in Respiratory Disorders Induced by Nanoparticles
Authors: Morimoto Yasuo , Izumi Hiroto , Kuroda Etsushi
Published: July 2014

Pulmonary inflammation, especially persistent inflammation, has been found to play a key role in respiratory disorders induced by nanoparticles in animal models. In inhalation studies and instillation studies of nanomaterials, persistent inflammation is composed of neutrophils and alveolar macrophages, and its pathogenesis is related to chemokines such as the cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) family and macrophage inflammatory protein-1αand oxidant stress-related genes such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). DNA damages occur chemically or physically by nanomaterials. Chemical and physical damage are associated with point mutation by free radicals and double strand brake, respectively. The failure of DNA repair and accumulation of mutations might occur when inflammation is prolonged, and finally normal cells could become malignant. These free radicals can not only damage cells but also induce signaling molecules containing immunoreaction. Nanoparticles and asbestos also induce the production of free radicals. In allergic responses, nanoparticles act as Th2 adjuvants to activate Th2 immune responses such as activation of eosinophil and induction of IgE. Taken together, the presence of persistent inflammation may contribute to the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases induced by nanomaterials.
Incorporating Amino Acids Composition and Functional Domains for Identifying Bacterial Toxin Proteins
Authors: Su Min-Gang , Huang Chien-Hsun , Lee Tzong-Yi , Chen Yu-Ju , Wu Hsin-Yi
Published: July 2014

Aside from pathogenesis, bacterial toxins also have been used for medical purpose such as drugs for cancer and immune diseases. Correctly identifying bacterial toxins and their types (endotoxins and exotoxins) has great impact on the cell biology study and therapy development. However, experimental methods for bacterial toxins identification are time-consuming and labor-intensive, implying an urgent need for computational prediction. Thus, we are motivated to develop a method for computational identification of bacterial toxins based on amino acid sequences and functional domain information. In this study, a nonredundant dataset of 167 bacterial toxins including 77 exotoxins and 90 endotoxins is adopted to learn the predictive model by using support vector machines (SVMs). The cross-validation evaluation shows that the SVM models trained with amino acids and dipeptides composition could yield an accuracy of 96.07% and 92.50%, respectively. For discriminating endotoxins from exotoxins, the SVM models trained with amino acids and dipeptides composition have achieved an accuracy of 95.71% and 92.86%, respectively. After incorporating functional domain information, the predictive performance is further improved. The proposed method has been demonstrated to be able to more effectively identify and classify bacterial toxins than the other two features on independent dataset, which may aid in bacterial biomedical development.
Context Predicts Word Order Processing in Broca's Region
Authors: Kristensen Line Burholt , Engberg-Pedersen Elisabeth , Wallentin Mikkel
Published: July 2014

The function of the left inferior frontal gyrus (L-IFG) is highly disputed. A number of language processing studies have linked the region to the processing of syntactical structure. Still, there is little agreement when it comes to defining why linguistic structures differ in their effects on the L-IFG. In a number of languages, the processing of object-initial sentences affects the L-IFG more than the processing of subject-initial ones, but frequency and distribution differences may act as confounding variables. Syntactically complex structures (like the object-initial construction in Danish) are often less frequent and only viable in certain contexts. With this confound in mind, the L-IFG activation may be sensitive to other variables than a syntax manipulation on its own. The present fMRI study investigates the effect of a pragmatically appropriate context on the processing of subject-initial and object-initial clauses with the IFG as our ROI. We find that Danish object-initial clauses yield a higher BOLD response in L-IFG, but we also find an interaction between appropriateness of context and word order. This interaction overlaps with traditional syntax areas in the IFG. For object-initial clauses, the effect of an appropriate context is bigger than for subject-initial clauses. This result is supported by an acceptability study that shows that, given appropriate contexts, object-initial clauses are considered more appropriate than subject-initial clauses. The increased L-IFG activation for processing object-initial clauses without a supportive context may be interpreted as reflecting either reinterpretation or the recipients' failure to correctly predict word order from contextual cues.
The Behavioral and Neural Effects of Language on Motion Perception
Authors: Francken Jolien C. , Kok Peter , Hagoort Peter , de Lange Floris P.
Published: July 2014

Perception does not function as an isolated module but is tightly linked with other cognitive functions. Several studies have demonstrated an influence of language on motion perception, but it remains debated at which level of processing this modulation takes place. Some studies argue for an interaction in perceptual areas, but it is also possible that the interaction is mediated by “language areas” that integrate linguistic and visual information. Here, we investigated whether language–perception interactions were specific to the language-dominant left hemisphere by comparing the effects of language on visual material presented in the right (RVF) and left visual fields (LVF). Furthermore, we determined the neural locus of the interaction using fMRI. Participants performed a visual motion detection task. On each trial, the visual motion stimulus was presented in either the LVF or in the RVF, preceded by a centrally presented word (e.g., “rise”). The word could be congruent, incongruent, or neutral with regard to the direction of the visual motion stimulus that was presented subsequently. Participants were faster and more accurate when the direction implied by the motion word was congruent with the direction of the visual motion stimulus. Interestingly, the speed benefit was present only for motion stimuli that were presented in the RVF. We observed a neural counterpart of the behavioral facilitation effects in the left middle temporal gyrus, an area involved in semantic processing of verbal material. Together, our results suggest that semantic information about motion retrieved in language regions may automatically modulate perceptual decisions about motion.
Reorganization of Auditory Cortex in Early-deaf People: Functional Connectivity and Relationship to Hearing Aid Use
Authors: Shiell Martha M. , Champoux François , Zatorre Robert J.
Published: July 2014

Cross-modal reorganization after sensory deprivation is a model for understanding brain plasticity. Although it is a well-documented phenomenon, we still know little of the mechanisms underlying it or the factors that constrain and promote it. Using fMRI, we identified visual motion-related activity in 17 early-deaf and 17 hearing adults. We found that, in the deaf, the posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG) was responsive to visual motion. We compared functional connectivity of this reorganized cortex between groups to identify differences in functional networks associated with reorganization. In the deaf more than the hearing, the STG displayed increased functional connectivity with a region in the calcarine fissure. We also explored the role of hearing aid use, a factor that may contribute to variability in cross-modal reorganization. We found that both the cross-modal activity in STG and the functional connectivity between STG and calcarine cortex correlated with duration of hearing aid use, supporting the hypothesis that residual hearing affects cross-modal reorganization. We conclude that early auditory deprivation alters not only the organization of auditory regions but also the interactions between auditory and primary visual cortex and that auditory input, as indexed by hearing aid use, may inhibit cross-modal reorganization in early-deaf people.
To Make Sounds inside a “Big Can”: Proposing a Proper Space for Works of Sound Art
Authors: Wang Jing
Published: July 2014

Creators of sound art consider sound as both a tangible reality and a conceptual term; sound art works rely on and use listening as their predominant mode of perception. The author contextualizes sound art in China and problematizes existing venues where sound art is performed and exhibited. She then suggests that a proper space is necessary to certain works of sound art, and she proposes the “big can” as an ideal venue, based upon previous experience with existing art spaces as well as the unique nature of sound art. Sound generates space; now it is time to make space for sound.
Visualizing the ‘Invisible’
Authors: Moriarty Philip
Published: July 2014

The ability of scientists to image and manipulate matter at the (sub)atomic scale is a result of stunning advances in microscopy. Foremost amongst these was the invention of the scanning probe microscope, which, despite its classification as a microscope, does not rely on optics to generate images. Instead, images are produced via the interaction of an atomically sharp probe with a surface. Here the author considers to what extent those images represent an accurate picture of ‘reality’ at a size regime where quantum physics holds sway, and where the image data can be acquired and manipulated in a variety of ways.
Achromatic Reasoning - On the Relation of Gray and Scale in Radiology
Authors: Friedrich Kathrin
Published: July 2014

The paper explores the relation of grayscale and measurements in the field of diagnostic computed tomography. By looking at the epistemology of achromatic visualizations in medical imaging the author argues to explore digital images as both algorithmic and aesthetic objects. Thereby it becomes obvious how color coding in medicine provides not only a superficial quality but a deep and even quantitative insight.
The Visual Culture of Brain Imaging
Authors: Hausken Liv
Published: July 2014

Brain images are believed to be physical explanations for cognitive phenomena. However, the persuasive power of brain imaging cannot be fully explained by the general tendency to biologise the mind in contemporary cognitive sciences. It needs to be understood in relation to histories of imaging techniques, of mediated forms and of their social and cultural discourses.
Scientific Visualisation in Practice: Replicating Experiments at Scale
Authors: Turnbull Thomas
Published: July 2014

Here scale is taken to imply context, consideration of which is seen to have implications for the mobility of knowledge-as-visualisation. The suggestion is that technologies of visualisation are created within, create, and are negotiated within, contexts. Virtual spaces, such as that offered by the open-data paradigm, and the means for their exploration, here via visualisation, cannot be expected to furnish the means to ultimately settle controversies, a point made by an earlier generation of sociologists of science. This argument is demonstrated via an experiment in the replication of scientific visualisation. Accordingly, the science of visualisation, it is argued, is subject to contextual affect.
Images in Art and Science and the Quest for a New Image Science
Authors: Reichle Ingeborg
Published: July 2014

This article deals with opportunities and challenges faced by humanities disciplines like art history or aesthetics when turning their attention from traditional pursuits to the study of scientific images and visualizations. These pose particular problems to interpretation and evaluation for what, in Germany, is called Bildwissenschaft or image science.
Interpreting Artworks, Interpreting Scientific Images
Authors: Allamel-Raffin Catherine
Published: July 2014

The author aims to compare the ways we interpret images in art and in science. The author suggests that, in art studies, analogy is often used, whereas in natural sciences, researchers appeal to abduction. To illustrate this assumption, she uses some critical texts about Yves Klein’s Anthropometries, as well as some ethnographic reports of scientists’ shop-talks around images, collected in a pharmacology laboratory.
The Nabidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) of Israel and the Sinai Peninsula
Authors: NOVOSELSKY T. , FREIDBERG A. , DORCHIN N. , MELTZER N. , KERZHNER I.
Published: July 2014

A long-term taxonomic and faunistic survey of the family Nabidae from Israel and the Sinai (Egypt) was conducted based primarily on material housed in the National Collection of Insects at Tel Aviv University, Israel (TAUI). A key is provided to all species and information is given for each, species including its distribution, previous records from the study area and life history details if available. Eleven species are recorded; Nabis (Nabis) pseudoferus orientarius Remane and Nabis (Halonabis) sareptanus Dohrn are new records to the fauna of the study area. Phorticus velutinus velutinus Puton is expected to occur in Israel based on its current circummediterranean distribution.
The Impacts of European and Asian Anthropogenic Sulfur Dioxide Emissions on Sahel Rainfall
Authors: Dong Buwen , Sutton Rowan T. , Highwood Ellie , Wilcox Laura
Published: July 2014

In this study, the atmospheric component of a state-of-the-art climate model [the Hadley Centre Global Environment Model, version 2–Earth System (HadGEM2-ES)] has been used to investigate the impacts of regional anthropogenic sulfur dioxide emissions on boreal summer Sahel rainfall. The study focuses on the transient response of the West African monsoon (WAM) to a sudden change in regional anthropogenic sulfur dioxide emissions, including land surface feedbacks but without sea surface temperature (SST) feedbacks. The response occurs in two distinct phases: 1) fast adjustment of the atmosphere on a time scale of days to weeks (up to 3 weeks) through aerosol–radiation and aerosol–cloud interactions with weak hydrological cycle changes and surface feedbacks and 2) adjustment of the atmosphere and land surface with significant local hydrological cycle changes and changes in atmospheric circulation (beyond 3 weeks).

European emissions lead to an increase in shortwave (SW) scattering by increased sulfate burden, leading to a decrease in surface downward SW radiation that causes surface cooling over North Africa, a weakening of the Saharan heat low and WAM, and a decrease in Sahel precipitation. In contrast, Asian emissions lead to very little change in sulfate burden over North Africa, but they induce an adjustment of the Walker circulation, which leads again to a weakening of the WAM and a decrease in Sahel precipitation. The responses to European and Asian emissions during the second phase exhibit similar large-scale patterns of anomalous atmospheric circulation and hydrological variables, suggesting a preferred response. The results support the idea that sulfate aerosol emissions contributed to the observed decline in Sahel precipitation in the second half of the twentieth century.
The Pacific Meridional Mode as an ENSO Precursor and Predictor in the North American Multimodel Ensemble
Authors: Larson Sarah M. , Kirtman Ben P.
Published: July 2014

Although modeling and observational studies have highlighted a robust relationship between the Pacific meridional mode (PMM) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)—namely, that the PMM is often a precursor to El Niño events—it remains unclear if this relationship has any real predictive use. Bridging the gap between theory and practical application is essential, because the potential use of the PMM precursor as a supplemental tool for ENSO prediction has been implied but not yet implemented into a realistic forecast setting. In this paper, a suite of sea surface temperature hindcasts is utilized from the North American Multimodel Ensemble (NMME) prediction experiment between 1982 and 2010. The goal is first to assess the NMME’s ability to forecast the PMM precursor and second to examine the relationship between PMM and ENSO within a forecast framework. In terms of model performance, results are optimistic in that not only is PMM variability captured well by the multimodel ensemble mean, but it also appears as a precursor to ENSO events in the NMME. In forecast mode, positive PMM events predict eastern Pacific El Niño events in both observations and model forecasts with some skill, yet with less skill for central Pacific El Niño events. Conversely, negative PMM events poorly predict La Niña events in observations, yet the model forecasts fail to capture this observed representation. There proves to be considerable opportunity for improvement of the PMM–ENSO relationship in the forecast models; accordingly, the predictive use of PMM for certain types of ENSO events may also see improvement.
A Model for Nighttime Minimum Temperatures
Authors: Dupuis Debbie J.
Published: July 2014

The southwestern United States has experienced some of the most important increases in nighttime minimum temperatures over the last 60 yr, and climate models are projecting more of the same to the end of the century. As climate, geography, and population density vary considerably over the area, very diverse extreme temperature levels and dynamics are observed. It is shown how nighttime minimum temperatures over the 1950–2009 period exhibit more complex dynamics than daytime maximum temperatures. The author studies nighttime minimum temperature series from 12 locations and presents one model capable of capturing all the features of the data at each location. The time series preprocessing model normalizes seasonal shocks by daily and yearly volatility components before modeling the residual volatility as an exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity [EGARCH(1, 1)] process with seasonal autoregressive structure to account for the presence of nonlinear and seasonal linear dependence, respectively, in the residual series. An exceedance over high thresholds approach is then used to model the tail of the distribution of scaled residuals from the preprocessing model. The resulting marginal distribution of nighttime minimum temperature at each location is then examined to see how it has changed in mean, scale, and shape, respectively, over the 60-yr period. Changes at the 12 locations vary considerably: many locations have seen considerable change in some or all of the three parameters, while two locations have experienced little or no change.