bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Unified Geolocation Framework for Web Videos
Authors: Song Yicheng , Zhang Yongdong , Cao Juan , Tang Jinhui , Gao Xingyu , Li Jintao
Published: July 2014

In this article, we propose a unified geolocation framework to automatically determine where on the earth a web video was shot. We analyze different social, visual, and textual relationships from a real-world dataset and find four relationships with apparent geography clues that can be used for web video geolocation. Then, the geolocation process is formulated as an optimization problem that simultaneously takes the social, visual, and textual relationships into consideration. The optimization problem is solved by an iterative procedure, which can be interpreted as a propagation of the geography information among the web video social network. Extensive experiments on a real-world dataset clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed framework, with the geolocation accuracy higher than state-of-the-art approaches.
A Cross-Layer Optimization Approach for Lower Layers of the Protocol Stack in Sensor Networks
Authors: Karvonen Heikki , Pomalaza-Ráez Carlos , Hämäläinen Matti
Published: July 2014

A cross-layer optimization approach for the physical and medium access control layers of wireless sensor networks is introduced in this article. This approach includes a Markov chain model, simulations, and analytical derivations that are applied to the analysis of sensor networks using impulse radio ultra-wideband signals with noncoherent energy detection. This type of communication system has low-power transmission requirements and noise like signal characteristics with low interference to other wireless systems. The energy efficiency of different Reed-Solomon code rates and uncoded case are studied in a star topology network, where slotted Aloha, as defined in the IEEE 802.15.4a standard, is used as the medium access protocol. Analytical and simulation results clearly show the potential energy gains that can be achieved with the proposed optimization approach that can be also used in the evaluation and optimization of other combinations of physical and medium access control protocols.
The natural-constraint representation of the path space for efficient light transport simulation
Authors: Kaplanyan Anton S. , Hanika Johannes , Dachsbacher Carsten
Published: July 2014

The path integral formulation of light transport is the basis for (Markov chain) Monte Carlo global illumination methods. In this paper we present
half vector space light transport (HSLT)
, a novel approach to sampling and integrating light transport paths on surfaces. The key is a partitioning of the path space into subspaces in which a path is represented by its start and end point constraints and a sequence of generalized half vectors. We show that this representation has several benefits. It enables importance sampling of all interactions along paths in between two endpoints. Based on this, we propose a new mutation strategy, to be used with Markov chain Monte Carlo methods such as Metropolis light transport (MLT), which is well-suited for all types of surface transport paths (diffuse/glossy/specular interaction). One important characteristic of our approach is that the Fourier-domain properties of the path integral can be easily estimated. These can be used to achieve optimal correlation of the samples due to well-chosen mutation step sizes, leading to more efficient exploration of light transport features. We also propose a novel approach to control stratification in MLT with our mutation strategy.
Computational design of linkage-based characters
Authors: Thomaszewski Bernhard , Coros Stelian , Gauge Damien , Megaro Vittorio , Grinspun Eitan , Gross Markus
Published: July 2014

We present a design system for linkage-based characters, combining form and function in an aesthetically-pleasing manner. Linkage-based character design exhibits a mix of discrete and continuous problems, making for a highly unintuitive design space that is difficult to navigate without assistance. Our system significantly simplifies this task by allowing users to interactively browse different topology options, thus guiding the discrete set of choices that need to be made. A subsequent continuous optimization step improves motion quality and, crucially, safeguards against singularities. We demonstrate the flexibility of our method on a diverse set of character designs, and then realize our designs by physically fabricating prototypes.
Boxelization
Authors: Zhou Yahan , Sueda Shinjiro , Matusik Wojciech , Shamir Ariel
Published: July 2014

We present a method for transforming a 3D object into a cube or a box using a continuous folding sequence. Our method produces a single, connected object that can be physically fabricated and folded from one shape to the other. We segment the object into voxels and search for a voxel-tree that can fold from the input shape to the target shape. This involves three major steps: finding a good voxelization, finding the tree structure that can form the input and target shapes' configurations, and finding a non-intersecting folding sequence. We demonstrate our results on several input 3D objects and also physically fabricate some using a 3D printer.
Generalizing locomotion style to new animals with inverse optimal regression
Authors: Wampler Kevin , Popović Zoran , Popović Jovan
Published: July 2014

We present a technique for analyzing a set of animal gaits to predict the gait of a new animal from its shape alone. This method works on a wide range of bipeds and quadrupeds, and adapts the motion style to the size and shape of the animal. We achieve this by combining inverse optimization with sparse data interpolation. Starting with a set of reference walking gaits extracted from sagittal plane video footage, we first use inverse optimization to learn physically motivated parameters describing the style of each of these gaits. Given a new animal, we estimate the parameters describing its gait with sparse data interpolation, then solve a forward optimization problem to synthesize the final gait. To improve the realism of the results, we introduce a novel algorithm called
joint inverse optimization
which learns coherent patterns in motion style from a database of example animal-gait pairs. We quantify the predictive performance of our model by comparing its synthesized gaits to ground truth walking motions for a range of different animals. We also apply our method to the prediction of gaits for dinosaurs and other extinct creatures.
Robust hair capture using simulated examples
Authors: Hu Liwen , Ma Chongyang , Luo Linjie , Li Hao
Published: July 2014

We introduce a data-driven hair capture framework based on example strands generated through hair simulation. Our method can robustly reconstruct faithful 3D hair models from unprocessed input point clouds with large amounts of outliers. Current state-of-the-art techniques use geometrically-inspired heuristics to derive global hair strand structures, which can yield implausible hair strands for hairstyles involving large occlusions, multiple layers, or wisps of varying lengths. We address this problem using a voting-based fitting algorithm to discover structurally plausible configurations among the locally grown hair segments from a database of simulated examples. To generate these examples, we exhaustively sample the simulation configurations within the feasible parameter space constrained by the current input hairstyle. The number of necessary simulations can be further reduced by leveraging symmetry and constrained initial conditions. The final hairstyle can then be structurally represented by a limited number of examples. To handle constrained hairstyles such as a ponytail of which realistic simulations are more difficult, we allow the user to sketch a few strokes to generate strand examples through an intuitive interface. Our approach focuses on robustness and generality. Since our method is structurally plausible by construction, we ensure an improved control during hair digitization and avoid implausible hair synthesis for a wide range of hairstyles.
Automatic editing of footage from multiple social cameras
Authors: Arev Ido , Park Hyun Soo , Sheikh Yaser , Hodgins Jessica , Shamir Ariel
Published: July 2014

We present an approach that takes multiple videos captured by
social
cameras---cameras that are carried or worn by members of the group involved in an activity---and produces a coherent "cut" video of the activity. Footage from social cameras contains an intimate, personalized view that reflects the part of an event that was of importance to the camera operator (or wearer). We leverage the insight that social cameras share the focus of attention of the people carrying them. We use this insight to determine where the important "content" in a scene is taking place, and use it in conjunction with cinematographic guidelines to select which cameras to cut to and to determine the timing of those cuts. A trellis graph representation is used to optimize an objective function that maximizes coverage of the important content in the scene, while respecting cinematographic guidelines such as the 180-degree rule and avoiding jump cuts. We demonstrate cuts of the videos in various styles and lengths for a number of scenarios, including sports games, street performances, family activities, and social get-togethers. We evaluate our results through an in-depth analysis of the cuts in the resulting videos and through comparison with videos produced by a professional editor and existing commercial solutions.
The new features of Fortran 2008
Authors: Reid John
Published: July 2014

The aim of this paper is to summarize the new features of the Fortran 2008 standard (ISO/IEC 2010). We take as our starting point Fortran 2003 (ISO/IEC 2004). An official extension for enhanced module facilities was published as a Type 2 Technical Report (ISO/IEC 2005) and WG5 was committed to include this in Fortran 2008. For an informal description of Fortran 2003, the enhanced module facilities, and the new features of Fortran 2008, see Metcalf, Reid, and Cohen (2011). The major extension consists of coarrays for parallel computing. Since the author has already summarized coarrays in another WG5 paper (Reid 2010), we refer the reader to this for details.

This article is not an official document and has not been approved by PL22.3 (formerly J3) or WG5.
Semi-Supervised Learning of Statistical Models for Natural Language Understanding
Authors: Zhou Deyu , He Yulan
Published: July 2014

Natural language understanding is to specify a computational model that maps sentences to their semantic mean representation. In this paper, we propose a novel framework to train the statistical models without using expensive fully annotated data. In particular, the input of our framework is a set of sentences labeled with abstract semantic annotations. These annotations encode the underlying embedded semantic structural relations without explicit word/semantic tag alignment. The proposed framework can automatically induce derivation rules that map sentences to their semantic meaning representations. The learning framework is applied on two statistical models, the conditional random fields (CRFs) and the hidden Markov support vector machines (HM-SVMs). Our experimental results on the DARPA communicator data show that both CRFs and HM-SVMs outperform the baseline approach, previously proposed hidden vector state (HVS) model which is also trained on abstract semantic annotations. In addition, the proposed framework shows superior performance than two other baseline approaches, a hybrid framework combining HVS and HM-SVMs and discriminative training of HVS, with a relative error reduction rate of about 25% and 15% being achieved inF-measure.
On Some Nonclassical Algebraic Properties of Interval-Valued Fuzzy Soft Sets
Authors: Liu Xiaoyan , Feng Feng , Zhang Hui
Published: July 2014

Interval-valued fuzzy soft sets realize a hybrid soft computing model in a general framework. Both Molodtsov’s soft sets and interval-valued fuzzy sets can be seen as special cases of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets. In this study, we first compare four different types of interval-valued fuzzy soft subsets and reveal the relations among them. Then we concentrate on investigating some nonclassical algebraic properties of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets under the soft product operations. We show that some fundamental algebraic properties including the commutative and associative laws do not hold in the conventional sense, but hold in weaker forms characterized in terms of the relation=L. We obtain a number of algebraic inequalities of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets characterized by interval-valued fuzzy soft inclusions. We also establish the weak idempotent law and the weak absorptive law of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets using interval-valued fuzzy softJ-equal relations. It is revealed that the soft product operations∧and∨of interval-valued fuzzy soft sets do not always have similar algebraic properties. Moreover, we find that only distributive inequalities described by the interval-valued fuzzy softL-inclusions hold for interval-valued fuzzy soft sets.
Secure Access Control and Large Scale Robust Representation for Online Multimedia Event Detection
Authors: Liu Changyu , Lu Bin , Li Huiling
Published: July 2014

We developed an online multimedia event detection (MED) system. However, there are a secure access control issue and a large scale robust representation issue when we want to integrate traditional event detection algorithms into the online environment. For the first issue, we proposed a tree proxy-based and service-oriented access control (TPSAC) model based on the traditional role based access control model. Verification experiments were conducted on the CloudSim simulation platform, and the results showed that the TPSAC model is suitable for the access control of dynamic online environments. For the second issue, inspired by the object-bank scene descriptor, we proposed a 1000-object-bank (1000OBK) event descriptor. Feature vectors of the 1000OBK were extracted from response pyramids of 1000 generic object detectors which were trained on standard annotated image datasets, such as the ImageNet dataset. A spatial bag of words tiling approach was then adopted to encode these feature vectors for bridging the gap between the objects and events. Furthermore, we performed experiments in the context of event classification on the challenging TRECVID MED 2012 dataset, and the results showed that the robust 1000OBK event descriptor outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches.
Ecological Speciation and the Intertidal Snail Littorina saxatilis
Authors: Galindo Juan , Grahame John W.
Published: July 2014

In recent decades biologists studying speciation have come to consider that the process does not necessarily require the presence of a geographical barrier. Rather, it now seems to be possible for reproductive barriers to evolve within what was hitherto a single ‘‘species.’’ The intertidal snail Littorina saxatilis has been the focus of a considerable amount of work in this context, and it is now thought of as a good case study of ‘‘ecological speciation.’’ We review some of this work and briefly consider prospects for future developments.
Understanding Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Authors: Freischlag Julie , Orion Kristine
Published: July 2014

The diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome was once debated in the world of vascular surgery. Today, it is more understood and surprisingly less infrequent than once thought. Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is composed of three types: neurogenic, venous, and arterial. Each type is in distinction to the others when considering patient presentation and diagnosis. Remarkable advances have been made in surgical approach, physical therapy, and rehabilitation of these patients. Dedicated centers of excellence with multidisciplinary teams have been developed and continue to lead the way in future research.
Effects of Crude Extracts from Medicinal HerbsRhazya strictaandZingiber officinaleon Growth and Proliferation of Human Brain Cancer Cell LineIn Vitro
Authors: Elkady Ayman I. , Hussein Rania Abd El Hamid , Abu-Zinadah Osama A.
Published: July 2014

Hitherto, limited clinical impact has been achieved in the treatment of glioblastoma (GBMs). Although phytochemicals found in medicinal herbs can provide mankind with new therapeutic remedies, single agent intervention has failed to bring the expected outcome in clinical trials. Therefore, combinations of several agents at once are gaining increasing attractiveness. In the present study, we investigated the effects of crude alkaloid (CAERS) and flavonoid (CFEZO) extracts prepared from medicinal herbs,Rhazya strictaandZingiber officinale, respectively, on the growth of human GBM cell line, U251.R. strictaandZ. officinaleare traditionally used in folkloric medicine and have antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and free radical scavenging properties. Combination of CAERS and CFEZO treatments synergistically suppressed proliferation and colony formation and effectively induced morphological and biochemical features of apoptosis in U251 cells. Apoptosis induction was mediated by release of mitochondrial cytochromec, increased Bax : Bcl-2 ratio, enhanced activities of caspase-3 and -9, and PARP-1 cleavage. CAERS and CFEZO treatments decreased expression levels of nuclear NF-κBp65, survivin, XIAP, and cyclin D1 and increased expression level of p53, p21, and Noxa. These results suggest that combination of CAERS and CFEZO provides a useful foundation for studying and developing novel chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of GBM.
Vagus Nerve throughα7 nAChR Modulates Lung Infection and Inflammation: Models, Cells, and Signals
Authors: Wu Haiya , Li Ling , Su Xiao
Published: July 2014

Cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) bridges immune and nervous systems and plays pleiotropic roles in modulating inflammation in animal models by targeting different immune, proinflammatory, epithelial, endothelial, stem, and progenitor cells and signaling pathways. Acute lung injury (ALI) is a devastating inflammatory disease. It is pathogenically heterogeneous and involves many cells and signaling pathways. Here, we emphasized the research regarding the modulatory effects of CAP on animal models, cell population, and signaling pathways that involved in the pathogenesis of ALI. By comparing the differential effects of CAP on systemic and pulmonary inflammation, we postulated that a pulmonary parasympathetic inflammatory reflex is formed to sense and respond to pathogens in the lung. Work targeting the formation and function of pulmonary parasympathetic inflammatory reflex would extend our understanding of how vagus nerve senses, recognizes, and fights with pathogens and inflammatory responses.
Laryngeal Lymphoma: The High and Low Grades of Rare Lymphoma Involvement Sites
Authors: Azzopardi Charles Paul , Degaetano James , Betts Alexandra , Farrugia Eric , Magri Claude , Refalo Nicholas , Gatt Alexander , Camilleri David J.
Published: July 2014

The larynx is an extremely rare site of involvement by lymphomatous disease. We present two cases of isolated laryngeal high-grade and another low-grade lymphoma, together with a literature review of laryngeal lymphoma management.
A New Graph-Based Molecular Descriptor Using the Canonical Representation of the Molecule
Authors: Hentabli Hamza , Saeed Faisal , Abdo Ammar , Salim Naomie
Published: July 2014

Molecular similarity is a pervasive concept in drug design. The basic idea underlying molecular similarity is the similar property principle, which states that structurally similar molecules will exhibit similar physicochemical and biological properties. In this paper, a new graph-based molecular descriptor (GBMD) is introduced. The GBMD is a new method of obtaining a rough description of 2D molecular structure in textual form based on the canonical representations of the molecule outline shape and it allows rigorous structure specification using small and natural grammars. Simulated virtual screening experiments with the MDDR database show clearly the superiority of the graph-based descriptor compared to many standard descriptors (ALOGP, MACCS, EPFP4, CDKFP, PCFP, and SMILE) using the Tanimoto coefficient (TAN) and the basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) when searches were carried.
A Community Detection Algorithm Based on Topology Potential and Spectral Clustering
Authors: Wang Zhixiao , Chen Zhaotong , Zhao Ya , Chen Shaoda
Published: July 2014

Community detection is of great value for complex networks in understanding their inherent law and predicting their behavior. Spectral clustering algorithms have been successfully applied in community detection. This kind of methods has two inadequacies: one is that the input matrixes they used cannot provide sufficient structural information for community detection and the other is that they cannot necessarily derive the proper community number from the ladder distribution of eigenvector elements. In order to solve these problems, this paper puts forward a novel community detection algorithm based on topology potential and spectral clustering. The new algorithm constructs the normalized Laplacian matrix with nodes’ topology potential, which contains rich structural information of the network. In addition, the new algorithm can automatically get the optimal community number from the local maximum potential nodes. Experiments results showed that the new algorithm gave excellent performance on artificial networks and real world networks and outperforms other community detection methods.
Functional Principal Components Analysis of Shanghai Stock Exchange 50 Index
Authors: Wang Zhiliang , Sun Yalin , Li Peng
Published: July 2014

The main purpose of this paper is to explore the principle components of Shanghai stock exchange 50 index by means of functional principal component analysis (FPCA). Functional data analysis (FDA) deals with random variables (or process) with realizations in the smooth functional space. One of the most popular FDA techniques is functional principal component analysis, which was introduced for the statistical analysis of a set of financial time series from an explorative point of view. FPCA is the functional analogue of the well-known dimension reduction technique in the multivariate statistical analysis, searching for linear transformations of the random vector with the maximal variance. In this paper, we studied the monthly return volatility of Shanghai stock exchange 50 index (SSE50). Using FPCA to reduce dimension to a finite level, we extracted the most significant components of the data and some relevant statistical features of such related datasets. The calculated results show that regarding the samples as random functions is rational. Compared with the ordinary principle component analysis, FPCA can solve the problem of different dimensions in the samples. And FPCA is a convenient approach to extract the main variance factors.
Smooth Decompositions of Triebel-Lizorkin and Besov Spaces on Product Spaces of Homogeneous Type
Authors: Liao Fanghui , Liu Zongguang , Zhang Xiaojin
Published: July 2014

We introduce Triebel-Lizorkin and Besov spaces by Calderón’s reproducing formula on product spaces of homogeneous type. We also obtain smooth atomic and molecular decompositions for these spaces.
Roles of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Vascular Dysfunction in Hypertension
Authors: Dinh Quynh N. , Drummond Grant R. , Sobey Christopher G. , Chrissobolis Sophocles
Published: July 2014

Hypertension is a complex condition and is the most common cardiovascular risk factor, contributing to widespread morbidity and mortality. Approximately 90% of hypertension cases are classified as essential hypertension, where the precise cause is unknown. Hypertension is associated with inflammation; however, whether inflammation is a cause or effect of hypertension is not well understood. The purpose of this review is to describe evidence from human and animal studies that inflammation leads to the development of hypertension, as well as the evidence for involvement of oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction—both thought to be key steps in the development of hypertension. Other potential proinflammatory conditions that contribute to hypertension—such as activation of the sympathetic nervous system, aging, and elevated aldosterone—are also discussed. Finally, we consider the potential benefit of anti-inflammatory drugs and statins for antihypertensive therapy. The evidence reviewed suggests that inflammation can lead to the development of hypertension and that oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction are involved in the inflammatory cascade. Aging and aldosterone may also both be involved in inflammation and hypertension. Hence, in the absence of serious side effects, anti-inflammatory drugs could potentially be used to treat hypertension in the future.
Solar Energy Harvesting and Management in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Abbas Muhammad Mazhar , Tawhid Mohamed A. , Saleem Khalid , Muhammad Zia , Saqib Nazar Abbas , Malik Hafiz , Mahmood Hasan
Published: July 2014

Wireless networks comprise of small devices that are typically deployed in environments where paucity of energy seriously restricts essential operations. The energy source of these devices decreases very quickly during continuous operation and it is pivotal to replace or recharge frequently the power sources. Sometimes, it is very difficult to perform these functions through conventional methods. One attractive solution to this problem is the use of the energy, scattered around us in the environment. The availability of energy from the environment is random and uncertain. In this paper, we present a model, schematically and analytically, for solar energy harvesting with appropriate energy management. We provide analysis and simulations for a solar cell for standard and different irradiance levels. The power of the storage device is also simulated for different times of the day. The proposed model not only scavenges the energy but also assures the connectivity of the network by optimizing the energy consumption.
Micropropagation of an Exotic Ornamental Plant,Calathea crotalifera, for Production of High Quality Plantlets
Authors: Efzueni Rozali Shahril , Rashid Kamaludin A. , Mat Taha Rosna
Published: July 2014

A successful protocol was established for micropropagation in two selected varieties of exotic ornamental plants,Calathea crotalifera. The effects of different sterilization techniques, explant type, and the combination and concentration of plant growth regulators on shoots induction were studied. The axillary shoot buds explants sprouted from rhizomes in soil free conditions showed high induction rate of shoots with lowest contamination percentage when treated with combination of 30% (v/v) NaOCl, 70% (v/v) ethanol, and 0.3% (w/v) HgCl2. In the present study, the highest number of multiple shoots was obtained in MS basal medium supplemented with 3.5 mg/L 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), 1.0 mg/L 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 3% sucrose, and 6 g/L plant agar for both varieties and was used as multiplication medium. Microshoots were highly induced when the young shoot bud explants were incised longitudinally prior subculture. Chlorophyll analysis was studied to test the effects of activated charcoal and L-glutamine on reduction of necrosis problem. The maximum roots induction was recorded on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) compared to indolebutyric acid (IBA). The complete regenerated plantlets were successfully acclimatized in the soilless medium under greenhouse condition. This is the first report of rapid mass propagation forC. crotalifera.
Cell Type-Dependent RNA Recombination Frequency in the Japanese Encephalitis Virus
Authors: Chiang Wei-Wei , Chuang Ching-Kai , Chao Mei , Chen Wei-June
Published: July 2014

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is one of approximately 70 flaviviruses, frequently causing symptoms involving the central nervous system. Mutations of its genomic RNA frequently occur during viral replication, which is believed to be a force contributing to viral evolution. Nevertheless, accumulating evidences show that some JEV strains may have actually arisen from RNA recombination between genetically different populations of the virus. We have demonstrated that RNA recombination in JEV occurs unequally in different cell types. In the present study, viral RNA fragments transfected into as well as viral RNAs synthesized in mosquito cells were shown not to be stable, especially in the early phase of infection possibly via cleavage by exoribonuclease. Such cleaved small RNA fragments may be further degraded through an RNA interference pathway triggered by viral double-stranded RNA during replication in mosquito cells, resulting in a lower frequency of RNA recombination in mosquito cells compared to that which occurs in mammalian cells. In fact, adjustment of viral RNA to an appropriately lower level in mosquito cells prevents overgrowth of the virus and is beneficial for cells to survive the infection. Our findings may also account for the slower evolution of arboviruses as reported previously.
Path Loss Model with Antenna Height Dependency under Indoor Stair Environment
Authors: Yu Yu , Liu Yang , Lu Wen-Jun , Zhu Hong-Bo
Published: July 2014

A novel, receiving antenna-height-dependent path loss model under indoor stair environment is presented. The effect of a cross-beam in the stairs is also considered. The proposed model can be applied to describe both of the line-of-sight (LOS) and the non-LOS (NLOS) cases. By using least square criterion, the parameters of proposed model are extracted. Finally, using the maximum likelihood estimation, the precision of the proposed model is evaluated by the standard deviation of shadowing.
Influence of Pedestrian Trajectories on School Children Exposure to PM10
Authors: Garcia João , Cerdeira Rita , Coelho Luís , Kumar Prashant , Carvalho Maria da Graça
Published: July 2014

Three pedestrian trajectories are considered to study the influence of PM10 concentrations on children exposure, in a high‐traffic street canyon. Two types of exposure were calculated: daily exposure for each wind condition and cumulative annual exposure considering all wind conditions. FLUENT was used to simulate the flow, turbulence, and PM10 dispersion in the street canyon. Our results indicate that exposure is influenced by the chosen walking trajectory and wind direction. When considering daily exposure, the highest value is achieved for the trajectory on the south side of the street, under westerly wind conditions, 13% higher than the baseline that assumes no traffic. The results indicate that a particular trajectory can be better for one specific wind direction but can represent the worst for a different wind direction. A difference of 3% to 13% higher exposure was achieved by choosing the best and worst trajectories. When computing cumulative annual exposure, trajectory on the north side of the street shows better results, 8.4% higher than the baseline value. Northerly and westerly winds result in the lowest and the highest exposure value for every studied trajectory. Careful selection of the best pedestrian paths can help reduce the exposure in busy street canyons.
A Numerical Study on the Performance of Nonlinear Models of a Microvibration Isolator
Authors: Wang Jie , Zhao Shougen , Wu Dafang
Published: July 2014

A non-Newton fluid microvibration isolator is studied in this paper and several nonlinear models are firstly presented to characterize its vibration behaviors due to the complicated effects of internal structure, external excitation, and fluid property. On the basis of testing hysteretic loops, the generalized pattern search (GPS) algorithm of MATLAB optimization toolbox is used to identify the model parameters. With the use of the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method, the performance of these nonlinear models is further estimated. The results show that, in the cases of force excitation (FE), the generalized nonlinear model (GNM) and the complicated model (CM) can properly characterize the physical vibration in the frequency band of 5–20 Hz. However, in the frequency band of 30–200 Hz, the Maxwell model shows more excellent performance. After the application of orthogonal testing method, several important factors, for example, damping coefficient and flow index, are obtained; then a parametric analysis is carried out with the purpose of further studying the influences of nonlinear model parameters. It can be seen that only the GNM and CM can consider the above nonlinear effects in both the FE cases and the foundation displacement excitation (FDE) cases, but the CM is not convenient to use in practice.
Recipients withIn UteroInduction of Tolerance Upregulated MHC Class I in the Engrafted Donor Skin
Authors: Chen Jeng-Chang , Ou Liang-Shiou , Yu Hsiu-Yueh , Kuo Ming-Ling , Chang Pei-Yeh , Chang Hsueh-Ling
Published: July 2014

The alterations in MHC class I expression play a crucial step in immune evasion of cancer or virus-infected cells. This study aimed to examine whether tolerized grafts modified MHC class I expression. FVB/N mice were rendered tolerant of C57BL/6 alloantigens byin uterotransplantation of C57BL/6 marrows. Postnatally, engrafted donor skins and leukocytes were examined for their MHC expression by quantitative real-time PCR and flow cytometry. Engrafted donor skins upregulated their MHC class I related gene transcripts after short-term (1~2 weeks) or long-term (>1 month) engraftment. This biological phenomenon was simultaneously associated with upregulation of TAP1 gene transcripts, suggesting an important role of TAP1 in the regulation of MHC class I pathway. The surface MHC class I molecules of H-2Kbin engrafted donor leukocytes consistently showed overexpression. Conclusively, the induction of allograft tolerance involved biological modifications of donor transplants. The overexpression of MHC class I within engrafted transplants of tolerant mice might be used as the tolerance biomarkers for identifying a state of graft tolerance.
Heavy Scalar, Vector, and Axial-Vector Mesons in Hot and Dense Nuclear Medium
Authors: Kumar Arvind
Published: July 2014

In this work we shall investigate the mass modifications of scalar mesons (D0;B0), vector mesons (D*;B*), and axial-vector mesons (D1;B1) at finite density and temperature of the nuclear medium. The above mesons are modified in the nuclear medium through the modification of quark and gluon condensates. We will find the medium modification of quark and gluon condensates within chiral SU(3) model through the medium modification of scalar-isoscalar fieldsσandζat finite density and temperature. These medium modified quark and gluon condensates will further be used through QCD sum rules for the evaluation of in-medium properties of the above mentioned scalar, vector, and axial vector mesons. We will also discuss the effects of density and temperature of the nuclear medium on the scattering lengths of the above scalar, vector, and axial-vector mesons. The study of the medium modifications of the above mesons may be helpful for understanding their production rates in heavy-ion collision experiments. The results of present investigations of medium modifications of scalar, vector, and axial-vector mesons at finite density and temperature can be verified in the compressed baryonic matter (CBM) experiment of FAIR facility at GSI, Germany.
Effects of Repetitive Shoulder Activity on the Subacromial Space in Manual Wheelchair Users
Authors: Lin Yen-Sheng , Boninger Michael , Worobey Lynn , Farrokhi Shawn , Koontz Alicia
Published: July 2014

This study investigated (1) the effect of repetitive weight-relief raises (WR) and shoulder external rotation (ER) on the acromiohumeral distance (AHD) among manual wheelchair users (MWUs) and (2) the relationship between shoulder pain, subject characteristics, and AHD changes. Twenty-three MWUs underwent ultrasound imaging of the nondominant shoulder in an unloaded baseline position and while holding a WR position before and after the WR/ER tasks. Pairedt-tests and Spearman correlational analysis were used to assess differences in the AHD before and after each task and the relationships between pain, subject characteristics, and the AHD measures. A significant reduction in the subacromial space (P<0.01) occurred when subjects performed a WR position compared to baseline. Individuals with increased years of disability had greater AHD percentage narrowing after WR (P=0.008). Increased shoulder pain was associated with AHD percentage narrowing after ER (P≤0.007). The results support clinical practice guidelines that recommend MWUs limit WR to preserve shoulder function. The isolated repetitive shoulder activity did not contribute to the changes of subacromial space in MWUs. The ultrasonographic measurement of the AHD may be a target for identifying future interventions that prevent pain.
Disruption of HPV16-E7 by CRISPR/Cas System Induces Apoptosis and Growth Inhibition in HPV16 Positive Human Cervical Cancer Cells
Authors: Hu Zheng , Yu Lan , Zhu Da , Ding Wencheng , Wang Xiaoli , Zhang Changlin , Wang Liming , Jiang Xiaohui , Shen Hui , He Dan , Li Kezhen , Xi Ling , Ma Ding , Wang Hui
Published: July 2014

High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) has been recognized as a major causative agent for cervical cancer. Upon HPV infection, early genes E6 and E7 play important roles in maintaining malignant phenotype of cervical cancer cells. By using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats- (CRISPR-) associated protein system (CRISPR/Cas system), a widely used genome editing tool in many organisms, to target HPV16-E7 DNA in HPV positive cell lines, we showed for the first time that the HPV16-E7 single-guide RNA (sgRNA) guided CRISPR/Cas system could disrupt HPV16-E7 DNA at specific sites, inducing apoptosis and growth inhibition in HPV positive SiHa and Caski cells, but not in HPV negative C33A and HEK293 cells. Moreover, disruption of E7 DNA directly leads to downregulation of E7 protein and upregulation of tumor suppressor protein pRb. Therefore, our results suggest that HPV16-E7 gRNA guided CRISPR/Cas system might be used as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cervical cancer.
A New Algorithm of Parameter Estimation for the Logistic Equation in Modeling CO2 Emissions from Fossil Fuel Combustion
Authors: Meng Ming , Shang Wei , Niu Dongxiao , Gao Qian
Published: July 2014

CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion have been considered as the most important driving factor of global climate change. A complete understanding of the rules of CO2 emissions is warranted in modifying the climate change mitigation policy. The current paper advanced a new algorithm of parameter estimation for the logistic equation, which was used to simulate the trend of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion. The differential equation of the transformed logistic equation was used as the beginning of the parameter estimation. A discretization method was then designed to input the observed samples. After minimizing the residual sum of squares and letting the summation of the residual be equal to 0, the estimated parameters were obtained. Finally, this parameter estimation algorithm was applied to the carbon emissions in China to examine the simulation precision. The error analysis indicators mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), median absolute percentage error (MdAPE), maximal absolute percentage error (MaxAPE), and geometric mean relative absolute error (GMRAE) all showed that the new algorithm was better than the previous ones.
Clinical Applications of End-to-Side Neurorrhaphy: An Update
Authors: Tos Pierluigi , Colzani Giulia , Ciclamini Davide , Titolo Paolo , Pugliese Pierfrancesco , Artiaco Stefano
Published: July 2014

End-to-side neurorrhaphy constitutes an interesting option to regain nerve function after damage in selected cases, in which conventional techniques are not feasible. In the last twenty years, many experimental and clinical studies have been conducted in order to understand the biological mechanisms and to test the effectiveness of this technique, with contrasting results. In this updated review, we consider the state of the art about end-to-side coaptation, focusing on all the current clinical applications, such as sensory and mixed nerve repair, treatment of facial palsy, and brachial plexus injuries and painful neuromas management.
Rotenone Remarkably Attenuates Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Fibrosis in Chronic Obstructive Uropathy
Authors: Sun Ying , Zhang Yue , Zhao Daqiang , Ding Guixia , Huang Songming , Zhang Aihua , Jia Zhanjun
Published: July 2014

Mitochondrial abnormality has been shown in many kidney disease models. However, its role in the pathogenesis of chronic kidney diseases (CKDs) is still uncertain. In present study, a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor rotenone was applied to the mice subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Following 7-days rotenone treatment, a remarkable attenuation of tubular injury was detected by PAS staining. In line with the improvement of kidney morphology, rotenone remarkably blunted fibrotic response as shown by downregulation of fibronectin (FN), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), collagen I, collagen III, andα-SMA, paralleled with a substantial decrease of TGF-β1. Meanwhile, the oxidative stress markers thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and inflammatory markers TNF-α, IL-1β, and ICAM-1 were markedly decreased. More importantly, the reduction of mitochondrial DNA copy number and mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (mtND1) expression in obstructed kidneys was moderately but significantly restored by rotenone, suggesting an amelioration of mitochondrial injury. Collectively, mitochondrial complex I inhibitor rotenone protected kidneys against obstructive injury possibly via inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis, suggesting an important role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of obstructive kidney disease.
Management of Mango Hopper,Idioscopus clypealis,Using Chemical Insecticides and Neem Oil
Authors: Adnan S. M. , Uddin M. M. , Alam M. J. , Islam M. S. , Kashem M. A. , Rafii M. Y. , Latif M. A.
Published: July 2014

An experiment was conducted in Field Laboratory, Department of Entomology at Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, during 2013 to manage the mango hopper,Idioscopus clypealisL, using three chemical insecticides, Imidacloprid (0.3%), Endosulfan (0.5%), and Cypermethrin (0.4%), and natural Neem oil (3%) with three replications of each. All the treatments were significantly effective in managing mango hopper in comparison to the control. Imidacloprid showed the highest efficacy in percentage of reduction of hopper population (92.50 ± 9.02) at 72 hours after treatment in case of 2nd spray. It also showed the highest overall percentage of reduction (88.59 ± 8.64) of hopper population and less toxicity to natural enemies including green ant, spider, and lacewing of mango hopper. In case of biopesticide, azadirachtin based Neem oil was found effective against mango hopper as 48.35, 60.15, and 56.54% reduction after 24, 72, and 168 hours of spraying, respectively, which was comparable with Cypermethrin as there was no statistically significant difference after 168 hours of spray. Natural enemies were also higher after 1st and 2nd spray in case of Neem oil.
Evaluation of Pachymetric Measurements with Scheimpflug Photography-Based System and Optical Coherence Tomography Pachymetry at Different Stages of Keratoconus
Authors: Sezgin Akçay Betül İlkay , Özgürhan Engin Bilge , Bozkurt Ercüment , Kurt Tuğba , Yıldırım Yusuf , Coşar Mediha Gülen , Yıldırım Aydın , Umurhan Akkan Jülide Canan , Demirok Ahmet
Published: July 2014

The aim of this study was to compare the central and peripheral pachymetric measurements determined with Sirius system and Visante OCT and evaluate the agreement between them at different stages of keratoconus. Measurements were not significantly different in all patients and subgroups and showed high correlation for the corneal thicknesses of the entire cornea in different stages of keratoconus.
Chemical Composition, Leishmanicidal and Cytotoxic Activities of the Essential Oils fromMangifera indicaL. var. Rosa and Espada
Authors: Ramos Eduardo H. S. , Moraes Marcílio M. , Nerys Laís L. de A. , Nascimento Silene C. , Militão Gardênia C. G. , de Figueiredo Regina C. B. Q. , da Câmara Cláudio A. G. , Silva Teresinha Gonçalves
Published: July 2014

The essential oils fromMangifera indicavar. Rosa and Espada latex were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC-FID and GC-MS. Twenty-seven components were identified. The main compound in the essential oil fromM. indicavar. Espada (EOMiE) was terpinolene (73.6%). The essential oil ofM. indicavar. Rosa (EOMiR) was characterized by high amounts ofβ-pinene (40.7%) and terpinolene (28.3%). In the test for leishmanicidal activity against promastigotes forms ofL. amazonensis, EOMiR and EOMiE showed IC50(72 h) of 39.1 and 23.0 μg/mL, respectively. In macrophages, EOMiR and EOMiE showed CC50of 142.84 and 158.65 μg/mL, respectively. However, both were more specific to the parasite than macrophages, with values of selectivity index of 6.91 for EOMiE and 3.66 for EOMiR. The essential oils were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against the human tumor cells HEp-2, HT-29, NCI-H292, and HL-60. The EOMiR and EOMiE were most effective against the HL-60, with IC50values of 12.3 and 3.6 μg/mL, respectively. The results demonstrated that the essential oils ofM. indicacan destroyL. amazonensisand inhibit tumor cell growth. These findings contribute to the knowledge of the Brazilian biodiversity as a source of potential therapeutic agents.
Establishing Land Suitability Criteria for Cashew (Anacardium occidentaleL.) in Indonesia
Authors: Widiatmaka  , Sutandi Atang , Iswandi Anas , Daras Usman , Hikmat Muhammad , Krisnohadi Ari
Published: July 2014

Commodity development requires site selection which should be established prior to large scale development. The land suitability criteria for cashew are not presently available. The relationship between the biophysical aspects, especially land and soil with commodity productivity, is also not known in depth. The objective of this study is to establish the criteria of land suitability for cashew in Indonesia, based on its production and land characteristics. Cashew plantations in 5 provinces were sampled. The data of production per tree per year were obtained from farmers, while the soil was sampled and analyzed in the laboratory. Age-adjusted cashew production was used as the yield response and plotted against land characteristics. Boundary lines resulting from the scatter of points were described; these lines produced the limits of land suitability criteria. The criteria were established using a projection of the intersection between the boundary line and yield interval. The criteria were also built in accordance with the productivity index of FAO for the internal boundary inside the S (suitable) class and by calculating the break-event point production for the boundary between S (suitable) and N (nonsuitable) order. The main result of this research is land suitability criteria for cashew.
Scheduling Jobs and a Variable Maintenance on a Single Machine with Common Due-Date Assignment
Authors: Wan Long
Published: July 2014

We investigate a common due-date assignment scheduling problem with a variable maintenance on a single machine. The goal is to minimize the total earliness, tardiness, and due-date cost. We derive some properties on an optimal solution for our problem. For a special case with identical jobs we propose an optimal polynomial time algorithm followed by a numerical example.