bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chondrosternal Arthritis in Infant: An Unusual Entity
Authors: Nikolarakou Athina , Dumitriu Dana , Docquier Pierre-Louis
Published: October 2014

Primary arthritis of chondrosternal joint is very rare and occurs in infants less than 18 months of age. Presentation is most often subacute but may be acute. Child presents with a parasternal mass with history of fever and/or local signs of infection. Clinical symptoms vary from a painless noninflammatory to a painful mass with local tenderness and swelling, while fever may be absent. Laboratory data show low or marginally raised levels of white blood cells and C-reactive protein, reflecting, respectively, the subacute or acute character of the infection. It is a self-limiting affection due to the adequate immune response of the patient. Evolution is generally good without antibiotherapy with a progressive spontaneous healing. A wait-and-see approach with close follow-up in the first weeks is the best therapeutic option.
Spatial and Temporal Variability of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments from Yellow River-Dominated Margin
Authors: Ding Su , Xu Yunping , Wang Yinghui , Zhang Xinyu , Zhao Liang , Ruan Jiaping , Wu Weichao
Published: October 2014

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed for surface sediments and a sediment core from the Yellow River-dominated margin. The concentration of 16 USEPA priority PAHs in surface sediments ranged from 5.6 to 175.4 ng g−1dry weight sediment (dws) with a mean of 49.1 ng g−1 dws. From 1930 to 2011, the distribution of PAHs (37.2 to 210.6 ng g−1 dws) was consistent with the socioeconomic development of China. The PAHs’ concentration peaked in 1964 and 1986, corresponding to the rapid economic growth in China (1958–1965) and the initiation of the “Reform and Open” policy in 1978, respectively. The applications of molecular diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis suggest that PAHs are predominantly produced by the coal and biomass combustion, whereas the contribution of petroleum combustions slightly increased after the 1970s, synchronous with an increasing usage of oil and gas in China.
A Pan‐Function Model for the Utilization of Bandwidth Improvement and PAPR Reduction
Authors: Xu Yidong , Xue Wei , Shang Wenjing
Published: October 2014

Aiming at the digital quadrature modulation system, a mathematical Pan‐function model of the optimized baseband symbol signals with a symbol length of 4T was established in accordance with the minimum out‐band energy radiation criterion. The intersymbol interference (ISI), symbol‐correlated characteristics, and attenuation factor were introduced to establish the mathematical Pan‐function model. The Pan‐function was added to the constraints of boundary conditions, energy of a single baseband symbol signal, and constant‐envelope conditions. Baseband symbol signals with the optimum efficient spectrum were obtained by introducing Fourier series and minimizing the Pan‐function. The characteristics of the spectrum and peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR) of the obtained signals were analyzed and compared with the minimum shift keying (MSK) and quadrature phase‐shift keying (QPSK) signals. The obtained signals have the characteristics of a higher spectral roll‐off rate, less out‐band radiation, and quasi‐constant envelope. We simulated the performance of the obtained signals, and the simulation results demonstrate that the method is feasible.
Modelling Hepatotoxicity of Antiretroviral Therapy in the Liver during HIV Monoinfection
Authors: Nampala Hasifa , Luboobi Livingstone S. , Mugisha Joseph Y. T. , Obua Celestino
Published: October 2014

Liver related complications are currently the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals. In HIV monoinfected individuals on therapy, liver injury has been associated with the use of antiretroviral agents as most of them exhibit some degree of toxicity. In this study we proposed a mathematical model with the aim of investigating hepatotoxicity of combinational therapy of antiretroviral drugs. Therapy efficacy and toxicity were incorporated in the model as dose-response functions. With the parameter values used in the study, protease inhibitors-based regimens were found to be more toxic than nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors-based regimens. In both regimens, the combination of stavudine and zidovudine was the most toxic baseline nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors followed by didanosine with stavudine. However, the least toxic combinations were zidovudine and lamivudine followed by didanosine and lamivudine. The study proposed that, under the same second line regimens, the most toxic first line combination gives the highest viral load and vice versa.
Modelling the Effects of Soil Conditions on Olive Productivity in Mediterranean Hilly Areas
Authors: Tubeileh Ashraf , Turkelboom Francis , Al-Ibrahem Anwar , Thomas Richard , Sultan-Tubeileh Kholoud
Published: October 2014

The majority of olive (Olea europaeaL.) production in Mediterranean environments is characterized by low external inputs and is practiced in hilly areas with shallow soils. This study aimed to study the yield and nutritional status for olive (cv. “Zeiti”) trees in northwestern Syria and establish correlations between yield, on the one hand, and soil/land factors and tree nutrition, on the other hand, to determine the most yield-affecting factors. Land and soil fertility parameters (field slope, soil depth, and soil nutrients) and concentrations of leaf minerals were determined. As olive roots can go deep in the soil profile to extract nutrients, the total available nutrients per tree (over the whole profile) were estimated. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the model that best accounts for yield variability. Total available soil potassium amount (R2=0.68), soil total N amount (R2=0.59), and soil depth (R2=0.56) had the highest correlations with olive fruit yields. Available soil potassium amount and soil depth explained together 77% of the yield variability observed. In addition to these two factors, adding leaf B and Fe concentrations to the model increased the variability explained to 83%.
A NovelN-Input Voting Algorithm forX-by-Wire Fault-Tolerant Systems
Authors: Karimi Abbas , Zarafshan Faraneh , Al-Haddad S. A. R. , Ramli Abdul Rahman
Published: October 2014

Voting is an important operation in multichannel computation paradigm and realization of ultrareliable and real-time control systems that arbitrates among the results ofNredundant variants. These systems includeN-modular redundant (NMR) hardware systems and diversely designed software systems based onN-version programming (NVP). Depending on the characteristics of the application and the type of selected voter, the voting algorithms can be implemented for either hardware or software systems. In this paper, a novel voting algorithm is introduced for real-time fault-tolerant control systems, appropriate for applications in whichNis large. Then, its behavior has been software implemented in different scenarios of error-injection on the system inputs. The results of analyzed evaluations through plots and statistical computations have demonstrated that this novel algorithm does not have the limitations of some popular voting algorithms such as median and weighted; moreover, it is able to significantly increase the reliability and availability of the system in the best case to 2489.7% and 626.74%, respectively, and in the worst case to 3.84% and 1.55%, respectively.
Blastocystis and Schistosomiasis Coinfection in a Patient with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Young Colin R. , Yeo Fred E.
Published: October 2014

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) represent a spectrum of impaired immunity with effects on cellular immunity, soluble immune factors, and inflammation. As a result, infections due to impaired immune system responses are responsible for significant morbidity in patients with kidney disease. Because of immune dysfunction in CKD, these patients have reduced probability to clear infections and are susceptible to pathogenic effects of common organisms. We present a case of a patient with CKD coinfected withSchistosoma mansoniandBlastocystisspp. This appears to be the first reported association ofSchistosoma mansoniandBlastocystisspp. in a patient with CKD.
Proof‐of‐Concept Randomized Controlled Study of Cognition Effects of the Proprietary Extract Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin) Targeting Phosphodiesterase‐4 in Cognitively Healthy Subjects: Implications for Alzheimer’s Dementia
Authors: Chiu Simon , Gericke Nigel , Farina-Woodbury Michel , Badmaev Vladimir , Raheb Hana , Terpstra Kristen , Antongiorgi Joalex , Bureau Yves , Cernovsky Zack , Hou Jirui , Sanchez Veronica , Williams Marissa , Copen John , Husni Mariwan , Goble Liz
Published: October 2014

Introduction. Converging evidence suggests that PDE‐4 (phosphodiesterase subtype 4) plays a crucial role in regulating cognition via the PDE‐4‐cAMP cascade signaling involving phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). Objective. The primary endpoint was to examine the neurocognitive effects of extract Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin) and to assess the safety and tolerability of Zembrin in cognitively healthy control subjects.
Method. We chose the randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled cross‐over design in our study. We randomized normal healthy subjects (total n  = 21) to receive either 25 mg capsule Zembrin or placebo capsule once daily for 3 weeks, in a randomized placebo‐controlled 3‐week cross‐over design. We administered battery of neuropsychological tests: CNS Vital Signs and Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM‐D) at baseline and regular intervals and monitored side effects with treatment emergent adverse events scale. Results. 21 subjects (mean age: 54.6 years ± 6.0 yrs; male/female ratio: 9/12) entered the study. Zembrin at 25 mg daily dosage significantly improved cognitive set flexibility (P < 0.032) and executive function (P < 0.022), compared with the placebo group. Positive changes in mood and sleep were found. Zembrin was well tolerated. Conclusion. The promising cognitive enhancing effects of Zembrin likely implicate the PDE‐4‐cAMP‐CREB cascade, a novel drug target in the potential treatment of early Alzheimer’s dementia. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01805518.
Global Stability Analysis of a Nonautonomous Stage-Structured Competitive System with Toxic Effect and Double Maturation Delays
Authors: Liu Chao , Li Yuanke
Published: October 2014

We investigate a nonautonomous two-species competitive system with stage structure and double time delays due to maturation for two species, where toxic effect of toxin liberating species on nontoxic species is considered and the inhibiting effect is zero in absence of either species. Positivity and boundedness of solutions are analytically studied. By utilizing some comparison arguments, an iterative technique is proposed to discuss permanence of the species within competitive system. Furthermore, existence of positive periodic solutions is investigated based on continuation theorem of coincidence degree theory. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov functional, sufficient conditions for global stability of the unique positive periodic solution are analyzed. Numerical simulations are carried out to show consistency with theoretical analysis.
Statistical Test for Bivariate Uniformity
Authors: Chen Zhenmin , Hu Tieyong
Published: October 2014

The purpose of the multidimension uniformity test is to check whether the underlying probability distribution of a multidimensional population differs from the multidimensional uniform distribution. The multidimensional uniformity test has applications in various fields such as biology, astronomy, and computer science. Such a test, however, has received less attention in the literature compared with the univariate case. A new test statistic for checking multidimensional uniformity is proposed in this paper. Some important properties of the proposed test statistic are discussed. As a special case, the bivariate statistic test is discussed in detail in this paper. The Monte Carlo simulation is used to compare the power of the newly proposed test with the distance-to-boundary test, which is a recently published statistical test for multidimensional uniformity. It has been shown that the test proposed in this paper is more powerful than the distance-to-boundary test in some cases.
Facile Synthesis of Micron-Sized Hollow Silver Spheres as Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering
Authors: Xia Lixin , Xia Jiarui , Wei Ran , Sui Ying , Sun Zhipeng , Song Xuehua , Song Peng , Yang Lini
Published: October 2014

A well-designed type of micron-sized hollow silver sphere was successfully synthesized by a simple hard-template method to be used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering. 4 Å molecular sieves were employed as a removable solid template. [Ag(NH3)2]+was absorbed as the precursor on the surface of the molecular sieve. Formaldehyde was selected as a reducing agent to reduce [Ag(NH3)2]+, resulting in the formation of a micron-sized silver shell on the surface of the 4 Å molecular sieves. The micron-sized hollow silver spheres were obtained by removing the molecular sieve template. SEM and XRD were used to characterize the structure of the micron-sized hollow silver spheres. The as-prepared micro-silver spheres exhibited robust SERS activity in the presence of adsorbed 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) with excitation at 632.8 nm, and the enhancement factor reached ~1.5 × 106. This synthetic process represents a promising method for preparing various hollow metal nanoparticles.
Damping Coefficient Induces Stochastic Multiresonance in Bistable System with Asymmetric Dichotomous Noise
Authors: Wu Juan , Xu Yong
Published: October 2014

Stochastic resonance (SR) and stochastic multiresonance (SMR) phenomena as a function of the underdamping and overdamping coefficients in bistable system with asymmetric dichotomous noise are investigated numerically. By the efficient numerical simulation of the asymmetric dichotomous noise and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta algorithm, we calculate the system responses, the averaged power spectrum, and the signal-noise-ratio (SNR) that can be a measure of the existence of SR and SMR phenomenon. And the effects of damping coefficients on the three characteristics are analyzed. Firstly, it is found that the periodic asymmetric distribution of the particle’s hopping between two potential wells in the system response is gradually weakened as underdamping coefficient is increased to overdamping coefficient. And it also displays the periodic asymmetric distribution under the circumstance of overdamping coefficient. Then the averaged power spectrum exhibits multiple sharp peaks, and the highest peak increases and decreases for underdamping coefficient which is added to overdamping coefficient. Finally, SNR versus the damping coefficient for the system parameters and the noise parameters are acquired and they show multiple peaks and valleys, which illustrates the obvious SMR phenomena in bistable system with asymmetric dichotomous noise.
Depth Measurement Based on Infrared Coded Structured Light
Authors: Jia Tong , Zhou ZhongXuan , Gao HaiHong
Published: October 2014

Depth measurement is a challenging problem in computer vision research. In this study, we first design a new grid pattern and develop a sequence coding and decoding algorithm to process the pattern. Second, we propose a linear fitting algorithm to derive the linear relationship between the object depth and pixel shift. Third, we obtain depth information on an object based on this linear relationship. Moreover, 3D reconstruction is implemented based on Delaunay triangulation algorithm. Finally, we utilize the regularity of the error curves to correct the system errors and improve the measurement accuracy. The experimental results show that the accuracy of depth measurement is related to the step length of moving object.
Identification and Characterization of Microsatellites in Expressed Sequence Tags and Their Cross Transferability in Different Plants
Authors: Haq Shamshad ul , Jain Rohit , Sharma Meenakshi , Kachhwaha Sumita , Kothari S. L.
Published: October 2014

Expressed sequence tags (EST) are potential source for the development of genic microsatellite markers, gene discovery, comparative genomics, and other genomic studies. In the present study, 7630 ESTs were examined from NCBI for SSR identification and characterization. A total of 263 SSRs were identified with an average density of one SSR/4.2 kb (3.4% frequency). Analysis revealed that trinucleotide repeats (47.52%) were most abundant followed by tetranucleotide (19.77%), dinucleotide (19.01%), pentanucleotide (9.12%), and hexanucleotide repeats (4.56%). Functional annotation was done through homology search and gene ontology, and 35 EST-SSRs were selected. Primer pairs were designed for evaluation of cross transferability and polymorphism among 11 plants belonging to five different families. Total 402 alleles were generated at 155 loci with an average of 2.6 alleles/locus and the polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.15 to 0.92 with an average of 0.75. The cross transferability ranged from 34.84% to 98.06% in different plants, with an average of 67.86%. Thus, the validation study of annotated 35 EST-SSR markers which correspond to particular metabolic activity revealed polymorphism and evolutionary nature in different families of Angiospermic plants.
Usefulness of Lipid Apheresis in the Treatment of Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Lui Matthew , Garberich Ross , Strauss Craig , Davin Thomas , Knickelbine Thomas
Published: October 2014

Lipid apheresis is used to treat patients with severe hyperlipidemia by reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This study examines the effect of apheresis on the lipid panel and cardiac event rates before and after apheresis. An electronic health record screen of ambulatory patients identified 11 active patients undergoing lipid apheresis with 10/11 carrying a diagnosis of FH. Baseline demographics, pre- and postapheresis lipid levels, highest recorded LDL-C, cardiac events, current medications, and first apheresis treatment were recorded. Patients completed a questionnaire and self-reported risk factors and interest in alternative treatment. There were significant reductions in mean total cholesterol (−58.4%), LDL-C (−71.9%), triglycerides (−51%), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (−9.3%), and non-HDL (−68.2%) values. Thirty-four cardiac events were documented in 8 patients before apheresis, compared with 9 events in 5 patients after apheresis. Our survey showed a high prevalence of statin intolerance (64%), with the majority (90%) of participants indicating an interest in alternative treatment options. Our results have shown that lipid apheresis primary effect is a marked reduction in LDL-C cholesterol levels and may reduce the recurrence of cardiac events. Apheresis should be compared to the newer alternative treatment modalities in a randomized fashion due to patient interest in alternative options.
An Ethnomethodological Study of a Museum Guide Robot’s Attempt at Engagement and Disengagement
Authors: Ghosh Madhumita , Kuzuoka Hideaki
Published: October 2014

We conducted a study of a museum guide robot’s attempt at engaging and disengaging the audience at predetermined points in time during a guided tour. We used “ethnomethodology” as a tool for our study and analysis. In this paper, we describe how we developed, tested, and analyzed a museum guide robot system that borrows cues from social scientists to manage an audience. We have described how we began our study, the previous studies that we referred to, the initial attempts to test our concept, the development of the system, the real-world experiments, and the analysis of the data that we collected. We have described the tools of engagement and disengagement that the robot has used and presented the results of our statistical analysis of the experimental data. Most prominently, we found that a verbal gesture called “summative assessment” and a nonverbal gesture called the “lean-back” gesture are very effective as tools of disengagement. These tools help a robot guide to manage the audience in the same way as a human guide. Moreover, we found that a combination of the aforementioned two gestures is more effective than employing them separately.
Rapid Detection and Differentiation ofClonorchis sinensisandOpisthorchis viverriniUsing Real-Time PCR and High Resolution Melting Analysis
Authors: Cai Xian-Quan , Yu Hai-Qiong , Li Rong , Yue Qiao-Yun , Liu Guo-Hua , Bai Jian-Shan , Deng Yan , Qiu De-Yi , Zhu Xing-Quan
Published: October 2014

Clonorchis sinensisandOpisthorchis viverriniare both important fish-borne pathogens, causing serious public health problem in Asia. The present study developed an assay integrating real-time PCR and high resolution melting (HRM) analysis for the specific detection and rapid identification ofC. sinensisandO. viverrini. Primers targeting COX1 gene were highly specific for these liver flukes, as evidenced by the negative amplification of closely related trematodes. Assays using genomic DNA extracted from the two flukes yielded specific amplification and their identity was confirmed by sequencing, having the accuracy of 100% in reference to conventional methods. The assay was proved to be highly sensitive with a detection limit below 1 pg of purified genomic DNA, 5 EPG, or 1 metacercaria ofC. sinensis. Moreover,C. sinensisandO. viverriniwere able to be differentiated by their HRM profiles. The method can reduce labor of microscopic examination and the contamination of agarose electrophoresis. Moreover, it can differentiate these two flukes which are difficult to be distinguished using other methods. The established method provides an alternative tool for rapid, simple, and duplex detection ofC. sinensisandO. viverrini.
A New Type of Magnetic Actuator Capable of Wall-Climbing Movement Using Inertia Force
Authors: Yaguchi H. , Sakuma S. , Kato T.
Published: October 2014

This paper proposes a new type of a magnetic actuator that operates on a resonance energy of a mass-spring model by using an electromagnetic force. The magnetic actuator is moved by the difference in an inertia force during one period of vibration. Experimental result demonstrates that a horizontal speed of the magnetic actuator was 7.4 mm/s with load mass of 50 g. We considered a method of a cable-free movement of the actuator by using two iron rails and four permanent magnets. The magnetic actuator is able to move stably a ceiling plane and a wall plane. This actuator is able to move on the plane of the magnetic materials only a function generator and a power amplifier.
The Takeda Three Colors Combination Test: A Screening Test for Detection of Very Mild Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Takeda Shinya , Tajime Kayo , Taniguchi Toshiatsu
Published: October 2014

Background. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and is prevalent worldwide. It is expected that AD, for which aging is a risk factor, will increase in the future. Because early detection of AD has become increasingly important, promoting demand for screening tests with adequate sensitivity. In this study, we examined the usefulness of the Takeda Three Colors Combination Test (TTCC) for screening of the very mild AD and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).Methods. 154 senior persons participated in the research: 55 with very mild AD, 45 with aMCI, and 54 control group. The TTCC, which was a colored cards configuration memory task, was examined for sensitivity and specificity.Results. The sensitivity of the TTCC was 76% and 47% for the very mild AD and aMCI groups, and the specificity was 83%. Conducting TTCC (including instruction and evaluation) was accomplished within 2 minutes for all subjects.Conclusion. The TTCC is useful screening test for early detection of AD. Furthermore, administration time is short and requires no special training or skills. Thus, we believe the TTCC shows great potential for use as an AD screening test by a general practitioner in communities worldwide.
Understanding Neural Population Coding: Information Theoretic Insights from the Auditory System
Authors: Onken Arno , Karunasekara P. P. Chamanthi R. , Kayser Christoph , Panzeri Stefano
Published: October 2014

In recent years, our research in computational neuroscience has focused on understanding how populations of neurons encode naturalistic stimuli. In particular, we focused on how populations of neurons use the time domain to encode sensory information. In this focused review, we summarize this recent work from our laboratory. We focus in particular on the mathematical methods that we developed for the quantification of how information is encoded by populations of neurons and on how we used these methods to investigate the encoding of complex naturalistic sounds in auditory cortex. We review how these methods revealed a complementary role of low frequency oscillations and millisecond precise spike patterns in encoding complex sounds and in making these representations robust to imprecise knowledge about the timing of the external stimulus. Further, we discuss challenges in extending this work to understand how large populations of neurons encode sensory information. Overall, this previous work provides analytical tools and conceptual understanding necessary to study the principles of how neural populations reflect sensory inputs and achieve a stable representation despite many uncertainties in the environment.
Bilateral Telencephalic Gliomatosis Cerebri in a Dog
Authors: Ricciardi Mario , De Simone Antonio , Giannuzzi Pasquale , Mandara Maria Teresa , Reginato Alice , Gernone Floriana
Published: October 2014

An 8-year-old intact male Lagotto Romagnolo was presented with forebrain signs. Neuroanatomic localization was diffuse prosencephalon. MRI revealed diffuse, bilateral, and symmetric T2 and FLAIR hyperintensities in the parieto-occipital white matter and corpus callosum. No mass effect or contrast enhancement was noted. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid revealed normal protein content and mild mononuclear pleocytosis. Atypical cells were not identified. 15 days later because of the worsening of clinical condition the patient was euthanized upon owner’s request. Neuropathological investigations were consistent with gliomatosis cerebri (GC). Such an unusual imaging pattern appeared similar to some cases of human GC and to a previous reported case in a dog, suggesting a possible repeatable imaging findings for this rare brain neoplasm. GC should be included in the MRI differentials for diffuse bilateral white matter signal changes and specific MRI findings described in this report may help in reaching a presumptive diagnosis of this tumor.
Spectral Bounds for Polydiagonal Jacobi Matrix Operators
Authors: Sahovic Arman
Published: October 2014

The research on spectral inequalities for discrete Schrödinger operators has proved fruitful in the last decade. Indeed, several authors analysed the operator’s canonical relation to a tridiagonal Jacobi matrix operator. In this paper, we consider a generalisation of this relation with regard to connecting higher order Schrödinger-type operators with symmetric matrix operators with arbitrarily many nonzero diagonals above and below the main diagonal. We thus obtain spectral bounds for such matrices, similar in nature to the Lieb-Thirring inequalities.
Pullback Attractor for Nonautonomous Ginzburg-Landau Equation with Additive Noise
Authors: Li Yangrong , Cui Hongyong
Published: October 2014

Long time behavior of stochastic Ginzburg-Landau equations with nonautonomous deterministic external forces, dispersion coefficients, and nonautonomous perturbations is studied. The domain is taken as a bounded intervalIinR. By making use of Sobolev embeddings and Gialiardo-Nirenberg inequality we obtain the existence and upper semicontinuity of the pullback attractor inL2(I)for the equation. The upper semicontinuity shows the stability of attractors under perturbations.
H∞Control for a Networked Control Model of Systems with Two Additive Time-Varying Delays
Authors: Shao Hanyong , Zhang Zhengqiang , Zhu Xunlin , Miao Guoying
Published: October 2014

This paper is concerned withH∞control for a networked control model of systems with two additive time-varying delays. A new Lyapunov functional is constructed to make full use of the information of the delays, and for the derivative of the Lyapunov functional a novel technique is employed to compute a tighter upper bound, which is dependent on the two time-varying delays instead of the upper bounds of them. Then the convex polyhedron method is proposed to check the upper bound of the derivative of the Lyapunov functional. The resulting stability criteria have fewer matrix variables but less conservatism than some existing ones. The stability criteria are applied to designing a state feedback controller, which guarantees that the closed-loop system is asymptotically stable with a prescribedH∞disturbance attenuation level. Finally examples are given to show the advantages of the stability criteria and the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Existence of Positive Solutions for Nonlinear Third-Order Boundary Value Problem
Authors: Dun Tiaoxia , Chen Pengyu
Published: October 2014

We are concerned with the existence of positive solutions for the nonlinear third-order three-point boundary value problemu′′′(t)+λg(t)f(u(t))=0,0<t<1,u(0)=αu(η),u′(0)=u′′(1)=0, where0<η<1,0<α<1,λis a positive parameter,g:(0,1)→[0,∞),  and  f:[0,∞)→[0,∞)is continuous. We construct Green’s function for the associated linear boundary value problem and obtain some useful properties of Green’s function. Finally, by using fixed-point index theorem in cones, we establish the existence results of positive solutions for the boundary value problem an example illustrates the application of the results obtained.
A Generalized Approach for Computation of Near Field Radiation Pattern of an Antenna
Authors: Shankpal Preetham , Arur Varun , Kadambi Govind , Shuttleworth James
Published: October 2014

A generalized procedure in the form of an analytical formulation for the determination of radiation pattern of an antenna at any arbitrary distance which covers the near field as well as far field is presented in this paper. With the prior knowledge of either the current or field distribution on the radiating aperture, the proposed near field analysis is generic and can be applied for wide variety of antenna elements. The underlying principle of the generalized procedure is tantamount to considering the radiating aperture as an array of point electric and magnetic dipoles. The validity and novelty of the proposed new approach have been substantiated considering an open ended circular cylindrical waveguide and a conical horn as case studies and treating the far field as a special case of near field with pertinent distance criterion. The effect of change in the distance of observation ranging from reactive near field to far field on the radiation patterns of these antennas has also been discussed. The simulation studies reveal that the depicted normalized phase patterns of both the circular waveguide and conical horn follow the changes in the profile of the corresponding amplitude patterns.
Identification of Nonlinear Dynamic Systems Using Hammerstein‐Type Neural Network
Authors: Yu Hongshan , Peng Jinzhu , Tang Yandong
Published: October 2014

Hammerstein model has been popularly applied to identify the nonlinear systems. In this paper, a Hammerstein‐type neural network (HTNN) is derived to formulate the well‐known Hammerstein model. The HTNN consists of a nonlinear static gain in cascade with a linear dynamic part. First, the Lipschitz criterion for order determination is derived. Second, the backpropagation algorithm for updating the network weights is presented, and the stability analysis is also drawn. Finally, simulation results show that HTNN identification approach demonstrated identification performances.
Assessment of Common Anaesthetic and Clinical Indices of Multimodal Therapy of Propofol, Xylazine, and Ketamine in Total Intravenous Anaesthesia in West African Dwarf Goat
Authors: Celestine Okwudili Ukwueze , Chinedu Athanasius Eze , Rita Ijeoma Udegbunam
Published: October 2014

The assessment of anaesthetic and clinical indices of multimodal therapy of propofol, xylazine, and ketamine was done in West African Dwarf (WAD) goat. Sixteen healthy male WAD goats were assigned into four treatment groups, namely, control (group A) (ketamine 5 mg/kg + xylazine 0.05 mg/kg), group B (propofol 5 mg/kg + xylazine 0.05 mg/kg), group C (propofol 5 mg/kg + ketamine 5 mg/kg), and group D (propofol 2.5 mg/kg + ketamine 2.5 mg/kg + xylazine 0.05 mg/kg). All drugs were administered intravenously. The multimodal therapy decreased significantly (P<0.05) the heart rate in groups A, B, and D. Also respiratory rate significantly (P<0.05) decreased in groups A, B, and D but significantly (P<0.05) increased at 20 min after induction in group C. However, temperature significantly (P<0.05) decreased in groups A, B, and C. The induction was good and smooth in groups B and D. Surgical anaesthetic time was longer in groups B and D and shorter in group C. The quality of recovery was good in groups B and D. Side effects such as salivation and apnoea were observed in all groups. In conclusion, the multimodal therapy could be used successfully. However, group D could be the best combination considering the parameters measured.
Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis in Insects: What Is New, What Do We Know, and What Questions Remain?
Authors: Noriega Fernando G.
Published: October 2014

Our understanding of JH biosynthesis has significantly changed in the last years. In this review I would like to discuss the following topics: (1) the progresses in understanding the JH biosynthesis pathway. Access to genome sequences has facilitated the identification of all the genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes and the completion of comprehensive transcriptional studies, as well as the expression and characterization of recombinant enzymes. Now the existence of different flux directionalites, feed-back loops and pathway branching points in the JH biosynthesis pathways can be explored; (2) the new concepts in the modulation of JH synthesis by allatoregulators. The list of putative JH modulators is increasing. I will discuss their possible role during the different physiological states of the CA; (3) the new theoretical and physiological frameworks for JH synthesis analysis. I will discuss the bases of the flux model for JH biosynthesis. JH plays multiple roles in the control of ovary development in female mosquitoes; therefore, the CA presents different physiological states, where JH synthesis is altered by gating the flux at distinctive points in the pathway; (4) in the final section I will identify new challenges and future directions on JH synthesis research.
Genomic Changes in an Attenuated ZB Strain of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype Asia1 and Comparison with Its Virulent Parental Strain
Authors: Xin Aiguo , Zhu Mingwang , Peng Zhenqi , Hu Qi , Shi Chenhong , Liao Defang , Wang Jihua , Li Huachun
Published: October 2014

The molecular basis of attenuation of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype Asia1 ZB strain remains unknown. To understand the genetic changes of attenuation, we compared the entire genomes of three different rabbit-passaged attenuated ZB strains (ZB/CHA/58(att), ZBRF168, and ZBRF188) and their virulent parental strains (ZBCF22 and YNBS/58). The results showed that attenuation may be brought about by 28 common amino acid substitutions in the coding region, with one nucleotide point mutation in the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) and another one in the 3′-UTR. In addition, a total of 21 nucleotides silent mutations had been found after attenuation. These substitutions, alone or in combination, may be responsible for the attenuated phenotype of the ZB strain in cattle. This will contribute to elucidation of attenuating molecular basis of the FMDV ZB strain.
Clinical and Autoimmune Profile of Scleroderma Patients from Western India
Authors: Pradhan Vandana , Rajadhyaksha Anjali , Nadkar Milind , Pandit Pallavi , Surve Prathamesh , Lecerf Maxime , Bayry Jagadeesh , Kaveri Srinivas , Ghosh Kanjaksha
Published: October 2014

Background. Systemic sclerosis (SSc, scleroderma) is a disorder characterized by fibrosis of skin and visceral organs. Pathogenesis of scleroderma is complex and is incompletely understood as yet. Autoantibodies in SSc represent a serologic hallmark which have clinical relevance, with diagnostic and prognostic potential.Objectives. To study distribution of clinical manifestations and to identify frequency of autoantibodies among subtypes of scleroderma patients from Western India.Methodology. One hundred and ten scleroderma patients were clinically classified according to the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) criteria. All these patients were in active stage of disease. Clinical manifestations were recorded at the time of presentation. Autoantibodies were tested in them by indirect immunofluorescence test and ELISA. Immunoglobulin levels were estimated by nephelometer. These parameters were further correlated with clinical presentation of the disease.Results. Scleroderma patients had M : F ratio of 1 : 10 where mean age at evaluation was34.7±10.7years and a mean disease duration was43.7±35months. Clinical subtypes showed that 45 patients (40.9%) had diffused cutaneous (dcSSc) lesions, 32 patients (29.1%) had limited cutaneous (lcSSc) lesions, and 33 patients (30%) had other autoimmune overlaps. The overall frequency of ANA in SSc patients studied was 85.5%. The frequency of anti-Scl70, anti-centromere, anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA), and anti-keratinocyte antibodies (AKA) was 62.7%, 22.7%, 30%, and 40.9%, respectively. Anti-Scl70 antibodies were significantly high (75.6% versus 46.9%) among dcSSc patients (P<0.0115) whereas anti-centromere antibodies were significantly high (9% versus 38%) among lcSSc patients when these two subtypes were compared (P<0.0044).Conclusion. This study supports that there are geoepidemiological variations among scleroderma patients for their clinical presentation, autoantibody profile, and immune parameters across the country.
Multireanalysis Comparison of Variability in Column Water Vapor and Its Analysis Increment Associated with the Madden–Julian Oscillation
Authors: Yokoi Satoru
Published: October 2014

This study conducts a multireanalysis comparison of variability in column water vapor (CWV) represented in three reanalysis products [Japanese 55-year Reanalysis Project (JRA-55), JRA-25, and ECMWF Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim)] associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) in boreal winter, with emphasis on CWV tendency simulated by forecast models and analysis increment calculated by data assimilation systems. Analyses of these variables show that, while the JRA-55 forecast model is able to simulate eastward propagation of the CWV anomaly, this model tends to weaken its amplitude. The multireanalysis comparison of the analysis increment further reveals that this weakening bias is related to excessively weak cloud radiative feedback represented by the model. This bias in the feedback strength makes anomalous moisture supply by the vertical advection term in the CWV budget equation too insensitive to precipitation anomaly, resulting in reduction of the amplitude of CWV anomaly. ERA-Interim has a nearly opposite feature: the forecast model represents excessively strong feedback. These results imply the necessity of accurate representation of the cloud radiative feedback strength for a short-term MJO forecast and may be evidence to support the argument that this feedback is essential for the existence of MJO. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the multireanalysis comparison of the analysis increment will provide useful information for examining model biases and potentially for estimating parameters that are difficult to estimate from observational data, such as gross moist stability.
Reduced thrombosis in Klkb1−/− mice is mediated by increased Mas receptor, prostacyclin, Sirt1, and KLF4 and decreased tissue factor
Authors: Stavrou Evi X. , Fang Chao , Merkulova Alona , Alhalabi Omar , Grobe Nadja , Antoniak Silvio , Mackman Nigel , Schmaier Alvin H.
Published: October 2014

Key Points

The reduced thrombosis in Klkb1−/− mice is not by defective contact activation. Overexpressed renal Mas with elevated plasma prostacyclin increases aortic Sirt1 and KLF4 and reduces aortic TF protecting Klkb1−/− mice.
Isolation and transcriptome analyses of human erythroid progenitors: BFU-E and CFU-E
Authors: Li Jie , Hale John , Bhagia Pooja , Xue Fumin , Chen Lixiang , Jaffray Julie , Yan Hongxia , Lane Joseph , Gallagher Patrick G. , Mohandas Narla , Liu Jing , An Xiuli
Published: October 2014

Key Points

Purification and quantification of human erythroid progenitors provides a powerful means for studying normal and disordered erythropoiesis. Transcriptome data provides a resource for the mechanistic understanding of the generation of erythroid progenitors from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).
The Bedside Table Archives
Authors: Sheffield Rebecka Taves
Published: October 2014

The Bedside Table Archives is a curatorial project that borrows from arts-based research practice, oral history, and archival theory to produce a collection of records relating to women's queer homemaking practices in the intimate realm of the bedroom. This article introduces the project and examines the theoretical implications of actively and artificially creating an archival collection as an intervention into the absence of lesbian voices in public archives and the exceptionalism of established lesbian and gay archives.
Bisoxazoline-Catalyzed Asymmetric Nucleophilic Addition of Diethyl Zinc to Fluorinated Alkyl Ketones: Enantiofacial Control by Changing the Bisoxazoline Substituent
Authors: Sasaki Shigeru , Yamauchi Takayasu , Kanai Masatomi , Ishii Akihiro , Higashiyama Kimio
Published: October 2014

Bisoxazoline (BOX)-catalyzed asymmetric nucleophilic addition of diethyl zinc to fluorinated alkyl ketones successfully afforded enantioenriched fluorinated alkyl tertiary alcohols. The effect of the size of the substituent on the oxazoline ring on the stereoselectivity of the reaction was investigated. Furthermore, the enantioselectivity could be reversed by altering the BOX bridge structure while retaining the C-4 substituent on the oxazoline ring.
Parity-Controlled Self-Assembly of Supramolecular Helices in a Gold(I)–Copper(II) Coordination System with Penicillamine and Bis(diphenylphosphino)alkane
Authors: Yoshinari Nobuto , Kakuya Atsushi , Lee Raeeun , Konno Takumi
Published: October 2014

A unique gold(I)–copper(II) 1D polymeric system, [Cu{Au2(LCn)(pen)2}] (LCn = Ph2P(CH2)nPPh2 (n = 3, 4, and 5); H2pen: penicillamine), which involves three types of helices (single-stranded homochiral helix, single-stranded meso helix, and triple-stranded homochiral helix), is reported. This system was created from linear digold(I) metalloligands, which possess a bis(diphenylphosphino)alkane linker LCn and two-terminal pen coordination arms [Au2(LCn)(pen)2]2−. In this system, the parity (odd vs. even) of the alkyl chain of LCn and the chirality of pen (d vs. l) govern the topology and handedness of the helices, respectively.
Photo-electrochemical Studies by AC Impedance Spectroscopy on Electrodeposited n-Type PbS
Authors: Miandari Somaieh , Jafarian Majid , Mahjani Mohammad Ghasem , Heidaripour Ashraf
Published: October 2014

Electrochemical deposition and characterization of PbS nanocrystals on Pb electrodes in alkaline solution containing thiourea are carried out by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods respectively. The diffusion coefficient of electroactive species (Pb+2) at the synthetic potential −0.36 V/SCE is investigated in different alkaline media. The analysis of PbS crystals using X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that the average of crystalline size and the lattice constant parameter are approximately 39.04 and 0.5948 nm respectively. Also, the morphology of surface was studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). This work focuses on EIS extraction of Mott–Schottky plots and calculation of several important parameters including Debye length (LD), carrier density (ND), and flat band potential (Efb) for PbS. The parameters are calculated as 3.40 × 10−8 cm, 8.65 × 1019 cm−3, and 0.035 V/NHE respectively in the dark. The comparison of these values in the dark and under light provides some insights into the charge transfer. The increase in the charge transfer resistance (Rct) in the dark with respect to under illumination and the confirmation of the presence of surface states in the n-type PbS are some of the obtained results.
Brain-to-Brain (mind-to-mind) interaction at distance: a confirmatory study
Authors: Tressoldi Patrizio E. , Pederzoli Luciano , Bilucaglia Marco , Caini Patrizio , Fedele Pasquale , Ferrini Alessandro , Melloni Simone , Richeldi Diana , Richeldi Florentina , Accardo Agostino
Published: October 2014

This study reports the results of a confirmatory experiment testing the hypothesis that it is possible to detect coincidences of a sequence of events (silence-signal) of different length, by analyzing the EEG activity of two human partners spatially separated when one member of the pair receives the stimulation and the second one is connected only mentally with the first.

Seven selected participants with a long friendship and a capacity to maintain focused mental concentration, were divided into two groups located in two different laboratories approximately 190 km apart. Each participant  acted both as a “stimulated” and as a “mentally connected” member of the pair for a total of twenty sessions overall.

The offline analysis of EEG activity using a special classification algorithm based on a support vector machine, detected the coincidences in the sequence of events of the stimulation protocol between the EEG activity of the “stimulated” and the “mentally connected” pairs.

Furthermore the correlation of the power spectra of the five EEG frequency bands between each of the twenty pairs of data was analyzed using a bootstrap procedure.

The overall percentage of coincidences out of 88 events was 78.4% and the statistically significant average correlations between the EEG alpha and gamma bands among the pairs of participants, confirmed the results observed in a pilot study. The examination of potential internal, external and statistical  artifacts which might have caused these results,  ruled out external and internal artifacts. However, the examination of potential statistical artifacts revealed a good level of coincidences in only four pairs using a new procedure to detect the sequences of silence and signal between the EEG activity of the pairs of participants, giving a mild support to the hypothesis that two brains and hence two minds can be connected at distance.