bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A REVIEW OF TSUNAMI DAMAGE ASSESSMENT METHODS AND BUILDING PERFORMANCE IN THAILAND
Authors: SUPPASRI ANAWAT , KOSHIMURA SHUNICHI , IMAMURA FUMIHIKO , RUANGRASSAMEE ANAT , FOYTONG PIYAWAT
Published: December 2013

Although the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami occurred several years ago and all the building repair and infrastructure reconstruction needed in Thailand to repair the damage caused by the tsunami are complete, there is still a need for damage assessment methods that can be used in future tsunami damage assessments in Thailand and that can possibly be applied to other countries. This study summarizes three methods for assessing tsunami damage, "tsunami damage criteria," "tsunami damage ratios" and "tsunami fragility curves," based on damage data from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand, and these methods are compared using other tsunami events. Using the data from a field survey of damaged buildings, tsunami damage criteria were summarized for each degree of damage as a function of inundation depth for different building types. Tsunami damage ratios were summarized using building damage data obtained from surveys in the field and reconstruction cost estimates provided by the Thai government. The fragility curves developed were validated based on building performance data obtained from full-scale experiments on buildings and columns. Despite differences in the tsunami characteristics (inundation depth, current velocity and hydrodynamic force), the damage probabilities were nearly the same. The summarized methods might be useful for future tsunami damage assessments and loss estimation in Thailand and serve as guidelines for tsunami damage assessment in other countries.
On the age of the Silurian Beds of the Pentland Hills
Authors: Haswell G.C.
Published: December 2013

The object of this paper was to show that the Silurian beds situated near to the source of the North Esk, a quarter of a mile above the North Esk reservoir, and described by Mr D. J. Brown in his paper, read 21st February 1867 (see p. 23, Part I.), as of Ludlow and
Wenlock
age, are, probably, all synchronous with the Upper and Lower Ludlow of England. If the representatives of the Wenlock shales occur in this district, it is in the beds below the reservoir, which are about 400 fathoms lower than the beds described as Wenlock by Mr D. J. Brown. The reasons for coming to this conclusion are,—
first,
In the beds below the reservoir nothing but Wenlock fossils have been found;
second,
The number of cyclobranchiate shells in Mr Brown’s Wenlock strata bears a very large proportion to the other organisms, a proportion unknown in the Wenlock, though common in the Ludlow;
third,
In a bed immediately overlying the Wenlock of Mr Brown, and described by him as
Lower Ludlow,
Mr Salter found a portion of an Upper Silurian crustacean; and,
fourthly,
Because Mr Archibald Geikie, Mr Salter, Professor Young, and the other eminent geologists who have examined the district, are of opinion that the upper fossiliferous beds should be referred to the Upper Ludlow age; the beds immediately underlying them to the Lower Ludlow; and the fossiliferous beds, 400 fathoms below these, to the Wenlock.
The Fifeshire gold diggings of 1852
Authors: Lindsay W. Lauder
Published: December 2013

The Lomond gold digging mania occurred in May 1852, and lasted about a month. There was a daily average of 300 diggers—at least 5000 to 6000 in all. Many of them were coal and iron miners, who were earning 15s. per week or upwards, and who had thrown up their employment to embark in the alluring lottery of gold seeking. The excitement extended over an area of twenty miles, including the opposite shores of the Forth and Tay. The origin of the mania was the statement of a convict, a native of Kinnesswood, who wrote from Australia to the friends he had in the Kinross-shire village, that he had often seen gold at home at the lime quarries above Kinnesswood, in the Bishop’s Hill, similar to what was being dug in Australia. At this particular time the public mind was in a condition of great excitement produced by the brilliant auriferous discoveries in California in 1847, intensified and revivified by the no less splendid results of gold digging in Australia in September 1851; added to which, there were certain floating local popular traditions or proverbs which gave a spurious weight or significance to the convict’s rash and inconsiderate assertion. The centre of attraction to the Fifeshire diggers—the chief scene of their labours—appears to have been a quarry of carboniferous limestone, known in the district as the ‶Clattering,″ or ‶Clattering Well.″ This quarry is situated ‶right above the village,″ and north-west of Kinnesswood in Kinross-shire, ‶about a gunshot back from the brow of the Bishop Hill″ near its summit. Its locality is on the south base of the West Lomond Hill, overlooking Loch Leven. Superjacent to the limestone, which is richly fossiliferous, is a bed of ochre, abounding in globular masses of iron pyrites, known to the quarrymen as ‶fairy balls,″ from the size of a fist to that of a man’s head. Incredible as it may appear, these iron pyrites were dug out and carried away in large quantities in the mistaken belief that they were lumps of gold.
Closing address for the session
Authors: Geikie Archibald
Published: December 2013

Referring to the remarks which he had made on taking the chair of the Society at the beginning of the session, Mr Geikie again dwelt on the importance of local research. In illustration he pointed to the great drift deposits, some of which had been described in the papers of that evening. The complex phenomena of the boulder-clay were still imperfectly understood; little was known of the possible land-surfaces underneath the clay; the subdivisions of the clay and the history which each of them has to tell remained still in large measure uncertain. The evidence was slowly accumulating to show that the boulder-clay is not merely one deposit representing one epoch of Geological history, but a complex formation, containing the record of several epochs, or of the minor periods of one great epoch. But besides the old till or boulder-clay, the neighbourhood of Edinburgh furnished examples of later clays, sands, and gravels, the true import of which he could at present only dimly perceive. What was needed was the thorough and exhaustive examination of every section where any members of the drift series were exposed. This could only be properly done by local effort, and notably by the labours of such a Society as ours.

The work that lay before the Society was first the thorough exploration of their own neighbourhood. A large proportion of the members of such a Society as this must necessarily be but imperfectly acquainted with science; he ventured to suggest whether it would not be possible to try the results of elementary class meetings—meetings where conversational lessons in the principles of geology might be given by different members of the Society. In concluding, he directed attention to the excursions which had been arranged for the summer, and added an expression of the hope that these excursions would not only prove interesting and instructive at the time, but that they would afford profitable materials for the work of the next session.

A cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr Geikie for the able manner in which he had occupied the presidential chair, and for the zeal he had displayed in promoting the interests of the Society during the session.
Foraminifera of the White Limestone of the Kingston District, Jamaica
Authors: Davies L. Merson
Published: December 2013

The author shows that doubts regarding the presence of a Middle Eocene element in the White Limestone of the Kingston District, Jamaica, are unnecessary; and that, despite belief to the contrary, the foraminifera of that Limestone have been systematically examined. He himself carried out this examination, at the special request of the late Dr. C. A. Matley, who sent him many collections from the White Limestone of the Kingston District, and was convinced that the presence of a Middle Eocene element, in that Limestone, was proved by the results of this examination. The author’s foraminiferal identifications, as reported by him to Dr. Matley, are here reproduced, together with a discussion as to the stratigraphic levels represented by these forms, which allow of direct correlations being made with successive horizons in neighbouring Central American sequences.
Ballantrae igneous problems: historical review
Authors: Bailey E.B. , McCallien J.
Published: December 2013

A sketch is given of the growth of knowledge and interpretation regarding Ordovician igneous rocks at Ballantrae, Ayrshire. The chief investigators have been Lapworth, Peach, Horne and Balsillie. New ideas are introduced as follows: The Ballantrae serpentine appears to be a submarine lava; the Bennane Head radiolarian chert seems to follow quickly on the serpentine, and to be considerably older than the radiolarian chert often found at the summit of the Ballantrae volcanics; and, less novel, the Ballantrae metamorphism belongs to an early post-serpentine phase of Ballantrae igneous activity.
The distribution and significance of the trace elements in the Braefoot Outer Sill, Fife
Authors: Higazy Riad A.
Published: December 2013

The Braefoot sill magma has been shown by Campbell, Day and Stenhouse (1933 and 1934) to have differentiated into picroteschenite, teschenite, dolerite pegmatite, dolerite, basalt and microsyenite. The trace-element contents of these rocks have now been determined by semi-quantitative methods in order to study the behaviour of the trace elements during the progress of differentiation. It is found that Cr and Ni concentrate in the early stage of crystallisation; Co, V, Cu and Sr in the intermediate stage; and Li, Rb, Ba, Ga, La, Y and Be in the late stage. Sc is enriched in the early and intermediate stages. Zr remains uniform in the early and intermediate stages but increases later. Ag is enriched in the early stage and Mo in both the early and late stages. The variations in Sn, Tl, Ge and In cannot be recognised by present methods because these elements occur only in amounts below their limits of sensitivity. The inter-relationships between certain trace elements are discussed. It is found that the rocks of the early and intermediate stages are characterised by the distribution Cr>Ni>Co and Sr>Ba, whereas the rocks of the late stage have Ni>Co>Cr and Ba>Sr. Certain ratios seem to furnish a guide to the degree of differentiation represented by a given rock. (Mg+Fe
2
+Fe
3
)/(Na+K+Ca) and (Cr+Co+Ni+V+Cu)/(Rb+Ba+Sr) decrease during the progress of the differentiation, while Li/Mg, Rb/Sr, Rb/Ba, Rb/K and Ga/Al increase. Fe
2
/Mg and (V+Co)/(Cr+Ni) reach their highest values in the intermediate stage.
Partially fused plagioclases in the rocks of Slieve Gullion
Authors: Reynolds Doris L.
Published: December 2013

The composition of the glass formed by the partial fusion of bytownite,
ca
An
84
, in feldspar-phyric dolerite is found to be
ca
An
53
. As would be expected, the residual bytownite is enriched in anorthite, its composition being
ca
An
90
. In a dry melt at atmospheric pressure the temperature at which liquid of composition An
53
will form, in the albite-anorthite series, is 1458°C. Fusion took place in the presence of water vapour, however, at a pressure of about 300 bars. The actual temperature of fusion is therefore likely to have been nearer to 1355°C.

The composition of the glass formed by partial fusion of zoned oligoclase, An
14-27
, in transgressive granophyre derived from Caledonian granodiorite is
ca
An
25
, indicating that at atmospheric pressure the temperature of fusion would have been at least as high as 1360°C. In the presence of water vapour at 300 bars pressure the actual temperature of fusion is likely to have been at least as high as 1257°C.

Since a temperature of 1257°C would have been too low to account for the partial fusion of the bytownite, it is concluded that the temperature of the gas which caused the partial fusion of both feldspars was near but not likely to be lower than 1355°C. This remarkably high temperature is consistent with the inference that the eruptions concerned were of the nature of nuées ardentes, and indicates that the gas was not derived from a crystallising sub-volcanic magma.
Analcite-trachybasalt inclusions within the phonolite of Traprain Law
Authors: Tomkeieff Serge I.
Published: December 2013

Analcite-hornblende-trachybasalt inclusions in the Traprain Law phonolite are shown to contain numerous minute globules composed mainly of analcite. Analcite, together with apophyllite, is also found in schlieren-vugs and joint-veins in the phonolite. It is suggested that the globular trachybasalt originated through the formation of a magmatic emulsion consequent on the separation of a water-rich magma into two immiscible liquids.
The significance of flow structure in the microporphyritic ophitic basalts of Arthur’s Seat
Authors: Clark Robin H.
Published: December 2013

Arthur’s Seat is the well-dissected remains of a volcano which erupted a series of basalts representative of the Scottish Carboniferous province to which it belongs. Some of the microporphyritic basalts of Arthur’s Seat are characterised by ophitic augite which crystallised after flow had ceased. Others have non-ophitic pyroxene, much of which crystallised comparatively early in the course of solidification of the rock. The stage of crystallisation of pyroxene in the cooling history is related to the composition of the basalt: where the proportion of pyroxene to feldspar is low, the crystallisation of augite is late. Chemical analyses of the various rocks have been considered in relation to the quaternary system albite-anorthite-diopside-hypersthene (Barth). All the microporphyritic rocks of Arthur’s Seat lie well within the plagioclase field, but those with ophitic augite lie farthest from the boundary between the plagioclase and pyroxene fields.
The junction between Jurassic sandstones and Tertiary granophyre near Dunan, Isle of Skye: a re-interpretation
Authors: Black G.P.
Published: December 2013

The contact of the Red Hills granophyre with the Inferior Oolite sandstones on its eastern margin was described from exposures on the shore near Dunan by T. C. Day (1931), who concluded that the granophyre had intruded and metasomatised the sandstones. From a re-examination of Day’s specimens and thin-sections, however, the writer inferred that the contact was a fault plane; further investigation in the field and in the laboratory has confirmed this conclusion and has suggested that streams of hot gas passed upwards along the fault plane. The enrichment of the fragmental rocks developed along the fault plane in Fe, Mg, Ti and OH, seen from Day’s analyses, is ascribed to the action of the ascending gases.
Limitations of graded bedding: and alternative criteria of upward sequence in the rocks of the Southern Uplands
Authors: Walton Ewart Kendall
Published: December 2013

Types of graded bedding in Ordovician and Silurian rocks of the Southern Uplands of Scotland are described and their reliability as criteria of upward sequence assessed. Other structures, including ripple marking and current bedding, scour-and-fill, and load-cast structures, are discussed and it is concluded that these are often more common and reliable than graded bedding.
Channelling on the dip-slope of the Stirling Sill
Authors: Read W.A.
Published: December 2013

A series of channels has been observed, in several places, on the dip-slope of the Stirling quartz-dolerite sill, south of the River Forth. These channels range from shallow, elongate depressions, only about a hundred yards long, to gorges up to 40 ft. deep and over three-quarters of a mile in length. They are typically straight and tend to occur in sets of parallel members, individuals of one set sometimes intersecting those of another.

The channels coincide with nearly vertical belts of decomposition which, it is considered, developed along major joint planes in the sill as a result of late-stage hydrothermal action. Subsequent erosion, acting selectively along the belts of decomposed rock, has ‶etched out″ the channel pattern.
Loch Shin Limestone: comparison of dolomite and calcite fabrics
Authors: Crampton C.B.
Published: December 2013

A fabric analysis of calcite and dolomite in the Loch Shin limestone is described. The observed phenomena of twinning are consistent with those recently produced by experimental deformation of these minerals.
The uniformitarian nature of hillslopes
Authors: King C.
Published: December 2013

The nature of hillslopes is examined, and their importance in landscape is assessed. The denudational processes operating upon hillslopes are examined and found to be manifold; producing ideally four specific elements in hillslopes, each of which has a distinct mode of evolution. The evolution of hillslopes under the action of denudational processes is evaluated in terms of physical science—involving surface flow of water and mass-movement of soil and rock, and is found to be dependent upon intrinsic strength of the bedrock and available relief. It is almost independent of climate,
per se
, and similar hillforms may be found under like conditions of bedrock and relief in all climatic environments short of glaciation or wind-controlled, sandy deserts.
Dolerite-sandstone contact phenomena on the East Lomond, Fife
Authors: Walker Frederick
Published: December 2013

An example of rheomorphism on a microscopic scale is described, in which semi-pelitic sediment has been mobilised at the lower contact of a Permo-Carboniferous sill. The mobilised material has broken across the bedding for a few centimetres but has failed to penetrate the chilled dolerite.
The glacial deposits of the Lunan and Brothock valleys in south-eastern Angus
Authors: Rice R.J.
Published: December 2013

The present paper provides a contribution to the study of the glacial history of Angus, a subject which has been sadly neglected during the last hundred years. A detailed description of the glacial deposits in the Lunan and Brothock valleys is given, and it is concluded that the last ice sheet to occupy the area advanced after the “100-foot” marine incursion. This ice advance is tentatively correlated with the Aberdeen advance described by Synge and the Perth advance described by J. B. Simpson.
A subglacial drainage system by the Tinto Hills, Lanarkshire
Authors: Sissons J.B.
Published: December 2013

A system of meltwater channels and related eskers and other deposits situated by the Tinto Hills in south Lanarkshire is described and interpreted as largely of subglacial origin. The Thankerton ‘ kame ’ is reinterpreted as an esker system and Charlesworth's Lake Clyde is discussed. Evidence is given for the existence of stagnant ice in the Tinto area during the formation of the glacial drainage features and the application of the stagnation hypothesis to a large part of the Southern Uplands is briefly discussed.
An Explosion-Breccia Complex at Back Settlement, Near Kentallen, Argyll
Authors: Bowes D.R. , Wright A.E.
Published: December 2013

Very coarse breccia, composed of quartzite, phyllite and limestone blocks with little interstitial material and no igneous matrix, occurs within the out-crop of the Appin Quartzite near Back Settlement on Ardsheal Peninsula. Some of the blocks are well rounded and many have rounded edges and corners. Several small masses of appinite, chilled to lamprophyre at the margins, intrude the breccia and in some places contain many quartzite blocks. Carbonation of the lamprophyre, and to some extent of the appinite, is a common feature. These phenomena are interpreted as the result of gas streaming ahead of a rising volatile-rich igneous magma, with the formation of an explosion-breccia approximately
in situ
followed by the intrusion of the magma which crystallised in a volatile-rich environment. Continued gas streaming altered the crystallised igneous rock, particularly by carbonation.
Structural investigations in the Dalradian rocks between Pitlochry and Blair Atholl
Authors: Harris A.L.
Published: December 2013

Small-scale and large-scale structures of three episodes of folding in an area of Dalradian rocks are described. The structures associated with each episode are differentiated by their respective styles and trends. Nappe folds of Caledonoid trend, occasionally associated with slides, are found to control the present distribution of the formations while later folds of varying style on oblique axes cause culminations and depressions of the plunge of the nappes. On either side of a zone of vertical rocks (the Vertical Belt) the nappes “close” in opposite directions while showing contrasting types of tectonics. The results obtained in the area are compared with those described from neighbouring areas.
A Jurassic age for a sedimentary sequence on Ben Hiant, Ardnamurchan, Argyll
Authors: Duff P.McL.D. , Bruck P.M.
Published: December 2013

Beds exposed on the south-east side of Ben Hiant, Ardnamurchan, previously thought to be Tertiary or Carboniferous, are shown from their spore content to be most likely Jurassic in age.
On the industrial value of the building stones from Beer Quarries, Devonshire
Authors: Linford William
Published: December 2013

A specimen of the Beer ‶freestone″ was exhibited at the meeting on 19th December, and attracted general attention. Its texture was compact; it would evidently be very easily chiselled; and its colour was perfectly white. Several Fellows thought it excelled in beauty and quality the Caen stone so largely used in Edinburgh for internal masonry, and the Secretary was directed to request Mr Linford to give further particulars regarding its industrial cost and value.

Mr Linford reported that the price of the stone at the quarry is 10d. to 1s. per cubic foot, and that the supply is unlimited. The expense of transit, however, of the stone is considerable, there being no quay at Beer (one mile and a quarter from the quarries), although one could easily be constructed at Beerhead; and the nearest railway station being two miles from the quarries at Seaton, on the London and South-Western Railway. The most eligible mode of transit at present for shipment of the stone would be to place it on the railway at Seaton, convey it to Exeter, and thence by the same railway company, and without removal from the trucks take it to Exmouth Docks for shipment. The probable cost of the stone and delivery at Leith would be—

Cost of stone at quarry, 10d. to 1s. per foot, say = 16s. per ton.

‶Hauling″ from Beer to Seaton, 4½d. per foot, = 6s. ,,

Rail, Seaton to Exmouth Docks, . . . 4s. ,,

Freight, Exmouth to Leith, . . . . 8s. ,,

Extras, . . . . . . . . 1s. ,,

Cost per ton . . . 35s. = 2s. 2¼d. per foot.

The stone is being largely used at present in the restoration of Exeter Cathedral under Sir Gilbert Scott, principally in the interior masonry. It is said to be good for external work if not exposed to the effect of the weather vertically; hence it is used for windows, doorways, &c., but not for coping, buttress slopes, sills, &c.

The quarries form part of the ‶Rolle Estate,″ the property of the late Lord Rolle, and are now owned by his lordship’s trustees, whose agent is Mr R. H. Lipscombe of Budleigh Salterton. The tenant of the quarries is Mr Tucker of Colyton. Mr Linford acknowledged the kind and ready assistance he had received from the two latter gentlemen in preparing his report, as also his indebtedness for much information to Mr E. L. Luscombe, who is carrying out the restoration of the stone-work at the Exeter Cathedral under Sir Gilbert Scott.
Note on river erosion in Switzerland
Authors: Omond R.T.
Published: December 2013

In this paper Mr Omond pointed out that the River Aare, a short distance above Meiringen, had cut a deep channel in a rocky barrier of limestone; that this channel, which is 200 or 300 feet deep, is of post-glacial origin; and that the river has formed this gorge in preference to clearing out an old channel now filled with glacial débris.
New cancer cachexia rat model generated by implantation of a peritoneal dissemination-derived human stomach cancer cell line
Authors: Terawaki Kiyoshi , Sawada Yumi , Kashiwase Yohei , Hashimoto Hirofumi , Yoshimura Mitsuhiro , Suzuki Masami , Miyano Kanako , Sudo Yuka , Shiraishi Seiji , Higami Yoshikazu , Yanagihara Kazuyoshi , Kase Yoshio , Ueta Yoichi , Uezono Yasuhito
Published: December 2013

Cancer cachexia (CC), a syndrome characterized by anorexia and body weight loss due to low fat-free mass levels, including reduced musculature, markedly worsens patient quality of life. Although stomach cancer patients have the highest incidence of cachexia, few experimental models for the study of stomach CC have been established. Herein, we developed stomach CC animal models using nude rats subcutaneously implanted with two novel cell lines, i.e., MKN45c185, established from the human stomach cancer cell line MKN-45, and 85As2, derived from peritoneal dissemination of orthotopically implanted MKN45c185 cells in mice. Both CC models showed marked weight loss, anorexia, reduced musculature and muscle strength, increased inflammatory markers, and low plasma albumin levels; however, CC developed earlier and was more severe in rats implanted with 85As2 than in those implanted with MKN45cl85. Moreover, human leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a known cachectic factor, and hypothalamic orexigenic peptide mRNA levels increased in the models, whereas hypothalamic anorexigenic peptide mRNA levels decreased. Surgical removal of the tumor not only abolished cachexia symptoms but also reduced plasma LIF levels to below detectable limits. Importantly, oral administration of rikkunshito, a traditional Japanese medicine, substantially ameliorated CC-related anorexia and body composition changes. In summary, our novel peritoneal dissemination-derived 85As2 rat model developed severe cachexia, possibly caused by LIF from cancer cells, that was ameliorated by rikkunshito. This model should provide a useful tool for further study into the mechanisms and treatment of stomach CC.
Development and Evaluation of Gastroretentive Floating Tablets of an Antihypertensive Drug Using Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil
Authors: Pawar Harshal Ashok , Gharat Pooja Ramchandra , Dhavale Rachana Vivek , Joshi Pooja Rasiklal , Rakshit Pushpita Pankajkumar
Published: December 2013

The aim of the present work was to develop a gastroretentive floating tablet of Atenolol and investigate the effects of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic retardant on in vitro release. Atenolol is an antihypertensive drug with an oral bioavailability of only 50% because of its poor absorption from lower gastrointestinal tract. The floating tablets of Atenolol were prepared to increase the gastric retention, to extend the drug release, and to improve the bioavailability of the drug. The floating tablets were formulated using hydrophilic polymers as Hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC K4M and HPMC K15M), hydrophobic retardant as a hydrogenated cottonseed oil (HCSO), and sodium bicarbonate as a gas generating agent to reduce floating lag time. The formulated tablets were evaluated for the quality control tests such as weight variation, hardness, friability, swelling index, floating lag time, and total floating time. The in vitro release study of the tablets was performed in 0.1 N HCl as a dissolution media. The results of the present study clearly indicates the promising potential of Atenolol floating system as an alternative to the conventional dosage and other sustained release formulations. The study also revealed the effectiveness of HCSO as retardant in combination with HPMC.
Four-Neutrino Analysis of 1.5 km Baseline Reactor Antineutrino Oscillations
Authors: Kang Sin Kyu , Kim Yeong-Duk , Ko Young-Ju , Siyeon Kim
Published: December 2013

The masses of sterile neutrinos are not yet known, and depending on the orders of magnitudes, their existence may explain reactor anomalies or the spectral shape of reactor neutrino events at 1.5 km baseline detector. Here, we present four-neutrino analysis of the results announced by RENO and Daya Bay, which performed the definitive measurements ofθ13based on the disappearance of reactor antineutrinos at km order baselines. Our results using 3 + 1 scheme include the exclusion curve ofΔm412versusθ14and the adjustment ofθ13due to correlation withθ14. The value ofθ13obtained by RENO and Daya Bay with a three-neutrino oscillation analysis is included in the1σinterval ofθ13allowed by our four-neutrino analysis.
Accelerating Dynamic Cardiac MR Imaging Using Structured Sparse Representation
Authors: Cai Nian , Wang Shengru , Zhu Shasha , Liang Dong
Published: December 2013

Compressed sensing (CS) has produced promising results on dynamic cardiac MR imaging by exploiting the sparsity in image series. In this paper, we propose a new method to improve the CS reconstruction for dynamic cardiac MRI based on the theory of structured sparse representation. The proposed method user the PCA subdictionaries for adaptive sparse representation and suppresses the sparse coding noise to obtain good reconstructions. An accelerated iterative shrinkage algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem and achieve a fast convergence rate. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method improves the reconstruction quality of dynamic cardiac cine MRI over the state-of-the-art CS method.
Complex Formation Equilibria between Ag(I) and Thioureas in Propan-2-ol
Authors: De Marco Domenico
Published: December 2013

The complex formation equilibria between Ag(I) and thiourea (Tu), N methyl-Thiourea (MeTu), N,N′-dimethyl-Thiourea (Me2Tu), N,N,N′,N′ Tetramethyl-Thiourea (Me4Tu), N-ethyl-Thiourea (EtTu), N,N′ diethyl-Thiourea (Et2Tu), and N,N′-Ethylen-Thiourea (EnTu) in propan-2-ol as solvent medium have been investigated by potentiometry within the temperature range 10°C–40°C and self-determined ionic medium by (AgNO3) concentration range 6.36·10-6–3.83·10-5 m·dm−3 (no background electrolyte added). The experimental results can be interpreted with the stepwise formation of tris-coordinated complexes AgLn  (n=1–3; hereafter charge is omitted). The stability constants log βn and the standard thermodynamic changes in enthalpy (ΔHn°) and entropy (ΔSn°) for overall complex formation reactions AgI+nL=AgLn (n=1–3) have been evaluated. The reactions are exothermic in nature and entropy disfavored for all the investigated ligands. The standard enthalpy and entropy changes for the stepwise reactions AgLn-1+L=AgLn have been evaluated by difference ΔΔHn°=ΔHn°-ΔHn-1° and ΔΔSn°=ΔSn°-ΔSn-1°. The stepwise enthalpy are mutually linearly related to the corresponding entropy changes with isoequilibrium temperatures Tiso=285, 305, and 363 K for n=1, 2, or 3 respectively.
Brain SERT Expression of Male Rats Is Reduced by Aging and Increased by Testosterone Restitution
Authors: Herrera-Pérez José Jaime , Fernández-Guasti Alonso , Martínez-Mota Lucía
Published: December 2013

In preclinical and clinical studies aging has been associated with a deteriorated response to antidepressant treatment. We hypothesize that such impairment is explained by an age-related decrease in brain serotonin transporter (SERT) expression associated with low testosterone (T) levels. The objectives of this study were to establish (1) if brain SERT expression is reduced by aging and (2) if the SERT expression in middle-aged rats is increased by T-restitution. Intact young rats (3–5 months) and gonad-intact middle-aged rats with or without T-restitution were used. The identification of the brain SERT expression was done by immunofluorescence in prefrontal cortex, lateral septum, hippocampus, and raphe nuclei. An age-dependent reduction of SERT expression was observed in all brain regions examined, while T-restitution recovered the SERT expression only in the dorsal raphe of middle-aged rats. This last action seems relevant since dorsal raphe plays an important role in the antidepressant action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. All data suggest that this mechanism accounts for the T-replacement usefulness to improve the response to antidepressants in the aged population.
Creep and Recovery Behavior of Compression Molded Low Density Polyethylene/Cellulose Composites
Authors: Riara Martin M. , Merenga Abdallah S. , Migwi Charles M.
Published: December 2013

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) is an important industrial material because it is durable, light-weight, easily processed and characteristically inert, but its everyday use is hazardous to the environment. The solution to this seems to consist of incorporation of biopolymers in the structure of LDPE to form composites. Compression molded composites at different cellulose loading were subjected to creep tests at 30, 40, 50, and 60°C. The samples were displaced for 12 minutes and allowed to recover for 12 minutes. Creep behavior of the polymer composites was governed by temperature, time, and cellulose loading. Creep performance decreased with increase in temperature and improved with cellulose loading while creep modulus decreased with increase in time and temperature. Time temperature superposition was used to predict the long time (up to 106 s) creep behavior of the samples. William-Landel-Ferry (WLF) model offered a better description of the shift factors based on the short term data that was used to predict the long time behavior of the polymer composites by shifting the curves along the logarithmic time axis. The deformation was dependent on free volume.
Perfect Equilibria in Replies in Multiplayer Bargaining
Authors: Carvalho Luís
Published: December 2013

Multiplayer bargaining is a game in which all possible divisions are equilibrium outcomes. This paper presents the classical subgame perfect equilibria strategies and analyses their weak robustness, namely, the use of weakly dominated strategies. The paper then develops a refined equilibrium concept, based on trembling hand perfection applied only on the replies, in order to overcome such weakness. Concluding that none of the classical equilibrium strategies survives the imposition of the extrarobustness and albeit using more complex strategies, the equilibrium outcomes do not change.
Awareness of Oral Cancer in a Northwestern Nigerian State: Assessing the Knowledge, Opinion, and Practice of Traditional Healers and Herbalists
Authors: Adebola Rafael A. , Bamgbose Babatunde O. , Adeoye Joshua B. , Amole Taiwo G.
Published: December 2013

Background: Traditional healers/herbalists remain one of the most accessible and popular options of care to people suffering from cancers particularly at the community level in Nigeria. The majority of patients with oral cancer present at the terminal stage after exploring unorthodox care. This study assesses the awareness of oral cancer among traditional caregivers in Kano State, Northwestern (NW) Nigeria. Methods: Self-administered, structured questionnaires were administered to a cross section of 21 traditional caregivers. Results: Of the 21 traditional caregivers studied, the majority (66.7%) had never heard of oral cancer and only 7 (33.3%) were aware. The level of knowledge on oral cancer was assessed using a scoring system classifying respondents as having adequate (>50%) or inadequate (<50%) knowledge. There was a significant educational status gap as respondents with informal education had lesser knowledge than that of their counterparts who had formal education (61.9% versus 19.0%) (P = 0.012). Conclusions: It is important to have allied healthcare providers informed about oral cancer, as their knowledge and awareness of oral cancer and its risk factors, which were low in our study, are vital in prevention and early detection. Impact: This study provides an insight into oral cancer prevention using traditional herbalists who are popular caregivers for those seeking health-related solutions.
Efficacy of Triptolide for Children with Moderately Severe Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Nephritis Presenting with Nephrotic Range Proteinuria: A Prospective and Controlled Study in China
Authors: Wu Li , Mao Jianhua , Jin Xia , Fu Haidong , Shen Huijun , Wang Jingjing , Liu Aimin , Shu Qiang , Du Lizhong
Published: December 2013

Objective.To observe the clinical efficacy of the Chinese herb, Triptolide, in children with moderately severe Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN).Methods. From January 2007 to December 2011, 56 HSPN children manifested by nephrotic range proteinuria with normal kidney function and<50% crescents or sclerosing lesions on biopsy were hospitalized in the Children’s Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. They were divided into two groups: the treatment group (Triptolide at a dosage of 1 mg/kg·d, combined with prednisone at a dosage of 2 mg/kg·d, within a course of medium-to-long-term therapy of 6 to 9 months) and the control group (; prednisone alone, with the same procedure).Results.Short-term remission was observed in 95% of patients from treatment group and in 72% of patients from control group, respectively. There was a significant difference between both groups () for short-term effects. Meanwhile, no significant difference, as proteinuria, hematuria, hypertension, and decreased eGFR, was observed between the two groups in long-term followup (). The Kaplan-Meier plot analysis also revealed no significant difference ().Conclusion.Triptolide is effective in relieving short-term symptoms for moderately severe HSPN children, though its long-term effects need to be observed further.
A Reuse Evaluation for Solar-Cell Silicon Wafers via Shift Revolution and Tool Rotation Using Magnetic Assistance in Ultrasonic Electrochemical Micromachining
Authors: Pa P. S.
Published: December 2013

A new reuse fabrication using a tool module with rotation and revolution through a process of magnetic assistance in ultrasonic electrochemical micromachining (UEMM) for removal of the surface layers from silicon wafers of solar cells is demonstrated. The target of the proposed reuse fabrication method is to replace the current approach, which uses strong acid and grinding and may damage the physical structure of silicon wafers and pollute to the environment. A precisely engineered clean production approach to removal of surface microstructure layers from silicon wafers is to develop a mass production system for recycling defective or discarded silicon wafers of solar cells that can reduce pollution and cost. The high revolution speed of the shift with the high rotation speed of the designed tool increases the discharge mobility and improves the removal effect associated with the high feed rate of the workpiece. High frequency and high power of ultrasonic with large electrolyte flow rate and high magnetic strengths with a small distance between the two magnets provide a large discharge effect and good removal; only a short period of time is required to remove the epoxy film and Si3N4layer easily and cleanly.
Nonlinear Dynamics in a Cournot Duopoly with Different Attitudes towards Strategic Uncertainty
Authors: Fanti Luciano , Gori Luca , Sodini Mauro
Published: December 2013

This paper analyses the dynamics of a duopoly with quantity-setting firms and different attitudes towards strategic uncertainty. By following the recent literature on decision making under uncertainty, where the Choquet expected utility theory is adopted to allow firms to plan their strategies, we investigate the effects of the interaction between pessimistic and optimistic firms on economic dynamics described by a two-dimensional map. In particular, the study of the local and global behaviour of the map is performed under three assumptions: (1) both firms have complete information on the market demand and adjust production over time depending on past behaviours (static expectations—“best reply” dynamics); (2) both firms have incomplete information and production is adjusted over time by following a mechanism based on marginal profits; and (3) one firm has incomplete information on the market demand and production decisions are based on the behaviour of marginal profits, and the rival has complete information on the market demand and static expectations. In cases 2 and 3 it is shown that complex dynamics and coexistence of attractors may arise. The analysis is carried forward through numerical simulations and the critical lines technique.
An Alternative Route for Synthesis of Chiral 4‐Substituted 1‐Arenesulfonyl‐2‐imidazolidinones: Unusual Utility of (4S,5S)‐ and (4R,5R)‐4,5‐Dimethoxy‐2‐imidazolidinones and X‐Ray Crystallography
Authors: Al-Swaidan Ibrahim A. , Alanazi Amer M. , El-Azab Adel S. , Abdel-Aziz Alaa A.-M.
Published: December 2013

An unusual synthesis of (S)‐1‐arenesulfonyl‐4‐(1‐adamantyl)‐2‐imidazolidinones 15a–d and (R)‐1‐arenesulfonyl‐4‐tert‐butyl‐2‐imidazolidinones 19a–d has been developed from trans‐1‐apocamphanecarbonyl‐4,5‐dimethoxy‐2‐imidazolidinones 6 and 7 as chiral synthons. Diastereomerically pure trans‐1‐apocamphanecarbonyl‐4,5‐dimethoxy‐2‐imidazolidinones 6 and 7 were successfully subjected to regioselective reduction using bulky organocuprates that afforded 1‐apocamphanecarbonyl‐5‐methoxy‐2‐imidazolidinones 10 and 11. This new finding was used for synthesis of chiral 4‐substituted 2‐imidazolidinones 15a–d and 19a–d through the corresponding intermediates 13 and 17 by treatment with steric bulky tert‐butylcuprate or 1‐adamantylcuprate.
Detecting Runoff Variation of the Mainstream in Weihe River
Authors: Huang Qiang , Fan Jingjing
Published: December 2013

The runoff change in Weihe River is significantly decreasing with the climate change and the huge increasing of human activities. The analysis of the variation changes of runoff would provide scientific understanding of Weihe River basin and similar basins. Mann-Kendall method is used to detect the variation changes of annual and seasonal runoff of 1919–2011 at the outlet station, that is, Huaxian station, in the mainstream of Weihe River. The results show that the runoff variation point is 1990, and there were significant changes in trends and periodicals, corroborated by wavelet variance analysis, Kendall’s rank tests, and trends persistence test, in annual, seasonal, and monthly runoff at the variation point of 1990. Attribution analysis indicates that the primary drivers of the shift in runoff variation were human activities rather than climate change, as water consumption (particularly groundwater consumption) increased sharply in the 1990s.
A Fixed Point Theorem in Orbitally Complete Partially Ordered Metric Spaces
Authors: Babu G. V. R. , Sailaja P. D. , Kidane K. T.
Published: December 2013

Let (X,⪯) be a partially ordered set and T:X→X be a mapping. We prove a fixed point theorem for the map T satisfying a contractive condition in orbits, when X is T-orbitally complete. Our result extends and generalizes the results of Samet et al. (2013) to partially ordered sets. Also, we generalize the results of Ran and Reurings (2004).
Periods of Excess Energy in Extreme Weather Events
Authors: Zurbenko Igor G. , Potrzeba-Macrina Amy L.
Published: December 2013

The reconstruction of periodic signals that are embedded in noise is a very important task in many applications. This already difficult task is even more complex when some observations are missed or some are presented irregularly in time. Kolmogorov-Zurbenko (KZ) filtration, a well-developed method, offers a solution to this problem. One section of this paper provides examples of very precise reconstructions of multiple periodic signals covered with high level noise, noise levels that make those signals invisible within the original data. The ability to reconstruct signals from noisy data is applied to the numerical reconstruction of tidal waves in atmospheric pressure. The existence of such waves was proved by well-known naturalist Chapman, but due to the high synoptic fluctuation in atmospheric pressure he was unable to numerically reproduce the waves. Reconstruction of the atmospheric tidal waves reveals a potential intensification on wind speed during hurricanes, which could increase the danger imposed by hurricanes. Due to the periodic structure of the atmospheric tidal wave, it is predictable in time and space, which is important information for the prediction of excess force in developing hurricanes.
Characterisation of Natural Fibre Reinforcements and Composites
Authors: Cullen Richard K. , Singh Mary Margaret , Summerscales John
Published: December 2013

Recent EU directives (e.g., ELV and WEEE) have caused some rethinking of the life cycle implications of fibre reinforced polymer matrix composites. Man-made reinforcement fibres have significant ecological implications. One alternative is the use of natural fibres as reinforcements. The principal candidates are bast (plant stem) fibres with flax, hemp, and jute as the current front runners. The work presented here will consider the characterisation of jute fibres and their composites. A novel technique is proposed for the measurement of fibre density. The new rule of mixtures, extended for noncircular cross-section natural fibres, is shown to provide a sensible estimate for the experimentally measured elastic modulus of the composite.
Numerical Methods for Solving Fredholm Integral Equations of Second Kind
Authors: Ray S. Saha , Sahu P. K.
Published: December 2013

Integral equation has been one of the essential tools for various areas of applied mathematics. In this paper, we review different numerical methods for solving both linear and nonlinear Fredholm integral equations of second kind. The goal is to categorize the selected methods and assess their accuracy and efficiency. We discuss challenges faced by researchers in this field, and we emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary effort for advancing the study on numerical methods for solving integral equations.
Robust Image Matching Algorithm Using SIFT on Multiple Layered Strategies
Authors: Chen Yong , Shang Lei , Hu Eric
Published: December 2013

As for the unsatisfactory accuracy caused by SIFT (scale-invariant feature transform) in complicated image matching, a novel matching method on multiple layered strategies is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the coarse data sets are filtered by Euclidean distance. Next, geometric feature consistency constraint is adopted to refine the corresponding feature points, discarding the points with uncoordinated slope values. Thirdly, scale and orientation clustering constraint method is proposed to precisely choose the matching points. The scale and orientation differences are employed as the elements ofk-means clustering in the method. Thus, two sets of feature points and the refined data set are obtained. Finally, 3 * delta rule of the refined data set is used to search all the remaining points. Our multiple layered strategies make full use of feature constraint rules to improve the matching accuracy of SIFT algorithm. The proposed matching method is compared to the traditional SIFT descriptor in various tests. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the traditional SIFT algorithm with respect to correction ratio and repeatability.
Synthesis and Characterisation of First Generation Luminescent Lanthanide Complexes Suitable for Being Adapted for Uptake via the Mannose Receptor
Authors: Brooks Robert , Du Zhangli , Borlace Glenn , Brooks Douglas , Plush Sally
Published: December 2013

With the aim of directing lanthanide complex uptake via the mannose receptor, a first generation of luminescent lanthanide complexes has been developed with anα-D-mannose targeting motif. Four complexes were produced to investigate photophysical properties and determine the effect of the coordinated mannose residue on emission intensity. The free hydroxyls of theα-D-mannose residue quenched lanthanide phosphorescence due to their close proximity, though they did not bind the lanthanide centre as observed byq-values≈1.0 for all complexes between pH 3 and 10. Fluorescent emission was found to vary significantly with pH, though phosphorescent emission was relatively insensitive to pH. This lack of pH sensitivity has the potential to provide stable emission for the visualisation of the endosome-lysosome system where acidic pH is often encountered.