bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deriving Feasible Deployment Alternatives for Parallel and Distributed Simulation Systems
Authors: Çelik Turgay , Tekinerdogan Bedi̇r , İmre Kayhan M.
Published: August 2013

Parallel and distributed simulations (PADS) realize the distributed execution of a simulation system over multiple physical resources. To realize the execution of PADS, different simulation infrastructures such as HLA, DIS and TENA have been defined. Recently, the Distributed Simulation Engineering and Execution Process (DSEEP) that supports the mapping of the simulations on the infrastructures has been defined. An important recommended task in DSEEP is the evaluation of the performance of the simulation systems at the design phase. In general, the performance of a simulation is largely influenced by the allocation of member applications to the resources. Usually, the deployment of the applications to the resources can be done in many different ways. DSEEP does not provide a concrete approach for evaluating the deployment alternatives. Moreover, current approaches that can be used for realizing various DSEEP activities do not yet provide adequate support for this purpose. We provide a concrete approach for deriving feasible deployment alternatives based on the simulation system and the available resources. In the approach, first the simulation components and the resources are designed. The design is used to define alternative execution configurations, and based on the design and the execution configuration; a feasible deployment alternative can be algorithmically derived. Tool support is developed for the simulation design, the execution configuration definition and the automatic generation of feasible deployment alternatives. The approach has been applied within a large-scale industrial case study for simulating Electronic Warfare systems.
Optimizing Pairwise Box Intersection Checking on GPUs for Large-Scale Simulations
Authors: Lo Shih-Hsiang , Lee Che-Rung , Chung I-Hsin , Chung Yeh-Ching
Published: August 2013

Box intersection checking is a common task used in many large-scale simulations. Traditional methods cannot provide fast box intersection checking with large-scale datasets. This article presents a parallel algorithm to perform Pairwise Box Intersection checking on Graphics processing units (PBIG). The PBIG algorithm consists of three phases: planning, mapping and checking. The planning phase partitions the space into small cells, the sizes of which are determined to optimize performance. The mapping phase maps the boxes into the cells. The checking phase examines the box intersections in the same cell. Several performance optimizations, including load-balancing, output data compression/encoding, and pipelined execution, are presented for the PBIG algorithm. The experimental results show that the PBIG algorithm can process large-scale datasets and outperforms three well-performing algorithms.
Asymptotic Simulation Efficiency Based on Large Deviations
Authors: Glynn Peter W. , Juneja Sandeep
Published: August 2013

Consider a simulation estimator
α
(
c
) based on expending
c
units of computer time to estimate a quantity
α
. In comparing competing estimators for
α
, a natural figure of merit is to choose the estimator that minimizes the computation time needed to reduce the error probability
P
(|
α
(
c
) − 
α
| > 
ε
) to below some prescribed value
δ
. In this paper, we develop large deviations results that provide approximations to the computational budget necessary to reduce the error probability to below
δ
when
δ
is small. This approximation depends critically on both the distribution of the estimator itself and that of the random amount of computer time required to generate the estimator, and leads to different conclusions regarding the choice of preferred estimator than those obtained when one requires the error tolerance
ε
to be small. The “small
ε
” regime leads to variance-based selection criteria, and has a long history in the simulation literature going back to Hammersley and Handscomb.
SIGecom news
Authors: Parkes David C.
Published: August 2013

Ariel Procaccia invited me to provide a mid-year news update on what's going on with the SIG.
Computing Stackelberg strategies in stochastic games
Authors: Letchford Joshua , MacDermed Liam , Conitzer Vincent , Parr Ronald , Isbell Charles L.
Published: August 2013

Significant recent progress has been made in both the computation of optimal strategies to commit to (Stackelberg strategies), and the computation of correlated equilibria of stochastic games. In this letter we discuss some recent results in the intersection of these two areas. We investigate how valuable commitment can be in stochastic games and give a brief summary of complexity results about computing Stackelberg strategies in stochastic games.
Solution to exchanges 10.3 puzzle
Authors: Ryder Robin J.
Published: August 2013

First, a quick recap of the problem: the payout is a random variable
X
; we assume we know its distribution
F
, and in particular that we know
E

F

[
X
]. We are looking for a function
ω
(·,·) such that
E

F

[
ω
(
t
,
X
)] =
r
·
t
, where
r
is the non-contingency hourly rate. Initially, we impose that ∀
t
,
ω
(
t
, 0) = 0 and that
ω
is linear in
t
.
Logit dynamics
Authors: Ferraioli Diodato
Published: August 2013

We describe logit dynamics, which are used to model bounded rationality in games, and their related equilibrium concept, the logit equilibrium. We also present some results about the convergence time of these dynamics and introduce a suitable approximation of the logit equilibrium. We conclude by describing some interesting future extensions to logit dynamics.
Inhibition of Drp1-dependent mitochondrial division impairs myogenic differentiation
Authors: Kim Boa , Kim Ji-Seok , Yoon Yisang , Santiago Mayra C. , Brown Michael D. , Park Joon-Young
Published: August 2013

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles forming a tubular network that is continuously fusing and dividing to control their morphology and functions. Recent literature has shed new light on a potential link between the dynamic behavior of mitochondria and muscle development. In this study, we investigate the role of mitochondrial fission factor dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) in myogenic differentiation. We found that differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts induced by serum starvation was accompanied by a gradual increase in Drp1 protein expression (to ∼350% up to 3 days) and a fast reduction of Drp1 phosphorylation at Ser-637 (to ∼30%) resulting in translocation of Drp1 protein from the cytosol to mitochondria. During differentiation, treatment of myoblasts with mitochondrial division inhibitor ( mdivi-1), a specific inhibitor of Drp1 GTPase activity, caused extensive formation of elongated mitochondria, which coincided with increased apoptosis evidenced by both enhanced caspase-3 activity and increased number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells. Furthermore, the mdivi-1-treated myotubes ( day 3 in differentiation media) showed a reduction in mitochondrial DNA content, mitochondrial mass, and membrane potential in a dose-dependent manner indicating defects in mitochondrial biogenesis during myogenic differentiation. Most interestingly, mdivi-1 treatment significantly suppressed myotube formation in both C2C12 cells and primary myoblasts. Likewise, stable overexpression of a dominant negative mutant Drp1 (K38A) dramatically reduced myogenic differentiation. These data suggest that Drp-1-dependent mitochondrial division is a necessary step for successful myogenic differentiation, and perturbation of mitochondrial dynamics hinders normal mitochondrial adaptations during muscle development. Therefore, in the present study, we report a novel physiological role of mitochondrial dynamics in myogenic differentiation.
Anti-C5a complementary peptide ameliorates acute peritoneal injury induced by neutralization of Crry and CD59
Authors: Mizuno Tomohiro , Mizuno Masashi , Imai Masaki , Suzuki Yasuhiro , Kushida Mayu , Noda Yukihiro , Maruyama Shoichi , Okada Hidechika , Okada Noriko , Matsuo Seiichi , Ito Yasuhiko
Published: August 2013

In peritoneal dialysis (PD) therapy, physical stresses such as exposure to peritoneal dialysate, catheter trauma, and peritonitis may induce peritoneal injury that can prevent continued long-term PD therapy. Therefore, protection of the peritoneum is an important target to enable long-term PD therapy in patients with end-stage renal disease. We previously showed that neutralization of the membrane complement regulators (CRegs) Crry and CD59 in rat peritoneum provokes development of acute peritoneal injury due to uncontrolled complement activation. C5a is a key effecter molecule of the complement system released during acute inflammation. Control of C5a has been proposed as a strategy to suppress inflammatory reactions and, because peritoneal injury is accompanied by inflammation, we hypothesized that C5a targeted therapy might be an effective way to suppress peritoneal injury. In the present study we used an established acute peritonitis model induced by neutralization of CRegs to investigate the effects on acute peritoneal injury of inhibiting C5a. Intravenous administration of an anti-C5a complementary peptide (AcPepA) up to 4 h after induction of injury significantly and dose-dependently prevented accumulation of inflammatory cells and reduced tissue damage in the model, accompanied by decreased C3b deposition. We show that C5a contributed to the development of peritoneal injury. Our results suggest that C5a is a target for preventing or treating peritoneal injury in patients undergoing prolonged PD therapy or with infectious complications.
Equifinality and its violations in a redundant system: multifinger accurate force production
Authors: Wilhelm Luke , Zatsiorsky Vladimir M. , Latash Mark L.
Published: August 2013

We explored a hypothesis that transient perturbations applied to a redundant system result in equifinality in the space of task-related performance variables but not in the space of elemental variables. The subjects pressed with four fingers and produced an accurate constant total force level. The “inverse piano” device was used to lift and lower one of the fingers smoothly. The subjects were instructed “not to intervene voluntarily” with possible force changes. Analysis was performed in spaces of finger forces and finger modes (hypothetical neural commands to fingers) as elemental variables. Lifting a finger led to an increase in its force and a decrease in the forces of the other three fingers; the total force increased. Lowering the finger back led to a drop in the force of the perturbed finger. At the final state, the sum of the variances of finger forces/modes computed across repetitive trials was significantly higher than the variance of the total force/mode. Most variance of the individual finger force/mode changes between the preperturbation and postperturbation states was compatible with constant total force. We conclude that a transient perturbation applied to a redundant system leads to relatively small variance in the task-related performance variable (equifinality), whereas in the space of elemental variables much more variance occurs that does not lead to total force changes. We interpret the results within a general theoretical scheme that incorporates the ideas of hierarchically organized control, control with referent configurations, synergic control, and the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis.
Performance of Control Dynamics of Wind Turbine Based on Doubly Fed Induction Generator under Different Modes of Speed Operation
Authors: Mohammed A. A.
Published: August 2013

There are many solar power and wind stations installed in the power system for environmental and economic reasons. In fact, wind energy is inexpensive and the safest among all sources of renewable energy, it has been recognized that variable speed wind turbine based on the doubly fed induction generator is the most effective with less cost and high power yield. Therefore, this paper has chosen doubly fed induction generator for a comprehensive study of modeling, analyzing, and control. DFIG in wind turbine has to operate below and above the synchronous speed, which requires smooth transition mode change for reliable operation, specially, close to synchronous speed where the DFIGWT instability starts to appear. Furthermore, its output electric power has to be controlled to provide stability for the power system; hence its performance depends on the generator itself and the converter operation and control system. This paper presents completed mathematical model of DFIG with its AC/DC/AC converter driven by DC machine. A new vector control technique is designed and modeled, which allows to evaluate the dynamic performance of the controller under (below, above, and through synchronous speed). The simulation results demonstrate the accuracy and high performance of the new control system of DFIG for wind turbine, which provides smooth transition mode without using any extra circuit.
Biodistribution of Amikacin Solid Lipid Nanoparticles after Pulmonary Delivery
Authors: Varshosaz J. , Ghaffari S. , Mirshojaei S. F. , Jafarian A. , Atyabi F. , Kobarfard F. , Azarmi S.
Published: August 2013

The main purpose of the present work was studying the biodistribution of amikacin solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) after pulmonary delivery to increase its concentration in the lungs for treatment of cystic fibrosis lung infections and also providing a new method for clinical application of amikacin. To achieve this aim,99mTc labelled amikacin was loaded in cholesterol SLNs and afterin vitrooptimization, the desired SLNs and free drug were administered through pulmonary andi.v.routes to male rats and qualitative and biodistribution studies were done. Results showed that pulmonary delivery of SLNs of amikacin by microsprayer caused higher drug concentration in lungs than kidneys whilei.v.administration of free drug caused reverse conditions. It seems that pulmonary delivery of SLNs may improve patients' compliance due to reduction of drug side effects in kidneys and elongation of drug dosing intervals due to the sustained drug release from SLNs.
Analysis on Outcome of 3537 Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: Integrative Medicine for Cardiovascular Events
Authors: Gao Zhu-ye , Qiu Yu , Jiao Yang , Shang Qing-hua , Xu Hao , Shi Da-zhuo
Published: August 2013

Aims. To investigate the treatment of hospitalized patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and the prognostic factors in Beijing, China.Materials and Methods. A multicenter prospective study was conducted through an integrative platform of clinical and research at 12 hospitals in Beijing, China. The clinical information of 3537 hospitalized patients with CAD was collected from September 2009 to May 2011, and the efficacy of secondary prevention during one-year followup was evaluated. In addition, a logistic regression analysis was performed to identify some factors which will have independent impact on the prognosis.Results. The average age of all patients was 64.88 ± 11.97. Of them, 65.42% are males. The medicines for patients were as follows: antiplatelet drugs accounting for 91.97%, statins accounting for 83.66%,β-receptor blockers accounting for 72.55%, ACEI/ARB accounting for 58.92%, and revascularization (including PCI and CABG) accounting for 40.29%. The overall incidence of cardiovascular events was 13.26% (469/3537). The logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that heart failure (OR, 3.707, 95% CI = 2.756–4.986), age ≥ 65 years old (OR, 2.007, 95% CI = 1.587–2.53), and myocardial infarction (OR, 1.649, 95% CI = 1.322–2.057) were the independent risk factors of others factors for cardiovascular events that occurred during followup of one-year period. Integrative medicine (IM) therapy showed the beneficial tendency for decreasing incidence of cardiovascular events, although no statistical significance was found (OR, 0.797, 95% CI = 0.613~1.036).Conclusions. Heart failure, age ≥ 65 years old, and myocardial infarction were associated with an increase in incidence of cardiovascular events, and treatment with IM showed a tendency for decreasing incidence of cardiovascular events.
Basel III Liquidity Risk Measures and Bank Failure
Authors: Hlatshwayo L. N. P. , Petersen M. A. , Mukuddem-Petersen J. , Meniago C.
Published: August 2013

Basel III banking regulation emphasizes the use of liquidity coverage and nett stable funding ratios as measures of liquidity risk. In this paper, we approximate these measures by using global liquidity data for 391 hand-selected, LIBOR-based, Basel II compliant banks in 36 countries for the period 2002 to 2012. In particular, we compare the risk sensitivity of the aforementioned Basel III liquidity risk measures to those of traditional measures such as the nonperforming assets ratio, return-on-assets, LIBOR-OISS, Basel II Tier 1 capital ratio, government securities ratio, and brokered deposits ratio. Furthermore, we use a discrete-time hazard model to study bank failure. In this regard, we find that Basel III risk measures have limited ability to predict bank failure when compared with their traditional counterparts. An important result is that a higher liquidity coverage ratio is associated with a higher bank failure rate. We also find that market-wide liquidity risk (proxied by LIBOR-OISS) was the major predictor of bank failures in 2009 and 2010 while idiosyncratic liquidity risk (proxied by other liquidity risk measures) was less. In particular, our contribution is the first to achieve these results on a global scale over a relatively long period for a variety of banks.
β-Glucosidases from the FungusTrichoderma: An Efficient Cellulase Machinery in Biotechnological Applications
Authors: Tiwari Pragya , Misra B. N. , Sangwan Neelam S.
Published: August 2013

β-glucosidases catalyze the selective cleavage of glucosidic linkages and are an important class of enzymes having significant prospects in industrial biotechnology. These are classified in family 1 and family 3 of glycosyl hydrolase family.β-glucosidases, particularly from the fungusTrichoderma,are widely recognized and used for the saccharification of cellulosic biomass for biofuel production. With the rising trends in energy crisis and depletion of fossil fuels, alternative strategies for renewable energy sources need to be developed. However, the major limitation accounts for low production ofβ-glucosidases by the hyper secretory strains ofTrichoderma. In accordance with the increasing significance ofβ-glucosidases in commercial applications, the present review provides a detailed insight of the enzyme family, their classification, structural parameters, properties, and studies at the genomics and proteomics levels. Furthermore, the paper discusses the enhancement strategies employed for their utilization in biofuel generation. Therefore,β-glucosidases are prospective toolbox in bioethanol production, and in the near future, it might be successful in meeting the requirements of alternative renewable sources of energy.
Immunoinformatic Docking Approach for the Analysis of KIR3DL1/HLA-B Interaction
Authors: Grifoni Alba , Montesano Carla , Patronov Atanas , Colizzi Vittorio , Amicosante Massimo
Published: August 2013

KIR3DL1 is among the most interesting receptors studied, within the killer immunoglobulin receptor (KIR) family. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I Bw4 epitope inhibits strongly Natural Killer (NK) cell’s activity through interaction with KIR3DL1 receptor, while Bw6 generally does not. This interaction has been indicated to play an important role in the immune control of different viral infectious diseases. However, the structural interaction between the KIR3DL1 receptor and different HLA-B alleles has been scarcely studied. To understand the complexity of KIR3DL1-HLA-B interaction, HLA-B alleles carrying Bw4/Bw6 epitope and KIR3DL1*001 allele in presence of different peptides has been evaluated by using a structural immunoinformatic approach. Different energy minimization force fields (ff) have been tested and NOVA ff enables the successful prediction of ligand-receptor interaction. HLA-B alleles carrying Bw4 epitope present the highest capability of interaction with KIR3DL1*001 compared to the HLA-B alleles presenting Bw6. The presence of the epitope Bw4 determines a conformational change which leads to a stronger interaction between nonpolymorphic arginine at position 79 of HLA-B and KIR3DL1*001 136–142 loop. The data shed new light on the modalities of KIR3DL1 interaction with HLA-B alleles essential for the modulation of NK immune-mediated response.
Off-Label Uses of Anti-TNF Therapy in Three Frequent Disorders: Behçet’s Disease, Sarcoidosis, and Noninfectious Uveitis
Authors: Sánchez-Cano Daniel , Callejas-Rubio José Luis , Ruiz-Villaverde Ricardo , Ríos-Fernández Raquel , Ortego-Centeno Norberto
Published: August 2013

Tumoral necrosis factorαplays a central role in both the inflammatory response and that of the immune system. Thus, its blockade with the so-called anti-TNF agents (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, and golimumab) has turned into the most important tool in the management of a variety of disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropatties, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. Nonetheless, theoretically, some other autoimmune disorders may benefit from these agents. Our aim is to review these off-label uses of anti-TNF blockers in three common conditions: Behçet’s disease, sarcoidosis, and noninfectious uveitis. Due to the insufficient number of adequate clinical trials and consequently to their lower prevalence compared to other immune disorders, this review is mainly based on case reports and case series.
Adaptive Waveform Design for Multiple Radar Tasks Based on Constant Modulus Constraint
Authors: Bin Wang , Wenfang Yang , Jinkuan Wang
Published: August 2013

Cognitive radar is an intelligent system, and it can adaptively transmit waveforms to the complex environment. The intelligent radar system should be able to provide different trade-offs among a variety of performance objectives. In this paper, we investigate the mutual information (MI) in signal-dependent interference and channel noise. We propose a waveform design method which can efficiently synthesize waveforms and provide a trade-off between estimation performance and detection performance. After obtaining a local optimal waveform, we apply the technique of generating a constant modulus signal with the given Fourier transform magnitude to the waveform. Finally we obtain a waveform that has constant modulus property.
Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis: A Rare Benign Cause of Pneumoperitoneum
Authors: Devgun Puneet , Hassan Hal
Published: August 2013

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis is a rare gastrointestinal complication in the course of connective tissue diseases, especially in scleroderma, that can lead to pneumoperitoneum or obstruction. Findings on plain radiography may reveal radiolucent linear or bubbly circular air bubbles in the bowel wall, with or without free gas accumulation in the peritoneal cavity. Treatment of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis ranges from supportive care to laparotomy.
Impulsive State Feedback Control of Cheese Whey Fermentation for Single-Cell Protein Production
Authors: Wei Chunjin , Zhang Shuwen , Chen Lansun
Published: August 2013

The work is the analysis of a mathematical model of cheese whey fermentation for single-cell protein production with impulsive state feedback control. Through the analysis, the sufficient conditions of existence and stability of positive order-1 periodic solution are obtained. It is shown that the system either tends to a stable state or has a periodic solution, which depends on the feedback state, the control parameter of the dilution rate, and the initial concentrate of microorganism and substrate. For some special cases, it is also shown that the system may exist in order-2 periodic solution. Furthermore, our findings are confirmed by means of numerical simulations.
A Structural Equation Model for Analysis of Factors Associated with the Choice of Engineering Degrees in a Technical University
Authors: Hervás Antonio , Guàrdia Olmos Joan , Peró Cebollero Maribel , Capilla Lladró Roberto , Soriano Jiménez Pedro Pablo
Published: August 2013

Many different factors are taken into account by students when choosing a degree and university. Some of these are general considerations, such as the quality of the degree course (ratio of available places/places in first choice, cut-off mark, etc.), while others are subjective factors (e.g., friends doing the same course). This paper presents a partial multivariate model that considers the weight of the different variables linked to this decision, as identified in the bibliography. We analyzed four samples of first-year students (totaln=1790) from different engineering degree courses at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 academic years. All the students involved in the study had chosen this university and their courses as their first option. The overall effect shows that the structural model adjusts reasonably well to the different engineering courses analyzed. Similarly, the individual models for each engineering degree manage to identify the different effects involved. In the case of the engineering degree based on new technologies (ICT), the statistical effects are much greater and more statistically significant than in the other three branches of engineering considered. Social and individual factors were seen to have more impact on the choice of ICT degrees at the UPV.
Evaluation of Interpolation Effects on Upsampling and Accuracy of Cost Functions-Based Optimized Automatic Image Registration
Authors: Mahmoudzadeh Amir Pasha , Kashou Nasser H.
Published: August 2013

Interpolation has become a default operation in image processing and medical imaging and is one of the important factors in the success of an intensity-based registration method. Interpolation is needed if the fractional unit of motion is not matched and located on the high resolution (HR) grid. The purpose of this work is to present a systematic evaluation of eight standard interpolation techniques (trilinear, nearest neighbor, cubic Lagrangian, quintic Lagrangian, hepatic Lagrangian, windowed Sinc, B-spline 3rd order, and B-spline 4th order) and to compare the effect of cost functions (least squares (LS), normalized mutual information (NMI), normalized cross correlation (NCC), and correlation ratio (CR)) for optimized automatic image registration (OAIR) on 3D spoiled gradient recalled (SPGR) magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain acquired using a 3T GE MR scanner. Subsampling was performed in the axial, sagittal, and coronal directions to emulate three low resolution datasets. Afterwards, the low resolution datasets were upsampled using different interpolation methods, and they were then compared to the high resolution data. The mean squared error, peak signal to noise, joint entropy, and cost functions were computed for quantitative assessment of the method. Magnetic resonance image scans and joint histogram were used for qualitative assessment of the method.
Neuron-NG2 Cell Synapses: Novel Functions for Regulating NG2 Cell Proliferation and Differentiation
Authors: Yang Qian-Kun , Xiong Jia-Xiang , Yao Zhong-Xiang
Published: August 2013

NG2 cells are a population of CNS cells that are distinct from neurons, mature oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia. These cells can be identified by their NG2 proteoglycan expression. NG2 cells have a highly branched morphology, with abundant processes radiating from the cell body, and express a complex set of voltage-gated channels, AMPA/kainate, and GABA receptors. Neurons notably form classical and nonclassical synapses with NG2 cells, which have varied characteristics and functions. Neuron-NG2 cell synapses could fine-tune NG2 cell activities, including the NG2 cell cycle, differentiation, migration, and myelination, and may be a novel potential therapeutic target for NG2 cell-related diseases, such as hypoxia-ischemia injury and periventricular leukomalacia. Furthermore, neuron-NG2 cell synapses may be correlated with the plasticity of CNS in adulthood with the synaptic contacts passing onto their progenies during proliferation, and synaptic contacts decrease rapidly upon NG2 cell differentiation. In this review, we highlight the characteristics of classical and nonclassical neuron-NG2 cell synapses, the potential functions, and the fate of synaptic contacts during proliferation and differentiation, with the emphasis on the regulation of the NG2 cell cycle by neuron-NG2 cell synapses and their potential underlying mechanisms.
RNA-Mediated Gene Duplication and Retroposons: Retrogenes, LINEs, SINEs, and Sequence Specificity
Authors: Ohshima Kazuhiko
Published: August 2013

A substantial number of “retrogenes” that are derived from the mRNA of various intron-containing genes have been reported. A class of mammalian retroposons, long interspersed element-1 (LINE1, L1), has been shown to be involved in the reverse transcription of retrogenes (or processed pseudogenes) and non-autonomous short interspersed elements (SINEs). The -end sequences of various SINEs originated from a corresponding LINE. As the -untranslated regions of several LINEs are essential for retroposition, these LINEs presumably require “stringent” recognition of the -end sequence of the RNA template. However, the -ends of mammalian L1s do not exhibit any similarity to SINEs, except for the presence of -poly(A) repeats. Since the -poly(A) repeats of L1 and Alu SINE are critical for their retroposition, L1 probably recognizes the poly(A) repeats, thereby mobilizing not only Alu SINE but also cytosolic mRNA. Many flowering plants only harbor L1-clade LINEs and a significant number of SINEs with poly(A) repeats, but no homology to the LINEs. Moreover, processed pseudogenes have also been found in flowering plants. I propose that the ancestral L1-clade LINE in the common ancestor of green plants may have recognized a specific RNA template, with stringent recognition then becoming relaxed during the course of plant evolution.
Development of Estimating Equation of Machine Operational Skill by Utilizing Eye Movement Measurement and Analysis of Stress and Fatigue
Authors: Suzuki Satoshi , Yoshinari Asato , Kuronuma Kunihiko
Published: August 2013

For an establishment of a skill evaluation method for human support systems, development of an estimating equation of the machine operational skill is presented. Factors of the eye movement such as frequency, velocity, and moving distance of saccade were computed using the developed eye gaze measurement system, and the eye movement features were determined from these factors. The estimating equation was derived through an outlier test (to eliminate nonstandard data) and a principal component analysis (to find dominant components). Using a cooperative carrying task (cc-task) simulator, the eye movement and operational data of the machine operators were recorded, and effectiveness of the derived estimating equation was investigated. As a result, it was confirmed that the estimating equation was effective strongly against actual simple skill levels (r=0.56–0.84). In addition, effects of internal condition such as fatigue and stress on the estimating equation were analyzed. Using heart rate (HR) and coefficient of variation of R-R interval (Cvrri). Correlation analysis between these biosignal indexes and the estimating equation of operational skill found that the equation reflected effects of stress and fatigue, although the equation could estimate the skill level adequately.
A Time-Splitting and Sine Spectral Method for Dynamics of Dipolar Bose-Einstein Condensate
Authors: Li Si-Qi , Li Xiang-Gui , Hua Dong-Ying
Published: August 2013

A two-component Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) described by two coupled a three-dimension Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equations is considered, where one equation has dipole-dipole interaction while the other one has only the usual s-wave contact interaction, in a cigar trap. The time-splitting and sine spectral method in space is proposed to discretize the time-dependent equations for computing the dynamics of dipolar BEC. The singularity in the dipole-dipole interaction brings significant difficulties both in mathematical analysis and in numerical simulations. Numerical results are given to show the efficiency of this method.
CYP3A5*3 and C3435T MDR1 Polymorphisms in Prognostication of Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Emich-Widera Ewa , Likus Wirginia , Kazek Beata , Niemiec Paweł , Balcerzyk Anna , Sieroń Aleksander L. , Żak Iwona
Published: August 2013

Drug-resistant epilepsies still remain one of the most profound problems of contemporary epileptology. Several mechanisms of drug resistance are possible; among them, genetic factors have a prominent place. Much importance is attached to genes, which encode enzymes that metabolize antiepileptic drugs CYP 3A, which belong to the family of cytochromes P450 and the genome of multidrug resistance, such as multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) that expresses P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a drug transporter protein. The aim of the study was to assess the relation between polymorphism of gene CYP3A5 and polymorphism C3435T of MDR1 gene with the occurrence of focal, drug-resistant epilepsy in children and youths up to 18 years of age. The study comprised 85 patients, and their age range was from 33 months to 18 years of age, suffering from epilepsy, partly responding well to treatment, partly drug resistant. The polymorphism of both genes has been analysed using the PCR-RFLP method. The study failed to corroborate association between polymorphism CYP3A5*3 and C3435T polymorphism in MDR1 gene and pharmacoresistant epilepsy. The results of our research do not confirm the prognostic value of the polymorphisms examined in the prognostication of drug resistance in epilepsies.
Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Hepatitis C Virus Infected Population: A Southeast Asian Study
Authors: Memon Muhammad Sadik , Arain Zain Islam , Naz Farukh , Zaki Madiha , Kumar Suresh , Burney Asif Ali
Published: August 2013

Purpose. The study was aimed to investigate the frequency of diabetes mellitus type 2 in patients infected with chronic hepatitis C virus and its association with cirrhosis.Patients and Methods. This prospective case series was conducted at Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Isra University Hospital, Hyderabad, over a period of 4 months from June 2009 to October 2009. Hepatitis C virus seropositive patients who were older than 18 years, diabetic or nondiabetic, were included. Basic demographic data collected by questionnaire and laboratory investigations including fasting blood glucose levels, serum cholesterol, and liver function tests were done. A logistic regression model was used to explore the association between diabetic and nondiabetic HCV seropositives and type 2 diabetes mellitus with cirrhosis.Results. A total of 361 patients with hepatitis C were analyzed; the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in HCV patients was 31.5%. Out of the total number of the participants, 58.4% (n= 211) were cirrhotics, while 41.6% (n= 150) were noncirrhotic HCV seropositives. In multivariate analysis, cirrhotic patients appeared significantly more likely (P= 0.01) to be diabetic as compared with noncirrhotic patients (OR = 2.005, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.43).Conclusion. Advancing age, increased weight, and HCV genotype 3 are independent predictors of type 2 diabetes in HCV seropositive patients, and there is a statistically significant association of cirrhosis observed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Uncertain Linguistic Aggregation Distance Measures and Their Application to Group Decision Making
Authors: Li Wei , Zeng Shouzhen
Published: August 2013

We introduce a method based on distance measures for group decision making under uncertain linguistic environment. We develop some uncertain linguistic aggregation distance measures called the uncertain linguistic weighted distance (ULWD) measure, the uncertain linguistic ordered weighted distance (ULOWD) measure, and the uncertain linguistic hybrid weighted distance (ULHWD) measure. We study some of their characteristic, and we prove that the ULWD and the ULOWD are special cases of the ULHWD measure. Finally, we develop an application of the ULHWD measure in a group decision making problem concerning the evaluation of university faculty for tenure and promotion with uncertain linguistic information.
Closed Contour Specular Reflection Segmentation in Laparoscopic Images
Authors: Marcinczak Jan Marek , Grigat Rolf-Rainer
Published: August 2013

Segmentation of specular reflections is an essential step in endoscopic image analysis; it affects all further processing steps including segmentation, classification, and registration tasks. The dichromatic reflectance model, which is often used for specular reflection modeling, is made for dielectric materials and not for human tissue. Hence, most recent segmentation approaches rely on thresholding techniques. In this work, we first demonstrate the limited accuracy that can be achieved by thresholding techniques and propose a hybrid method which is based on closed contours and thresholding. The method has been evaluated on 269 specular reflections in 49 images which were taken from 27 real laparoscopic interventions. Our method improves the average sensitivity by 16% compared to the state-of-the-art thresholding methods.
Traumatic Burst Fracture with Spinal Channel Involvement Augmentation with Bioactive Strontium-Hydroxyapatite Cement
Authors: Masala S. , Calabria E. , Nano G. , Iundusi R. , Greco L. , Di Trapano R. , Tarantino U. , Simonetti G.
Published: August 2013

In November 2011 a 75-year-old man was admitted to our emergency department with a low back pain caused by a traumatic L1 vertebral collapse with backward projection of posterior wall superior third. The indication for neurosurgical instrumentation was placed, although he refused the treatment. Hence he was treated conservatively without a significant improvement up to January 2012 when, still refusing surgery, he accepted to undergo percutaneous vertebroplasty with a novel bioactive injectable strontium-hydroxyapatite cement. Vertebroplasty was performed without complications. A CT scan, performed the day after the procedure, ruled out extravertebral cement leakage. Pain improvement was significant (preprocedure VAS 10, one-week VAS 4) with a gradual decrease up to three months when it stabilized at 2. CT examination after 1 year showed a good cement osseointegration with osteophytic spurs bridging the superior endplate of the level involved to the inferior one of the level above. The new bone ingrowing property of the strontium-hydroxyapatite containing cement permits to extend the treatment indication also to unstable collapses in which the risk of pseudoarthrosis is very high. In this reported case we evaluated the potential role of percutaneous vertebroplasty in traumatic burst fracture with spinal channel involvement.
Cytochrome P450 Metabolism of Betel Quid‐Derived Compounds: Implications for the Development of Prevention Strategies for Oral and Pharyngeal Cancers
Authors: Lin Che-Yi , Pan Tien-Szu , Ting Chun-Chan , Liang Shih-Shin , Huang Shu-Hung , Liu Hsiu-Yueh , Ko Edward Cheng-Chuan , Wu Chung-Wei , Tang Jen-Yang , Chen Ping-Ho
Published: August 2013

Betel quid (BQ) products, with or without tobacco, have been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as group I human carcinogens that are associated with an elevated risk of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx. There are estimated 600 million BQ users worldwide. In Taiwan alone there are 2 million habitual users (approximately 10% of the population). Oral and pharyngeal cancers result from interactions between genes and environmental factors (BQ exposure). Cytochrome p450 (CYP) families are implicated in the metabolic activation of BQ‐ and areca nut‐specific nitrosamines. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge base regarding CYP genetic variants and related oral disorders. In clinical applications, we focus on cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx and OPMDs associated with CYP gene polymorphisms, including CYP1A1, CYP2A6, CYP2E1, and CYP26B1. Our discussion of CYP polymorphisms provides insight into the importance of screening tests in OPMDs patients for the prevention of oral and pharyngeal cancers. Future studies will establish a strong foundation for the development of chemoprevention strategies, polymorphism‐based clinical diagnostic tools (e.g., specific single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) “barcodes”), and effective treatments for BQ‐related oral disorders.
Gynecomastia-Like Hyperplasia of Axillary Ectopic Breast Tissue in a Young Female
Authors: Shatzel Joseph , Blum Asher , Khoury Thaer , Milligan Janine , Skitzki Joseph J.
Published: August 2013

Gynecomastia-like hyperplasia of orthotopic female breast tissue is a rare entity. We present the singularly unique case of a 22-year-old female who presented with a small axillary mass subsequently discovered to be a discrete deposit of ectopic breast tissue with gynecomastia-like hyperplasia. This case highlights the etiology, variable presentation, and evaluation of ectopic breast tissue.
Evaluation of Human Body Fluids for the Diagnosis of Fungal Infections
Authors: Badiee Parisa
Published: August 2013

Invasive fungal infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Because the etiologic agents of these infections are abundant in nature, their isolation from biopsy material or sterile body fluids is needed to document infection. This review evaluates and discusses different human body fluids used to diagnose fungal infections.
Synthesis of h‐ and α‐MoO3 by Refluxing and Calcination Combination: Phase and Morphology Transformation, Photocatalysis, and Photosensitization
Authors: Wongkrua Pannipa , Thongtem Titipun , Thongtem Somchai
Published: August 2013

Hexagonal molybdenum oxide (h‐MoO3) nano‐ and microrods were successfully synthesized by refluxing of (NH4)6Mo7O24·4H2O solutions with the pH 1 at 90°C for 1, 3, 5, and 7 h and were further transformed into orthorhombic molybdenum oxide (α‐MoO3) microplates by calcination at 450°C for 6 h. These selected products were used to determine the degradation of methylene blue dye under 35 W xenon lamp for 0–180 min, due to the photocatalysis and photosensitization processes. In this research, catalytic activity of the metastable h‐MoO3 has higher efficiency than that of the thermodynamically stable α‐MoO3. Their phase and morphology transformation was also explained according to the experimental results.
Mechanical Property and Fracture Behavior of Al/Mg Composite Produced by Accumulative Roll Bonding Technique
Authors: Hsieh Chih-Chun , Chen Ming-Che , Wu Weite
Published: August 2013

The Al/Mg laminated composite was fabricated by an accumulative roll bonding (ARB) technique using Al-1100 and Mg-AZ31 at 573 K. Tensile properties along rolling direction under different ARB cycles were evaluated at the ambient temperature. The tensile strength of the Al/Mg composite increased gradually till three ARB cycle and then decreased after the fourth ARB cycles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the microstructure evolution and the failure mechanism. The Al/Mg interface with interface angles between 30° and 35° has minimum tensile strength. A higher or lower interface angle improves the tensile strength, and the interface angle can be reduced by increasing the number of cycles in the ARB process. Thus, the crack at the coarse intermetallic compounds and rupture of the Al layer after fourth cycle caused the premature failure of the specimens during the tensile test.
Development and Performance Evaluation of Very High Early Strength Geopolymer for Rapid Road Repair
Authors: Hawa Abideng , Tonnayopas Danupon , Prachasaree Woraphot , Taneerananon Pichai
Published: August 2013

High early strength is the most important property of pavement repair materials to allow quick reopening to traffic. With this in mind, we have experimentally investigated geopolymers using low cost raw materials available in Thailand. The geopolymer mortar was metakaolin (MK), mixed with parawood ash (PWA, rubberwood ash) or oil palm ash (OPA) as binder agent. Rubberwood is often used as raw material for biomass power plants in Thailand, especially at latex glove factories and seafood factories, and burning rubberwood generates PWA. Both PWA and OPA are therefore low cost residual waste, locally available in mass quantities. The geopolymer samples were characterized for compressive strength, drying shrinkage, and bond strength to Portland cement mortar with slant shear test. The experimental design varied the contents of PWA and OPA and the heat curing time (1, 2 and 4 h) after hot mixture process. The hot mixture process resulted in very high early strength. In addition, we achieved high compressive strengths, low drying shrinkage, and very significant bond strength enhancement by use of the ashes.
Innovative Application of Biopolymer Keratin as a Filler of Synthetic Acrylonitrile‐Butadiene Rubber NBR
Authors: Prochoń Mirosława , Przepiórkowska Anita
Published: August 2013

The current investigations show the influence of keratin, recovered from the tanning industry, on the thermal and mechanical properties of vulcanizates with synthetic rubber acrylonitrile‐butadiene rubber NBR. The addition of waste protein to NBR vulcanizates influences the improvement of resistance at high temperatures and mechanical properties like tensile strength and hardness. The introduction of keratin to the mixes of rubber previously blended with zinc oxide (ZnO) before vulcanization process leads to an increase in the cross‐linking density of vulcanizates. The polymer materials received including addition of proteins will undergo biodecomposition in natural conditions. After soil test, vulcanizates with keratin especially keratin with ZnO showed much more changes on the surface area than vulcanizates without protein. In that aerobic environment, microorganisms, bacteria, and fungus digested better polymer materials containing natural additives.
Exercise and the Aging Endothelium
Authors: Golbidi Saeid , Laher Ismail
Published: August 2013

The endothelium plays a critical role in the maintenance of cardiovascular health by producing nitric oxide and other vasoactive materials. Aging is associated with a gradual decline in this functional aspect of endothelial regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis. Indeed, age is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and is in part an important factor in the increased exponential mortality rates from vascular disease such as myocardial infarction and stroke that occurs in the ageing population. There are a number of mechanisms suggested to explain age-related endothelial dysfunction. However, recent scientific studies have advanced the notion of oxidative stress and inflammation as the two major risk factors underlying aging and age-related diseases. Regular physical activity, known to have a favorable effect on cardiovascular health, can also improve the function of the ageing endothelium by modulating oxidative stress and inflammatory processes, as we discuss in this paper.
Reliable HPLC Determination of Aflatoxin M1 in Eggs
Authors: Khalil Mostafa M. H. , Gomaa Ahmed M. , Sebaei Ahmed Salem
Published: August 2013

Aflatoxin M1 is the foremost metabolite of aflatoxin B1 in humans and animals, which may be present in animal products from animals fed with aflatoxin B1 contaminated feed. In this study a high performance liquid chromatography method for determination of aflatoxin M1 in eggs was described. The egg samples were diluted with warmed water and the toxin was immunoextracted followed by fluorescence detection. The average recovery of aflatoxin M1 at the three different levels 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 μg/kg varied between 87% and 98%. The method is linear from the limit of quantification 0.05 μg/kg up to 3 μg/kg levels. This method is intended for aflatoxin M1 analyses in eggs simply with minimum toxin lose, excellent recovery, and accurate results with the limit of detection 0.01 μg/kg.