bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon stock in aboveground biomass of vegetation at the High Tatra Mts. twelve years after disturbance
Authors: Konôpka Bohdan , Pajtík Jozef , Máliš František , Šebeň Vladimír , Maľová Miriam
Published: September 2017

The paper focused on the estimation of aboveground biomass and its carbon stock in the vegetation cover on the territory of the High Tatras twelve years after a large-scale wind disturbance. Besides biomass quantification of main plant groups (i.e. trees and ground vegetation) we considered plant components with special regard to carbon rotation rate. The measurements were performed on two transects each containing 25 plots sized 4 × 4 m. Height and stem diameter of all trees on the plots were measured and used for biomass estimation. To quantify the biomass of ground vegetation, six subplots sized 20 × 20 cm were systematically placed on each plot and the aboveground biomass was harvested. The plant material was subjected to chemical analyses to quantify its carbon concentration. The study showed that while the wind disturbance caused dramatic decrease of carbon stock, young post-disturbance stands with abundant ground vegetation, represented large carbon flux via litter fall. Twelve years after the wind disturbance, the trees contributed to carbon stock more than the ground vegetation. However, the opposite situation was recorded for the carbon flux to litter that was related to the dominance of annual plants in the above-ground biomass of ground vegetation. The carbon stock in the biomass of young trees and ground vegetation represented about 8,000 kg per ha. The young stands manifested a dynamic growth, specifically the aboveground biomass increased annually by one third. The results confirmed different carbon regimes in the former old (pre-disturbance) and sparse young (post-disturbance) stands.
Seasonal dynamics of arginine ammonification in forest soils of Norway spruce pure stands under different silvicultural practices
Authors: Holik Ladislav , Kučera Aleš , Rejšek Klement , Vranová Valerie
Published: September 2017

Effects of seasonal dynamics and silvicultural practice on ammonification of arginine, one of the proteinogenic amino acids, were assessed in surface organic H-horizon of three Norway spruce pure stands in medium altitudes (600 - 660 m a.s.l.). Contents of ammonium ions NH4
+ measured monthly in the field and contents of NH4
+ after laboratory incubation of these samples with arginine were taken as dependent variables in ANOVA and in linear regression model using generalised linear model. The aim of the analyses was to determine the significance of decomposition of this amino acid in H-horizon of forest soils and to determine categorical and continuous predictors which influence intensity of the ammonification. Laboratory experiments confirmed its close link to seasonal dynamics, as well as to forest management; however the last mentioned was firstly found as less significant when compared within whole season. As regards to seasonal dynamics in forest soils, the highest amount of ammonium ion was released in May and the lowest in July. As regards to the silvicultural practice applied, more ammonium ion was released under mature spruce monoculture, especially in August and May; in the young stands, the method of thinning had no effect on the ammonium ion release. However, the arginine ammonification was found to be influenced by ammonium nitrogen content (slight, less significant negative correlation) and by soil water content (stronger positive significance), especially in the stand with thinning from below. This was concluded to be caused by changes in stand microclimate in function of the silvicultural practice.
Quantifying carbon in dead and living trees; a case study in young beech and spruce stand over 9 years
Authors: Šebeň Vladimír , Konôpka Bohdan , Pajtík Jozef
Published: September 2017

In Slovakia, the contribution of young stands to the total forest area has been increasing in the last decade. However, scientific attention to these stands was previously very sparse and they were usually not included in local and country carbon stock estimates. Therefore, we focused on the calculation of tree biomass and necromass in young beech and spruce stands as well as on their development during the period of nine years (aged from 4 to 12 years). For the calculation, we implemented allometric equations using tree diameter and height as independent variables. The results showed very dynamic changes in biomass (carbon) stock. Specifically, tree biomass increased in the period of 9 years from about 2,000 g to 15,000 g (i.e. cca 1,000 to 7,500 g of carbon) per m2in beech, and from 4,500 to 12,000 g (cca 2,300 to 6,000 g of carbon) per m2 in the spruce stand. At the same time, the amount of biomass (fixed carbon) was only slightly larger than the accumulated quantity of necromass (carbon loss from living trees). It means that a large portion of carbon was allocated to necromass. We found that not only the foliage fall but also the mass of dead trees, a result of intensive competition, was an important path of carbon flux to necromass. The results proved that although young forests fix much less carbon in their biomass than old stands, they can represent large carbon flux via annual increment of necromass. This indicates that young stands should not be omitted in forest carbon balance estimates of the country.
Carbon stocks in tree biomass and soils of German forests
Authors: Wellbrock Nicole , Grüneberg Erik , Riedel Thomas , Polley Heino
Published: September 2017

Close to one third of Germany is forested. Forests are able to store significant quantities of carbon (C) in the biomass and in the soil. Coordinated by the Thünen Institute, the German National Forest Inventory (NFI) and the National Forest Soil Inventory (NFSI) have generated data to estimate the carbon storage capacity of forests. The second NFI started in 2002 and had been repeated in 2012. The reporting time for the NFSI was 1990 to 2006. Living forest biomass, deadwood, litter and soils up to a depth of 90 cm have stored 2500 t of carbon within the reporting time. Over all 224 t C ha-1 in aboveground and belowground biomass, deadwood and soil are stored in forests. Specifically, 46% stored in above-ground and below-ground biomass, 1% in dead wood and 53% in the organic layer together with soil up to 90 cm. Carbon stocks in mineral soils up to 30 cm mineral soil increase about 0.4 t C ha-1 yr-1 stocks between the inventories while the carbon pool in the organic layers declined slightly. In the living biomass carbon stocks increased about 1.0 t C ha-1 yr-1. In Germany, approximately 58 mill. tonnes of CO2 were sequestered in 2012 (NIR 2017).
Dehydrogenase activity in topsoil at windthrow plots in Tatra National Park
Authors: Hanajík Peter , Gáfriková Jana , Zvarík Milan
Published: September 2017

The aim of the study was to compare the effect of windthrow treatments established after the windstorm in 2004 on the activity of enzyme dehydrogenase (DHA) in forest topsoils. We also focused on the effect of the recent windthrow (May 2014) on the DHA in topsoil. Soil samples were collected in July 2014 from four sites in the Tatra National Park: EXT - tree trunks and wood debris extracted after the windstorm in 2004, NEX - area left for self-regeneration after the windstorm in 2004, REX - tree trunks and wood debris extracted after the windstorm (May 2014), REN - Norway spruce stand set as a control plot. We measured pH, dry weight %, soil organic matter (SOM), carbon content in microbial biomass (Cblo) and DHA. Dehydrogenase activity at studied plots was the lowest at the EXT plot and the highest values were measured at the REN plot. DHA at NEX was similar to REN suggesting comparable ecological conditions at these plots comparing to EXT. Carbon content in microbial biomass at plots reflected intensity of dehydrogenase activity in sequence EXT < REX < NEX < REN.
Country and regional carbon stock in forest cover – estimates based on the first cycle of the Czech National Forest Inventory data (2001–2004)
Authors: Merganič Ján , Merganičová Katarína , Konôpka Bohdan , Kučera Miloš
Published: September 2017

Since forests can play an efficient role in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, objective information about the actual carbon stock is very important. Therefore, the presented paper analysed the carbon stock in the living merchantable trees (with diameter at breast height above 7 cm) of the Czech forests with regard to groups of tree species and tree compartments (wood under bark with diameter above 7 cm, wood under bark with diameter below 7 cm, bark, green twigs, foliage, stump and roots). We examined its regional distribution and relationship to the number of inhabitants and the gross domestic product. The data used for the analysis originated from 13,929 forest plots of the first Czech National Forest Inventory performed between 2001 and 2004. The total tree carbon stock was obtained as a sum of the carbon stock in the individual tree compartments estimated from the biomass amount in the compartments multiplied by the relative carbon content. Wood biomass amount was calculated by multiplying a particular part of tree volume with species-specific green wood density. The total amount of carbon stored in forest trees in the Czech Republic was over 327 mill. t, which is about 113 t of carbon per ha of forests. The highest carbon amount (160 mill. t, i.e. 49.0% of the total amount) was fixed in spruce. The minimum carbon amount fixed in the forest cover (14.35 mill. t) was calculated for Ústecký kraj (region), while the maximum carbon amount (51.51 mill. t) was found in Jihočeský kraj.
Challenges and Ideas to Achieve Wireless 100 Gb/s Transmission: An Overview of Challenges and Solutions within the German Research Foundation (DFG) Special Priority Program SPP1655
Authors: Kraemer Rolf
Published: September 2017

Wireless communications is one of the fastest growing technology fields, driving numerous other innovations in electronics. One challenging research area within the wireless field is to achieve much higher transmission rates. First products with up to 3 Gb/s are in the market. In the coming years we predict this speed growing quickly up to and beyond 100 Gb/s. Today it is an open question how we can realize a wireless system at this speed. If we intend to use such systems in a mobile environment, we can only afford to spend approximately 1–10 pW/b for the end-to-end communication. This includes RF-transmission and all processing and protocol steps. The SPP1655 of the DFG was set up to investigate new paradigms for achieving the 100 Gb/s wireless transmission goal. Within 11 coordinated projects researchers from all over Germany are addressing several relevant issues ranging from the antennas and RF-Frontend, baseband-processing and error correction to protocol processing. A number of limitations of current approaches have to be investigated and new algorithms must be found in order to achieve the intended goal. One of the big challenges is finding the correct balance between analog and digital signal processing to achieve an extremely high performance at very low energy consumption. Another challenge is to find a good balance between bandwidth and bandwidth efficiency to achieve the 100 Gbps goal. Finally, protocol processing will need new approaches to decouple the central processor of a computer from the high-end input/output operations. Within this editorial we will address the main challenges and briefly outline the approaches of the running projects. The rest of this special issue will be devoted to more detailed descriptions and achievements of the individual projects of SPP1655.
Sustainability of Current Account Deficits in the OECD Countries: Evidence from Panel Data Estimators
Authors: Singh Tarlok
Published: September 2017

This study estimates the intertemporal model for the relationship between imports and exports and examines the sustainability of CADs and validity of IBC for a comprehensive set of 24 OECD countries. The balanced panel data model is estimated using several single-equation and system estimators to assess the robustness of results across methodologies and test statistics. The study finds that the numerical magnitude of the slope parameter of imports is close to unity consistently across estimators. The standard panel data estimators provide consistent support for the sustainability of CADs and validity of IBC. The optimal FMOLS and DOLS estimators cross-validate the evidence and reinforce the sustainability of CADs. The residual-based single-equation and the VAR-based system cointegration estimators provide consistent support for the long-run equilibrium relationship between imports and exports. The support for the sustainability of CADs suggests that the current account deficits are only short-run phenomena and are balanced by future surpluses. The macroeconomic stabilisation strategies seem to have been effective in correcting the market failures and maintaining the steady-state equilibrium relationship between the inflow and outflow of resources.
Fertilising Farms and Institutional Authorities:
Authors: Arapostathis Stathis
Published: September 2017

The article studies the politics of expertise and the co-production of sociotechnical imaginaries, expertise identities and public policies in agriculture and the use of fertilisers in Greece between the years 1945 and 2000. By applying the concept of the co-productionist idiom, the processes of appropriation will be studied and dynamic processes in postwar Greece are demonstrated. The study argues that experts functioned not only as mediators but as promoters and shapers of sociotechnical imaginaries in Greece, and that they directed specific policies in promoting or controlling the use of fertilisers: particularly nitrogen (N) fertilisers. Until 1990, experts had the power and the authority to politically and socially legitimise the use of intense fertilisation. In the years since 1990, the experts’ role was configured by transnational political pressures from the European Union that shaped the experts’ consensus on the harmful effects of agriculture malpractice and the overuse of nitrogen fertilisers. Yet still while an environmentally friendly agriculture paradigm was sought the dominant public discourse promoted by experts in Greece still prioritised accuracy and rational use.
Expert at a distance
Authors: Madruga Catarina
Published: September 2017

The career of José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage (1823‒1907) as director of the Zoological Section of the Museu Nacional de Lisboa (National Museum of Lisbon) followed by the presidency of the Society of Geography of Lisbon is presented in this paper as an example of transfer of expertise between scientific fields, specifically from zoology to geography. Additionally, it explores the connection between scientific credit and political recognition, in the sense of the conflation of Bocage’s taxonomical and zoogeographical work with the colonial agenda of his time. Although Bocage himself never visited Africa, he was part of a generation of Africanists who were members of the Portuguese elite dedicated to African matters and considered exemplary custodians of the political and diplomatic Portuguese international position regarding its African territories.
Scientific Families and the Shaping of an Expertise in Analytical Chemistry in Modern Spain.
Authors: Suay-Matallana Ignacio
Published: September 2017

This paper focuses on how two Spanish chemists—Antonio Casares Rodríguez (1812–1888), and his son José Casares Gil (1866–1961)—constructed their expertise in chemical analysis in modern Spain. It considers both their family connections and local networks as crucial elements in the consolidation of their scientific authority, as well as the importance of travels and textbook writing, in shaping expertise in places usually considered peripheral. Finally, this article shows how both experts were able to circulate between different spaces, notably the laboratory and the field, in this case natural springs and spas; the university and governmental committees and institutions, in this way forging new possibilities for the consolidation of analytical chemistry as a scientific discipline in Spain.
Physical activity level has a great influence on the nutritional status of adolescents: a review article
Authors: Paravlić Armin
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The aim of the review was to investigate the relationship between physical activity level (PAL) and nutritional status (NS) in adolescents.

Methods

Seven electronic databases were searched for research from the years 2005–2015. The studies must have mentioned the relationship between PAL and NS parameters in adolescents. After the review of abstracts and articles, 22 papers meeting the required criteria were further analysed in detail.

Results

The studies included 31,045 subjects of both sexes. The results showed that smaller PAL led to an increase of NS parameters and vice versa. Comparing the total PAL, the total time spent in moderately vigorous physical activity, and the total time of vigorous PA (VPA), only VPA was a significant predictor of the responders’ percentage of fat mass. Reducing the activity by 10 MET on the weekly level was associated with an increase in BMI in girls for 0.11 kg/m2, while an increase of the activity by 1 hour per week resulted in a decline in BMI by 0.13 kg/m2.

Conclusions

Total PAL has a significant correlation with NS in adolescents. This relationship is inverse, which means that more active adolescents are less overweight than their less active and/or inactive counterparts and vice versa. In addition to PAL, the character or intensity of physical activity has a significant impact on BMI. Physical activity of higher intensity influenced the reduction of body weight and fat mass more than activity of the same duration but of moderate intensity.
Sex differences in frontal and transverse plane hip and knee kinematics during the modified Star Excursion Balance Test
Authors: Willis Brad W. , Razu Swithin , Baggett Kelli , Jahandar Amirhossein , Gray Aaron D. , Skubic Marjorie , Sherman Seth L. , Blecha Kyle , Guess Trent M.
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT) assesses dynamic neuromuscular control, with predictive ability regarding lower extremity injury risk. Previous kinematic mSEBT analyses are limited to sex differences between injured or fatigued populations or non-fatigued groups in the sagittal plane only. We hypothesize that sex differences exist in the frontal and transverse plane kinematics of the hip and knee in healthy, non-fatigued subjects during the mSEBT.

Methods

The descriptive laboratory study involved 38 healthy subjects: 20 males (aged 24.8 ± 2.7 years) and 18 females (24.1 ± 3.7 years). Peak kinematics, obtained by a VICONTM motion system, of the hip and knee in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse plane were compared during the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral reach of the mSEBT. Wilcoxon rank test with significant differences at p < 0.05 was used.

Results

Kinematic differences existed between the groups in the frontal and transverse plane of the hip and knee in all reach directions (p < 0.05). No differences were found in the sagittal plane of the hip or knee between the groups.

Conclusions

Sex differences exist in frontal and transverse plane kinematics of the hip and knee during the mSEBT. The mSEBT may be enhanced as an injury prediction tool, if frontal and transverse plane kinematics were included during risk assessment screening.
Influence of nutrition and genetics on performance: a pilot study in a group of gymnasts
Authors: Amato Alessandra , Sacco Alessia , Macchiarella Alessandra , Contrò Valentina , Sabatino Emilia , Galassi Claudia , Proia Patrizia
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Energy requirements in sports performance are affected by numerous factors: physical characteristics, age, genetic basis, sports discipline. The Food and Nutrition Board recommended nutrition based on age, height, and body weight gain in relation to physical activity. Some genetic factors, such as the PPAR-encoding gene, play a key role in metabolism. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of specific snacks on performance.

Methods

Seventeen girls aged 10–14 years practising artistic gymnastics were enrolled. A carb or protein/carb snack was provided before the training, and a questionnaire was administered at the end. In addition, saliva samples were collected for genetic analyses.

Results

Most girls represented the CC genotype (65%), while a small part had the GC (23%) and GG (12%). The average BMI equalled 20.05 ± 2.8 kg/m2 in the group with the CC genotype, 19.6 ± 2.8 kg/m2 with the GC genotype, and 20.2 ± 2.8 kg/m2 with the GG genotype. The questionnaire showed that 59% of girls experienced a performance improvement after eating a carb snack; slightly different results were observed after the intake of a protein/carb snack: 47% felt more energy and 12% more fatigue.

Conclusions

This is a preliminary study that should be deepened by increasing the number of subjects, as well as diversifying the type of snacks administered and increasing the time of the study. It is important to be mindful of eating habits and lifestyle in order to prevent the onset of overweight.
Underwater dolphin kicks of young swimmers – evaluation of effectiveness based on kinematic analysis
Authors: Wądrzyk Łukasz , Nosiadek Leszek , Staszkiewicz Robert
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The aim of the study was to distinguish the kinematic indicators influencing the average horizontal velocity of swimming (vCOM) with underwater dolphin kicks (UDK).

Methods

The study involved 15 boys and 20 girls (mean age, 11.5 ± 1.00 years; height, 1.57 ± 0.09 m; training experience, 2.5 ± 1.00 years) practicing swimming 7 times a week. We determined the body height (H), the length of the body with the arms lifted (Lb), and the best result in the 50-m freestyle (pbt); characteristic anthropological points were marked on the body. The subjects performed UDK after a water-start for a distance of ca. 8 m (without a push-off from the wall). Movements were recorded with an underwater camera. The recordings were kinematically analysed with the SkillSpector program. On this basis, we calculated vCOM, frequency of movement (f), amplitude of movement (A), horizontal displacement in one cycle (Dpk), maximum flexion in the knee joints (KFmax), the product of f and A (IAf), the Strouhal number (St), and relative amplitude of toe movement (AREL).

Results

The movements of the subjects were characterized as follows: vCOM = 1.08 ± 0.13 m/s, f = 2.00 ± 0.39 Hz, A = 0.46 ± 0.08 m, Dpk = 0.58 ± 0.10 m, IAf = 0.90 ± 0.11, KFmax = 71.37 ± 9.15°, St = 0.83 ± 0.08, AREL = 0.22 ± 0.04. A statistically significant correlation was found between vCOM and: H (r = 0.35), pbt (r = –0.52), f (r = 0.47), IAf (r = 0.72), KFmax (r = –0.53), and St (r = –0.36).

Conclusions

UDK of young swimmers is characterized by low-speed swimming. This is effected by low swimming efficiency (low values of IAf and St, high value of KFmax). The proper amplitude and frequency of movements should be a priority in improving UDK. The UDK technique should be particularly enhanced among short competitors.
Relationships between anthropometric features, body composition, and anaerobic alactic power in elite post-pubertal and mature male taekwondo athletes
Authors: Boraczyński Michał , Boraczyński Tomasz , Podstawski Robert , Laskin James , Choszcz Dariusz , Lipiński Adam
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The paper describes the relationships between anthropometric features, body composition, and anaerobic alactic power (AAP) in elite post-pubertal and mature male taekwondo athletes.

Methods

The sample of 41 taekwondo athletes was divided into two groups: post-pubertal (P-P, n = 19, Mage = 15.6 ± 1.1 years) and mature (M, n = 22, Mage = 20.7 ± 2.8 years). Anthropometric features (WB-150, ZPU Tryb-Wag, Poland), body composition (BC-418 MA, Tanita, Japan), maturational status (Pubertal Maturational Observational Scale), and AAP (10-s version of the Wingate Anaerobic Test) were assessed.

Results

Post-hoc testing revealed significant between-group differences (3.2–20.4%, p < 0.01) in all anthropometric and body composition measures, with effect sizes (ES) between −0.79 and −1.25 (p < 0.001), except for fat content and percentage of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) (p 0.05). In group M, the maximal power output (Pmax) was greater (ES = −1.15, p < 0.001) and the time of its attainment shorter (ES = 0.59, p < 0.001) than in group P-P. Correlation analyses indicated notably strong associations between body mass (BM) and Pmax in group P-P (r = 0.950 [95% CI, 0.85–0.98], p < 0.001) and M (r = 0.926 [95% CI, 0.81–0.97], p < 0.001), and similar-sized strong correlations between fat-free mass (FFM) and Pmax in group P-P (r = 0.955 [95% CI, 0.86–0.99], p < 0.001) and M (r = 0.924 [95% CI, 0.82–0.96], p < 0.001). Additionally, a strong correlation was found between body height and Pmax in groups P-P and M (r = 0.805 [95% CI, 0.54–0.92], p < 0.001 and r = 0.819 [95% CI, 0.58–0.93], p < 0.001, respectively). Linear regression analyses demonstrated that FFM, BM, and absolute SMM best explained the variance in Pmax in both groups (r, 0.939–0.951; r2, 0.882–0.909).

Conclusions

The strong correlations observed in both groups between BM, FFM, SMM, and Pmax demonstrate the significant effects of body size and composition on AAP. By determining the current levels of these measures for individual athletes and via regressive modelling, one can anticipate the individual developmental dynamics of AAP. On the basis of anthropometric profiling, we recommend the recruitment and selection of tall and lean individuals with high anaerobic predisposition in taekwondo. Such a profile may enable coaches to better predict future athlete development, particularly in AAP.
Bubble Force Balance Formula for Low Reynolds Number Bubbly Flows in Pipes and Channels: Comparison of Wall Force Models
Authors: Marfaing O. , Laviéville J.
Published: September 2017

In recent work, we investigated analytically low Reynolds number bubbly flows in pipes. We showed that the distribution of bubbles results from a balance between lift, dispersion and wall forces, and exhibited an analytical expression for this void fraction profile. We then performed a comparison of this analytical Bubble Force Balance Formula (BFBF) with an experiment from the literature. Antal’s model was used for the wall force. The objective of the present work is to compare and assess the three main wall force models in the literature: Antal’s, Tomiyama’s and Frank’s models. We begin by deriving two new BFBF, respectively with Tomiyama’s and Frank’s forces. We can see that the choice of the model impacts the velocity with which the analytical void fraction profile goes to zero at the wall. We then compare our three analytical profiles with experimental measurements and DNS simulations of laminar flows from the literature. We restrict ourselves to the near-wall region. The choice of Antal’s wall force model yields the best agreement. The data is also used to estimate the dispersion coefficient at the wall. Interestingly, we obtain the same order of magnitude with the three wall force models.
Pharmacological and phytochemical screening of Palestinian traditional medicinal plants Erodium laciniatum and Lactuca orientalis
Authors: Jaradat Nidal , AlMasri Motasem , Zaid Abdel Naser , Othman Dua’a Ghazi
Published: September 2017

Background: Various epidemiological studies showed that herbal remedies containing polyphenols may protect against various diseases such as cancers, vascular diseases and inflammatory pathologies. Currently, such groups of bioactive compounds have become a subject of many antimicrobials and antioxidant investigations. Accordingly, the current study aimed to conduct biological and phytochemical screening for two Palestinian traditional medicinal plants, Erodium laciniatum and Lactuca orientalis.

Methods: Current plants phytoconstituents and their antioxidant activities were evaluated by using standard phytochemical methods; meanwhile, antimicrobial activities were estimated by using several types of American Type Culture Collection and multidrug resistant clinical isolates by using agar diffusion well-variant, agar diffusion disc-variant and broth microdilution methods.

Results: Phytochemical screenings showed that L. orientalis and E. laciniatum contain mixtures of secondary and primary metabolites Moreover, total flavonoid, tannins and phenols content in E. laciniatum extract were higher than the L. orientalis extracts with almost the same antioxidant potentials. Additionally, both plants organic and aqueous extracts showed various potentials of antimicrobial activity

Conclusions: Overall, the studied species have a mixture of phytochemicals, flavonoids, phenols and tannins also have antioxidant and antimicrobial activities which approved their folk uses in treatments of infectious and Alzheimer diseases and simultaneously can be used as therapeutic agents in the pharmaceutical industries.
Perfect Tunable All-Optical Diode based on Periodic Photonic Crystal Grand Graded Structures
Authors: Zohrabi Ramin , Namdar Abdolrahman
Published: September 2017

We have investigated nonlinear properties and optically diode action capability in graded nonlinear one-dimensional photonic crystals-made up of graded index and thickness layers using transfer matrix method (TMM). We have considered the efficacy of index and thickness gradient parameters on the nonlinear properties in right to left and left to right optical pumping. It is found that the difference between the up-switch threshold input intensities of the left to right and right to left impinging lights and optical bistability (OBS) threshold can be tunable with thickness gradation parameter and index gradation parameter, respectively. Proposed structure can be useful in designing low threshold and high speed optical diode, switches and rectifiers.
A Novel Scheme for UDWDM-PON Broadband Access Network Using Injection-Locked Phase-to-Intensity Modulation Converter
Authors: Chakraborty Meenakshi , Chattopadhyay Taraprasad
Published: September 2017

In this paper, we have proposed and analyzed a novel cost-effective ultradense wavelength division multiplexed (UDWDM) passive optical network (PON) which uses phase modulation (PM) of the optical carriers in the optical line terminal (OLT) in order to achieve inherent noise immunity in the network. In the demodulation of the optical PM signal at the optical network unit (ONU), we have proposed to use a simple injection–locked Fabry–Perot (FP) laser diode (LD) for achieving PM to intensity modulation (IM) converter which is followed by a photodiode to recover the specific channel information. A detailed analysis of PM–IM conversion in an injection–locked FPLD has been carried out and the viability of the proposed scheme has been established. The proposed UDWDM–PON which is a broadband access network is cost-effective and long reach.
Performance Analysis of 2-D Prime Codes Encoded Optical CDMA System
Authors: Rani Ankita , Kedia Deepak
Published: September 2017

Optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) system provides highly secured transmission in addition to its capabilities to support asynchronous transmission and soft blocking. Two-dimensional OCDMA codes are chosen in this paper due to their high cardinality, good spectral efficiency and flexibility in their construction methods against direct sequence codes. This paper focuses on study of impact of multiple access interference (MAI) at high data rates for 2-D prime codesbased OCDMA system. It is shown that how the change in number of simultaneous users affects the transmission quality. Further, performance of the system is analysed in terms of bit error rate, received electrical power and eye openings. In addition, this paper also shows a comparative analysis of 2-D codes-based OCDMA system and wavelength division multiple access (WDMA) system in order to justify the improved performance of the proposed system. It is observed that the performance of 2-D OCDMA system is much better than WDMA system in terms of quality as well as security.
Human Serum Low Molecular Mass Prostate-Specific Antigen as Biomarker
Authors: Goč Sanja , Janković Miroslava
Published: September 2017

Background: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a glycoprotein tumor marker known to exist as numerous glycospecies. Investigations on its glycobiochemical properties aimed at their use in the preparation of adjuncts in determining PSA concentration for clinical purposes have accumulated a lot of data on its structural properties. In this study, we reconsidered unexplored ubiquitously present low molecular mass species of PSA regarding to molecular mass, origin and pathophysiological source specificity in order to evaluate them as biomarkers. Methods: Data on low molecular mass PSA-immunoreactive species from sera of subjects with prostate cancer (PCa), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), breast cancer (BCa), and urine of healthy males obtained by on-chip immunoaffinity chromatography combined with mass spectrometry were analyzed. Results: The results obtained indicated PSA species common to BCa, PCa, and BPH at 12-13 kDa, 17-19 kDa and 21-24 kDa. The striking difference in predominant frequencies made the profile characteristic in each examined pathophysiological condition. On the other hand, paired groups of prostatic and extraprostatic PSA contained rare species with small differences among groups concerning individual species. Low molecular mass PSA also included rare species unique for each group of samples. Conclusion: The results obtained revealed that uniformity of low molecular mass PSA-immunoreactive species in sera prevails over diversity related to cancer and non-cancer conditions, but at the same time some of them are molecules with biomarker potential for BPH detection.
Double-principal Agent: False Accounting Information, Supervision Cost and Corporate Performance
Authors: Wu Wuqing , An Suning
Published: September 2017

The game among the corporate controlling shareholder, the shareholder in power balance and the manager can lead to severe agency problems. This paper regards the shareholder in power balance as another principal and applies the latest results about double-principal agent theory in the research of manager tunneling, supervision cost and corporate performance, trying to solve the inconsistency of the above corporate governance issue researched by domestic and foreign scholars. The main conclusions are as the followings. The correlation among them depends on which one has a dominant position, the free rider effect of supervision or the positive externality effect on cash flow right. Therefore, the key to excite the positive effect of the corporate governance mechanism such as the check-and-balance of stock ownership is the degree of cooperation between shareholders.
Optimal Sales Discount Decision Model with Fixed Ordered Quantities
Authors: Zheng Shi , Zheng Wen
Published: September 2017

The purpose of this paper is to study sales pricing and discount strategy for sellers. Here, the suppliers require fixed order quantities to the sellers. Therefore, to incorporate the concept of sellers’ maximum profit and sales discount into the model, the author classifies the multi-category goods into backlog, flat and profitable one. Then the model to determine the optimal sales price strategy for a sales discount decision system with fixed order quantities is analyzed. As most of the non-linear model can be linearization, a mathematical model for sales discount decision system is developed when demand rate is a liner function of the sales price. By analyzing the total profit function, the authors developed some useful results to characterize the optimal solution and provided a method to find the sales discount for holdovers. By developing a solution algorithm, the optimal retail price and sales discount for holdovers are provided. Case scenarios are presented to validate the proposed model. Through case scenarios analyses, it is observed that optimal sales discount can help the sellers earn maximum profit with constraints of fixed order quantities. Most of the research articles available in the literature assumed that the sellers are always in optimal situation. In fact, sellers’ decisions rely on suppliers’ decisions in most cases. In this paper, determination of sales discounts can be seen as sellers compromise to suppliers by seeking the optimal strategy with downstream customers. In view of this fact, a mathematical model is developed considering sales price dependent linear demand and sellers’ profit. Very few researchers have investigated optimal sales discount decision system with fixed order quantities; although it is a real situation the sellers should be faced.
The Order Quantity Decision of Newsboy Retailer with Financing
Authors: Ma Zhonghua
Published: September 2017

We analyze the retailer’s optimal order with capital constraint under stochastic demand. We consider the impact of external financing, that is inventory financing, and the internal financing, that is trade credit, on the order strategy of retailer separately. We establish revenue model of retailer and solve, and give revenue of retailer and supplier respectively. Finally, we give the impact of own funds on the retailer’s order quantity, retailer’s revenue, supplier’s revenue, as well as the impact on the overall revenue gains of the supply chain. And some analysis and statement are also given in the end.
Widespread Traffic Congestion Prediction for Urban Road Network Based on Synergetic Theory
Authors: Zhang Liangliang , Jia Yuanhua , Niu Zhonghai , Liao Cheng
Published: September 2017

The traffic congestion often occurs in urban road network. When one of the sections becomes congested, it will lead to a series of congestions in other sections. The traffic congestion spreads rapidly until part of road network becomes congestion ultimately. In this case, the paper investigates the mechanism of the traffic congestion in urban road network and points out that subsystems of the traffic congestion always perform completive and cooperative functions in the process of traffic congestion. The process behaves in a manner of self-organized criticality, which can be forecasted. The paper also establishes synergetic predictive models based on self-organized criticality of the synergetic theory. Finally, the paper takes Beijing road network as an example to forecast the widespread traffic congestion. The result shows that the established models are accuracy, and the traffic congestion is featured of self-organized criticality.
Calculating the Maximum Assembling on Nested Routing Platforms of Urban Rail Transit Line
Authors: Wang Yongliang , Zhang Xingchen
Published: September 2017

The maximum assembling for some period on nested routing platforms of urban rail transit line were calculated by trend analysis method. Based on influencing factors of maximum assembling on platform, relative hypotheses were given. Platforms were divided to eight types by relations between platform and routing train. Interaction of passenger, train and platform, assembling change process, and calculation frames of maximum assembling on different type platforms carried out to be maximum assembling were concluded by trend analysis method. The numerical example application revealed that trend analysis method to calculate maximum assembling on nested routing platforms is feasible, and the final results by trend analysis method are more accurate than by one of codes for design of metro.
An EPC Forecasting Method for Stock Index Based on Integrating Empirical Mode Decomposition, SVM and Cuckoo Search Algorithm
Authors: Li Xiangfei , Zhang Zaisheng , Huang Chao
Published: September 2017

In order to improve the forecasting accuracy, a hybrid error-correction approach by integrating support vector machine (SVM), empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and the improved cuckoo search algorithm (ICS) was introduced in this study. By using two indexes as examples, the empirical study shows our proposed approach by means of synchronously predict the prediction error which used to correct the preliminary predicted values has better prediction precision than other five competing approaches, furthermore, the improved strategies for cuckoo search algorithm has better performance than other three evolutionary algorithms in parameters selection.
American Option Pricing Using Particle Filtering Under Stochastic Volatility Correlated Jump Model
Authors: Song Bin , Liang Enqi , Liu Bing
Published: September 2017

A particle filter based method to price American option under partial observation framework is introduced. Assuming the underlying price process is driven by unobservable latent factors, the pricing methodology should contain inference on latent factors in addition to the original least-squares Monte Carlo approach of Longstaff and Schwartz. Sequential Monte Carlo is a widely applied technique to provide such inference. Applications on stochastic volatility models has been introduced by Rambharat, who assume that volatility is a latent stochastic process, and capture information about it using particle filter based “summary vectors”. This paper investigates this particle filter based pricing methodology, with an extension to a stochastic volatility jump model, stochastic volatility correlated jump model (SVCJ), and auxiliary particle filter (APF) introduced first by Pitt and Shephard. In the APF algorithm of SVCJ model, it also provides a modification version to enhance the performance in the resampling step. A detailed implementation and numerical examples of the algorithm are provided. The algorithm is also applied to empirical data.
The Stochastic Cash Balance Problem with Fixed Costs: The Risk-averse Case
Authors: Liu Shuren , Tang Pei
Published: September 2017

This paper discusses multi-period stochastic cash balance problem with fixed costs when the decision maker is risk averse. By using the consumption model introduced by Chen et al, we characterize the structure of the optimal policy for the stochastic cash balance problem under the general increasing concave utility function and exponential utility function, respectively. We show that the structure of the optimal policy for a decision maker with exponential utility function is almost identical to the structure of the optimal risk-neutral operations policy. Furthermore, we extend the results for the exponential utility function to the ambiguity aversion case.
Optimizing the Grey GM(1,N) Model by Rebuilding All the Back Ground Values
Authors: Ma Xin , Liu Zhibin , Chen Yishen
Published: September 2017

The GM(1,N) model is a very important prediction model of the grey system. But the inherent defect of GM(1,N), which may cause very large error, is still there. This paper analyzes the source of the error of GM(1,N) and reveals that it’s all the back ground values that effect the precision and applicability of GM(1,N). Three methods are employed to revise the GM(1,N) model. The simulation test shows the new models perform with higher precision and robustness. Even in some extreme cases, in which the original GM(1,N) is invalid, the new models are still valid and perform well.
Linear Quadratic Nash Differential Games of Stochastic Singular Systems
Authors: Zhou Haiying , Zhu Huainian , Zhang Chengke
Published: September 2017

In this paper, we deal with the Nash differential games of stochastic singular systems governed by Itô-type equation in finite-time horizon and infinite-time horizon, respectively. Firstly, the Nash differential game problem of stochastic singular systems in finite time horizon is formulated. By applying the results of stochastic optimal control problem, the existence condition of the Nash strategy is presented by means of a set of cross-coupled Riccati differential equations. Similarly, under the assumption of the admissibility of the stochastic singular systems, the existence condition of the Nash strategy in infinite-time horizon is presented by means of a set of cross-coupled Riccati algebraic equations. The results show that the strategies of each players interact.
An Improved Model of Dividend Tax Based on Continuous Function
Authors: Yan Chunning , Zhang Hang , Chen Qianqian , Huang Yangxin
Published: September 2017

By comparing several kinds of continuous functions, a normal distribution function-based model is proposed to improve the existing Levy policy of dividend tax in this paper. The improved model is adopted to stimulate the long-term investment and contain the short-term speculation. Further, this improved model paves an avenue to overcome the deficiency on the double policy of dividend tax rate by holding stock period with one day difference and also adjust the tax revenues by controlling the parameters of the distribution function. The findings from this study suggest that the improved model with normal distribution function may provide more reasonable results based on the data from the stock market and, finally, the proper decision is discussed.
Geometric singular approach to Poisson-Nernst-Planck models with excess chemical potentials: Ion size effects on individual fluxes
Authors: Zhang Mingji , Zhang Jianbao , Acheampong Daniel
Published: September 2017

We study a quasi-one-dimensional steady-state Poisson-Nernst-Planck model for ionic flows through membrane channels. Excess chemical potentials are included in this work to account for finite ion size effects. This is the main difference from the classical Poisson-Nernst-Planck models, which treat ion species as point charges and neglect ion-to-ion interactions. Due to the fact that most experiments (with some exceptions) can only measure the total current while individual fluxes contain much more information on channel functions, our main focus is to study the qualitative properties of ionic flows in terms of individual fluxes under electroneutrality conditions. Our result shows that, in addition to ion sizes, the property depends on multiple physical parameters such as boundary concentrations and potentials, diffusion coe-cients, and ion valences. For the relatively simple setting and assumptions of the model in this paper, we are able to characterize, almost completely, the distinct effects of the nonlinear interplay between these physical parameters. The boundaries of different parameter regions are identified through a number of critical potential values that are explicitly expressed in terms of the physical parameters.Numerical simulations are performed to detect the critical potentials and investigate the quantitative properties of ionic flows over different potential regions. In particular, a special case is studied in Section 5 without the assumption of electroneutrality conditions.
Laplace - Fibonacci transform by the solution of second order generalized difference equation
Authors: Pinelas Sandra , Xavier G. B. A. , Kumar S. U. Vasantha , Meganathan M.
Published: September 2017

The main objective of this paper is finding new types of discrete transforms with tuning factor t. This is not only analogy to the continuous Laplace transform but gives discrete Laplace-Fibonacci transform (LFt). This type of Laplace-Fibonacci transform is not available in the continuous case. The LFt generates uncountably many outcomes when the parameter t varies on (0,∞). This possibility is not available in the existing Laplace transform. All the formulae and results derived are verified by MATLAB.