bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Health Impact of the following Measures in Schools in Maradi (Niger): Construction of Latrines, Clean Water Supply, Establishment of Hand Washing Stations, and Health Education
Authors: Boubacar Maïnassara Halima , Tohon Zilahatou
Published: January 2014

Objective.To assess the effect on health of the following measures in schools in Maradi (Niger): clean water supply, construction of latrines, establishment of hand washing stations, and health education.Methodology.It was a “before and after” intervention study on a sample of school children aged 7 to 12 years in the Maradi region. The interventions included building of latrines, supplying clean water, setting up hand washing stations, and teaching health education lessons. An individual questionnaire, analysis of stool samples, and a group questionnaire were administered to children and teachers, respectively. The threshold for significance was set atP<0.05.Results. A statistically significant reduction in cases of diarrhoea and abdominal pains was noted after the project. Overall, carriage of at least one parasite increased from 7.5% before the project to 10.2% after it (P=0.04). In the programme group schools, there was a statistically significant increase in the prevalence ofHymenolepis nana, from 0 to 1.9 (P=0.02). Pinworm prevalence remained stable in this group but increased significantly in the control group.Conclusions.Putting health infrastructure in place in schools obviously had an impact on hygiene-related habits in the beneficiary schools and communities.
Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) versus Autologous Whole Blood on Pain and Function Improvement in Tennis Elbow: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Raeissadat Seyed Ahmad , Sedighipour Leyla , Rayegani Seyed Mansoor , Bahrami Mohammad Hasan , Bayat Masume , Rahimi Rosa
Published: January 2014

Background. Autologous whole blood and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) have been both suggested to treat chronic tennis elbow. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of PRP versus autologous whole blood local injection in chronic tennis elbow. Methods. Forty patients with tennis elbow were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group 1 was treated with a single injection of 2 mL of autologous PRP and group 2 with 2 mL of autologous blood. Tennis elbow strap, stretching, and strengthening exercises were administered for both groups during a 2-month followup. Pain and functional improvements were assessed using visual analog scale (VAS), modified Mayo Clinic performance index for the elbow, and pressure pain threshold (PPT) at 0, 4, and 8 weeks. Results. All pain and functional variables including VAS, PPT, and Mayo scores improved significantly in both groups 4 weeks after injection. No statistically significant difference was noted between groups regarding pain scores in 4-week follow-up examination (P>0.05). At 8-week reevaluations, VAS and Mayo scores improved only in PRP group (P<0.05). Conclusion. PRP and autologous whole blood injections are both effective to treat chronic lateral epicondylitis. PRP might be slightly superior in 8-week followup. However, further studies are suggested to get definite conclusion.
Pose Planning for the Feed Support System of FAST
Authors: Yao Rui , Zhu Wenbai , Sun Caihong , Li Hui , Sun Jinghai
Published: January 2014

A six-cable driven parallel manipulator and an A-B rotator in the feed support system of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) are adopted for realizing the position and pose of nine feeds. The six-cable driven parallel manipulator is a flexible mechanism, which may not be stably controlled due to a small cable tension. The A-B rotator is a rigid mechanism, and its stability and accuracy can be improved by small pose angle. Based on the different characteristics, a pose planning function is presented. The optimization target of the pose planning function is to get the smallest pose angle of the A-B rotator, and the constraint condition can reflect the controllability of the six-cable driven parallel manipulator. Then, the pose planning realization process of the feed support system is proposed. Based on the pose planning method, optimized pose angles of the feed support system for the nine feeds are obtained, which suggests that the pose angle of the six-cable driven parallel manipulator changes from 0° to 14° and the pose angle of the A-B rotator changes from 0° to 26.4°.
A Novel Platelet Concentrate: Titanium-Prepared Platelet-Rich Fibrin
Authors: Tunalı Mustafa , Özdemir Hakan , Küçükodacı Zafer , Akman Serhan , Yaprak Emre , Toker Hülya , Fıratlı Erhan
Published: January 2014

We developed a new product called titanium-prepared platelet-rich fibrin (T-PRF). The T-PRF method is based on the hypothesis that titanium may be more effective in activating platelets than the silica activators used with glass tubes in Chouckroun’s leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) method. In this study, we aimed to define the structural characteristics of T-PRF and compare it with L-PRF. Blood samples were collected from 10 healthy male volunteers. The blood samples were drawn using a syringe. Nine milliliters was transferred to a dry glass tube, and 9 mL was transferred to a titanium tube. Half of each clot (i.e., the blood that was clotted using T-PRF or L-PRF) was processed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The other half of each clot was processed for fluorescence microscopy analysis and light microscopy analysis. The T-PRF samples seemed to have a highly organized network with continuous integrity compared to the other L-PRF samples. Histomorphometric analysis showed that T-PRF fibrin network covers larger area than L-PRF fibrin network; also fibrin seemed thicker in the T-PRF samples. This is the first human study to define T-PRF as an autogenous leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin product. The platelet activation by titanium seems to offer some high characteristics to T-PRF.
A Study on the Adhesion of Styrene-Butadiene Rubber with Red Kaolinite on Aluminum Surface
Authors: Alwaan I. M.
Published: January 2014

The shear stress, strain, and modulus of styrene-butadiene rubber adhesive with and without kaolinite additive were studied on the aluminum surfaces to know the convenience of it in aluminum industries. The adhesives were cured at temperature of 200°C for different curing times (10, 30, 40, and 50 min) with and without 50 wt% kaolinite additives. The result found was good adhesion for styrene butadiene rubber adhesive without kaolinite additive and very poor adhesion with kaolinite additive. It was found that the maximum shear stress of adhesive without kaolinite additive was 2.3 kN/m2 with elongation of 0.23% and modulus of 100 kN/m2 at curing temperature of 200°C for period of time of 40 min. From images of adhesives after breaking of samples, the adhesive without additives failed because both adhesion and the cohesive energies of adhesive were failure; meanwhile, the failure of adhesive with kaolinite additive was due to failure in cohesive energy only.
Phase- and Polarization-Controlled Two-Photon Rabi Oscillation of the Biexciton State in a Semiconductor Quantum Dot
Authors: Sun Erlin , Feng Donghai , Jia Tianqing
Published: January 2014

Under a degenerate two-photon resonant excitation, the Rabi oscillation of the four-level biexciton system in a semiconductor quantum dot is theoretically investigated. The influence of the laser phases on the state manipulation is modeled and numerically calculated. Due to the interference between different excitation paths, the laser phase plays an important role and can be utilized as an alternate control knob to coherently manipulate the biexciton state. The phase control can be facilely implemented by changing the light polarization via a quarter-wave plate.
Static, Vibration Analysis and Sensitivity Analysis of Stepped Beams Using Singularity Functions
Authors: Cheng Peng , Davila Carla , Hou Gene
Published: January 2014

A systematic approach is presented in this paper to derive the analytical deflection function of a stepped beam using singularity functions. The discontinuities considered in this development are associated with the jumps in the flexural rigidity and the applied loads. This approach is applied to static and vibration analyses of stepped beams. The same approach is later extended to perform sensitivity analysis of stepped beams. This is done by directly differentiating the analytical deflection function with respect to any beam-related design variable. The particular design variable considered here is the location of discontinuity in flexural rigidity. Example problems are presented in this paper to demonstrate and verify the derivation process.
Practical Stability in terms of Two Measures for Set Differential Equations on Time Scales
Authors: Wang Peiguang , Sun Weiwei
Published: January 2014

We present a new comparison principle by introducing a notion of upper quasi-monotone nondecreasing and obtain the practical stability criteria for set valued differential equations in terms of two measures on time scales by using the vector Lyapunov function together with the new comparison principle.
Fast Formation of Surface Oxidized Zn Nanorods and Urchin-Like Microclusters
Authors: López R. , Díaz T. , García G. , Rosendo E. , Galeazzi R. , Coyopol A. , Juárez H. , Pacio M. , Morales F. , Oliva A. I.
Published: January 2014

Entangled Zn-ZnO nanorods and urchin-like microstructures were synthesized by the hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique at 825 and 1015°C, respectively. X-ray diffraction results showed a mixture of ZnO and Zn phases in both nanorods and urchin-like structures. The presence of Zn confirms the chemical dissociation of the ZnO solid source. The Z-ZnO nanorods with diameter of about 100 nm showed dispersed-like morphology. The urchin-like structures with micrometer diameters exhibited porous and rough morphology with epitaxial formation of nanorods.
Using FDFD Technique in Two-Dimensional TE Analysis for Modeling Clutter in Wall Penetrating Radar
Authors: Insana David , Rappaport Carey M.
Published: January 2014

Finite difference frequency domain (FDFD) computational electromagnetic modeling is implemented to perform a two-dimensionalTEzanalysis for the application of wall penetrating radar (WPR). Resolving small targets of interest, embedded in a strong clutter environment of unknown configuration, is difficult. Field interaction between clutter elements will dominate the received fields back-scattered from the scene. Removing the effects of clutter ultimately relies on the accuracy of the model. Analysis starts with a simple model that continues to build based on the dominant scattering features of the scene. FDFD provides a steady state frequency response to a discrete excitation. Taking the fast Fourier transform of the wideband response of the scene, at several external transmit/receive locations, produces 2D images of the clutter, which are used to mature the model.
Peritoneal Response to Abdominal Surgery: The Role of Equine Abdominal Adhesions and Current Prophylactic Strategies
Authors: Alonso Juliana de Moura , Alves Ana Liz Garcia , Watanabe Marcos Jun , Rodrigues Celso Antonio , Hussni Carlos Alberto
Published: January 2014

Intra-abdominal adhesions constitute a significant clinical and surgical problem that can lead to complications such as pain and bowel occlusion or subocclusion. These adhesions are frustrating and potentially fatal, representing a major postoperative complication in abdominal surgery. It is estimated that 32% of horses undergoing laparotomy will present clinical symptoms due to adhesions, but the true prevalence is not known because a large proportion of animals with postoperative recurrent colics are medically treated or submitted to euthanasia without necropsy. Adhesions are highly cellular, vascularized, dynamic structures that are influenced by complex signaling mechanisms. Understanding their pathogenesis could assist in applying better therapeutic strategies and in developing more effective antiadhesion products. Currently, there are no definitive strategies that prevent adhesion formation, and it is difficult to interpret the results of existing studies due to nonstandardization of an induction model and evaluation of their severity. The best clinical results have been obtained from using minimally traumatic surgical techniques, anti-inflammatory agents, antimicrobials, anticoagulants, and mechanical separation of serosal surfaces by viscous intraperitoneal solutions or physical barriers. This paper aims to review adhesion formation pathogenesis, guide the understanding of major products and drugs used to inhibit adhesion formation, and address their effectiveness in the equine species.
Values of Alpha 1 Microglobulin Does Not Differ between Individuals with and without Family History of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy
Authors: Aleckovic-Halilovic Mirna , Mesic Enisa , Trnacevic Senaid , Hodzic Emir , Habul Vildana , Atic Mirza , Dugonjic Maida , Hasanovic Evlijana
Published: January 2014

Aim. The aim of this study was to compare urinary alpha 1 microglobulin (A1MG) in healthy individuals with and without family burden for Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) in an endemic village.Methods. Otherwise healthy inhabitants with microalbuminuria or proteinuria were divided into two groups: with (n=24) and without (n=32) family BEN burden and screened for urinary A1MG and A1MG/urine creatinine ratio.Results. Average value of urinary A1MG was10.35±7.01 mg/L in group with and10.79±8.27 mg/L in group without family history for BEN (NS,P=0.87). A1MG was higher than 10 mg/L in eight (33.33%) inhabitants with family history and in 12 (37.5%) without (NS,P=0.187). Average values of urinary A1MG/creatinine ratio were1.30±1.59and0.94±0.78in group with and group without family BEN history (NS,P=0.39, resp.). Elevated values of this ratio were found in 13 (54.17%) inhabitants with and 14 (43.75%) without family history for BEN (NS,P=0.415).Conclusion. We did not find statistically significant difference in the examined markers between healthy individuals with and without family burden for BEN. We concluded that these markers are not predictive of risk for BEN.
CD49b, a Major Marker of Regulatory T-Cells Type 1, Predicts the Response to Antiviral Therapy of Recurrent Hepatitis C after Liver Transplantation
Authors: Fabien Stenard , Olivier Morales , Khaldoun Ghazal , Vivian Viallon , Lynda Aoudjehane , Laurissa Ouaguia , Gautier Goormachtigh , Yvon Calmus , Nadira Delhem , Filomena Conti
Published: January 2014

The TRANSPEG study was a prospective study to assess the efficacy of antiviral therapy in patients with a recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) after liver transplantation. The influence of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) on the response to antiviral therapy was analyzed. Patients were considered as a function of their sustained virological response (SVR) at 18 months after treatment initiation. A transcriptomic analysis was performed to assess Treg markers (Tr1 and FoxP3+) in serum, PBMC, and liver biopsies. 100 patients had been included in the TRANSPEG study. Data from 27 of these patients were available. The results showed that the expression of CD49b (a predominant marker of Tr1) before the introduction of antiviral therapy was significantly associated with SVR. Responders displayed lower serum levels of CD49b than nonresponders (P<0.02). These findings were confirmed in PBMC and liver biopsies even if in a nonsignificant manner for the limited number of samples. The assessment of CD49b levels is thus predictive of the response to antiviral therapy. This data suggests that CD49b may be a marker of the failure of the immune response and antiviral therapy during HCV recurrence. The assessment of CD49b could help to select patients who require earlier and more intensive antiviral therapy.
Investigation of the Effects of Preoperative Hydration on the Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting
Authors: Yavuz M. Selçuk , Kazancı Dilek , Turan Sema , Aydınlı Bahar , Selçuk Gökçe , Özgök Ayşegül , Coşar Ahmet
Published: January 2014

Introduction. Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy operations still continue to be a serious problem. Intravenous fluid administration has been shown to reduce PONV. Some patients have higher risk for PONV described by APFEL score. In this study, our aim was to determine the effects of preoperative intravenous hydration on postoperative nausea and vomiting in high Apfel scored patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery.Patients and Methods. This study is performed with 50 female patients who had APFEL score 3-4 after ethics committee approval and informed consent was taken from patients. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (P1): propofol + preoperative hydration and group 2 (P2): propofol + no preoperative hydration.Results. When the total nausea VAS scores of groups P1and P2to which hydration was given or not given were compared, a statistically significant difference was detected at 8th and 12th hours (P=0.001andP=0.041). It was observed that in group P1, which was given hydration, the nausea VAS score was lower. When the total number of patients who had nausea and vomiting in P1and P2, more patients suffered nausea in P2group.Discussion. Preoperative hydration may be effective in high Apfel scored patients to prevent postoperative nausea.
Potential Cellulosic Ethanol Production from Organic Residues of Agro-Based Industries in Nepal
Authors: Yadav Ram Kailash P. , Timilsina Arbindra , Yadawa Rupesh K. , Pokhrel Chandra P.
Published: January 2014

With the objective of exploring the potential of bioethanol production from lignocellulosic wastes from major agro-based industries in Nepal, four types of major industries using raw materials from agriculture are selected as sources of lignocellulosic residues. They include a sugar industry, a paper industry, a tobacco industry, and a beer industry. Data from secondary/primary sources were used to record organic residues from these industries and estimates were made of potential production of bioethanol from them. About 494892.263 tons of dry bagasse could be produced if the total production of sugarcane in Nepal is taken to the sugar industry which means that about 138569.833 KL of bioethanol could be produced (in the year 2011/12). Similarly, the dry biomass residue produced from the paper mill is 86.668 ton/year that could produce 24.267 KL of bioethanol. The lignocellulosic residue from tobacco field in Nepal is approximately 18.826 ton/year that has potential to produce 5.836 KL of bioethanol. The dry biomass residue produced in beer industry amounts to 155.0596 ton/year that can yield about 63.5744 KL of bioethanol. It is estimated that about 57,841.3754 KL of bioethanol could be produced when these residues are fully utilized in producing bioethanol. If E10 is used in total import of petrol, about 20246.7 KL of bioethanol could be utilized, and the rest 37,594.6754 KL of bioethanol could be utilized for many other purposes.
Exact Evaluation of Infinite Series Using Double Laplace Transform Technique
Authors: Eltayeb Hassan , Kılıçman Adem , Mesloub Said
Published: January 2014

Double Laplace transform method was applied to evaluate the exact value of double infinite series. Further we generalize the current existing methods and provide some examples to illustrate and verify that the present method is a more general technique.
The Photocatalytic Reduction of Hexavalent Chromium by Controllable Mesoporous Anatase TiO2Nanoparticles
Authors: Loryuenyong Vorrada , Jarunsak Natnapin , Chuangchai Thirawich , Buasri Achanai
Published: January 2014

Titania (TiO2) nanoparticles with periodical mesopore size (up to 150 Å) have successfully been synthesized by sol-gel template method, using titanium(IV) tetraisopropoxide as a starting precursor and isopropanol as a solvent. Different quantities of activated carbon (0%, 5%, and 10% by weight) were used as templates to control the porosity and particle size of titania nanoparticles. The templates were completely removed during the calcination in air at 500°C for 3 hr. The results showed that the specific surface area of titania is increased with increasing activated carbon content. The optical bandgap of synthesized titania exhibits a blue shift by 0.3–0.6 eV when compared to the reported value for the bulk anatase and rutile phases. The photocatalytic activity of porous titania is determined with its reduction efficiency of hexavalent chromium (Cr6+). The reduction efficiency is optimized under ultraviolet illumination.
A Cross-Sectional Prospective Study of Cutaneous Lesions in Newborn
Authors: Haveri Farhana Tahseen Taj Sameer , Inamadar Arun C.
Published: January 2014

Background. Cutaneous alterations are common in neonates. The majority of lesions are physiological, transient, or self-limited and require no therapy. Although much has been reported on the various disorders peculiar to the skin of infant, very little is known about variations and activity of the skin in neonates.Objective. To study the various pattern of skin lesions in newborn and to estimate the prevalence of physiological and pathological skin lesions in newborn.Methods. A total of 1000 newborns were examined in a hospital-based, cross-sectional prospective study in the period of November 2007 to May 2009.Results. The physiological skin changes observed in order of frequency were sebaceous gland hyperplasia (89.4%), Epstein pearls (89.1%), Mongolian spot (84.7%), knuckle pigmentation (57.9%), linea nigra (44.5%), hypertrichosis (35.3%), miniature puberty (13.3%), acrocyanosis (30.9%), physiological scaling (10.8%), and vernix caseosa (7.7%). Of the transient noninfective conditions, erythema toxicum neonatorum was seen in 23.2% newborns and miliaria crystallina in 3% newborns. The birthmarks in descending order of frequency were salmon patch (20.7%), congenital melanocytic nevi (1.9%), and café-au-lait macule (1.3%). Cutaneous signs of spinal dysraphism were sacral dimple (12.8%), meningomyelocele (0.5%), acrochordons (0.1%), and dermoid cyst (0.1%).Conclusion. The physiological and transient skin lesions are common in newborns particularly sebaceous gland hyperplasia, Epstein pearls, Mongolian spots, and erythema toxicum neonatorum. It is important to differentiate them from other more serious skin conditions to avoid unnecessary therapeutic interventions.
RRHGE: A Novel Approach to Classify the Estrogen Receptor Based Breast Cancer Subtypes
Authors: Saini Ashish , Hou Jingyu , Zhou Wanlei
Published: January 2014

Background. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among females with a high mortality rate. It is essential to classify the estrogen receptor based breast cancer subtypes into correct subclasses, so that the right treatments can be applied to lower the mortality rate. Using gene signatures derived from gene interaction networks to classify breast cancers has proven to be more reproducible and can achieve higher classification performance. However, the interactions in the gene interaction network usually contain many false-positive interactions that do not have any biological meanings. Therefore, it is a challenge to incorporate the reliability assessment of interactions when deriving gene signatures from gene interaction networks. How to effectively extract gene signatures from available resources is critical to the success of cancer classification.Methods. We propose a novel method to measure and extract the reliable (biologically true or valid) interactions from gene interaction networks and incorporate the extracted reliable gene interactions into our proposedRRHGEalgorithm to identify significant gene signatures from microarray gene expression data for classifying ER+ and ER− breast cancer samples.Results. The evaluation on real breast cancer samples showed that ourRRHGEalgorithm achieved higher classification accuracy than the existing approaches.
Structural Evolution and Electrochemical Performance of Li2MnSiO4/C Nanocomposite as Cathode Material for Li‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Wang Min , Yang Meng , Ma Liqun , Shen Xiaodong , Zhang Xu
Published: January 2014

High capacity Li2MnSiO4/C nanocomposite with good rate performance was prepared via a facile sol‐gel method using ascorbic acid as carbon source. It had a uniform distribution on particle size of approximately 20 nm and a thin outlayer of carbon. The galvanostatic charge‐discharge measurement showed that the Li2MnSiO4/C electrode could deliver an initial discharge capacity of 257.1 mA h g−1 (corresponding to 1.56 Li+) at a current density of 10 mA g−1 at 30°C, while the Li2MnSiO4 electrode possessed a low capacity of 25.6 mA h g−1. Structural amorphization resulting from excessive extraction of Li+ during the first charge was the main reason for the drastic capacity fading. Controlling extraction of Li+ could inhibit the amorphization of Li2MnSiO4/C during the delithiation, contributing to a reversible structural change and good cycling performance.
Optimal Throughput for Cognitive Radio with Energy Harvesting in Fading Wireless Channel
Authors: Vu-Van Hiep , Koo Insoo
Published: January 2014

Energy resource management is a crucial problem of a device with a finite capacity battery. In this paper, cognitive radio is considered to be a device with an energy harvester that can harvest energy from a non-RF energy resource while performing other actions of cognitive radio. Harvested energy will be stored in a finite capacity battery. At the start of the time slot of cognitive radio, the radio needs to determine if it should remain silent or carry out spectrum sensing based on the idle probability of the primary user and the remaining energy in order to maximize the throughput of the cognitive radio system. In addition, optimal sensing energy and adaptive transmission power control are also investigated in this paper to effectively utilize the limited energy of cognitive radio. Finding an optimal approach is formulated as a partially observable Markov decision process. The simulation results show that the proposed optimal decision scheme outperforms the myopic scheme in which current throughput is only considered when making a decision.
Existence and Regularity for Boundary Cauchy Problems with Infinite Delay
Authors: Chang Jung-Chan
Published: January 2014

The aim of this work is to investigate a class of boundary Cauchy problems with infinite delay. We give some sufficient conditions ensuring the uniqueness, existence, and regularity of solutions. For illustration, we apply the result to an age dependent population equation, which covers some special cases considered in some recent papers.
An Improved Real Time Image Detection System for Elephant Intrusion along the Forest Border Areas
Authors: Sugumar S. J. , Jayaparvathy R.
Published: January 2014

Human-elephant conflict is a major problem leading to crop damage, human death and injuries caused by elephants, and elephants being killed by humans. In this paper, we propose an automated unsupervised elephant image detection system (EIDS) as a solution to human-elephant conflict in the context of elephant conservation. The elephant’s image is captured in the forest border areas and is sent to a base station via an RF network. The received image is decomposed using Haar wavelet to obtain multilevel wavelet coefficients, with which we perform image feature extraction and similarity match between the elephant query image and the database image using image vision algorithms. A GSM message is sent to the forest officials indicating that an elephant has been detected in the forest border and is approaching human habitat. We propose an optimized distance metric to improve the image retrieval time from the database. We compare the optimized distance metric with the popular Euclidean and Manhattan distance methods. The proposed optimized distance metric retrieves more images with lesser retrieval time than the other distance metrics which makes the optimized distance method more efficient and reliable.
Asymptotic Behavior of Higher-Order Quasilinear Neutral Differential Equations
Authors: Li Tongxing , Rogovchenko Yuriy V.
Published: January 2014

We study asymptotic behavior of solutions to a class of higher-order quasilinear neutral differential equations under the assumptions that allow applications to even- and odd-order differential equations with delayed and advanced arguments, as well as to functional differential equations with more complex arguments that may, for instance, alternate indefinitely between delayed and advanced types. New theorems extend a number of results reported in the literature. Illustrative examples are presented.
Adaptive Fault Detection with Two Time‐Varying Control Limits for Nonlinear and Multimodal Processes
Authors: Li Jinna , Li Yuan , Xie Yanhong , Zong Xuejun
Published: January 2014

A novel fault detection method is proposed for detection process with nonlinearity and multimodal batches. Calculating the Mahalanobis distance of samples, the data with the similar characteristics are replaced by the mean of them; thus, the number of training data is reduced easily. Moreover, the super ball regions of mean and variance of training data are presented, which not
only retains the statistical properties of original training data but also avoids the reduction of data unlimitedly. To accurately identify faults, two control limits are determined during investigating the distributions of distances and angles between training samples to their nearest neighboring samples in the reduced database; thus, the traditional k‐nearest neighbors (only considering distances) fault detection (FD‐kNN) method is developed. Another feature of the proposed detection method is that the control limits vary with updating database such that an adaptive fault detection technique is obtained. Finally, numerical examples and case study are given to illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method.
Derivation and Characterization of a ES-Like Cell Line from Indian CatfishHeteropneustes fossilisBlastulas
Authors: Barman Anindya S. , Lal Kuldeep K. , Rathore Gaurav , Mohindra Vindhya , Singh Rajeev K. , Singh Akankaha , Khare Praveen , Lal Bechan
Published: January 2014

A cell line designated as HFB-ES was established from blastula stage embryos ofH. fossilis(Singhi). The embryonic cells were harvested and maintained in Leibovitz’s medium supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum. The cell line had been subcultured for more than 90 passages in a period of 24 months. HFB-ES cells were able to grow at temperatures between 25 and 35°C with an optimum temperature of 28°C. The growth rate of HFB-ES was proportional to FBS concentration, with optimum growth seen at 15% FBS concentration. The originality of the cell line was confirmed by sequencing of cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI), cytochrome b gene, and microsatellite DNA profile. Results of chromosome complements of HFB showed normal karyo-morphology with 56 (2n) diploid number of chromosomes after 40 passages which indicated that the developed cell line is chromosomally stable. The pluripotency of HFB was demonstrated by alkaline phosphatase activity and Oct-4 gene expression. Expression of GFP reporter gene was successful in HFB-ES. These results indicated that HFB-ES could be utilized for future gene expression studies.
A Multicast Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Network Coding
Authors: Han Zhi-jie , Wang Ru-chuan , Xiao Fu
Published: January 2014

We propose a set of distributed algorithms for improving the multicast throughput in wireless sensor networks. To this end, network coding is applied when exploiting path diversity with two disjoint paths to each multicast group receiver. We depart from the traditional wisdom that the multicast topology from source to receivers needs to be a tree and propose a novel and distributed algorithm to construct a 2-redundant multicast graph (a directed acyclic graph) as the multicast topology, on which network coding is applied. We conduct both analytical and simulation-based studies to evaluate the effectiveness and performance of our algorithm.
Physics Potential of Long-Baseline Experiments
Authors: Agarwalla Sanjib Kumar
Published: January 2014

The discovery of neutrino mixing and oscillations over the past decade provides firm evidence for new physics beyond the Standard Model. Recently,θ13has been determined to be moderately large, quite close to its previous upper bound. This represents a significant milestone in establishing the three-flavor oscillation picture of neutrinos. It has opened up exciting prospects for current and future long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments towards addressing the remaining fundamental questions, in particular the type of the neutrino mass hierarchy and the possible presence of a CP-violating phase. Another recent and crucial development is the indication of non-maximal 2-3 mixing angle, causing the octant ambiguity ofθ23. In this paper, I will review the phenomenology of long-baseline neutrino oscillations with a special emphasis on sub-leading three-flavor effects, which will play a crucial role in resolving these unknowns. First, I will give a brief description of neutrino oscillation phenomenon. Then, I will discuss our present global understanding of the neutrino mass-mixing parameters and will identify the major unknowns in this sector. After that, I will present the physics reach of current generation long-baseline experiments. Finally, I will conclude with a discussion on the physics capabilities of accelerator-driven possible future long-baseline precision oscillation facilities.
Particle Yields in Heavy Ion Collisions and the Influence of Strong Magnetic Fields
Authors: de Paoli M. G. , Menezes D. P.
Published: January 2014

It is expected that the magnetic fields in heavy ion collisions are very high. In this work, we investigate the effects of a strong magnetic field on particle ratios within a thermal model of particle production. We model matter as a free gas of baryons and mesons under the influence of an external magnetic field varying from zero to30mπ2through an  χ2fitting to some data sets of the STAR experiment. For this purpose, we use the Dirac, Rarita-Schwinger, Klein-Gordon, and Proca equations subject to magnetic fields in order to obtain the energy expressions and the degeneracy for spin 1/2, spin 3/2, spin 0, and spin 1 particles, respectively. Our results show that, if the magnetic field can be considered as slowly varying and leaves its signature on the particle yields, a field of the order of6mπ2produces an improved fitting to the experimental data as compared to the calculations without magnetic field.
Propane Fuel Cells: Selectivity for Partial or Complete Reaction
Authors: Vafaeyan Shadi , St-Amant Alain , Ternan Marten
Published: January 2014

The use of propane fuel in high temperature (120°C) polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells that do not require a platinum group metal catalyst is being investigated in our laboratory. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to determine propane adsorption energies, desorption energies, and transition state energies for both dehydrogenation and hydroxylation reactions on a Ni(100) anode catalyst surface. The Boltzmann factor for the hydroxylation of a propyl species to form propanol and its subsequent desorption was compared to that for the dehydrogenation of a propyl species. The large ratio of the respective Boltzmann factors indicated that the formation of a completely reacted product (carbon dioxide) is much more likely than the formation of partially reacted products (alcohols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and carbon monoxide). That finding is evidence for the major proportion of the chemical energy of the propane fuel being converted to either electrical or thermal energy in the fuel cell rather than remaining unused when partially reacted species are formed.
Effect of Wasabi Component 6‐(Methylsulfinyl)hexyl Isothiocyanate and Derivatives on Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Authors: Chen Yu-Jen , Huang Yu-Chuen , Tsai Tung-Hu , Liao Hui-Fen
Published: January 2014

The naturally occurring compound 6‐(methylsulfinyl)hexyl isothiocyanate (6‐MITC) was isolated from Wasabia japonica (Wasabi), a pungent spice used in Japanese food worldwide. The synthetic derivatives 6‐(methylsulfenyl)hexyl isothiocyanate (I7447) and 6‐(methylsulfonyl)hexyl isothiocyanate (I7557) are small molecule compounds derived from 6‐MITC. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of these compounds on human pancreatic cancer cells. Human pancreatic cancer cell lines PANC‐1 and BxPC‐3 were used to perform an MTT assay for cell viability and Liu’s stain for morphological observation. The cell cycle was analyzed by DNA histogram. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity was used as a marker for cancer stem cells (CSC). Western blotting was performed for the expression of proteins related to CSC signaling. The results showed that compounds 6‐MITC and I7557, but not I7447, inhibited viability of both PANC‐1 and BxPC‐3 cells. Morphological observation showed mitotic arrest and apoptosis in 6‐MITC‐ and I7557‐treated cells. These two compounds induced G2/M phase arrest and hypoploid population. Percentages of ALDH‐positive PANC‐1 cells were markedly reduced by 6‐MITC and I7557 treatment. The expression of CSC signaling molecule SOX2, but not NOTCH1, ABCG2, Sonic hedgehog, or OCT4, was inhibited by 6‐MITC and I7557. In conclusion, wasabi compounds 6‐MITC and I7557 may possess activity against the growth and CSC phenotypes of human pancreatic cancer cells.
Rhabdomyolysis and Cardiomyopathy in a 20-Year-Old Patient with CPT II Deficiency
Authors: Vavlukis M. , Eftimov A. , Zafirovska P. , Caparovska E. , Pocesta B. , Kedev S. , Dimovski A. J.
Published: January 2014

Aim. To raise the awareness of adult-onset carnitite palmitoyltransferase II deficiency (CPT II) by describing clinical, biochemical, and genetic features of the disease occurring in early adulthood.Method. Review of the case characteristics and literature review.Results. We report on a 20-year-old man presenting with dyspnea, fatigue, fever, and myoglobinuria. This was the second episode with such symptoms (the previous one being three years earlier). The symptoms occurred after intense physical work, followed by a viral infection resulting in fever treated with NSAIDs. Massive rhabdomyolysis was diagnosed, resulting in acute renal failure necessitating plasmapheresis and hemodialysis, acute hepatic lesion, and respiratory insufficiency. Additionally, our patient had cardiomyopathy with volume overload. After a detailed workup, CPT II deficiency was suspected. We did a sequencing analysis for exons 1, 3, and 4 of the CPT II gene and found that the patient was homozygote for Ser 113 Leu mutation in exon 3 of the CPT II gene. The patient recovery was complete except for the cardiomiopathy with mildly impaired systolic function.Conclusion. Whenever a patient suffers recurrent episodes of myalgia, followed by myoglobinuria due to rhabdomyolysis, we should always consider the possibility of this rare condition. The definitive diagnose of this condition is achieved by genetic testing.
Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Syndrome: Cause or Consequence of Alzheimer's Disease?
Authors: Luque-Contreras Diana , Carvajal Karla , Toral-Rios Danira , Franco-Bocanegra Diana , Campos-Peña Victoria
Published: January 2014

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major neurodegenerative disease affecting the elderly. Clinically, it is characterized by a progressive loss of memory and cognitive function. Neuropathologically, it is characterized by the presence of extracellularβ-amyloid (Aβ) deposited as neuritic plaques (NP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) made of abnormal and hyperphosphorylated tau protein. These lesions are capable of generating the neuronal damage that leads to cell death and cognitive failure through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Evidence indicates the critical role of Aβmetabolism in prompting the oxidative stress observed in AD patients. However, it has also been proposed that oxidative damage precedes the onset of clinical and pathological AD symptoms, including amyloid-βdeposition, neurofibrillary tangle formation, vascular malfunction, metabolic syndrome, and cognitive decline. This paper provides a brief description of the three main proteins associated with the development of the disease (Aβ, tau, and ApoE) and describes their role in the generation of oxidative stress. Finally, we describe the mitochondrial alterations that are generated by Aβand examine the relationship of vascular damage which is a potential prognostic tool of metabolic syndrome. In addition, new therapeutic approaches targeting ROS sources and metabolic support were reported.
A Strategy for Finding the Optimal Scale of Plant Core Collection Based on Monte Carlo Simulation
Authors: Wang Jiancheng , Guan Yajing , Wang Yang , Zhu Liwei , Wang Qitian , Hu Qijuan , Hu Jin
Published: January 2014

Core collection is an ideal resource for genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A subcore collection is a subset of a core collection. A strategy was proposed for finding the optimal sampling percentage on plant subcore collection based on Monte Carlo simulation. A cotton germplasm group of 168 accessions with 20 quantitative traits was used to construct subcore collections. Mixed linear model approach was used to eliminate environment effect and GE (genotype × environment) effect. Least distance stepwise sampling (LDSS) method combining 6 commonly used genetic distances and unweighted pair-group average (UPGMA) cluster method was adopted to construct subcore collections. Homogeneous population assessing method was adopted to assess the validity of 7 evaluating parameters of subcore collection. Monte Carlo simulation was conducted on the sampling percentage, the number of traits, and the evaluating parameters. A new method for “distilling free-form natural laws from experimental data” was adopted to find the best formula to determine the optimal sampling percentages. The results showed that coincidence rate of range (CR) was the most valid evaluating parameter and was suitable to serve as a threshold to find the optimal sampling percentage. The principal component analysis showed that subcore collections constructed by the optimal sampling percentages calculated by present strategy were well representative.
Preparation, Characterization, and Enhanced Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Epoxy-Titania Composites
Authors: Rubab Zakya , Afzal Adeel , Siddiqi Humaira M. , Saeed Shaukat
Published: January 2014

This paper presents the synthesis and thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy-titania composites. First, submicron titania particles are prepared via surfactant-free sol-gel method using TiCl4as precursor. These particles are subsequently used as inorganic fillers (or reinforcement) for thermally cured epoxy polymers. Epoxy-titania composites are prepared via mechanical mixing of titania particles with liquid epoxy resin and subsequently curing the mixture with an aliphatic diamine. The amount of titania particles integrated into epoxy matrix is varied between 2.5 and 10.0 wt.% to investigate the effect of sub-micron titania particles on thermal and mechanical properties of epoxy-titania composites. These composites are characterized by X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric (TG), and mechanical analyses. It is found that sub-micron titania particles significantly enhance the glass transition temperature (>6.7%), thermal oxidative stability (>12.0%), tensile strength (>21.8%), and Young’s modulus (>16.8%) of epoxy polymers. Epoxy-titania composites with 5.0 wt.% sub-micron titania particles perform best at elevated temperatures as well as under high stress.
Milli-Interacting Dark Matter Interpretation of the Direct-Search Experiments
Authors: Wallemacq Quentin
Published: January 2014

We reinterpret the results of the direct searches for dark matter in terms of milli-interacting dark particles. The model reproduces the positive results from DAMA/LIBRA and CoGeNT and is consistent with the absence of signal in the XENON100, CDMS-II/Ge, and LUX detectors. Dark atoms, interacting with standard atoms through a kinetic mixing between photons and dark photons and a mass mixing ofσmesons with dark scalars, diffuse elastically in terrestrial matter where they deposit all their energy. Reaching underground detectors through gravity at thermal energies, they form bound states with nuclei of the active medium by radiative capture, which causes the emission of photons that produce the observed signals. The parameter space of the model is explored and regions reproducing the results at the 2σlevel are obtained for each experiment.
Current Trends in Water-in-Diesel Emulsion as a Fuel
Authors: Yahaya Khan Mohammed , Abdul Karim Z. A. , Hagos Ftwi Yohaness , Aziz A. Rashid A. , Tan Isa M.
Published: January 2014

Water-in-diesel emulsion (WiDE) is an alternative fuel for CI engines that can be employed with the existing engine setup with no additional engine retrofitting. It has benefits of simultaneous reduction of bothNOxand particulate matters in addition to its impact in the combustion efficiency improvement, although this needs further investigation. This review paper addresses the type of emulsion, the microexplosion phenomenon, emulsion stability and physiochemical improvement, and effect of water content on the combustion and emissions of WiDE fuel. The review also covers the recent experimental methodologies used in the investigation of WiDE for both transport and stationary engine applications. In this review, the fuel injection pump and spray nozzle arrangement has been found to be the most critical components as far as the secondary atomization is concerned and further investigation of the effect of these components in the microexplosion of the emulsion is suggested to be center of focus.
Crotalus durissus collilineatusVenom Induces TNF-αand IL-10 Production in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells
Authors: Ribeiro Camila Bastos , Santos Jéssica Cristina dos , Silva Jacyelle Medeiros , Godoi Pedro Henrique Silva de , Magalhães Marta Regina , Spadafora-Ferreira Mônica , Fonseca Simone Gonçalves , Pfrimer Irmtraut Araci Hoffman
Published: January 2014

Snake venom has been the subject of numerous studies in an attempt to find properties and biological effects that may be beneficial to man. In this study we evaluatedin vitrothe effects ofCrotalus durissus terrificus(Cdt) andCrotalus durissus collilineatus(Cdc) venom in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). At 24 h, a significant decrease of viable cells was observed in cells stimulated with the Cdc venom at 0.0005 mg/mL and 0.005 mg/mL compared to the negative control. At 48 h, a significant decrease of viable cells was observed only in cells stimulated with Cdc venom at 0.005 mg/mL. A significant increase of TNF-αand IL-10 was detected 48 hours after culture of PBMC with Cdc, but not with Cdt venom. The expression of CD69 and PD1 (programmed death-1), activation and regulatory cell markers, on CD8+ and CD8− T cells did not change in the presence of Cdt and Cdc venom. Our results suggest the presence of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory components in the Cdc venom. Further analysis should be done to identify those Cdc venom components as it has been done for the Cdt venom by other authors, indicating that modulatory components are found in the venom of different species ofCrotalussnakes.