bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dengue outbreaks in Divinopolis, south‐eastern Brazil and the geographic and climatic distribution ofAedes albopictusandAedes aegyptiin 2011–2012
Authors: da Rocha Taranto Martinelle Ferreira , Pessanha José Eduardo Marques , dos Santos Michelli , dos Santos Pereira Andrade Ana Cláudia , Camargos Vidyleison Neves , Alves Stênio Nunes , Di Lorenzo Oliveira Cláudia , Taranto Alex Gutterres , dos Santos Luciana Lara , de Magalhães José Carlos , Kroon Erna Geessien , Figueiredo Leandra Barcelos , Drumond Betânia Paiva , Ferreira Jaqueline Maria Siqueira
Published: October 2014

Objective

To entomologically monitorAedesspp. and correlate the presence of these vectors with the recent epidemic of dengue in Divinopolis, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Methods

Ovitraps were installed at 44 points in the city, covering six urban areas, from May 2011 to May 2012. After collection, the eggs were incubated until hatching. In the 4th stage of development, the larvae were classified asAe. aegyptiorAe. albopictus.

Results

In total, 25 633Aedesspp. eggs were collected. February was the month with the highest incidence, with 5635 eggs collected and a hatching rate of 46.7%.Ae. aegyptieggs had the highest hatching rate, at 72.3%, whereasAe. albopictuseggs had 27.7%. Climate and population density influenced the number of eggs found. Indicators of vector presence were positively correlated with the occurrence of dengue cases.

Conclusion

These data reinforce the need for entomological studies, highlight the relevance ofAe. albopictusas a possible disease vector and demonstrate its adaptation.Ae. albopictus, most commonly found in forested areas, comprised a substantial proportion of the urban mosquito population.
Richer but fatter: the unintended consequences of microcredit financing on household health and expenditure in Jamaica
Authors: Gordon–Strachan Georgiana , Cunningham‐Myrie Colette , Fox Kristin , Kirton Claremont , Fraser Raphael , McLeod Georgia , Forrester Terrence
Published: October 2014

Objective

To determine whether there was a difference in wealth and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk between microcredit loan beneficiaries and community‐matched non‐beneficiaries (controls).

Methods

Seven hundred and twenty‐six households of microcredit loan beneficiaries were matched with 726 controls by age, sex and community. A standardised interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect data on health and household expenditure. Weights, heights, waist circumference and blood pressure measurements were taken for an adult and one child (6–16 years) from each household.

Results

Amongst adults, there was no difference in the prevalence of pre‐hypertension and hypertension. More male (68.1% vs. 47.8%) and female beneficiaries (84.5% vs. 77.9%) were overweight/obese. More male (17.2% vs. 7.1%; P < 0.05) and female beneficiaries (68.5% vs. 63.3%; P < 0.05) exhibited substantially increased risk for CVD. Children of beneficiaries displayed higher mean BMI‐for‐age z‐scores than their control peers: males 0.56 [95% CI 0.40–0.72] vs. 0.18 [95% CI 0.02–0.35] (P < 0.001) and females 0.66 [95% CI 0.52–0.80] vs. 0.42 [95% CI 0.29–0.56] (P < 0.001). Based on BMI‐for‐age z‐scores, children of beneficiaries had greater odds of being overweight/obese (OR = 1.46; 95% CI 1.18–1.82) Beneficiaries were economically better off; their mean total annual expenditure and house ownership were significantly higher than controls (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Microcredit financing is positively associated with wealth acquisition but worsened cardiovascular risk status.
Delayed cord clamping in South African neonates with expected low birthweight: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Tiemersma Sybrich , Heistein Julia , Ruijne Roos , Lopez Gustavo , van Lobenstein Jeroen , van Rheenen Patrick
Published: October 2014

Objective

To evaluate safety and haematological effects of delayed cord clamping (DCC) in infants with expected low birthweight born in a resource‐poor setting.

Methods

Randomised controlled trial involving pregnant women in early labour ≥18 years with intrapartum symphysal‐fundal height ≤32 cm. Mothers were randomised for either early cord clamping (ECC, <30 s) or DCC (2–3 min after birth).

Results

We included 104 vigorous infants born by vaginal delivery, of whom 39% had a birthweight <2500 g. Infant haemoglobin (Hb) levels 24 h after birth were significantly higher in the DCC group (18.0 g/dl vs 16.8 g/dl, P = 0.006). Despite successful placental transfusion, hyperbilirubinemia and hyperviscosity were not observed. Two months after birth, there were no differences in Hb between groups (9.9 g/dl vs 9.8 g/dl, P = 0.60), but the infants in the DCC group had better weight gain from baseline than those with ECC (2.2 kg vs 1.9 kg, P = 0.058).

Conclusions

In this South African cohort of newborns with a subnormal distribution of birthweight delayed cord clamping was a safe procedure. Two months after birth the effect of DCC on Hb was not detectable anymore. DCC should be promoted in every singleton delivery in a resource‐poor setting irrespective of the birthweight.
From Gesture to Sign Language: Conventionalization of Classifier Constructions by Adult Hearing Learners of British Sign Language
Authors: Marshall Chloë R. , Morgan Gary
Published: October 2014

There has long been interest in why languages are shaped the way they are, and in the relationship between sign language and gesture. In sign languages, entity classifiers are handshapes that encode how objects move, how they are located relative to one another, and how multiple objects of the same type are distributed in space. Previous studies have shown that hearing adults who are asked to use only manual gestures to describe how objects move in space will use gestures that bear some similarities to classifiers. We investigated how accurately hearing adults, who had been learning British Sign Language (BSL) for 1–3 years, produce and comprehend classifiers in (static) locative and distributive constructions. In a production task, learners of BSL knew that they could use their hands to represent objects, but they had difficulty choosing the same, conventionalized, handshapes as native signers. They were, however, highly accurate at encoding location and orientation information. Learners therefore show the same pattern found in sign‐naïve gesturers. In contrast, handshape, orientation, and location were comprehended with equal (high) accuracy, and testing a group of sign‐naïve adults showed that they too were able to understand classifiers with higher than chance accuracy. We conclude that adult learners of BSL bring their visuo‐spatial knowledge and gestural abilities to the tasks of understanding and producing constructions that contain entity classifiers. We speculate that investigating the time course of adult sign language acquisition might shed light on how gesture became (and, indeed, becomes) conventionalized during the genesis of sign languages.
Sensitivity of Vehicle Market Share Predictions to Discrete Choice Model Specification
Authors: Grace Haaf C. , Michalek Jeremy J. , Ross Morrow W. , Liu Yimin
Published: October 2014

When design decisions are informed by consumer choice models, uncertainty in choice model predictions creates uncertainty for the designer. We investigate the variation and accuracy of market share predictions by characterizing fit and forecast accuracy of discrete choice models for the US light duty new vehicle market. Specifically, we estimate multinomial logit models for 9000 utility functions representative of a large literature in vehicle choice modeling using sales data for years 2004–2006. Each model predicts shares for the 2007 and 2010 markets, and we compare several quantitative measures of model fit and predictive accuracy. We find that (1) our accuracy measures are concordant: model specifications that perform well on one measure tend to also perform well on other measures for both fit and prediction. (2) Even the best discrete choice models exhibit substantial prediction error, stemming largely from limited model fit due to unobserved attributes. A naïve “static” model, assuming share for each vehicle design in the forecast year = share in the last available year, outperforms all 9000 attribute-based models when predicting the full market one year forward, but attribute-based models can predict better for four year forward forecasts or new vehicle designs. (3) Share predictions are sensitive to the presence of utility covariates but less sensitive to covariate form (e.g., miles per gallons versus gallons per mile), and nested and mixed logit specifications do not produce significantly more accurate forecasts. This suggests ambiguity in identifying a unique model form best for design. Furthermore, the models with best predictions do not necessarily have expected coefficient signs, and biased coefficients could misguide design efforts even when overall prediction accuracy for existing markets is maximized.
Disassembly Sequence Evaluation: A User Study Leveraging Immersive Computing Technologies
Authors: Berg Leif P. , Behdad Sara , Vance Judy M. , Thurston Deborah
Published: October 2014

As interest in product recovery, reuse, and recycling rises, planning and evaluating disassembly sequences are becoming increasingly important. The manner in which a product can be taken apart strongly influences end-of-life (EOL) operations and costs. Early disassembly planning can also inform non-EOL processes including repair and routine maintenance. Recently, research has concentrated on creating optimization algorithms which automatically generate disassembly sequences. These algorithms often require data that are unavailable or estimated with high uncertainty. Furthermore, industries often employ Cad modeling software to evaluate disassembly sequences during the design stage. The combination of these methods result in mathematically generated solutions, however, the solutions may not account for attributes that are difficult to quantify (human interaction). To help designers better explore and understand disassembly sequence opportunities, the research presented in this paper combines the value of mathematical modeling with the benefits of immersive computing technologies (ICT) to aid in early design decision making. For the purposes of this research, an ICT application was developed. The application displays both 3D geometry of a product and an interactive graph visualization of existing disassembly sequences. The user can naturally interact with the geometric models and explore sequences outlined in the graph visualization. The calculated optimal path can be highlighted allowing the user to quickly compare the optimal sequence against alternatives. The application has been implemented in a three wall immersive projection environment. A user study involving a hydraulic pump assembly was conducted. The results suggest that this approach may be a viable method of evaluating disassembly sequences early in design.
Epidemiology of Injuries in High School Football: Does School Size Matter?
Authors: King Harold , Campbell Stephen , Herzog Makenzie , Popoli David , Reisner Andrew , Polikandriotis John
Published: October 2014

Background:

More than 1 million US high school students play football. Our objective was to compare the high school football injury profiles by school enrollment size during the 2013–2014 season.

Methods:

Injury data were prospectively gathered on 1806 student athletes while participating in football practice or games by certified athletic trainers as standard of care for 20 high schools in the Atlanta Metropolitan area divided into small (<1600 students enrolled) or large (≥1600 students enrolled) over the 2013–2014 football season.

Results:

Smaller schools had a higher overall injury rate (79.9 injuries per 10,000 athletic exposures vs. 46.4 injuries per 10,000 athletic exposures; P < .001). In addition, smaller schools have a higher frequency of shoulder and elbow injuries (14.3% vs. 10.3%; P = .009 and 3.5% vs. 1.5%; P = .006, respectively) while larger schools have more hip/upper leg injuries (13.3% vs. 9.9%; P = .021). Lastly, smaller schools had a higher concussion distribution for offensive lineman (30.6% vs. 13.4%; P = .006) and a lower rate for defensive backs/safeties (9.2% vs. 25.4%; P = .008).

Conclusions:

This study is the first to compare and show unique injury profiles for different high school sizes. An understanding of school specific injury patterns can help drive targeted preventative measures.
Herpes zoster on the face in the elderly
Authors: Nair Preeti , Gharote Harshkant , Singh Pooja , Jain-Choudhary Palak
Published: October 2014

Herpes zoster is a localised disease caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus that enters the cutaneous nerve endings during an earlier episode of chicken pox, travels to the dorsal root ganglia, and remains in latent form. The condition is characterised by occurrence of multiple, painful, unilateral vesicles and ulceration, and shows a typical single dermatome innervated by single dorsal root or cranial sensory ganglion. Involvement of three or more dermatomes is known as disseminated zoster and seen in immunocompromised individuals. Complications of herpes zoster include ocular sequelae, bacterial superinfection of the lesions, meningoencephalitis and postherpetic neuralgia. The incidence of herpes zoster increases with age and immunosuppression, therefore prompt management is necessary to avoid morbidity and mortality in these individuals. We present two case reports of herpes zoster, one involving the maxillary and mandibular branches of the trigeminal nerve while the other involves all branches of the trigeminal nerve.
Mealtime exposure to food advertisements while watching television increases food intake in overweight and obese girls but has a paradoxical effect in boys
Authors: Anderson G. Harvey , Khodabandeh Shokoufeh , Patel Barkha , Luhovyy Bohdan L. , Bellissimo Nick , Mollard Rebecca C.
Published: October 2014

Food advertisements (ads) in TV programs influence food choice and have been associated with higher energy intake from snacks in children; however, their effects at mealtime have not been reported. Therefore, we measured energy intake at a pizza meal consumed by normal weight (NW) and overweight/obese (OW/OB) children (aged 9–14 years) while they watched a TV program with or without food ads and following pre-meal consumption of a sweetened beverage with or without calories. NW and OW/OB boys (experiment 1, n = 27) and girls (experiment 2, n = 23) were randomly assigned to consume equally sweetened drinks containing glucose (1.0 g/kg body weight) or sucralose (control). Food intake was measured 30 min later while children watched a program containing food or nonfood ads. Appetite was measured before (0–30 min) and after (60 min) the meal. Both boys and girls reduced energy intake at the meal in compensation for energy in the glucose beverage (p < 0.05). Food ads resulted in further compensation (51%) in boys but not in girls. Food ads increased energy intake at the meal (9%; p = 0.03) in OW/OB girls only. In conclusion, the effects of TV programs with food ads on mealtime energy intake and response to pre-meal energy consumption in children differ by sex and body mass index.
Follow the leader: social cues help guide landscape-level movements of American black bears (Ursus americanus)
Authors: Noyce K.V. , Garshelis D.L.
Published: October 2014

Solitary, facultative migrating animals must make decisions each year on whether, when, and where to migrate. Factors influencing individuals in their movement choices are poorly understood. American black bears (Ursus americanus Pallas, 1780) commonly migrate in late summer to areas of concentrated foods before winter denning; some bears also move long distances to dens. We radio-tracked seasonal migrations of >200 bears in Minnesota, USA, over 10 years. We observed concurrences in movements that suggested social coordination among individuals, including (i) individuals with neighboring summer ranges traveling to the same distant feeding and (or) denning areas, (ii) shared travel routes with use staggered through time, and (iii) instances of ≥2 individuals traveling in loose tandem over tens of kilometres. We sought to explain the mechanism for these coordinated migrations by comparing our observations to the predictions of six hypotheses: instinct, landscape morphology, habitat gradients, long-distance olfaction, maternal teaching, and conspecific cueing. The most parsimonious explanation was that bears follow other bears, with social cueing likely mediated through chemical communication. Males likely play a key role in social transmission of knowledge of the nutritional landscape via a system of travel routes and information centers that benefits the entire population.
Linear invariants and the quantum dynamics of a nonstationary mesoscopic RLC circuit with a source
Authors: Pedrosa I. A. , Melo J. L. , Nogueira E.
Published: October 2014

In this paper, we use Hermitian linear invariants and the Lewis and Riesenfeld invariant method to obtain the general solution of the Schrödinger equation for a mesoscopic RLC circuit with time-dependent resistance, inductance, capacitance and a power source and represent it in terms of an arbitrary weight function. In addition, we construct Gaussian wave packet solutions for this electromagnetic oscillation circuit and employ them to calculate the quantum fluctuations of the charge and the magnetic flux as well as the associated uncertainty product. We also show that the width of the Gaussian packet and the fluctuations do not depend on the external power.
Investigating the direct coupling between plasmonic cavities in the case of the second-order resonant mode
Authors: He Zhihui , Li Hongjian , Zhan Shiping , Cao Guangtao , Li Boxun
Published: October 2014

In this paper, we present a metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) waveguide side-coupled with bright-dark-bright mode cavities and double bright-dark mode cavities. The former shows a prominent plasmonic analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectra response, the latter shows double plasmonic analogue of EIT spectra response. The direct coupling strength between bright and dark mode resonators in the case of the second-order resonant mode is investigated in detail in our researches. The transmission spectrum and the slow light effects as a function of the cavity–cavity separation between resonators are further studied. Our researches investigate the coupling strength effects on the transmission and scattering properties in the case of the high-order resonance mode, which may provide a guideline for the control of light in highly integrated optical circuits.
Deterministic Parallel MaxSAT Solving
Authors: Martins Ruben , Manquinho Vasco , Lynce Inês
Published: October 2014

Multicore processors are becoming the dominant platform in modern days. As a result, parallel Maximum Satisfiability (MaxSAT) solvers have been developed to exploit this new architecture. However, parallel MaxSAT solvers suffer from non-deterministic behavior, i.e. several runs of the same solver can lead to different solutions. This is a clear downside for applications that require solving the same problem instance more than once. This paper presents the first deterministic parallel MaxSAT solver that ensures reproducibility of results. Experimental results show that the performance of the new deterministic solver is comparable to the corresponding non-deterministic version.

Another advantage of using a deterministic solver is the fact that one can easily observe the gains coming from different techniques, since the non-determinism is removed from the solver. For example, sharing learned clauses in parallel MaxSAT is expected to help to further prune the search space and boost the performance of a parallel solver. Yet, so far it has not been made clear which learned clauses should be shared among the different threads. By using the deterministic solver, we present a comparison showing that sharing learned clauses improves the overall performance of parallel MaxSAT solvers.
Non-orientable surfaces in 4-dimensional space
Authors: Bae Yongju , Carter J. Scott , Choi Seonmi , Kim Sera
Published: October 2014

This paper is a survey paper that gives detailed constructions and illustrations of some of the standard examples of non-orientable surfaces that are embedded and immersed in 4-dimensional space. The illustrations depend upon their 3-dimensional projections, and indeed the illustrations here depend upon a further projection into the plane of the page. The concepts used to develop the illustrations will be developed herein.
Continued fractions built from convex sets and convex functions
Authors: Molchanov Ilya
Published: October 2014

In a partially ordered semigroup with the duality (or polarity) transform, it is possible to define a generalization of continued fractions. General sufficient conditions for convergence of continued fractions are provided. Two particular applications concern the cases of convex sets with the Minkowski addition and the polarity transform and the family of non-negative convex functions with the Legendre–Fenchel and Artstein-Avidan–Milman transforms.
Some remarks on modified diagonals
Authors: Moonen Ben , Yin Qizheng
Published: October 2014

We prove a number of basic vanishing results for modified diagonal classes. We also obtain some sharp results for modified diagonals of curves and abelian varieties, and we prove a conjecture of O’Grady about modified diagonals on double covers.
Comparison theorems for manifolds with mean convex boundary
Authors: Ge Jian
Published: October 2014

Let Mn be an n-dimensional Riemannian manifold with boundary ∂M. Assuming that Ricci curvature is bounded from below by (n - 1)k, for k ∈ ℝ, we give a sharp estimate of the upper bound of ρ(x) = d (x, ∂M), in terms of the mean curvature bound of the boundary. When ∂M is compact, the upper bound is achieved if and only if M is isometric to a disk in space form. A Kähler version of estimation is also proved. Moreover, we prove a Laplacian comparison theorem for distance function to the boundary of Kähler manifold and also estimate the first eigenvalue of the real Laplacian.
Backward uniqueness for parabolic operators with variable coefficients in a half space
Authors: Wu Jie , Zhang Liqun
Published: October 2014

It is shown that a function [Formula: see text] satisfying [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] under certain conditions on [Formula: see text] must vanish identically in [Formula: see text]. The main point of the result is that the conditions imposed on [Formula: see text] are of this type: [Formula: see text] are Lipschitz and [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is less than a given number, and the conditions are optimal in some sense.
On some constructions of nil-clean, clean and exchange rings
Authors: Stancu Alin
Published: October 2014

In this paper, we discuss several constructions that lead to new examples of nil-clean, clean and exchange rings. Extensions by ideals contained in the Jacobson radical is the common theme of these constructions. A characterization of the idempotents in the algebra defined by a 2-cocycle is given and used to prove some of the algebra's properties (the infinitesimal deformation case). From infinitesimal deformations, we go to full deformations and prove that any formal deformation of a clean (exchange) ring is itself clean (exchange). Examples of nil-clean, clean and exchange rings, arising from poset algebras are also discussed.
On noncommutative FGC rings
Authors: Ghorbani A. , Naji Esfahani M.
Published: October 2014

Many studies have been conducted to characterize commutative rings whose finitely generated modules are direct sums of cyclic modules (called FGC rings), however, the characterization of noncommutative FGC rings is still an open problem, even for duo rings. We study FGC rings in some special cases, it is shown that a local Noetherian ring R is FGC if and only if R is a principal ideal ring if and only if R is a uniserial ring, and if these assertions hold R is a duo ring. We characterize Noetherian duo FGC rings. In fact, it is shown that a duo ring R is a Noetherian left FGC ring if and only if R is a Noetherian right FGC ring, if and only if R is a principal ideal ring.
Almost injective modules lack a "Baer-like" criterion
Authors: Arabi M. , Asgari Sh.
Published: October 2014

We provide a negative answer to a question raised by Jain and Alahmadi asking for a possible "Baer-like" criterion for almost injective modules. It is shown that there exists an R-module M which is almost injective relative to R but not almost injective. This is obtained by using our theorem: If every simple R-module is almost injective then every cocyclic module of length 2 is injective.
On splitting of the normalizer of a maximal torus in linear groups
Authors: Galt Alexey
Published: October 2014

We describe linear groups over an algebraically closed field in which the normalizer of a maximal torus splits over the torus. We describe linear groups over a finite field and their maximal tori in which the normalizer of the maximal torus splits over the torus.
DFT study on the interaction between atomic aluminum and graphene
Authors: Domancich Nicolás F. , Ferullo Ricardo M. , Castellani Norberto J.
Published: October 2014

In the present work, molecular orbital calculations using cluster models were performed within density functional theory (DFT) in order to study the adsorption of an Al atom on regular and defective graphene. Depending on the theoretical treatment of electronic exchange and correlations effects, different bonding results for the adsorption on the perfect surface are obtained. On the other hand, they are very similar for Al adsorbed on a carbon monovacancy. On regular graphene, the adsorption is exothermic when the Perdew, Burke and Ernzerhof (PBE) functional is used and endothermic with the Becke, 3-parameter, Lee–Yang–Parr (B3LYP) functional. Regarding the defective graphene surface, it was shown that the carbon atoms of concave angles in the vacancy are the most reactive to a radical attack. The adsorption of an Al atom on the vacancy restores the trigonal symmetry lost after the extraction of the C atom from regular graphene. Complementary calculations performed at PBE level on both regular and defective surfaces imposing periodic conditions qualitatively support the results obtained with the cluster model.
BIFURCATION ANALYSIS VERSUS MAXIMUM FORCE CRITERIA IN FORMABILITY LIMIT ASSESSMENT OF STRETCHED METAL SHEETS
Authors: ABED-MERAIM F. , PEERLINGS R. H. J. , GEERS M. G. D.
Published: October 2014

The present contribution deals with the prediction of diffuse necking in the context of forming and stretching of metal sheets. For this purpose, two approaches are investigated, namely bifurcation and the maximum force principle, with a systematic comparison of their respective ability to predict necking. While the bifurcation approach is of quite general applicability, some restrictions are shown for the application of maximum force conditions. Although the predictions of the two approaches are identical for particular loading paths and constitutive models, they are generally different, which is even the case for elasticity, confirming the distinct nature of the two concepts. Closed-form expressions of the critical stress and strain states are derived for both criteria in elasto-plasticity and rigid-plasticity for a variety of hardening models. The resulting useful formulas in rigid-plasticity are shown to also accurately represent the elasto-plastic critical states for small ratios of the hardening modulus with respect to Young's modulus. Finally, the well-known expression of Swift's diffuse necking criterion, whose foundations are attributed in the literature to the maximum force principle, is shown here to originate from the bifurcation approach instead, providing a sound justification for it.
THERMALLY INDUCED VIBRATION OF A FUNCTIONALLY GRADED MICRO-BEAM SUBJECTED TO A MOVING LASER BEAM
Authors: ZAMANZADEH MOHAMMADREZA , REZAZADEH GHADER , JAFARSADEGHI-POURNAKI ILGAR , SHABANI RASOUL
Published: October 2014

In this paper, the thermally induced vibration of a functionally graded (FG) cantilever micro-beam subjected to a moving laser beam is investigated via simulating the equivalent third-order dynamic system. The material properties of the FG micro-beam are defined by an exponential function through the thickness. The coupled thermo-elastic equations are obtained utilizing the first law of thermodynamics under the assumption of the classical Fourier heat conduction model and Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. To evaluate the dynamic response of the micro-beam, the coupled equations are first discretized by employing a Galerkin based reduced-order model and then decoupled by applying the Cramer's rule. Solving the decoupled equations analytically, effects of key parameters are illustrated by means of time histories and phase portraits. Furthermore, by investigating the case of resonant excitation, the critical velocity corresponding to mobile heat source is obtained.
A REDUCED ORDER MODEL BASED ON BLOCK ARNOLDI METHOD FOR AEROELASTIC SYSTEM
Authors: ZHOU QIANG , CHEN GANG , LI YUEMING
Published: October 2014

A reduced-order model (ROM) based on block Arnoldi algorithm to quickly predict flutter boundary of aeroelastic system is investigated. First, a mass–damper–spring dynamic system is tested, which shows that the low dimension system produced by the block Arnoldi method can keep a good dynamic property with the original system in low and high frequencies. Then a two-degree of freedom transonic nonlinear aerofoil aeroelastic system is used to validate the suitability of the block Arnoldi method in flutter prediction analysis. In the aerofoil case, the ROM based on a linearized model is obtained through a high-fidelity nonlinear computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculation. The order of the reduced model is only 8 while it still has nearly the same accuracy as the full 9600-order model. Compared with the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method, the results show that, without snapshots the block Arnoldi/ROM has a unique superiority by maintaining the system stability aspect. The flutter boundary of the aeroelastic system predicted by the block Arnoldi/ROM agrees well with the CFD and reference results. The Arnoldi/ROM provides an efficient and convenient tool to quick analyze the system stability of nonlinear transonic aeroelastic systems.
INTERACTIONS BY EXCHANGE OF VOLUME BETWEEN TWO SPHERICAL BUBBLES
Authors: ADAMA MAIGA M. , COUTIER-DELGOSHA O. , BUISINE D.
Published: October 2014

In this paper, by using the system potential of two bubbles and with a special interest in the interaction by exchange of volume and without exchange of mass, a system of equations governing the evolution of two bubbles is proposed. This two-bubble model shows terms that do not appear in the models of interaction between bubbles. The two-bubble model is compared with the modified Rayleigh–Plesset equation and a validation with the experimental study of Ohl [2002] is presented. The numerical results show that, on one hand, the development of small nearby bubbles can slow down the evolution of the biggest local one, while their disappearance can favor its growing. Furthermore, in the case of two bubbles in particular, the small bubble exchanges volume with the big one during their evolutions. On the other hand, contrary to the modified Rayleigh–Plesset model, the two-bubble model predicts appearance and disappearance of small bubbles in the neighborhood of the big bubble as it is observed in the experimental study of Ohl [2002].

The present findings show in particular that the interaction by exchange of volume can be very important in the cavitation born phase and it is necessary to take into account the interaction between bubbles as well as the disappearance of small ones on the evolution of the biggest local bubble. Also, this two-bubble model predicts an exchange of volume between both bubbles equal to zero when they are perfectly identical.
CHARACTERIZATION OF COHESIVE LAWS FOR FOAM-METAL INTERFACES
Authors: KRAUS BENJAMIN , DAS RAJ , BANERJEE BISWAJIT
Published: October 2014

Numerical prediction of mixed-mode failure along interfaces between polymeric foams and metals in foam-filled composite structures can be facilitated if interfacial cohesive laws are known. In this paper, we characterize the cohesive behavior of the interface between a polyurethane (PU) closed-cell foam and galvanized mild steel by extending an experimental approach suggested by [Lundsgaard–Larsen et al. [2008] Engineering Fracture Mechanics 75(8), 2514–2530]. A simplified approach for calculating the fracture energy and for extracting cohesive relations from the fracture energy-total crack opening displacement data is presented. We find that there is a substantial amount of normal separation in tests that are designed to be purely mode II, and a small amount of tangential motion in tests designed to be purely mode I. The interfacial cohesive laws extracted from our experiments suggest that the normal traction depends not only the normal and tangential displacements but also the tangential traction.
AN EXACT 3D SOLUTION FOR FREE VIBRATIONS OF MULTILAYERED CROSS-PLY COMPOSITE AND SANDWICH PLATES AND SHELLS
Authors: BRISCHETTO SALVATORE
Published: October 2014

A 3D free vibration analysis of multilayered structures is proposed. An exact solution is developed for the differential equations of equilibrium written in general orthogonal curvilinear coordinates. The equations consider a geometry for shells without simplifications and allow the analysis of spherical shell panels, cylindrical shell panels, cylindrical closed shells and plates. The method is based on a layer-wise approach, the continuity of displacements and transverse shear/normal stresses is imposed at the interfaces between the layers of the structures. Results are given for multilayered composite and sandwich plates and shells. A free vibration analysis is proposed for a number of vibration modes, thickness ratios, imposed wave numbers, geometries and multilayer configurations embedding isotropic and orthotropic composite materials. These results can also be used as reference solutions for plate and shell 2D models developed for the analysis of multilayered structures.
ON THE INFLUENCE OF ATOMIC MODIFICATIONS ON THE STRUCTURAL STABILITY OF CARBON NANOTUBE HYBRIDS: NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION
Authors: IMANI YENGEJEH SADEGH , KAZEMI SEYEDEH ALIEH , ÖCHSNER ANDREAS
Published: October 2014

Connected carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with parallel longitudinal axes and with bending angles were simulated by a commercial finite element package and their buckling behavior was investigated by performing several computational examinations. In addition, the effect of defects on the structural stability of these heterojunctions was analyzed. For this purpose, two different nanotube hybrids (straight and kink heterojunction) were constructed in their perfect forms. In the second phase, three most likely atomic defects, i.e., impurities (doping with Si atoms), vacant sites (carbon vacancy) and introduced perturbations of the ideal geometry in different amounts to the perfect models, were simulated. To conclude our study, the buckling behavior of imperfect heterojunctions was numerically evaluated and compared with the behavior of the perfect ones. It was concluded that the existence of any type of defects in the configuration of nanotube hybrids leads to a lower critical load and as a result, lower buckling properties. This study provides a better insight into the prediction of straight and kink heterojunction CNTs behavior.
Preparation of Zinc-Doped CdSe Nanoparticles and Determination of Their Nonlinear Optical Properties using Z-Scan Technique in Thick Media
Authors: Gaur Poonam , Malik B. P. , Sharma Dimple , Gaur Arun
Published: October 2014

The present work aims at the synthesis of Zinc-doped CdSe ( Zn : CdSe ) nanoparticles with average size near the Bohr radius by wet chemical method. The synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectrometer is used for the determination of bandgap and crystallite size is estimated using Debye–Scherrer formula and Brus equation. The nonlinear optical property that is excitonic nonlinear absorption and the wavelength dependence of nonlinear absorption has also been measured near the excitonic transitions involving the lowest electron state (1S) and one of the hole states 1S3/2(h). We observe the saturable absorption (SA), which can be described by a third-order and a fifth-order nonlinear process for Zn : CdSe nanocrystals. The irradiance and wavelength dependence of the excitonic nonlinearity are explained by two-level model. The calculations have been performed with the help of Z-scan experimental setup using Handy Compact Q-switched pulsed Nd:YAG laser (HYL-101 Quanta System).
Transport properties of Bi2Se3 thin films grown by magnetron sputtering
Authors: Wei Z. T. , Zhang M. , Yan Y. , Kan X. , Yu Z. , Chen Y. L. , Yang X. S. , Zhao Y.
Published: October 2014

Epitaxial growth of Bi 2 Se 3 thin films is of great current interest due to the advantages in spintronics and thermoelectrical applications. In this paper, Bi 2 Se 3 thin films on Si (111) substrate have been prepared via magnetron sputtering deposition with post-annealing treatment and their microstructures and electrical transport properties were studied. Good quality with highly c-axis oriented films could be obtained after post-annealing treatment. The annealing temperature (T a ) obviously affected the phase structures and electrical properties. The crystallinity and the lattice parameters c of the Bi 2 Se 3 thin-films increased with increasing T a . The relative atomic ratio of Se / Bi decreased with increasing T a and large number of Se vacancies was discovered in films with T a = 350° C . The resistivity of films decreased monotonously and showed weakly metallic resistivity with the increase of T a . Non-saturated high-field linear magnetoresistance and weak antilocalization were found in films with higher T a .
Status and Implications of Beyond-the-Standard-Model Searches at the LHC
Authors: Halkiadakis Eva , Redlinger George , Shih David
Published: October 2014

The LHC has collided protons on protons at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV between 2010 and 2012, referred to as the Run I period. We review the current status of searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model at the end of Run I by the ATLAS and CMS experiments, limited to the 8-TeV search results that have been published or submitted for publication as of the end of February 2014. We discuss some of the implications of these searches on the existence of TeV-scale new physics, with a special focus on two open questions: the hierarchy problem and the nature of dark matter. Finally, we give an outlook for the future.
Properties of the Top Quark
Authors: Déliot Frédéric , Hadley Nicholas , Parke Stephen , Schwarz Tom
Published: October 2014

The top quark is the heaviest known elementary particle, and it is often considered a window through which to search for new physics processes in particle physics. A large program to study the top quark properties has been carried out at both the Tevatron and LHC colliders by the D0, CDF, ATLAS, and CMS experiments. The most recent results are discussed in this review.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Thermal Kinetics of Mixed Gadolinium: Calcium Heptamolybdate System
Authors: Koul R. K. , Suri Shivani , Singh Vishal , Bamzai K. K.
Published: October 2014

Synthesis of mixed gadolinium calcium heptamolybdate (GdCaHM) system in silica gel medium using single gel single tube technique has been successfully achieved. The grown crystal exhibits various morphologies, which includes spherulites, multifaceted, and square platelets. The nature of the grown material was established by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study signifies the presence of heptamolybdate (Mo7O24) and water symmetry structure, whereas energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) establishes the stoichiometric of the grown crystal as GdCaMo7O24·8H2O. The thermal behaviour was studied using the thermoanalytical techniques, which include thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results obtained on the application of TG based models, namely, Horowitz-Metzger, Coats-Redfern, and Piloyan-Novikova, suggest the contracting cylindrical model as the relevant model for the thermal decomposition of the material. The kinetic parameters, namely, the order of reaction (n), activation energy (Ea), frequency factor (Z), and entropy (ΔS*), were also calculated using these three models.
Photoinduced Aromatization of Asymmetrically Substituted 1,4-Dihydropyridine Derivative Drug Cilnidipine
Authors: Ahmad Waseem
Published: October 2014

The antihypertensive drug Cilnidipine (1) is photolabile under UV-A light. Irradiation of a chloroform solution of Cilnidipine under aerobic and anaerobic conditions produces a common photoproduct which was isolated as 2-methoxyethyl-3-phenyl-2-propenyl pyridine dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(3-nitrophenyl) pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (2). The formation of products was explained by photochemical aromatization of Cilnidipine.
Akebia trifoliate (Thunb.) Koidz Seed Extract Inhibits the Proliferation of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines via Inducing Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Lu Wen-Li , Ren Hong-Yan , Liang Cao , Zhang Yuan-Yuan , Xu Ji , Pan Zhi-Qiang , Liu Xiao-Mei , Wu Zhong-Hua , Fang Zhao-Qin
Published: October 2014

Akebia Fructus has long been used for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China, while the molecular mechanism remains obscure. Our recent work found that Akebia trifoliate (Thunb.) Koidz seed extract (ATSE) suppressed proliferation and induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in SMMC‐7721. The present study aimed to throw more light on the mechanism. ER stress occurred after ATSE treatment in HepG2, HuH7, and SMMC‐7721 cells, manifested as ER expansion, and SMMC‐7721 was the most sensitive kind in terms of morphology. Cell viability assay showed that ATSE significantly inhibited cells proliferation. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that ATSE leads to an upward tendency of G0/G1 phase and a reduced trend of the continuous peak after G2/M phase in HepG2; ATSE promoted apoptosis in HuH7 and a notable reduction in G0/G1 phase; ATSE does not quite influence cell cycles of SMMC‐7721. Western blot analysis showed an increased trend of the chosen ER stress‐related proteins after different treatments but nonsignificantly; only HYOU1 and GRP78 were decreased notably by ATSE in HuH7. Affymetrix array indicated that lots of ER stress‐related genes’ expressions were significantly altered, and downward is the main trend. These results suggest that ATSE have anticancer potency in HCC cells via partly inducing ER stress.
Modeling of Tool Wear in Vibration Assisted Nano Impact-Machining by Loose Abrasives
Authors: James Sagil , Sundaram Murali M.
Published: October 2014

Vibration assisted nano impact-machining by loose abrasives (VANILA) is a novel nanomachining process that combines the principles of vibration assisted abrasive machining and tip-based nanomachining, to perform target specific nanoabrasive machining of hard and brittle materials. An atomic force microscope (AFM) is used as a platform in this process wherein nanoabrasives, injected in slurry between the workpiece and the vibrating AFM probe which is the tool, impact the workpiece and cause nanoscale material removal. The VANILA process are conducted such that the tool tip does not directly contact the workpiece. The level of precision and quality of the machined features in a nanomachining process is contingent on the tool wear which is inevitable. Initial experimental studies have demonstrated reduced tool wear in the VANILA process as compared to indentation process in which the tool directly contacts the workpiece surface. In this study, the tool wear rate during the VANILA process is analytically modeled considering impacts of abrasive grains on the tool tip surface. Experiments are conducted using several tools in order to validate the predictions of the theoretical model. It is seen that the model is capable of accurately predicting the tool wear rate within 10% deviation.
The Effects of Baclofen for the Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Li Shujie , Shi Shengying , Chen Feng , Lin Jingming
Published: October 2014

Objectives. Baclofen can relieve gastroesophageal reflux-related symptoms in healthy subjects and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients by reducing the incidence of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of baclofen for the treatment of GERD.Methods. We systematically searched randomized controlled trials published prior to November 2013 from PubMed, Medline, Embase, ScienceDirect, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the Cochrane Central Register of Randomized Controlled Trials. We performed a meta-analysis of all eligible trials.Results. Nine studies were identified with a total of 283 GERD patients and healthy subjects. Comparative analysis provided high quality data supporting the ability of baclofen to promote a short-term decrease in the number of reflux episodes per patient, the average length of reflux episodes, and the incidence of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation. No serious adverse events or death events were reported, and there were no significant differences in the overall adverse events between baclofen and placebo. All reported side effects of baclofen were of mild-to-moderate intensity, and the drug was well tolerated.Conclusion. Abundant evidence suggests that baclofen may be a useful approach for the treatment of GERD patients; however, a larger well-designed research study would further confirm this recommendation.
HLA-E: A Novel Player for Histocompatibility
Authors: Kraemer Thomas , Blasczyk Rainer , Bade-Doeding Christina
Published: October 2014

The classical class I human leukocyte antigens (HLA-A, -B, and -C) present allele-specific self- or pathogenic peptides originated by intracellular processing to CD8+immune effector cells. Even a single mismatch in the heavy chain (hc) of an HLA class I molecule can impact on the peptide binding profile. Since HLA class I molecules are highly polymorphic and most of their polymorphisms affect the peptide binding region (PBR), it becomes obvious that systematic HLA matching is crucial in determining the outcome of transplantation. The opposite holds true for the nonclassical HLA class I molecule HLA-E. HLA-E polymorphism is restricted to two functional versions and is thought to present a limited set of highly conserved peptides derived from class I leader sequences. However, HLA-E appears to be a ligand for the innate and adaptive immune system, where the immunological response to peptide-HLA-E complexes is dictated through the sequence of the bound peptide. Structural investigations clearly demonstrate how subtle amino acid differences impact the strength and response of the cognate CD94/NKG2 or T cell receptor.
Effective Volumetric Feature Modeling and Coarse Correspondence via Improved 3DSIFT and Spectral Matching
Authors: Chen Peizhi , Li Xin
Published: October 2014

This paper presents a nonrigid coarse correspondence computation algorithm for volumetric images. Our matching algorithm first extracts then correlates image features based on a revised and improved 3DSIFT (I3DSIFT) algorithm. With a scale‐related keypoint reorientation and descriptor construction, this feature correlation is less sensitive to image rotation and scaling. Then, we present an improved spectral matching (ISM) algorithm on correlated features to obtain a one‐to‐one mapping between corresponded features. One can effectively extend this feature correspondence to dense correspondence between volume images. Our algorithm can benefit nonrigid volumetric image registration in many tasks such as motion modeling in medical image analysis and processing.