bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water Quality of a Reservoir and Its Major Tributary Located in East-Central Mexico
Authors: Castilla-Hernández Patricia , Del Rocío Torres-Alvarado María , Herrera-San Luis José , Cruz-López Norma
Published: June 2014

A reservoir with ecological and economic importance and its major tributary, localized in east-central Mexico, were studied. The aim of this work was to know the physicochemical water characteristics of both water bodies and to contrast these by their different uses, and also estimate overall water quality using a Water Quality Index (WQI). Water samples from the reservoir and the tributary were obtained in different climatic seasons. In the tributary, anoxic and hypoxic conditions and high levels of organic matter, orthophosphate, and ammonium showed that this is strongly impacted by wastewater discharges and that the water is not suitable for different uses; independently of the season, the WQI showed “poor” quality (34.4–47.2). In contrast, in the reservoir a better water quality was determined; the WQI in the sampling months ranged from 72.1–76.6 (“good” quality), and spatially, this was from 66.5–79.5 (“fair” and “good” quality).
Development of a GIS-Based Tool for Aquaculture Siting
Authors: Puniwai Noelani , Canale Lisa , Haws Maria , Potemra James , Lepczyk Christopher , Gray Steven
Published: June 2014

Nearshore aquaculture siting requires the integration of a range of physical, environmental, and social factors. As a result, the information demand often presents coastal managers with a range of complex issues regarding where specific types of aquaculture should be ideally located that reduce environmental and social impacts. Here we provide a framework and tool for managers faced with these issues that incorporate physical and biological parameters along with geospatial infrastructure. In addition, the development of the tool and underlying data included was undertaken with careful input and consideration of local population concerns and cultural practices. Using Hawaiʻi as a model system, we discuss the various considerations that were integrated into an end-user tool for aquaculture siting.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid Protects against Palmitic Acid-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction via Activation of the AMPK/eNOS Pathway
Authors: Lee Che-Hsin , Lee Shin-Da , Ou Hsiu-Chung , Lai Su-Chuan , Cheng Yu-Jung
Published: June 2014

Recent studies have shown that free fatty acids are associated with chronic inflammation, which may be involved in vascular injury. The intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can decrease cardiovascular disease risks, but the protective mechanisms of EPA on endothelial cells remain unclear. In this study, primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with palmitic acid (PA) were used to explore the protective effects of EPA. The results revealed that EPA attenuated PA-induced cell death and activation of apoptosis-related proteins, such as caspase-3, p53 and Bax. Additionally, EPA reduced the PA-induced increase in the generation of reactive oxygen species, the activation of NADPH oxidase, and the upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). EPA also restored the PA-mediated reduction of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation. Using AMPK siRNA and the specific inhibitor compound C, we found that EPA restored the PA-mediated inhibitions of eNOS and AKT activities via activation of AMPK. Furthermore, the NF-κB signals that are mediated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were involved in protective effects of EPA. In summary, these results provide new insight into the possible molecular mechanisms by which EPA protects against atherogenesis via the AMPK/eNOS-related pathway.
Up-Regulation of Rhoa/Rho Kinase Pathway by Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Maeng Jeehye , Sheverdin Vadim , Shin Hyekyoung , Ha Insu , Bae Sun , Yang-Yen Hsin-Fang , Lee Kyunglim
Published: June 2014

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), a repressor for Na,K-ATPase has been implicated in the development of systemic hypertension, as proved by TCTP-over-expressing transgenic (TCTP-TG) mice. Aorta of TCTP-TG exhibited hypercontractile response compared to that of non-transgenic mice (NTG) suggesting dys-regulation of signaling pathways involved in the vascular contractility by TCTP. Because dys-regulation of RhoA/Rho kinase pathway is implicated in increased vascular contractility, we examined whether TCTP induces alterations in RhoA pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We found that TCTP over-expression by adenovirus infection up-regulated RhoA pathway including the expression of RhoA, and its downstream signalings, phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target protein (MYPT-1), and myosin light chain (MLC). Conversely, lentiviral silencing of TCTP reduced the RhoA expression and Rho kinase signalings. Using immunohistochemical and Western blotting studies on aortas from TCTP-TG confirmed the elevated expression of RhoA and increase in p-MLC (phosphorylated MLC). In contrast, down-regulation of RhoA and p-MLC were found in aortas from heterozygous mice with deleted allele of TCTP (TCTP+/−). We conclude that up-regulation of TCTP induces RhoA-mediated pathway, and that TCTP-induced RhoA plays a role in the regulation in vasculature. Modulation of TCTP may offer a therapeutic target for hypertension and in vascular contractility dysfunction.
Viral Metagenomics on Animals as a Tool for the Detection of Zoonoses Prior to Human Infection?
Authors: Temmam Sarah , Davoust Bernard , Berenger Jean-Michel , Raoult Didier , Desnues Christelle
Published: June 2014

Many human viral infections have a zoonotic, i.e., wild or domestic animal, origin. Several zoonotic viruses are transmitted to humans directly via contact with an animal or indirectly via exposure to the urine or feces of infected animals or the bite of a bloodsucking arthropod. If a virus is able to adapt and replicate in its new human host, human-to-human transmissions may occur, possibly resulting in an epidemic, such as the A/H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009. Thus, predicting emerging zoonotic infections is an important challenge for public health officials in the coming decades. The recent development of viral metagenomics, i.e., the characterization of the complete viral diversity isolated from an organism or an environment using high-throughput sequencing technologies, is promising for the surveillance of such diseases and can be accomplished by analyzing the viromes of selected animals and arthropods that are closely in contact with humans. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of viral diversity within such animals (in particular blood-feeding arthropods, wildlife and domestic animals) using metagenomics and present its possible future application for the surveillance of zoonotic and arboviral diseases.
The Metallothionein Gene, TaMT3, from Tamarix androssowii Confers Cd2+ Tolerance in Tobacco
Authors: Zhou Boru , Yao Wenjing , Wang Shengji , Wang Xinwang , Jiang Tingbo
Published: June 2014

Cadmium (Cd) is a nonessential microelement and low concentration Cd2+ has strong toxicity to plant growth. Plant metallothioneins, a class of low molecular, cystein(Cys)-rich and heavy-metal binding proteins, play an important role in both metal chaperoning and scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with their large number of cysteine residues and therefore, protect plants from oxidative damage. In this study, a metallothionein gene, TaMT3, isolated from Tamarix androssowii was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tobacum) through Agrobacterium-mediated leaf disc method, and correctly expressed under the control of 35S promoter. Under Cd2+ stress, the transgenic tobacco showed significant increases of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and chlorophyll concentration, but decreases of peroxidase (POD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation when compared to the non-transgenic tobacco. Vigorous growth of transgenic tobacco was observed at the early development stages, resulting in plant height and fresh weight were significantly larger than those of the non-transgenic tobacco under Cd2+ stress. These results demonstrated that the expression of the exogenous TaMT3 gene increased the ability of ROS cleaning-up, indicating a stronger tolerance to Cd2+ stress.
Prediction of Protein S-Nitrosylation Sites Based on Adapted Normal Distribution Bi-Profile Bayes and Chou’s Pseudo Amino Acid Composition
Authors: Jia Cangzhi , Lin Xin , Wang Zhiping
Published: June 2014

Protein S-nitrosylation is a reversible post-translational modification by covalent modification on the thiol group of cysteine residues by nitric oxide. Growing evidence shows that protein S-nitrosylation plays an important role in normal cellular function as well as in various pathophysiologic conditions. Because of the inherent chemical instability of the S-NO bond and the low abundance of endogenous S-nitrosylated proteins, the unambiguous identification of S-nitrosylation sites by commonly used proteomic approaches remains challenging. Therefore, computational prediction of S-nitrosylation sites has been considered as a powerful auxiliary tool. In this work, we mainly adopted an adapted normal distribution bi-profile Bayes (ANBPB) feature extraction model to characterize the distinction of position-specific amino acids in 784 S-nitrosylated and 1568 non-S-nitrosylated peptide sequences. We developed a support vector machine prediction model, iSNO-ANBPB, by incorporating ANBPB with the Chou’s pseudo amino acid composition. In jackknife cross-validation experiments, iSNO-ANBPB yielded an accuracy of 65.39% and a Matthew’s correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.3014. When tested on an independent dataset, iSNO-ANBPB achieved an accuracy of 63.41% and a MCC of 0.2984, which are much higher than the values achieved by the existing predictors SNOSite, iSNO-PseAAC, the Li et al. algorithm, and iSNO-AAPair. On another training dataset, iSNO-ANBPB also outperformed GPS-SNO and iSNO-PseAAC in the 10-fold crossvalidation test.
Contrasting Effects of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors on Reward and Aversive Olfactory Memories in the Honey Bee
Authors: Lockett Gabrielle , Wilkes Fiona , Helliwell Paul , Maleszka Ryszard
Published: June 2014

Much of what we have learnt from rodent models about the essential role of epigenetic processes in brain plasticity has made use of aversive learning, yet the role of histone acetylation in aversive memory in the honey bee, a popular invertebrate model for both memory and epigenetics, was previously unknown. We examined the effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition on both aversive and reward olfactory associative learning in a discrimination proboscis extension reflex (PER) assay. We report that treatment with the HDAC inhibitors APHA compound 8 (C8), phenylbutyrate (PB) or sodium butyrate (NaB) impaired discrimination memory due to impairment of aversive memory in a dose-dependent manner, while simultaneously having no effect on reward memory. Treatment with C8 1 h before training, 1 h after training or 1 h before testing, impaired aversive but not reward memory at test. C8 treatment 1 h before training also improved aversive but not reward learning during training. PB treatment only impaired aversive memory at test when administered 1 h after training, suggesting an effect on memory consolidation specifically. Specific impairment of aversive memory (but not reward memory) by HDAC inhibiting compounds was robust, reproducible, occurred following treatment with three drugs targeting the same mechanism, and is likely to be genuinely due to alterations to memory as sucrose sensitivity and locomotion were unaffected by HDAC inhibitor treatment. This pharmacological dissection of memory highlights the involvement of histone acetylation in aversive memory in the honey bee, and expands our knowledge of epigenetic control of neural plasticity in invertebrates.
The Conceptual Design of a Tidal Power Plant in Taiwan
Authors: Tsai Jia-Shiuan , Chen Falin
Published: June 2014

Located on the northwestern of Taiwan, the Matsu archipelago is near mainland China and comprises four islands: Nangan, Beigan, Juguang, and Dongyin. The population of Matsu totals 11,196 and is chiefly concentrated on Nangan and Beigan. From 1971 to 2000, Matsu built five oil-fired power plants with a total installed capacity of 47 MW. However, the emissions and noise generated by the oil-fired power plant has caused damage to Matsu’s environment, and the cost of fuel is high due to the long-distance shipping from Taiwan. Developing renewable energy in Matsu has therefore been a fervent topic for the Taiwan government, and tidal power is considered to be of the highest priority due to Matsu’s large tidal range (4.29 m in average) and its semidiurnal tide. Moreover, the islands of Nangan and Beigan are composed of granite and have natural harbors, rendering them ideal places for coastal engineering of tidal power plants. This paper begins with a renewable energy reserves assessment in Matsu to determine the amount of tidal energy. Next, a tidal turbine type of the lowest cost is chosen, and then its dynamic characteristic, performance, and related design are analyzed. Finally, the coastal engineering condition was investigated, and a conceptual design for tidal power plant is proposed.
Forest Transitions and Rural Livelihoods: Multiple Pathways of Smallholder Teak Expansion in Northern Laos
Authors: Newby Jonathan , Cramb Rob , Sakanphet Somphanh
Published: June 2014

Smallholder teak (Tectona grandis) plantations have been identified as a potentially valuable component of upland farming systems in northern Laos that can contribute to a “livelihood transition” from subsistence-oriented swidden agriculture to a more commercially-oriented farming system, thereby bringing about a “forest transition” at the landscape scale. In recent years, teak smallholdings have become increasingly prominent in the province of Luang Prabang, especially in villages close to Luang Prabang City. In this paper, we draw on a household survey conducted in five teak-growing villages and case studies of different household types to explore the role that small-scale forestry has played in both livelihood and land-use transitions. Drawing on a classification of forest transitions, we identify three transition pathways that apply in the study villages—the “economic development” pathway, the “smallholder, tree-based, land-use intensification” pathway, and the “state forest policy” pathway. The ability of households to integrate teak into their farming system, manage the woodlots effectively, and maintain ownership until the plantation reaches maturity varies significantly between these pathways. Households with adequate land resources but scarce labor due to the effects of local economic development are better able to establish and hold onto teak woodlots, but less able to adopt beneficial management techniques. Households that are land-constrained are motivated to follow a path of land-used intensification, but need more productive agroforestry systems to sustain incomes over time. Households that are induced to plant teak mainly by land-use policies that threaten to deprive them of their land, struggle to efficiently manage or hold on to their woodlots in the long term. Thus, even when it is smallholders driving the process of forest transition via piecemeal land-use changes, there is potential for resource-poor households to be excluded from the potential livelihood benefits or to be further impoverished by the transition. We argue that interventions to increase smallholder involvement in the forestry sector need to take explicit account of the initial variation in livelihood platforms and in alternative transition pathways at the household scale in order to pursue more inclusive “forest-and-livelihood” transitions in rural areas.
Evaluation of the Homogeneity of the Uranium Isotope Composition of NIST SRM 610/611 by MC-ICP-MS, MC-TIMS, and SIMS
Authors: Zimmer Mindy , Kinman William , Kara Azim , Steiner Robert
Published: June 2014

As analytical and microanalytical applications employing uranium isotope ratios increase, so does the need for reliable reference materials, particularly in the fields of geochemistry, geochronology, and nuclear forensics. We present working values for uranium isotopic data of NIST 610/611 glass, collected by multicollector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS), multicollector thermal ionization mass spectrometry (MC-TIMS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The presence of depleted U, and, in this case, measureable 236U, makes NIST 610/611 an ideal candidate for a uranium isotopic reference material for nuclear materials. We analyzed multiple chips of three different NIST 611 wafers and found no heterogeneity in 234U/238U, 235U/238U, and 236U/238U within or between the wafers, within analytical uncertainty. We determined working values and uncertainties (using a coverage factor of two) using data from this study and the literature for the following U isotope ratios: 234U/238U = 9.45 × 10−6 ± 5.0 × 10−8; 235U/238U = 2.38555 × 10−3 ± 4.7 × 10−7; and 236U/238U = 4.314 × 10−5 ± 4.0 × 10−8. SIMS data show 235U/238U is reproducible to within 1% (within analytical uncertainty) in a single wafer, at a scale of 25 μm. Multiple studies have demonstrated homogeneity between wafers of NIST 610 and NIST 611, thus the data reported here can be considered representative of NIST 610 as well.
Selective Substitution of 31/42–OH in Rapamycin Guided by an in Situ IR Technique
Authors: Cao Shuang , Zhou Xinbo , Yang Yuanshuai , Zhong Wu , Sun Tiemin
Published: June 2014

An in situ IR technique was applied in the selective synthesis of the key intermediate for rapamycin derivatives, which made the reaction endpoint easily defined. This technology solved a bothersome problem in the preparation of rapamycin derivatives, and based on this technique, the 31-OH and 42-OH of rapamycin were chemically modified by a series of quaternary ammonium salts to generate 11 compounds. The solubility of all these compounds was remarkably improved (25,000 times higher than that of rapamycin) and their structures were confirmed by MS, IR, 1D and 2D NMR techniques.
Land Surface Temperature Retrieval from MODIS Data by Integrating Regression Models and the Genetic Algorithm in an Arid Region
Authors: Zhou Ji , Zhang Xu , Zhan Wenfeng , Zhang Huailan
Published: June 2014

The land surface temperature (LST) is one of the most important parameters of surface-atmosphere interactions. Methods for retrieving LSTs from satellite remote sensing data are beneficial for modeling hydrological, ecological, agricultural and meteorological processes on Earth’s surface. Many split-window (SW) algorithms, which can be applied to satellite sensors with two adjacent thermal channels located in the atmospheric window between 10 μm and 12 μm, require auxiliary atmospheric parameters (e.g., water vapor content). In this research, the Heihe River basin, which is one of the most arid regions in China, is selected as the study area. The Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is selected as a test case. The Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) atmospheric profiles of the study area are used to generate the training dataset through radiative transfer simulation. Significant correlations between the atmospheric upwelling radiance in MODIS channel 31 and the other three atmospheric parameters, including the transmittance in channel 31 and the transmittance and upwelling radiance in channel 32, are trained based on the simulation dataset and formulated with three regression models. Next, the genetic algorithm is used to estimate the LST. Validations of the RM-GA method are based on the simulation dataset generated from in situ measured radiosonde profiles and GDAS atmospheric profiles, the in situ measured LSTs, and a pair of daytime and nighttime MOD11A1 products in the study area. The results demonstrate that RM-GA has a good ability to estimate the LSTs directly from the MODIS data without any auxiliary atmospheric parameters. Although this research is for local application in the Heihe River basin, the findings and proposed method can easily be extended to other satellite sensors and regions with arid climates and high elevations.
Characteristics Verification of an Independently Controllable Electromagnetic Spherical Motor
Authors: Maeda Shuhei , Hirata Katsuhiro , Niguchi Noboru
Published: June 2014

We have been developing electromagnetic spherical actuators capable of three-degree-of-freedom rotation. However, these actuators require complex control to realize simultaneous triaxial drive, because rotation around one axis interferes with rotation around another. In this paper, we propose a new three-degree-of-freedom actuator where 3-axes rotation can be controlled easily. The basic structure and the operating principle of the actuator are described. Then the torque characteristics and the dynamic characteristics are computed by employing 3D-FEM and the effectiveness of this actuator is clarified. Finally, the experimental results using the prototype of the actuator are shown to verify the dynamic performance.
Security Enhanced User Authentication Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks Using Elliptic Curves Cryptography
Authors: Choi Younsung , Lee Donghoon , Kim Jiye , Jung Jaewook , Nam Junghyun , Won Dongho
Published: June 2014

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) consist of sensors, gateways and users. Sensors are widely distributed to monitor various conditions, such as temperature, sound, speed and pressure but they have limited computational ability and energy. To reduce the resource use of sensors and enhance the security of WSNs, various user authentication protocols have been proposed. In 2011, Yeh et al. first proposed a user authentication protocol based on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) for WSNs. However, it turned out that Yeh et al.’s protocol does not provide mutual authentication, perfect forward secrecy, and key agreement between the user and sensor. Later in 2013, Shi et al. proposed a new user authentication protocol that improves both security and efficiency of Yeh et al.’s protocol. However, Shi et al.’s improvement introduces other security weaknesses. In this paper, we show that Shi et al.’s improved protocol is vulnerable to session key attack, stolen smart card attack, and sensor energy exhausting attack. In addition, we propose a new, security-enhanced user authentication protocol using ECC for WSNs.
Quorum Sensing Activity in Pandoraea pnomenusa RB38
Authors: Ee Robson , Lim Yan-Lue , Kin Lin-Xin , Yin Wai-Fong , Chan Kok-Gan
Published: June 2014

Strain RB38 was recovered from a former dumping area in Malaysia. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and genomic analysis identified strain RB-38 as Pandoraea pnomenusa. Various biosensors confirmed its quorum sensing properties. High resolution triple quadrupole liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis was subsequently used to characterize the N-acyl homoserine lactone production profile of P. pnomenusa strain RB38, which validated that this isolate produced N-octanoyl homoserine lactone as a quorum sensing molecule. This is the first report of the production of N-octanoyl homoserine lactone by P. pnomenusa strain RB38.
Thermal Physical Property-Based Fusion of Geostationary Meteorological Satellite Visible and Infrared Channel Images
Authors: Han Lei , Shi Lu , Yang Yiling , Song Dalei
Published: June 2014

Geostationary meteorological satellite infrared (IR) channel data contain important spectral information for meteorological research and applications, but their spatial resolution is relatively low. The objective of this study is to obtain higher-resolution IR images. One common method of increasing resolution fuses the IR data with high-resolution visible (VIS) channel data. However, most existing image fusion methods focus only on visual performance, and often fail to take into account the thermal physical properties of the IR images. As a result, spectral distortion occurs frequently. To tackle this problem, we propose a thermal physical properties-based correction method for fusing geostationary meteorological satellite IR and VIS images. In our two-step process, the high-resolution structural features of the VIS image are first extracted and incorporated into the IR image using regular multi-resolution fusion approach, such as the multiwavelet analysis. This step significantly increases the visual details in the IR image, but fake thermal information may be included. Next, the Stefan-Boltzmann Law is applied to correct the distortion, to retain or recover the thermal infrared nature of the fused image. The results of both the qualitative and quantitative evaluation demonstrate that the proposed physical correction method both improves the spatial resolution and preserves the infrared thermal properties.
The Economics of Groundwater Replenishment for Reliable Urban Water Supply
Authors: Gao Lei , Connor Jeffery , Dillon Peter
Published: June 2014

This paper explores the potential economic benefits of water banking in aquifers to meet drought and emergency supplies for cities where the population is growing and changing climate has reduced the availability of water. A simplified case study based on the city of Perth, Australia was used to estimate the savings that could be achieved by water banking. Scenarios for investment in seawater desalination plants and groundwater replenishment were considered over a 20 year period of growing demand, using a Monte Carlo analysis that embedded the Markov model. An optimisation algorithm identified the minimum cost solutions that met specified criteria for supply reliability. The impact of depreciation of recharge credits was explored. The results revealed savings of more than A$1B (~US$1B) or 37% to 33% of supply augmentation costs by including water banking in aquifers for 95% and 99.5% reliability of supply respectively. When the hypothetically assumed recharge credit depreciation rate was increased from 1% p.a. to 10% p.a. savings were still 33% to 31% for the same reliabilities. These preliminary results show that water banking in aquifers has potential to offer a highly attractive solution for efficiently increasing the security of urban water supplies where aquifers are suitable.
Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Combined with a Honeycomb Collagen Sponge Facilitate Neurite Elongation in Vitro and Neural Restoration in the Hemisected Rat Spinal Cord
Authors: Onuma-Ukegawa Madoka , Bhatt Kush , Hirai Takashi , Kaburagi Hidetoshi , Sotome Shinichi , Wakabayashi Yoshiaki , Ichinose Shizuko , Shinomiya Kenichi , Okawa Atsushi , Enomoto Mitsuhiro
Published: June 2014

In the last decade, researchers and clinicians have reported that transplantation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) promotes functional recovery after brain or spinal cord injury (SCI). However, an appropriate scaffold designed for the injured spinal cord is needed to enhance the survival of transplanted BMSCs and to promote nerve regeneration. We previously tested a honeycomb collagen sponge (HC), which when applied to the transected spinal cord allowed bridging of the gap with nerve fibers. In this study, we examined whether the HC implant combined with rat BMSCs increases nerve regeneration in vitro and enhances functional recovery in vivo. We first evaluated the neurite outgrowth of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants cultured on HC with or without BMSCs in vitro. Regeneration of neurites from the DRGs was increased by BMSCs combined with HC scaffolds. In the in vivo study, 3-mm-long HC scaffolds with or without BMSCs were implanted into the hemisected rat thoracic spinal cord. Four weeks after the procedure, rats implanted with HC scaffolds containing BMSCs displayed better motor and sensory recovery than those implanted with HC scaffolds only. Histologically, more CGRP-positive sensory fibers at the implanted site and 5-HT-positive serotonergic fibers contralateral to the implanted site were observed in spinal cords receiving BMSCs. Furthermore, more rubrospinal neurons projected distally to the HC implant containing BMSCs. Our study indicates that the application of BMSCs in a HC scaffold in the injured spinal cord directly promoted sensory nerve and rubrospinal tract regeneration, thus resulting in functional recovery.
Human dendritic cell activation induced by a permannosylated dendron containing an antigenic GM3-lactone mimetic
Authors: Ribeiro-Viana Renato , Bonechi Elena , Rojo Javier , Ballerini Clara , Comito Giuseppina , Richichi Barbara , Nativi Cristina
Published: June 2014

Vaccination strategies based on dendritic cells (DCs) armed with specific tumor antigens have been widely exploited due the properties of these immune cells in coordinating an innate and adaptive response. Here, we describe the convergent synthesis of the bifunctional multivalent glycodendron5, which contains nine residues of mannose for DC targeting and one residue of an immunogenic mimetic of a carbohydrate melanoma associated antigen. The immunological assays demonstrated that the glycodendron5is able to induce human immature DC activation in terms of a phenotype expression of co-stimulatory molecules expression and MHCII. Furthermore, DCs activated by the glycodendron5stimulate T lymphocytes to proliferate in a mixed lymphocytes reaction (MLR).
The distribution of the vascular plants on the North Frisian Island, Amrum
Authors: Groom Quentin
Published: June 2014

Amrum is a small barrier island on the north-west coast of Germany. The distribution of vascular plants was examined by surveying their 1km2 grid square occupancy across the whole island. These data were used in a study on the recent vegetation change in the island. These data include 3786 observations of 450 taxa collected in two surveys in 2007 and 2008.
Modernización resiliente: la Cruz Roja en Marruecos de Hassan I a la República del Rif (1886-1926)
Authors: Martínez-Antonio Francisco Javier
Published: June 2014

Hacia finales del siglo XIX y comienzos del XX, los proyectos de modernización de Marruecos incluyeron planes de adhesión a la Convención de Ginebra y de creación de una sociedad local de la Cruz/Media Luna Roja. Estos planes surgieron de la convergencia entre las reformas administrativas/militares marroquíes y las intervenciones “regeneracionistas” españolas. Transcurrieron en paralelo con los desarrollos en países islámicos líderes como Egipto, Persia y el Imperio Otomano, aunque habrían de esperar para hacerse realidad hasta la independencia del país de la dominación franco-española en 1956. Más allá de la falta de resultados concretos, estas tempranas iniciativas servirían como marco legal a la “soberanía humanitaria” de Marruecos, tácitamente confirmada mediante las cláusulas del Acta de Algeciras de 1906. Durante las siguientes dos décadas, la resiliencia de esta soberanía se haría patente en la competición entre la Cruz Roja Española y la Francesa por la “hegemonía humanitaria” en Marruecos, así como en las repetidas y casi exitosas demandas para el establecimiento de una Cruz/Media Luna Roja rifeña, que hizo al Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja el líder insurgente Abdelkrim durante la Guerra del Rif.
The Displacement Measurement of Ground Wind Loads for Launch Vehicle
Authors: Wang Tao , Huang Ze Huan , Zhang Hui , Zheng Bin
Published: June 2014

This paper presented a method of the displacement measurement of ground wind loads for launch vehicle based on laser and Digital Image Processing Technology. The launch vehicle structure model was built by calculating the wind pressure. Measurement model and algorithm for single laser were given. In view of nonrigid component, a method for computing the centroid displacement was presented. Error analysis and error reducing measures were preliminarily discussed.
Dynamic Simulation Control Algorithm Based on the Time Domain
Authors: Jiang Zhuo Wei , Gao Chun Ming
Published: June 2014

In view of badly transplanting of analog filter and low cost performance of digital filter for the washing out signal methods used by dynamic simulator, this paper proposed a computer intelligent time domain method. We decompose signal with the computer intelligence in the time domain, and convert the signal into the corresponding movement form respectively, then get the final result by overlaying them. The experimental results show that this method not only can achieve the effect of the traditional methods, better portability and faster computation speed, but also can be achieved directly on general computers.
Multi-Robot Fish Path Planning Based on the Modified A* Algorithm
Authors: Hong Qiang , Chen Mei Xiao , Deng Yan Song
Published: June 2014

Based on improved A* algorithm, this paper proposes the optimal path planning of robot fish in globally known environment, so as to achieve better coordination between the robot fish by means of improving their path planning. In the known obstacle environment which is rasterized, target nodes are generated via smoothing A* algorithm. The unnecessary connection points are removed then and the path is smoothed at the turning points. That improved algorithm, in combination with distributed scroll algorithms, is applied to multi-robot path planning in an effort to optimize the path with the avoidance of collision. The experimental results on the 2D simulation platform have verified the feasibility of that method.
Robotic Fish’s Movement Based on Kalman Filter and PID Control
Authors: Su Si Yuan , Jiang Yu Lian , Shi Ou Yang
Published: June 2014

Environmental disturbances lead to the reaction lag and precision drop of robotic fish in Chinese under-water robotic fish game. To resolve the problem, this paper proposes a new method combined Kalman filter and PID control algorithm for controlling robotic fish. The proposed approach was applied into the synchronized swimming competition of robotic fish. Simulation on two dimensional underwater robot game simulation platform shows that the method enhances the accuracy of the movement, shortens the time to the target, and improves the anti-interference ability of robotic fish. It is effective and reliable.
Study of the Optimal Design for the Gliding Trajectory
Authors: Wang Jian Jun , Yu Jian Qiao
Published: June 2014

The optimal design for the gliding trajectory is studied. The particle trajectory model in the longitudinal plane is established. Aiming at solving the problems in numerical solution ,the direct shooting method based on the interpolating function of Akima is put forward .In direct collocation method, the parameters of the trajectory with approximate maximum lift-drag ratio is adopted as the starting value of the optimal variables. The trajectory with approximate maximum lift-drag ratio could be obtained by the search method. The transfer approach of turning the problem of trajectory optimization to the problem of parameter optimization by the direct shooting method is illustrated. To one kind of guided vehicles in simulation, the simulation results prove the practicability of the direct shooting method.
Coordinate Transformation of the Quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’s Flight Path
Authors: Yao Ming , Sun Qu
Published: June 2014

Because of the quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles (named as QUAV-X4) has numerous advantages, it attract more and more researchers to study it. The paper use QUAV-X4 as a object of studying, adopting Matlab as a simulation platform. According to QUAV-X4’s practical flight track, this method modularized QUAV-X4’s the whole process. Using geometric algorithms to describe QUAV-X4’s flight path to avoid calculation error when we adopt difference algorithm, realizing free combination of QUAV-X4’s flight path. Experimental results show that, this method can reflect the true QUAV-X4’s flight path.
The Visual Path Following of Autonomous Catamaran in Oil Spilling
Authors: Zhang Shou Xu , Yan Wei Sheng , Chen Wei , Liu Zi Li
Published: June 2014

This study aims to design a kind of autonomous oil spill collection device, more exactly, which is a collecting platform based on catamaran for the spilled oil, as catamaran has great superiorities in wave resistance and water resistance. In the whole process, visual path following is necessary, which requires quite precise local navigation; the catamaran has been controlled to run along accurately with a pre-specified path by tracking the visual landmarks on the oil fence; the algorithm for detecting the path is based on an canny operator and a modified Hough transform, which could detect the color guide line more accurate and faster.
Generalized Projective Synchronization of Diverse Structures Hyperchaotic Systems with Unknown Parameters
Authors: Tao Si Yan , Lin Da , Zeng Xiao Hui
Published: June 2014

In this paper, the generalized projective synchronization for a general class of hyperchaotic systems is investigated. A systematic, powerful and concrete scheme is developed to investigate the generalized projective synchronization between the drive system and response system based on the feedback control approach. The hyperchaotic Chen system and hyperchaotic Lorenz system are chosen to illustrate the proposed scheme. Numerical simulations are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.
Robust Adaptive Control of Nonlinear Systems with Uncertainties
Authors: Liu Ning , Liu Yu Sheng , Yang Qiang
Published: June 2014

This paper proposes a robust adaptive robust controller for nonlinear systems represented by input-output models with unmodeled dynamics. Under the circumstances that the output of the system is bounded, the proposed controller can guarantee that all the variables of the system are bounded in the presence of unmodeled dynamics and time-varying disturbances. The scheme does not need to generate an additional dynamic signal to dominate the effects of the unmodeled dynamics. It is shown that the mean-square tracking error can be made arbitrarily small by choosing some design parameters appropriately.
Using DCS to Realize Ball Mill Fuzzy Control System
Authors: Wang Yan Jun
Published: June 2014

By way of summarizes operation experience, using fuzzy control method to realize the decoupling control of coal mill cold air damper, hot air damper and coal feeder, by using cascade control of fuzzy control look up table and PI controller in DCS, it’s convenient to realized the automatic control of ball mill. Practice proves that this method is easy to achieve and good control effect could be achieved.
Virtual Reference Feedback Corrective Control Based on the Closed-Loop
Authors: Zhou Hong Cheng , Jiang Zhi Peng
Published: June 2014

Firstly two controller using the virtual reference feedback control design, at the same time considering the expectation of a given model match the closed-loop transfer function and sensitivity function, which need to be in the two objective function increases the expression in a model of the sensitivity function matching. Finally the iteration algorithm of controller parameters are obtained by mathematical method. Also the asymptotic variance matrix can be applied to the control of virtual reference feedback correction virtual signal design and controller in the process of inspection.
Grinding Concentration Cascade Control Method of Ball Mill Based on the Fuzzy Control Theory
Authors: Li Juan Juan , Tian Yuan , Cheng Quan Xi , Guo Gang
Published: June 2014

In this paper, grinding concentration cascade control method based on the theory of fuzzy control theory is presented. It is composed of major loop which function is to provide the feed water quantity of ball mill by empirical equation and minor loop. The simulation experiment is done. We can conclude feed water loop can run steady and feed water quantity is tracked quickly and compared with a given value.
Embedded Software Design of Campus Tourism Navigation Based on QT
Authors: Han Xiao Wei , Zhao Yang , Xin Bo Yuan , Wang Dan
Published: June 2014

This paper builds a model of QT4 for WinCE 5.0 development platform based on Visual Studio 2008 environment. It offers the campus tour navigation interface which is designed by using Qt Creator tools and code, and implements the transplantation of application in GEC S5PV210 development board which is applied to the actual project successfully.
Fault Analysis and Position of the Tree-Phase Grid-Connection Inverter
Authors: Li Meng Nan , Qian Ping , Wang Wen Rui , Ye Yin Zhong
Published: June 2014

The theory, design, implementation and experimental validation of a neural network based diagnosis method for open-switch faults in the three-phase grid-connection inverter are discussed. The model of three-phase grid-connection inverter are established with Matlab/Simulink. The feature value of output current wave of the inverter is extracted under various kinds of open-switch faulty conditions in the inverter with the FFT method and wavelet analysis method. The experimental results show the flexible and double domain superiority of the wavelet analysis. Finally, the design takes advantage of the extraction as learning and training samples, puts forward a new method of locating fault for three-phase grid connection inverter based on neural network structure. The simulation results show that the method can locate the fault device exactly and distinguish multiple fault modes. The experiment illustrates the effectiveness of the method.
Free Ordering System Based on Fetion
Authors: You Xiang Dong , Ming Meng , Zou Xiao Jia , Zhang Zhi Yuan
Published: June 2014

A free ordering system based on instant message—Fetion is studied. It is composed of an ordering terminal to print out the instant messages and a website to order online by sending Fetion. Related technologies studied include MCU controlled GSM module transceiving Fetion/SMS, MCU controlled mini-printer printing out Fetion/SMS, PDU encoding and decoding, website sending Fetion, and the software process of ordering. Demonstration systems and prototypes are developed.
Simulation Research of Tapered Sidewall Trench Superjunction MOSFETs
Authors: Liu Jun , Li Li , Liu Yue Yang , Gao Wen Yu , Jin Rui , Yu Kun Shan
Published: June 2014

This paper studied the relationship of breakdown voltage and charge imbalance of 600V tapered sidewall trench superjunction MOSFETs. Simulation structures including three types of structures: 600V vertical sidewall trench superjunction MOSFET (Type1) and 600V tapered sidewall trench superjunction MOSFET (Type2 and Type3). Under the condition of P-column and N-column uniform doping, Type1 structure has the highest peak breakdown voltage. Type2 structure has the lowest peak breakdown voltage under the condition of P-column doping concentration slightly lower than N-column doping concentration. The peak breakdown voltage of structure Type3 is higher than Type2, but the sensitivity of breakdown voltage in the charge imbalance state is the highest. The Gaussian dopant profile in P-column can make the peak breakdown voltage of the tapered sidewall trench superjunction MOSFET achieved the same level of the peak breakdown voltage of the vertical sidewall trench superjunction MOSFET. It is concluded that the sensitivity of breakdown voltage in the charge imbalance state is related to the structure: Type2 structure under the condition of P-column undercompensation and Type3 structure under the condition of P-column overcompensation are both beneficial to the process control.
The Research on Static Characteristics of 3300V/50A Planner NPT-IGBT
Authors: Liu Jun , Bao Hai Long , Liu Jiang , Zhao Ge , Gao Ming Chao , Jin Rui , Yu Kun Shan
Published: June 2014

A 3300V/50A NPT-IGBT was designed by process simulation, which had an internal transparent collector and a planner cell structure. The Static characteristics were studied. The simulation results show that the threshold voltage of the device can be adjusted by changing the injection dose of the p-well. The saturation voltage of the device can be adjusted by changing injection dose of the p-well or the internal transparent collector. This device was fabricated using a self-aligned process, the test results show that the breakdown voltage is more than 4300V, the saturation voltage is between 3.4V and 3.7V and the threshold voltage is between 5.2V and 6.5V, which are similar with the simulation results.
Transient Analysis for Multi-Conductor Transmission Lines Based on FDTD Method
Authors: Zhang Ji , Chen Qi Peng , Shi Juan
Published: June 2014

Difference equations of multi-conductor transmission lines (MTL) were derived. Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method combined with MTL theory was used to model and simulate the impacts of radius, height from the ground, distance between wires, raise/fall time of excitation source and types of wires on wires crosstalk. This study proposes the corresponding improvement scheme and has a certain reference value on the vehicle wiring harness layout and its EMC design.
Research on Multi-Mode Controller of Switching Power Supply
Authors: Liu Shu Lin , Qi Li Li
Published: June 2014

In order to improve the efficiency of the switching power supply in whole load range, the controller with PWM, PFM and BURST operating modes is designed in this paper, which changes the operation mode automatically according to the load. The operating principle and the advantages and disadvantages of the three operating modes are analyzed and compared. PWM mode is used in heavy load; PFM mode is used in light load to reduce switching losses by reducing the switching frequency and BURST mode is used at the standby time to further reduce switching losses. The main control module is designed and simulation results verify the feasibility of the designed circuit.
Study of Snubber Circuits in the Voltage Source Converter Based on Series-Connected IGBTs
Authors: Yang Jie , Liu Jun , Wen Jia Liang , Qiu Yu Feng , Bao Hai Long , Yao Tao , Chen Zhong Yuan , Wang Zhi Xia
Published: June 2014

The DC voltage of the VSC is very high and it is necessary to connect several IGBT in series. Some snubber circuits have to be used to restrain the over-voltage of IGBTs so as to avoid its damage and the snubber circuit will increase the current stress too. The over-voltage of IGBT in the converters is studied in the paper firstly. Then, the common snubber circuits used in series-connected IGBTs are discussed and compared. A simulated model is set up in Saber to study the snubber circuit at last, the results show that the RC snubber circuit is more suitable for series-connected IGBTs.
Research on DFT of Digital Circuits Based on IEEE 1149.1 and Based on IEEE 1500
Authors: Chen Sheng Jian , Chen Yong Yu , Zhu Xiao Bing
Published: June 2014

In the field of digital circuit testability design,IEEE 1149.1 standard focuses on System ON board (SOB) test,while the IEEE 1500 standard is for embedded cores test on chip.Although there is a clear definition of two standards, they have a certain relevance.This article will from the process, test principle, test architecture and related test language to analyzethese two standards, concluding that the differences and similarities .Finally, some problems will be pointed out when use the two standards and then make a prospect on the development of the standards.
A New Channel Assignment Algorithm in Wireless Mesh Network
Authors: Dai Jian Mei , Geng Hua Fang , Zhang Wen Jun
Published: June 2014

Channel assignment strategy is a key factor for building a robust and high performance wireless Mesh network. A new channel assignment algorithm called TriCA which considers data traffic interference is proposed, the model is constructed and the idea, computing method and program process are discussed deeply. The simulation result shows that TriCA algorithm can minimize the link interference effectively, and its performance is better than popular MesTic algorithm due to the property of fast convergence and the method of linearization.