bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climatic Variation at Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, India
Authors: Namboodiri K. V. S. , Dileep P. K. , Mammen Koshy
Published: November 2013

Long-term (45 years) diversified surface meteorological records from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), India, were collected and analysed to study the long-term changes in the overall climatology, climatology pertained to a particular observational time, mean daily climatology in temperature, inter-annual variability in temperature, interannual variability in surface pressure, and rainfall for the main Indian seasons—South West and North East monsoons and inter-annual mean monthly anomaly structure in temperature. Results on various analyses show strong and vivid features contributed by climate change for this South Peninsular Indian Arabian Sea Coastal Station, and this paper may be a first time venture which discusses climate change imparted perturbations in several meteorological parameters in different time domains, like a specific time, daily, monthly, and interannually over a station. Being a coastal rocket launching station, climatic change information is crucial for long-term planning of its facilities as well as for various rocket range operational demands.
Electromechanical Characterization and Locomotion Control of IPMC BioMicroRobot
Authors: Otis Martin J.-D.
Published: November 2013

This paper presents the electromechanical characterization of Nafion-Pt microlegs for the development of an insect-like hexapod BioMicroRobot (BMR). BMR microlegs are built using quasi-cylindrical Nafion-Pt ionomeric polymer-metal composite (IPMC), which has 2.5 degrees of freedom. The specific manufacturing process using a laser excimer for one leg in three-dimensional configurations is discussed. Dynamic behavior and microleg characteristics have been measured in deionized water using a laser vibrometer. The use of the laser vibrometer shows the linear characteristics between the duty cycle of square wave input and displacement rate of the actuator at multiple frequencies. This linearity is used to design a servo-system in order to reproduce insect tripod walking. As well, BMR current consumption is an important parameter evaluated for each leg. Current passing throughout the IPMC membrane can result in water electrolysis. Four methods are explained for avoiding electrolysis. The hardware test bench for measurements is presented. The purpose of this design is to control a BMR for biomedical goals such as implantation into a human body. Experimental results for the proposed propulsion system are conclusive for this type of bioinspired BMR.
FPGA Control Implementation of a Grid-Connected Current-Controlled Voltage-Source Inverter
Authors: Ekström Rickard , Leijon Mats
Published: November 2013

The full control system of a grid-connected current-controlled voltage-source inverter (CC-VSI) has been designed and implemented on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Various control functions and implementation methods are described and discussed. The practical viability of the system is evaluated in an experimental setup, where a VSI supplies 30 kW into the local grid at 400 V. A phase-locked loop (PLL) is used for grid phase tracking and evaluated for simulated abnormal grid conditions. Power factor is kept at unity, and the implemented control system is stressed with step responses in the supplied active power. A moving-average filter is implemented to reduce the effects of noise and harmonics on the current control loops. A coupling between active and reactive power flow is observed for the step responses but may be ignored in this context. The proposed system is fully comparable with more conventional microprocessor-based control systems.
Collision Attacks on AES-192/256, Crypton-192/256, mCrypton-96/128, and Anubis
Authors: Kang Jinkeon , Jeong Kitae , Sung Jaechul , Hong Seokhie , Lee Kyungho
Published: November 2013

At AES’00, a collision attack on 7-round reduced AES was proposed. In this paper, we apply this idea to seven SPN block ciphers, AES-192/256, Crypton-192/256, mCrypton-96/128, and Anubis. Applying our attacks on AES-192/256, we improve the attack result based on meet-in-the-middle attack (AES-192) and the attack result proposed in AES’00 (AES-256), respectively. Our attack result on Anubis is superior to known cryptanalytic result on it. In the cases of Crypton-192/256 and mCrypton-96/128, our attacks are applicable to 8-round reduced versions. The attack results on mCrypton-96/128 are more practical than known cryptanalytic results on them.
A Comparative Analysis of Nature-Inspired Optimization Approaches to 2D Geometric Modelling for Turbomachinery Applications
Authors: Safari Amir , Lemu Hirpa G. , Jafari Soheil , Assadi Mohsen
Published: November 2013

A vast variety of population-based optimization techniques have been formulated in recent years for use in different engineering applications, most of which are inspired by natural processes taking place in our environment. However, the mathematical and statistical analysis of these algorithms is still lacking. This paper addresses a comparative performance analysis on some of the most important nature-inspired optimization algorithms with a different basis for the complex high-dimensional curve/surface fitting problems. As a case study, the point cloud of an in-hand gas turbine compressor blade measured by touch trigger probes is optimally fitted using B-spline curves. In order to determine the optimum number/location of a set of Bezier/NURBS control points for all segments of the airfoil profiles, five dissimilar population-based evolutionary and swarm optimization techniques are employed. To comprehensively peruse and to fairly compare the obtained results, parametric and nonparametric statistical evaluations as the mathematical study are presented before designing an experiment. Results illuminate a number of advantages/disadvantages of each optimization method for such complex geometries’ parameterization from several different points of view. In terms of application, the final appropriate parametric representation of geometries is an essential, significant component of aerodynamic profile optimization processes as well as reverse engineering purposes.
Anti-Invariant Semi-Riemannian Submersions from Almost Para-Hermitian Manifolds
Authors: Gündüzalp Yılmaz
Published: November 2013

We introduce anti-invariant semi-Riemannian submersions from almost para-Hermitian manifolds onto semi-Riemannian manifolds. We give an example, investigate the geometry of foliations which are arisen from the definition of a semi-Riemannian submersion, and check the harmonicity of such submersions. We also obtain curvature relations between the base manifold and the total manifold.
Antidiabetic Effect of Oral Borapetol B Compound, Isolated from the PlantTinospora crispa, by Stimulating Insulin Release
Authors: Lokman Faradianna E. , Gu Harvest F. , Wan Mohamud Wan Nazaimoon , Yusoff Mashitah M. , Chia Keh Leong , Östenson Claes-Göran
Published: November 2013

Aims. To evaluate the antidiabetic properties of borapetol B known as compound 1 (C1) isolated fromTinospora crispain normoglycemic control Wistar (W) and spontaneously type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats.Methods. The effect of C1 on blood glucose and plasma insulin was assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test. The effect of C1 on insulin secretion was assessed by batch incubation and perifusion experiments using isolated pancreatic islets.Results. An acute oral administration of C1 improved blood glucose levels in treated versus placebo groups with areas under glucose curves 0–120 min being72±17versus344±10 mmol/L (P<0.001) and492±63versus862±55 mmol/L (P<0.01) in W and GK rats, respectively. Plasma insulin levels were increased by 2-fold in treated W and GK rats versus placebo group at 30 min (P<0.05). C1 dose-dependently increased insulin secretion from W and GK isolated islets at 3.3 mM and 16.7 mM glucose. The perifusions of isolated islets indicated that C1 did not cause leakage of insulin by damaging islet beta cells (P<0.001).Conclusion. This study provides evidence that borapetol B (C1) has antidiabetic properties mainly due to its stimulation of insulin release.
Immune Responses following Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Stage I Primary Lung Cancer
Authors: Maehata Yoshiyasu , Onishi Hiroshi , Kuriyama Kengo , Aoki Shinichi , Araya Masayuki , Saito Ryo , Tominaga Licht , Oguri Mitsuhiko , Araki Tsutomu
Published: November 2013

Purpose. Immune responses following stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were examined from the point of view of lymphocyte subset counts and natural killer cell activity (NKA).Patients and Methods. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 62 patients at 4 time points between pretreatment and 4 weeks post-treatment for analysis of the change of total lymphocyte counts (TLC) and lymphocyte subset counts of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, CD56+, and NKA. In addition, the changes of lymphocyte subset counts were compared between patients with or without relapse. Further, the correlations between SBRT-related parameters and immune response were analyzed for the purpose of revealing the mechanisms of the immune response.Results. All lymphocyte subset counts and NKA at post-treatment and 1 week post-treatment were significantly lower than pre-treatment (P<0.01). No significant differences in the changes of lymphocyte subset counts were observed among patients with or without relapse. The volume of the vertebral body receiving radiation doses of 3 Gy or more (VV3) significantly correlated with the changes of nearly all lymphocyte subset counts.Conclusions. SBRT for stage I NSCLC induced significant immune suppression, and the decrease of lymphocyte subset counts may be associated with exposure of the vertebral bone marrow.
Anodic Dissolution of Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron with Different Pearlite Areas in Sulfuric Acid Solutions
Authors: Miyata Yoshikazu , Kuwahara Yuki , Asakura Shukuji , Shinohara Tadashi , Yakou Takao , Shiimoto Keiichi
Published: November 2013

The rate equation of anodic dissolution reaction of spheroidal graphite cast iron in sulfuric acid solutions at 298 K has been studied. The cast irons have different areas of pearlite. The anodic Tafel slope of 0.043 V decade−1and the reaction order with respect to the hydroxyl ion activity of 1 are obtained by the linear potential sweep technique. The anodic current density does not depend on the area of pearlite. There is no difference in the anodic dissolution reaction mechanisms between pure iron and spheroidal graphite cast iron. The anodic current density of the cast iron is higher than that of the pure iron.
Human-Biometeorological Assessment of Urban Structures in Extreme Climate Conditions: The Example of Birobidzhan, Russian Far East
Authors: Bauche Jan Paul , Grigorieva Elena A. , Matzarakis Andreas
Published: November 2013

The study shows the effect of urban structures on human thermal comfort indices in the extreme climate region of the Russian Far East, with an annual temperature range of . The study examines different urban zones in Birobidzhan, the capital city of the Jewish Autonomous Region (JAR). The climate of this region can be characterized as continental monsoon climate. The difference of thermal values for three zones with different vegetation and build-up density shows the influence of urban planning on the local microclimate. The moderating effect of dense build-up and inner city vegetation on extreme thermal conditions becomes clear when comparing all zones. Through the analysis of daily and monthly timelines it was possible to determine preferable times of the day for inner city outdoor activities. From the results derived from PET with a total of 170 days per year with PET values below Birobidzhan can be considered a region of extreme cold stress. This means that an adaptation based solely on behaviour and clothing is not sufficient, but an adaptation of the urban surroundings and therefore the identification and choice of preferable urban structures is necessary.
Prunus mumeandLithospermum erythrorhizonExtracts Synergistically Prevent Visceral Adiposity by Improving Energy Metabolism through Potentiating Hypothalamic Leptin and Insulin Signalling in Ovariectomized Rats
Authors: Ko Byoung-Seob , Kim Da Sol , Kang Suna , Ryuk Jin Ah , Park Sunmin
Published: November 2013

We investigated the antiobesity and hypoglycemic properties ofPrunus mume Sieb. et Zucc(PMA; Japanese apricot) andLithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc(LES; gromwell) extracts in ovariectomized (OVX) rats that impaired energy and glucose homeostasis. OVX rats consumed either 5% dextrose, 5% PMA extract, 5% LES extract, or 2.5% PMA+2.5% LES extract in the high fat diet. After 8 weeks of treatment, PMA+LES prevented weight gain and visceral fat accumulation in OVX rats by lowering daily food intake and increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation. PMA+LES prevented the attenuation of leptin and insulin signaling by increasing the expression of leptin receptor in the hypothalamus in OVX rats. PMA+LES significantly reversed the decrease of energy expenditure in OVX rats by increasing expression of UCP-1 in the brown adipose tissues and UCP-2 and UCP-3 in the quadriceps muscles. PMA+LES also increased CPT-1 expression and decreased FAS, ACC, and SREBP-1c in the liver and quadriceps muscles to result in reducing triglyceride accumulation. PMA+LES improved insulin sensitivity in OVX rats. In conclusion, PMA+LES synergistically prevented the impairment of energy, lipid, and glucose metabolism by OVX through potentiating hypothalamic leptin and insulin signaling. PMA+LES may be a useful intervention for alleviating the symptoms of menopause in women.
Inclusion and Neighborhood Properties for Certain Classes of Multivalently Analytic Functions
Authors: Bulut Serap
Published: November 2013

We introduce and investigate two new general subclasses of multivalently analytic functions of complex order by making use of the familiar convolution structure of analytic functions. Among the various results obtained here for each of these function classes, we derive the coefficient inequalities and other interesting properties and characteristics for functions belonging to the classes introduced here.
Strength Theory Model of Unsaturated Soils with Suction Stress Concept
Authors: Chen Pan , Wei Changfu , Liu Jie , Ma Tiantian
Published: November 2013

A theoretical model is developed for describing the strength property of unsaturated soils. The model is able to predict conveniently the strength changes of unsaturated soils undergoing repeated changes of water content. Suction stress is adopted in the new model in order to get the sound form of effective stress for unsaturated soils. The shear strength of unsaturated soils is dependent on its soil-moisture state based on the results of shear experiments. Hence, the parameters of this model are related tightly to hydraulic properties of unsaturated soils and the strength parameters of saturated soils. The predictive curves by the new model are coincident with experimental data that underwent single drying and drying/wetting cycle paths. Hence, hysteretic effect in the strength analysis is necessary to be considered to predict the change of shear strength of unsaturated soils that underwent drying/wetting cycles. Once the new model is used to predict the change of shear strength, lots of time could be saved due to avoiding heavy and complicated strength tests of unsaturated soils. Especially, the model can be suitable to evaluate the shear strength change of unsaturated soils and the stability of slopes experienced the drying/wetting cycles.
Spinal Exostosis in a Boy with Multiple Hereditary Exostoses
Authors: Al Kaissi Ali , Ganger Rudolf , Klaushofer Klaus , Grill Franz
Published: November 2013

We report on a 13-year-old boy who presented with multiple hereditary exostosis and had development of back pain, associated with neurological deficits, and was found to have exostoses in the spinal canal. Spine radiograph showed a cauliflower-like abnormality of multiple exostoses of the posterior arch (pedicle) of the thoracic vertebrae (T3–5). Reformatted CT scanning revealed the simultaneous development of intra- and extraspinal osteochondromatosis of T3–5. The spinal cord was compressed by the intraspinal exostosis. Our patient was surgically treated for intraspinal exostoses and showed cessation of neurological deficits. We report what might be a rare association of spinal cord compression in a patient with multiple hereditary exostoses.
Diffusion-Limited Aggregation in Potato Starch and Hydrogen Borate Electrolyte System
Authors: Tiwari Tuhina , Kumar Manindra , Pandey Kamlesh , Srivastava Neelam , Srivastava P. C.
Published: November 2013

Natural growth of diffusion-limited aggregate (DLA), without any external stimuli, in boric acid doped starch system is reported here. Fractals grown were confirmed to be of diffusion-limited aggregate (DLA) pattern having fractal dimension ~1.49. Effect of substrate and humidity on growth pattern has also been discussed. The existence of a different vibration band of H3BO3in FTIR confirmed that growth structures are related to boric acid. XRD pattern has shown broad peak along with some sharp peaks. Broad peak is related to starch’s amorphous nature, as where intense sharp peaks are due to boric acid.
Is Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Essential for Flexible Treatment Regimens with Ranibizumab for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration?
Authors: Ozkaya Abdullah , Alkin Zeynep , Ozkaya Hande Mefkure , Agca Alper , Ozgurhan Engin Bilge , Karakucuk Yalcin , Yazici Ahmet Taylan , Demirok Ahmet
Published: November 2013

Purpose. To evaluate the ability of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography to detect subtle amounts of retinal fluid when the choroidal neovascularization is detected as inactive via time-domain optical coherence tomography and clinical examination in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) patients.Methods. Forty-nine eyes of 49 patients with nAMD after ranibizumab treatment were included in this cross-sectional, prospective study. All patients were imaged with TD-OCT and SD-OCT at the same visit one month after a ranibizumab injection. The presence of subretinal, intraretinal, and subretinal pigment epithelium fluid (subRPE) in SD-OCT was evaluated; also mean central retinal thickness (CRT) and the rate of vitreoretinal surface disorders detected via the two devices were evaluated.Results. The mean CRT via TD-OCT and SD-OCT was218.1±51.3and325.7±78.8microns. Sixteen patients (32.6%) showed any kind of retinal fluid via SD-OCT. In detail, 8 patients (16.3%) showed subretinal fluid, 10 patients (20.4%) showed intraretinal fluid, and 3 patients (6.1%) showed SubRPE fluid. The ability of detecting vitreoretinal surface disorders was comparable between the two devices, except vitreomacular traction.Conclusion. SD-OCT is essential for the nAMD patients who are on an as-needed treatment regimen with ranibizumab. Only TD-OCT and clinical examination may cause insufficient treatment in this group of patients.
Optimization Studies on Compression Coated Floating-Pulsatile Drug Delivery of Bisoprolol
Authors: Jagdale Swati C. , Bari Nilesh A. , Kuchekar Bhanudas S. , Chabukswar Aniruddha R.
Published: November 2013

The purpose of the present work was to design and optimize compression coated floating pulsatile drug delivery systems of bisoprolol. Floating pulsatile concept was applied to increase the gastric residence of the dosage form having lag phase followed by a burst release. The prepared system consisted of two parts: a core tablet containing the active ingredient and an erodible outer shell with gas generating agent. The rapid release core tablet (RRCT) was prepared by using superdisintegrants with active ingredient. Press coating of optimized RRCT was done by polymer. A 32full factorial design was used for optimization. The amount of Polyox WSR205 and Polyox WSR N12K was selected as independent variables. Lag period, drug release, and swelling index were selected as dependent variables. Floating pulsatile release formulation (FPRT) F13 at level 0 (55 mg) for Polyox WSR205 and level +1 (65 mg) for Polyox WSR N12K showed lag time of 4 h with >90% drug release. The data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA, andP<0.05was statistically significant. Release kinetics of the optimized formulation best fitted the zero order model.In vivostudy confirms burst effect at 4 h in indicating the optimization of the dosage form.
Curcumin Inhibits Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Human Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Bimonte Sabrina , Barbieri Antonio , Palma Giuseppe , Luciano Antonio , Rea Domenica , Arra Claudio
Published: November 2013

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm originating from transformed cells arising in tissues forming the pancreas. The best chemotherapeutic agent used to treat pancreatic cancer is the gemcitabine. However, gemcitabine treatment is associated with many side effects. Thus novel strategies involving less toxic agents for treatment of pancreatic cancer are necessary. Curcumin is one such agent that inhibits the proliferation and angiogenesis of a wide variety of tumor cells, through the modulation of many cell signalling pathways. In this study, we investigated whether curcumin plays antitumor effects in MIA PaCa-2 cells.In vitrostudies showed that curcumin inhibits the proliferation and enhances apoptosis of MIA PaCa-2 cells. To test whether the antitumor activity of curcumin is also observedin vivo, we generated an orthotopic mouse model of pancreatic cancer by injection of MIA PaCa-2 cells in nude mice. We placed mice on diet containing curcumin at 0.6% for 6 weeks. In these treated mice tumors were smaller with respect to controls and showed a downregulation of the transcription nuclear factor NF-κB and NF-κB-regulated gene products. Overall, our data indicate that curcumin has a great potential in treatment of human pancreatic cancer through the modulation of NF-κB pathway.
Electrically Tuned Microwave Devices Using Liquid Crystal Technology
Authors: Yaghmaee Pouria , Karabey Onur Hamza , Bates Bevan , Fumeaux Christophe , Jakoby Rolf
Published: November 2013

An overview of liquid crystal technology for microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies is presented. The potential of liquid crystals as reconfigurable materials arises from their ability for continuous tuning with low power consumption, transparency, and possible integration with printed and flexible circuit technologies. This paper describes physical theory and fundamental electrical properties arising from the anisotropy of liquid crystals and overviews selected realized liquid crystal devices, throughout four main categories: resonators and filters, phase shifters and delay lines, antennas, and, finally, frequency-selective surfaces and metamaterials.
Millimeter Wave Antenna with Mounted Horn Integrated on FR4 for 60 GHz Gbps Communication Systems
Authors: Sethi Waleed Tariq , Vettikalladi Hamsakutty , Alkanhal Majeed A.
Published: November 2013

A compact high gain and wideband millimeter wave (MMW) antenna for 60 GHz communication systems is presented. The proposed antenna consists of a multilayer structure with an aperture coupled microstrip patch and a surface mounted horn integrated on FR4 substrate. The proposed antenna contributes impedance bandwidth of 8.3% (57.4–62.4 GHz). The overall antenna gain and directivity are about 11.65 dBi and 12.51 dBi, which make it suitable for MMW applications and short-range communications. The proposed antenna occupies an area of 7.14 mm × 7.14 mm × 4 mm. The estimated efficiency is 82%. The proposed antenna finds application in V-band communication systems.
An Approach Based on Chain Key Predistribution against Sybil Attack in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Cheng Chunling , Qian Yaqiu , Zhang Dengyin
Published: November 2013

In wireless sensor networks (WSN), Sybil attack can destroy the routing and data distributed storage mechanisms through fabricating identity information of legitimate nodes. This paper presents a chain key predistribution based approach against Sybil attack. To enhance the security of common keys between neighboring nodes, during the chain key predistribution phase, our approach uses a lightweight hash function to generate several chain keys by hashing the unique identity information of every node sequentially in the trusted base station. These chain keys construct a pool of chain keys. During the pairwise key authentication establishment phase, a node-to-node chain key based authentication and exchange (CK-AE) protocol is proposed, by which each node can share the unique pairwise key with its neighboring node. The CK-AE protocol is provably secure in the universally composable security model (UCSM). Finally, we analyze our approach from the resilience of network and the performance overhead, and the results show that our approach can not only enhance the ability of resilience to Sybil attack, but also reduce the communication overhead significantly at the cost of a certain amount of computational overhead.
Natural Convection in a Trapezoidal Enclosure with Wavy Top Surface
Authors: Sompong Pensiri , Witayangkurn Supot
Published: November 2013

The effects of various parameters, Rayleigh number (Ra), Darcy number (Da), and wave amplitude (a), on natural convection inside a trapezoidal enclosure with wavy top surface are studied. The enclosure is filled with seawater having Prandtl number (Pr) of 7.2 and uniformly heated on bottom and partially heated on inclined boundaries. The flow field and temperature distribution are observed when interested parameters are chosen for Ra = 104, 105, and 106, Da = 10−5, 10−4, and 10−3, anda=0.9, 1, and 1.1. FlexPDE, a finite element model builder, is used to solve the governing equations to obtain the numerical results displayed by streamlines and isotherms. From the study results, convection motion is affected by different parameters in which the increase in flow intensity and temperature distribution can be seen at higher Rayleigh and Darcy numbers. The wavy top surface has small influence on the flow field and temperature distribution compared to the influence of Rayleigh and Darcy numbers.
Study of the Behavior of Titanium Alloys as the Cathode for Photovoltaic Hydrogen Production
Authors: Huang Chien-Lung , Gao Yu-Jia , Chuang Tao-Liang , Hsiao Vincent K. S. , Wu Tair-I
Published: November 2013

CP-Ti and Ti-153 were adopted in this study to observe their electrochemical behavior in serving as the cathode for photovoltaic hydrogen production. The designed cyclic hydrogenation-solution heat treating processes were performed to increase the hydrogen uptake for both alloys. The results are as follows. (1) Both arsenic trioxide and thiourea showed hydrogenation promotive effect on CP-Ti, while thiourea was an inhibitor for Ti-153 under the applied conditions. (2) Arsenic trioxide showed hydrogenation promotive effect on both Ti-153 and CP-Ti in this study. (3) Ti-153 demonstrated superiority to CP-Ti when serves as the cathode for photovoltaic hydrogen production. The hydrogen mass payload for Ti-153 is 68 times larger than that for CP-Ti.
Localized Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of the Hip: Sudden-Onset Pain Caused by Torsion of the Tumor Pedicle
Authors: Fukui Kiyokazu , Kaneuji Ayumi , Kinoshita Eriko , Numata Yuhei , Nojima Takayuki , Matsumoto Tadami
Published: November 2013

Pigmented villonodular synovitis is a rare, benign, but potentially locally aggressive disease that should be considered in younger patients who present with monoarticular joint symptoms and pathology. We present the case of a 33-year-old woman with a mass arising from her right hip joint that was examined using a multimodal radiological approach. Because her clinical presentation mimicked that of synovial osteochondromatosis of the hip, surgical dislocation was performed. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen confirmed the diagnosis of localized pigmented villonodular synovitis, with the mass consisting of proliferation of fibrohistiocytic cells, abundant hemosiderin, foamy histiocytes, and occasional giant cells. Because of the presence of tumor necrosis, we hypothesize that torsion of the tumor pedicle was the cause of acute presentation.
Tree-Based Backtracking Orthogonal Matching Pursuit for Sparse Signal Reconstruction
Authors: Cen Yigang , Wang Fangfei , Zhao Ruizhen , Cui Lihong , Cen Lihui , Miao Zhenjiang , Cen Yanming
Published: November 2013

Compressed sensing (CS) is a theory which exploits the sparsity characteristic of the original signal in signal sampling and coding. By solving an optimization problem, the original sparse signal can be reconstructed accurately. In this paper, a new Tree-based Backtracking Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (TBOMP) algorithm is presented with the idea of the tree model in wavelet domain. The algorithm can convert the wavelet tree structure to the corresponding relations of candidate atoms without any prior information of signal sparsity. Thus, the atom selection process will be more structural and the search space can be narrowed. Moreover, according to the backtracking process, the previous chosen atoms’ reliability can be detected and the unreliable atoms can be deleted at each iteration, which leads to an accurate reconstruction of the signal ultimately. Compared with other compressed sensing algorithms, simulation results show the proposed algorithm’s superior performance to that of several other OMP-type algorithms.
Modeling and Simulation of Arresting Gear System with Multibody Dynamic Approach
Authors: Shen Wenhou , Zhao Zhihua , Ren Gexue , Liu Jiapeng
Published: November 2013

The arresting dynamics of the aircraft on the aircraft carrier involves both a transient wave propagation process in rope and a smooth decelerating of aircraft. This brings great challenge on simulating the whole process since the former one needs small time-step to guarantee the stability, while the later needs large time-step to reduce calculation time. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a full-scale multibody dynamics model of arresting gear system making use of variable time-step integration scheme. Especially, a kind of new cable element that is capable of describing the arbitrary large displacement and rotation in three-dimensional space is adopted to mesh the wire cables, and damping force is used to model the effect of hydraulic system. Then, the stress of the wire ropes during the landing process is studied. Results show that propagation, reflection, and superposition of the stress wave between the deck sheaves contribute mainly to the peak value of stress. And the maximum stress in the case of landing deviate from the centerline is a little bit smaller than the case of landing along centerline. The multibody approach and arresting gear system model proposed here also provide an efficient way to design and optimize the whole mechanism.
Proteomic Identification of Dengue Virus Binding Proteins inAedes aegyptiMosquitoes andAedes albopictusCells
Authors: Muñoz Maria de Lourdes , Limón-Camacho Gustavo , Tovar Rosalinda , Diaz-Badillo Alvaro , Mendoza-Hernández Guillermo , Black William C.
Published: November 2013

The main vector of dengue in America is the mosquitoAedes aegypti, which is infected by dengue virus (DENV) through receptors of midgut epithelial cells. The envelope protein (E) of dengue virus binds to receptors present on the host cells through its domain III that has been primarily recognized to bind cell receptors. In order to identify potential receptors, proteins from mosquito midgut tissue and C6/36 cells were purified by affinity using columns with the recombinant E protein domain III (rE-DIII) or DENV particles bound covalently to Sepharose 4B to compare and evaluate their performance to bind proteins including putative receptors from female mosquitoes ofAe. aegypti. To determine their identity mass spectrometric analysis of purified proteins separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed. Our results indicate that both viral particles and rE-DIII bound proteins with the same apparent molecular weights of 57 and 67 kDa. In addition, viral particles bound high molecular weight proteins. Purified proteins identified were enolase, beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (beta-ARK), translation elongation factor EF-1 alpha/Tu, and cadherin.
A Robust and Accurate Quasi-Monte Carlo Algorithm for Estimating Eigenvalue of Homogeneous Integral Equations
Authors: Mehrdoust F. , Vajargah B. Fathi , Radmoghaddam E.
Published: November 2013

We present an efficient numerical algorithm for computing the eigenvalue of the linear homogeneous integral equations. The proposed algorithm is based on antithetic Monte Carlo algorithm and a low-discrepancy sequence, namely, Faure sequence. To reduce the computational time we reduce the variance by using the antithetic variance reduction procedure. Numerical results show that our scheme is robust and accurate.
Positive Solutions to a Fractional-Order Two-Point Boundary Value Problem with p-Laplacian Operator
Authors: Kong Xiangshan , Li Haitao
Published: November 2013

This paper systematically investigates positive solutions to a kind of two-point boundary value
problem (BVP) for nonlinear fractional differential equations with p-Laplacian operator and presents
a number of new results. First, the considered BVP is converted to an operator equation by using the
property of the Caputo derivative. Second, based on the operator equation and some fixed point theorems,
several sufficient conditions are presented for the nonexistence, the uniqueness, and the multiplicity
of positive solutions. Finally, several illustrative examples are given to support the obtained new
results. The study of illustrative examples shows that the obtained results are effective.
Pseudo-State Sliding Mode Control of Fractional SISO Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Shi Bao , Yuan Jian , Dong Chao
Published: November 2013

This paper deals with the problem of pseudo-state sliding mode control of fractional SISO nonlinear systems with model inaccuracies. Firstly, a stable fractional sliding mode surface is constructed based on the Routh-Hurwitz conditions for fractional differential equations. Secondly, a sliding mode control law is designed using the theory of Mittag-Leffler stability. Further, we utilize the control methodology to synchronize two fractional chaotic systems, which serves as an example of verifying the viability and effectiveness of the proposed technique.
The Impact of an Early Eclectic Rehabilitative Intervention on Symptoms in First Episode Depression among Employed People
Authors: Raiskila Tero , Blanco Sequeiros Sanna , Kiuttu Jorma , Kauhanen Marja-Liisa , Läksy Kristian , Vainiemi Kirsi , Tuulio-Henriksson Annamari , Hakko Helinä , Joukamaa Matti , Veijola Juha
Published: November 2013

Objective. To evaluate the effect of an early vocational-orientated eclectic intervention on beck depression inventory (BDI) scores compared to treatment as usual in first ever depressive episode among employed people.Design. A randomized controlled trial comparing the rehabilitative intervention and the conventional treatment.Subjects. The subjects came from occupational health care units.Methods. Employees were sent to a rehabilitation center after being screened for depression using the BDI. They were diagnosed using the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV. The participating subjects (N=283) were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received eclectic early depression intervention treatment (N=134) and the control group was treated in the conventional way (N=100). They were followed for one year.Results. The mean decrease in BDI scores within the intervention group was from 20.8 to 11.6 and within the control group from 19.3 to 10.8. BDI score decreased by 10 or more points in 64% of the participants in the intervention group and in 53% of the control group (P=0.013).Conclusions. There was some evidence that early eclectic intervention in first ever episode depression may be more effective than conventional treatments among working age people in employment.
A New Scheme Based on Pixel-Intense Motion Block Algorithm for Residual Distributed Video Coding
Authors: Sun Lijuan , Lin Zhaoxiao , Xiao Fu , Guo Jian
Published: November 2013

Residual Distributed Video Coding (RDVC) is a branch of the Distributed Video Coding (DVC). By reducing the coding rate, the RDVC scheme gets a better rate-distortion performance. The overall performance of the traditional pixel-based RDVC scheme is better than the traditional transform-based domain DVC scheme. But the traditional RDVC scheme also has some application limitations; for example, the performance of RDVC is bad when it is applied to intense motion regions. And the pixel-based RDVC scheme cannot fully exploit the spatial correlations of the original information. In this paper, we propose a new approach of residual coding combined IMB (intense motion block) extraction algorithm with Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) and Baum-Welch iterative decoding algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme achieves better rate-distortion performance compared to traditional DVC and RDVC scheme.
Chiral Phosphinate Degradation by the Fusarium Species: Scope and Limitation of the Process
Authors: Kmiecik Natalia , Klimek-Ochab Magdalena , Brzezińska-Rodak Małgorzata , Majewska Paulina , Żymańczyk-Duda Ewa
Published: November 2013

Biodegradable capacities of fungal strains of Fusarium oxysporum (DSMZ 2018) and Fusarium culmorum (DSMZ 1094) were tested towards racemic mixture of chiral 2-hydroxy-2-(ethoxyphenylphosphinyl) acetic acid—a compound with two stereogenic centres. The effectiveness of decomposition was dependent on external factors such as temperature and time of the process. Optimal conditions of complete mineralization were established. Both Fusarium species were able to biodegrade every isomer of tested compound at 30°C, but F. culmorum required 10 days and F. oxysporum 11 days to accomplish the process, which was continuously monitored using the 31P NMR technique.
Null Field and Interior Field Methods for Laplace’s Equation in Actually Punctured Disks
Authors: Huang Hung-Tsai , Lee Ming-Gong , Li Zi-Cai , Chiang John Y.
Published: November 2013

For solving Laplace’s equation in circular domains with circular holes, the null field method (NFM) was developed by Chen and his research group (see Chen and Shen (2009)). In Li et al. (2012) the explicit algebraic equations of the NFM were provided, where some stability analysis was made. For the NFM, the conservative schemes were proposed in Lee et al. (2013), and the algorithm singularity was fully investigated in Lee et al., submitted to Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements, (2013). To target the same problems, a new interior field method (IFM) is also proposed. Besides the NFM and the IFM, the collocation Trefftz method (CTM) and the boundary integral equation method (BIE) are two effective boundary methods. This paper is devoted to a further study on NFM and IFM for three goals. The first goal is to explore their intrinsic relations. Since there exists no error analysis for the NFM, the second goal is to drive error bounds of the numerical solutions. The third goal is to apply those methods to Laplace’s equation in the domains with extremely small holes, which are called actually punctured disks. By NFM, IFM, BIE, and CTM, numerical experiments are carried out, and comparisons are provided. This paper provides an in-depth overview of four methods, the error analysis of the NFM, and the intriguing computation, which are essential for the boundary methods.
Antiobesity Effect of Caraway Extract on Overweight and Obese Women: A Randomized, Triple-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Kazemipoor Mahnaz , Radzi Che Wan Jasimah Bt wan Mohamed , Hajifaraji Majid , Haerian Batoul Sadat , Mosaddegh Mohammad Hossein , Cordell Geoffrey A.
Published: November 2013

Caraway (Carum carviL.), a potent medicinal plant, is traditionally used for treating obesity. This study investigates the weight-lowering effects of caraway extract (CE) on physically active, overweight and obese women through a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Seventy overweight and obese, healthy, aerobic-trained, adult females were randomly assigned to two groups (n=35per group). Participants received either 30 mL/day of CE or placebo without changing their diet or physical activity. Subjects were examined at baseline and after 90 days for changes in body composition, anthropometric indices, and clinical and paraclinical variables. The treatment group, compared with placebo, showed a significant reduction of weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio. No changes were observed in lipid profile, urine-specific gravity, and blood pressure of subjects. The results suggest that a dietary CE with no restriction in food intake, when combined with exercise, is of value in the management of obesity in women wishing to lower their weight, BMI, body fat percentage, and body size, with no clinical side effects. In conclusion, results of this study suggest a possible phytotherapeutic approach for caraway extract in the management of obesity. This trial is registered withNCT01833377.
Induction of a bZIP Type Transcription Factor and Amino Acid Catabolism-Related Genes in Soybean Seedling in Response to Starvation Stress
Authors: Yuasa Takashi , Nagasawa Yuri , Osanai Katsumasa , Kaneko Ayami , Tajima Daichi , Htwe Nang Myint Phyu Sin , Ishibashi Yushi , Iwaya-Inoue Mari
Published: November 2013

To address roles of bZIP transcription factors on regulation of amino acid catabolism under autophagy-induced plant cells, we examined the effect of nutrient starvation on the expression of low energy stress-related transcription factor homologs, GmbZIP53A and GmbZIP53B, and amino acid catabolism-related genes in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Sucrose starvation treatment significantly enhanced the expressions of GmbZIP53A, but not GmbZIP53B asparagine synthase (GmASN1), proline dehydrogenase1 (GmProDH), and branched chain amino acid transaminase 3 (GmBCAT3). GmbZIP53-related immunoreactive signals were upregulated under severe starvation with sucrose starvation and protease inhibitors, while 3% sucrose and sucrose starvation had no or marginal effects on the signal. Profiles of induction of GmASN1, GmProDH and GmBCAT3 under various nutrient conditions were consistent with the profiles of GmbZIP53 protein levels but not with those of GmbZIP mRNA levels. These results indicate that GmbZIP53 proteins levels are regulated by posttranslational mechanism in response to severe starvation stress and that the increased protein of GmbZIP53 under severe starvation accelerates transcriptional induction of GmASN1, GmProDH, and GmBCAT3. Furthermore, it is conceivable that decrease of branched chain amino acid level by the BCAT-mediated degradation eventually enhances autophagy under severe starvation.
Optimal Joint Expected Delay Forwarding in Delay Tolerant Networks
Authors: Xu Jia , Feng Xin , Yang Wen Jun , Wang Ru Chuan , Han Bing Qing
Published: November 2013

Multicopy forwarding schemes have been employed in delay tolerant network (DTN) to improve the delivery delay and delivery rate. Much effort has been focused on reducing the routing cost while retaining high performance. This paper aims to provide an optimal joint expected delay forwarding (OJEDF) protocol which minimizes the expected delay while satisfying a certain constant on the number of forwardings per message. We propose a comprehensive forwarding metric called joint expected delay (JED) which is a function of remaining hop-count (or ticket) and residual lifetime. We use backward induction to calculate JED by modeling forwarding as an optimal stopping rule problem. We also present an extension to allow OJEDF to run in delay constrained scenarios. We implement OJEDF as well as several other protocols and perform trace-driven simulations. Simulation results confirm that OJEDF shows superiority in delay and cost with acceptable decrease of delivery rate.
Onξ(s)-Quadratic Stochastic Operators on Two-Dimensional Simplex and Their Behavior
Authors: Mukhamedov Farrukh , Saburov Mansoor , Qaralleh Izzat
Published: November 2013

A quadratic stochastic operator (in short QSO) is usually used to present the time evolution of differing species in biology. Some quadratic stochastic operators have been studied by Lotka and Volterra. The general problem in the nonlinear operator theory is to study the behavior of operators. This problem was not fully finished even for quadratic stochastic operators which are the simplest nonlinear operators. To study this problem, several classes of QSO were investigated. We studyξ(s)-QSO defined on 2D simplex. We first classifyξ(s)-QSO into 20 nonconjugate classes. Further, we investigate the dynamics of three classes of such operators.
Attitude Dynamics and Stability of a Simple Solar Photon Thruster
Authors: Guerman Anna D. , Smirnov Georgi , Pereira Maria Cecilia
Published: November 2013

This paper is dedicated to the development of a model of the attitude dynamics for a nonideal Simple Solar Photon Thruster (SSPT) and to the analysis of sailcraft motions with respect to their centre of mass. Derivation of the expressions for force and torque due to solar radiation that is valid for the case, when there is a misalignment of the SSPT axis with the sun direction, is followed by study of sailcraft dynamics and stability properties. Analysis of stability shows that an ideally reflecting sail is unstable, while for a sailcraft with nonideal collector, the symmetry axis is stable with respect to the Sun direction for large variety of system parameters. The motion around symmetry axis is always unstable and requires an active stabilizer.
A Review of the Piston Effect in Subway Stations
Authors: Pan Song , Fan Li , Liu Jiaping , Xie Jingchao , Sun Yuying , Cui Na , Zhang Lili , Zheng Binyang
Published: November 2013

In recent years the piston effect in subways has become a topic of interest for researchers and engineers. Many publications have appeared on this topic, but reliable information is scattered and poorly organized. This review paper covers the latest publications on the piston effect in subways. We compile information about the mechanism of the piston effect, evaluate its influence, and describe how it can be effectively utilized.
An Iterative Algorithm for the Reflexive Solution of the General Coupled Matrix Equations
Authors: Zhou Zhongli , Huang Guangxin
Published: November 2013

The general coupled matrix equations (including the generalized coupled Sylvester matrix equations as special cases) have numerous applications in control and system theory. In this paper, an iterative algorithm is constructed to solve the general coupled matrix equations over reflexive matrix
solution. When the general coupled matrix equations are consistent over reflexive matrices, the reflexive solution can be determined automatically by the iterative algorithm within finite iterative steps in the absence of round‐off errors. The least Frobenius norm reflexive solution of the general coupled matrix equations can be derived when an appropriate initial matrix is chosen. Furthermore, the unique optimal approximation reflexive solution to a given matrix group in Frobenius norm can be derived by finding the least‐norm reflexive solution of the corresponding general coupled matrix equations. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed iterative algorithm.