bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Practical Training of Students and Mentors' Evaluations/Praktična izobrazba studenata i mentorska evaluacija
Authors: Govekar Okoliš Monika
Published: December 2014

AbstractThis article presents the practical training of students at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. It talks about the new features and goals of such training, and the connection between practical training and lifelong learning. In addition, international exchange opportunities for students during their practical training are described. And last but not least, there is a section about the importance of high-quality practical training based on the findings mentors have arrived at through their experience, and on a series of evaluations of practical training.Key words: evaluation in practical training; international exchange; practical training and lifelong learning; quality practical training.---Sažetak Ovaj članak govori o praktičnom osposobljavanju studenata Sveučilišta u Ljubljani u Sloveniji. Predstavljene su nove značajke i ciljevi praktične obuke, zatim veza između praktičnoga osposobljavanja i cjeloživotnoga učenja. Osim toga, opisane su mogućnosti međunarodne razmjene za studente tijekom njihove prakse. Na kraju, ali ne manje važno, u radu se govori i o važnosti kvalitetne stručno-pedagoške prakse s obzirom na spoznaje do kojih su mentori došli na temelju svojih iskustava  i niza procjena praktičnoga osposobljavanja. Ključne riječi: kvaliteta praktične izobrazbe; međunarodna razmjena; vrednovanje praktičnoga osposobljavanja; praksa i cjeloživotno učenje.
Representation of certain indicators o climate change in the area of eastern Serbia in the period 1991-2012 compared to the reference period 1961-1990
Authors: Nikic Zoran , Аndjelic Мilenа , Letic Ljubomir , Мrvaljevic Vaso , Nikolic Vesna
Published: December 2014

Climate change that has occurred at the end of the last and at the beginning
of this century, among other things, has a certain impact on forests as well.
For the territory of Eastern Serbia, for two periods of climate observations,
the reference period 1961-1990 and the period 1991-2012, a comparative
analysis of the following climatic elements was done: air temperature, amount
of precipitation and relative humidity of air. Calculations were performed on
the basis of collected and systematized data from 11 meteorological stations
(6 synoptic/main climatological and 5 regular climatological) that were part
of the Republic Hydrometeorological Service, situated in the area of Eastern
Serbia. Analysis of the anomalies of air temperature and precipitation as
indicators of climate change for the period 1991-2012 compared to the
reference period 1961-1990 was done separately for each of the four seasons
(winter, spring, summer, autumn) and summarized for each period. The results
of the comparative analysis show that in the period 1991-2012 compared to the
reference period 1961-1990, there was an increase in the average annual air
temperature, as well as the increase in the average air temperature for all
four seasons, and a decrease in the average annual amounts of precipitation
and the decrease in the relative humidity of air.
GIS application in the spatial analysis of illegal landfills in big cities: A case study of Belgrade
Authors: Paunovic Stefan , Krstic Filip
Published: December 2014

This paper represents the attempt to map and analyze spatial distribution of
illegal landfills in the City of Belgrade. To make this happen the main tasks
were to form the geospatial database of illegal landfills in the study area
and to analyze the patterns in their spatial distribution. The data on the
landfill locations were obtained from the Agency of Environmental Protection
of the Republic of Serbia, while the ArcGIS software was used for their
spatial analysis. The City of Belgrade, respectively the public utility
companies use five landfills, which cover up the area of 89 ha. On the other
hand, in the study area there are 223 illegal landfills. The spatial analysis
showed two patterns: (1) increasing of the number of illegal landfills with
distancing from the city urban center, and (2) increasing of their number
with distancing from the municipal centers. This paper also showed that there
is landfill clustering, or that their spatial distribution is not random.
Production of Biogas Using Maize Silage Supplemented with Residual Glycerine from Biodiesel Manufacturing
Authors: Pokój Tomasz , Gusiatin Zygmunt M. , Bułkowska Katarzyna , Dubis Bogdan
Published: December 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of residual glycerine (5 and 10% w/w) from the biodiesel industry, used as a co-substrate, on biogas production from maize silage. The experiments were conducted in a laboratory-scale, single-stage anaerobic digester at 39ºC and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 60 d. Addition of 5% residual glycerine caused organic load rate (OLR) to increase to 1.82 compared with 1.31 g organic dry matter (ODM) L-1d-1 for maize silage alone. The specific biogas production rate and biogas yield were 1.34 L L-1d-1 and 0.71 L g ODM-1 respectively, i.e. 86% and 30% higher than for maize alone. Increasing the residual glycerine content to 10% increased OLR (2.01 g ODM L-1d-1), but clearly decreased the specific biogas production rate and biogas yield to 0.50 L L-1d-1 and 0.13 L g ODM-1 respectively. This suggested
that 10% glycerine content inhibited methanogenic bacteria and organics conversion into biogas. As a result, there was accumulation of propionic and valeric acids throughout the experiment.
SDN Controller Mechanisms for Flexible and Customized Networking
Authors: Wytrębowicz Jacek , Ries Thorsten , Dinh Khoa Truong , Kukliński Sławomir
Published: December 2014

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is seen as the
most promising networking technology today. The spread of
a new technology depends on the acceptance of the engineers
implementing the networks. Typically, when engineers start the
conceptualization of new network devices that work with a new
paradigm, and that should provide expected business values,
they must identify and utilize technical enablers for the defined
business use cases. This paper tries to summarize essential SDN
applications and defines the technical enablers for advanced
and efficient SDN networking. To this end, we identify the core
technical mechanisms, expecting to provide a useful analysis for
the design of new SDN networks.
Trunked Radio Solutions for Special Applications
Authors: Gajewski Sławomir , Gajewska Małgorzata , Katulski Ryszard J.
Published: December 2014

In the paper modern concepts of radio communication trunking-dispatch systems for special applications are presented. Basic standards of TETRA, DMR, and cdma2000 are mentioned. The aim of the paper is to present innovative trunking solutions based on the LTE system working both in FDD and TDD mode. The architecture of LTE trunked radio is shown as well as new services possible to implementation are described. The way of TETRA and LTE integration is characterized.
Unintended Consequences of Multiple Bail Conditions for Youth
Authors: Sprott Jane B. , Sutherland Jessica
Published: December 2014

Within the Criminal Code, and more recently the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the legislated goals of bail release conditions appear to be focused on the grounds for detention; in particular, to help ensure court attendance and to reduce the risk of reoffending. While Canadian research has explored the impact of multiple conditions on the likelihood of returning to court for failing to comply with orders, there has been no investigation into whether or not numerous conditions actually help to achieve their main legislated purposes of ensuring court attendance and reducing the likelihood of reoffending while on release. Using a large representative sample of completed youth court cases, we investigate the relationship between the imposition of numerous conditions and the achievement of those goals. We find that the use of numerous release conditions is not associated with an increased likelihood of court attendance or with a decreased likelihood of returning to court with new criminal (violence, property, drug) charges. Instead, numerous conditions are related only to an increased likelihood of subsequent failing-to-comply charges. The necessity of imposing numerous release conditions is called into question.
Validation of an Effective, Easy-to-Make Hemostasis Simulator
Authors: Giusto Gessica , Comino Francesco , Gandini Marco
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study is to describe the construction method of a cost-effective, easy-to-make hemostasis simulator and to compare its effectiveness as a training tool to cadaver training. The simulator is made of materials commonly found in hospitals and clinics. These include a column manometer, a 500-ml saline bag, two intravenous fluid lines, a three-way stopcock, and a 6-mm-diameter Penrose drain. The device was tested on 10 final-year veterinary students. All participants tied 40 knots on the simulator and 40 knots on equine jejunal arteries sourced from a local abattoir. They were then asked to fill out a questionnaire comparing both methods. Participants assigned an overall assessment median score of 8.5/10 to the simulator and of 6.2/10 to cadaver practice. The simulator provided reliable haptic feedback, giving trainees a lifelike feel very close to that experienced when actually closing a blood vessel. In addition, it was effective in objectively evaluating students' ability to place ligatures on vessels. After adequate training, students' skills had significantly improved, alongside their confidence in placing hemostatic sutures. This proves our model is also useful in teaching basic open-surgery skills. Finally, its low production cost makes it ideally suited for self-practice.
Onopordum myriacanthum subsp. arachnoideum Comb. & Stat. Nov. (Asteraceae: Cardueae)
Authors: Pinar S. Mesut , Behçet Lütfi
Published: December 2014

Turkish endemic taxon Onopordum bracteatum Boiss. & Heldr. var. arachnoideum Erik & Sümbül is transferred to O. myriacanthum Boiss. as O. myriacanthum subsp. arachnoideum (Erik & Sümbül) P?nar & Behçet comb. & stat. nov. It is characterized by the phyllaries with densely and persistently arachnoid hairs both inside and outside, and upper stem leaves are 28 cm far from capitulum. In addition, the pollen characteristics and achene features are presented. The conservation status of O. myriacanthum subsp. arachnoideum has been assessed according to IUCN criteria. A distribution map of O. myriacanthum subsp. arachnoideum and its related taxa is also presented.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v21i2.21352Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 21(2): 139-145, 2014 (December)
Neotypification of Ophiorrhiza hunanica H. S. Lo (Rubiaceae), A species endemic to Hunan, China
Authors: Duan Lin-Dong , Lin Yun , Lin Qi
Published: December 2014

Not availableDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v21i2.21360Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 21(2): 193-195, 2014 (December)
Two new combinations in the genus Chionanthus L. (Oleaceae)
Authors: Quang Bui Hong , Choudhary Ritesh Kumar , Chinh Vu Tien , Bach Tran The , Anh Tran Thi Phuong , Lee Joongku
Published: December 2014

Not available.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v21i2.21361Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon, 21(2): 197-198, 2014 (December)
Design, Optimization and Energetic Efficiency of Producing Hydrogen-Rich Gas from Biomass Steam Gasification
Authors: Kuo Po-Chih , Wu Wei
Published: December 2014

In this article, the conceptual design of biomass steam gasification (BSG) processes using raw oil palm (ROP) and torrefied oil palm (TOP) are examined in an Aspen Plus simulator. Through thermodynamic analysis, it is verified that the BSG process with torrefied feedstock can effectively enhance the hydrogen yield. When the heat recovery design is added into the BSG process, the system energetic efficiency (SEE) is significantly improved. Finally, an optimization algorithm with respect to SEE and hydrogen yield is solved, and the optimum operating conditions are validated by simulations.
A Novel Constant-Pressure Pumped Hydro Combined with Compressed Air Energy Storage System
Authors: Yao Erren , Wang Huanran , Liu Long , Xi Guang
Published: December 2014

As intermittent renewable energy is receiving increasing attention, the combination of intermittent renewable energy with large-scale energy storage technology is considered as an important technological approach for the wider application of wind power and solar energy. Pumped hydro combined with compressed air energy storage system (PHCA) is one of the energy storage systems that not only integrates the advantages but also overcomes the disadvantages of compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems and pumped hydro energy storage systems to solve the problem of energy storage in China’s arid regions. Aiming at the variable working conditions of PHCA system technology, this study proposes a new constant-pressure PHCA. The most significant characteristics of this system were that the water pump and hydroturbine work under stable conditions and this improves the working efficiency of the equipment without incurring an energy loss. In addition, the constant-pressure PHCA system was subjected to energy and exergy analysis, in expectation of exploring an attractive solution for the large-scale storage of existing intermittent renewable energy.
Design Features behind Success of the Ecosystem Management Decision Support System and Future Development
Authors: Reynolds Keith , Paplanus Steven , Miller Bruce , Murphy Philip
Published: December 2014

The Ecosystem Management Decision Support (EMDS) system is an application framework for designing and implementing spatially enabled knowledge-based decision support systems for environmental analysis and planning at any geographic scale(s). The system integrates state-of-the-art geographic information system, as well as knowledge-based reasoning and decision modeling, technologies to provide decision support for the adaptive management process of ecosystem management. It integrates a logic engine to perform landscape evaluations, and a decision engine for developing management priorities. The logic component: (1) reasons about large, abstract, multi-faceted ecosystem management problems; (2) performs useful evaluations with incomplete information; (3) evaluates the influence of missing information, and (4) determines priorities for missing information. The planning component determines priorities for management activities, taking into account not only ecosystem condition, but also criteria that account for logistical concerns of potential management actions. Both components include intuitive diagnostic features that facilitate communicating modeling results to a broad audience. Features of the system design that have figured in its success over the past 20 years are highlighted, together with design features planned for the next several versions needed to provide spatial decision support for adaptive management under climate change.
Porosity Prediction of Plain Weft Knitted Fabrics
Authors: Siddiqui Muhammad , Sun Danmei
Published: December 2014

Wearing comfort of clothing is dependent on air permeability, moisture absorbency and wicking properties of fabric, which are related to the porosity of fabric. In this work, a plug-in is developed using Python script and incorporated in Abaqus/CAE for the prediction of porosity of plain weft knitted fabrics. The Plug-in is able to automatically generate 3D solid and multifilament weft knitted fabric models and accurately determine the porosity of fabrics in two steps. In this work, plain weft knitted fabrics made of monofilament, multifilament and spun yarn made of staple fibers were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed plug-in. In the case of staple fiber yarn, intra yarn porosity was considered in the calculation of porosity. The first step is to develop a 3D geometrical model of plain weft knitted fabric and the second step is to calculate the porosity of the fabric by using the geometrical parameter of 3D weft knitted fabric model generated in step one. The predicted porosity of plain weft knitted fabric is extracted in the second step and is displayed in the message area. The predicted results obtained from the plug-in have been compared with the experimental results obtained from previously developed models; they agreed well.
Nonlocal General Relativity
Authors: Mashhoon Bahram
Published: December 2014

A brief account of the present status of the recent nonlocal generalization of Einstein’s theory of gravitation is presented. The main physical assumptions that underlie this theory are described. We clarify the physical meaning and significance of Weitzenböck’s torsion and emphasize its intimate relationship with the gravitational field, characterized by the Riemannian curvature of spacetime. In this theory, nonlocality can simulate dark matter; in fact, in the Newtonian regime, we recover the phenomenological Tohline–Kuhn approach to modified gravity. To account for the observational data regarding dark matter, nonlocality is associated with a characteristic length scale of order 1 kpc. The confrontation of nonlocal gravity with observation is briefly discussed.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Residues in Serum Samples of Autopsied Individuals from Tennessee
Authors: Ramesh Aramandla , Kumar Anil , Aramandla Mounika , Nyanda Alfred
Published: December 2014

This study reports the concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in human blood sera samples (n = 650) obtained at autopsy from individuals who died of drug abuse, alcohol toxicity, homicide, suicide and other unknown causes. The analyzed samples from decedents revealed the presence of PAHs of which B(a)P was the most predominant one, followed by benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(k)fluoranthene. The other PAHs detected sporadically and measured were benzo(g,h,i)perylene, acenaphthene, anthracene, phenanthrene, and fluoranthene The mean concentrations of PAHs were greater in the twenties to fifties age groups compared to others. The PAH residue levels detected were high in African Americans compared to Caucasians, Asians, and Hispanics. It appears that environmental exposure, dietary intake and in some cases occupational exposure may have contributed to the PAH body burden. While the PAH residue concentrations measured fall within the range of those reported for healthy adults elsewhere, in isolated cases, the concentrations detected were high, calling the need for a reduction in PAH emissions and human biomonitoring studies for purposes of risk assessment.
The Anticancer Drug Ellipticine Activated with Cytochrome P450 Mediates DNA Damage Determining Its Pharmacological Efficiencies: Studies with Rats, Hepatic Cytochrome P450 Reductase Null (HRN™) Mice and Pure Enzymes
Authors: Stiborová Marie , Černá Věra , Moserová Michaela , Mrízová Iveta , Arlt Volker , Frei Eva
Published: December 2014

Ellipticine is a DNA-damaging agent acting as a prodrug whose pharmacological efficiencies and genotoxic side effects are dictated by activation with cytochrome P450 (CYP). Over the last decade we have gained extensive experience in using pure enzymes and various animal models that helped to identify CYPs metabolizing ellipticine. In this review we focus on comparison between the in vitro and in vivo studies and show a necessity of both approaches to obtain valid information on CYP enzymes contributing to ellipticine metabolism. Discrepancies were found between the CYP enzymes activating ellipticine to 13-hydroxy- and 12-hydroxyellipticine generating covalent DNA adducts and those detoxifying this drug to 9-hydroxy- and 7-hydroellipticine in vitro and in vivo. In vivo, formation of ellipticine-DNA adducts is dependent not only on expression levels of CYP3A, catalyzing ellipticine activation in vitro, but also on those of CYP1A that oxidize ellipticine in vitro mainly to the detoxification products. The finding showing that cytochrome b5 alters the ratio of ellipticine metabolites generated by CYP1A1/2 and 3A4 explained this paradox. Whereas the detoxification of ellipticine by CYP1A and 3A is either decreased or not changed by cytochrome b5, activation leading to ellipticine-DNA adducts increased considerably. We show that (I) the pharmacological effects of ellipticine mediated by covalent ellipticine-derived DNA adducts are dictated by expression levels of CYP1A, 3A and cytochrome b5, and its own potency to induce these enzymes in tumor tissues, (II) animal models, where levels of CYPs are either knocked out or induced are appropriate to identify CYPs metabolizing ellipticine in vivo, and (III) extrapolation from in vitro data to the situation in vivo is not always possible, confirming the need for these animal models.
tRNAs as Antibiotic Targets
Authors: Chopra Shaileja , Reader John
Published: December 2014

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are central players in the protein translation machinery and as such are prominent targets for a large number of natural and synthetic antibiotics. This review focuses on the role of tRNAs in bacterial antibiosis. We will discuss examples of antibiotics that target multiple stages in tRNA biology from tRNA biogenesis and modification, mature tRNAs, aminoacylation of tRNA as well as prevention of proper tRNA function by small molecules binding to the ribosome. Finally, the role of deacylated tRNAs in the bacterial “stringent response” mechanism that can lead to bacteria displaying antibiotic persistence phenotypes will be discussed.
Stable Hydrogen Production from Ethanol through Steam Reforming Reaction over Nickel-Containing Smectite-Derived Catalyst
Authors: Yoshida Hiroshi , Yamaoka Ryohei , Arai Masahiko
Published: December 2014

Hydrogen production through steam reforming of ethanol was investigated with conventional supported nickel catalysts and a Ni-containing smectite-derived catalyst. The former is initially active, but significant catalyst deactivation occurs during the reaction due to carbon deposition. Side reactions of the decomposition of CO and CH4 are the main reason for the catalyst deactivation, and these reactions can relatively be suppressed by the use of the Ni-containing smectite. The Ni-containing smectite-derived catalyst contains, after H2 reduction, stable and active Ni nanocrystallites, and as a result, it shows a stable and high catalytic performance for the steam reforming of ethanol, producing H2.
High Levels of KAP1 Expression Are Associated with Aggressive Clinical Features in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Cui Yanfen , Yang Shaobin , Fu Xin , Feng Jingwen , Xu Shilei , Ying Guoguang
Published: December 2014

KAP1 is an universal corepressor for Kruppel-associated box zinc finger proteins in both normal and tumor cells. In this study, the biological function and clinical significance of KAP1 expression in ovarian cancer were investigated. Immunohistological staining of KAP1 was evaluated in 111 patients with ovarian epithelial cancer, 15 with ovarian borderline tumor, and 20 normal ovarian tissue. The correlations of KAP1 expression with clinicopathological features were studied. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard modeling were used to assess overall survival to analyze the effect of KAP1 expression on the prognosis of ovarian cancer. The positive rates of KAP1 were significantly higher in ovarian epithelial cancer (55.7%) and borderline tumor (20.0%) than in normal ovarian tissue (5.0%) (all p < 0.01). KAP1 expression correlated significantly with clinical stage (χ2 = 14.57, p < 0.0001), pathological grade (χ2 = 6.06, p = 0.048) and metastases (χ2 =10.38, p = 0.001). Patients with high KAP 1 levels showed poor survival (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that KAP1 high expression was an independent predictor for ovarian cancer patients (hazard ratio = 0.463; 95% confidence interval = 0.230–0.9318, p = 0.031). Functionally, depletion of KAP1 by siRNA inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation, cell migration. KAP1 expression correlated with aggressive clinical features in ovarian cancer. High KAP1 expression was a prognostic factor of ovarian cancer.
Zinc-α-2-Glycoprotein: A Candidate Biomarker for Colon Cancer Diagnosis in Chinese Population
Authors: Xue Yingming , Yu Fudong , Yan Dongwang , Cui Feifei , Tang Huamei , Wang Xiaoliang , Chen Jian , Lu Huijun , Zhao Senlin , Peng Zhihai
Published: December 2014

Zinc-α-2-glycoprotein (AZGP1) is a 41-kDa secreted glycoprotein, which has been detected in several malignancies. The diagnostic value of AZGP1 in serum of prostate and breast cancer patients has been reported. Analyzing “The Cancer Genome Atlas” data, we found that in colon cancer AZGP1 gene expression was upregulated at transcriptional level. We hypothesized that AZGP1 could be used as a diagnostic marker of colon cancer. First, we confirmed AZGP1 expression was higher in a set of 28 tumor tissues than in normal colonic mucosa tissues by real-time quantitative PCR and western blot in a Chinese population. We verified that serum concentration of AZGP1 was higher in 120 colon cancer patients compared with 40 healthy controls by ELISA (p < 0.001). Then receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive diagnostic value of AZGP1 in serum. The area under the curve (AUC) of AZGP1 was 0.742 (p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.656–0.827) in between the AUC of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the AUC of CA19-9, suggesting that predictive diagnostic value of AZGP1 is between CEA and Carbohydrate 19-9 (CA19-9). The combination of AZGP1 with traditional serum biomarkers, CEA and CA19-9, could result in better diagnostic results. To further validate the diagnostic value of AZGP1, a tissue microarray containing 190 samples of primary colon cancer tissue paired with normal colonic tissue was analysed and the result showed that AZGP1 was significantly upregulated in 68.4% (130 of 190) of the primary cancer lesions. In contrast, there was a weakly positive staining in 29.5% (56 of 190) of the normal colonic tissue samples (p < 0.001). Leave-one-out cross-validation was performed on the serum data, and showed that the diagnostic value of AZGP1 had 63.3% sensitivity and 65.0% specificity. Combination of AZGP1, CEA and CA19-9 had improved diagnosis value accuracy with 74.2% sensitivity and 72.5% specificity. These results suggest that AZGP1 is a useful diagnostic biomarker in tissues and serum from a Chinese population.
Clinical Results of Hypomethylating Agents in AML Treatment
Authors: Cruijsen Marjan , Lübbert Michael , Wijermans Pierre , Huls Gerwin
Published: December 2014

Epigenetic changes play an important role in the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Unlike gene mutations, epigenetic changes are potentially reversible, which makes them attractive for therapeutic intervention. Agents that affect epigenetics are the DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, azacitidine and decitabine. Because of their relatively mild side effects, azacitidine and decitabine are particularly feasible for the treatment of older patients and patients with co-morbidities. Both drugs have remarkable activity against AML blasts with unfavorable cytogenetic characteristics. Recent phase 3 trials have shown the superiority of azacitidine and decitabine compared with conventional care for older AML patients (not eligible for intensive treatment). Results of treatment with modifications of the standard azacitidine (seven days 75 mg/m2 SC; every four weeks) and decitabine (five days 20 mg/m2 IV; every four weeks) schedules have been reported. Particularly, the results of the 10-day decitabine schedule are promising, revealing complete remission (CR) rates around 45% (CR + CRi (i.e., CR with incomplete blood count recovery) around 64%) almost comparable with intensive chemotherapy. Application of hypomethylating agents to control AML at the cost of minimal toxicity is a very promising strategy to “bridge” older patients with co-morbidities to the potential curative treatment of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. In this article, we discuss the role of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors in AML.
The Study of Torture: Why It Persists, Why Perceptions of It are Malleable, and Why It is Difficult to Eradicate
Authors: Kearns Erin
Published: December 2014

Why does torture persist despite its prohibition? Scholars, policymakers, and the public have heavily debated this topic in the past decade. Yet, many puzzles remain about the practice of torture. Scholarship on torture spans academic disciplines, which adds diversity in perspectives brought to these questions but also can lead to redundancy and stunted progress in research on the issue as a whole. This article assesses the state of the multidisciplinary literature on torture in counterterrorism with specific focus on why democracies torture despite prohibiting it, how public perception of torture is malleable, and why so few countries are able to move from commitment to compliance in the prohibition of torture. In each section, the article also identifies underexplored areas in the research and suggests avenues for future investigation.
A New Wide-Band Double-Negative Metamaterial for C- and S-Band Applications
Authors: Hossain Md , Faruque Mohammad , Islam Mohammad , Ullah Mohammad
Published: December 2014

A new design and analysis of a wide-band double-negative metamaterial, considering a frequency range of 0.5 to 7 GHz, is presented in this paper. Four different unit cells with varying design parameters are analyzed to evaluate the effects of the unit-cell size on the resonance frequencies of the metamaterial. Moreover, open and interconnected 2 × 2 array structures of unit cells are analyzed. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, based on the Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio, is utilized in the majority of this investigation. The experimental portion of the study was performed in a semi-anechoic chamber. Good agreement is observed between the simulated and measured S parameters of the developed unit cell and array. The designed unit cell exhibits negative permittivity and permeability simultaneously at S-band (2.95 GHz to 4.00 GHz) microwave frequencies. In addition, the designed unit cell can also operate as a double-negative medium throughout the C band (4.00 GHz to 4.95 GHz and 5.00 GHz to 5.57 GHz). At a number of other frequencies, it exhibits a single negative value. The two array configurations cause a slight shift in the resonance frequencies of the metamaterial and hence lead to a slight shift of the single- and double-negative frequency ranges of the metamaterial.
Optimized Simulation and Validation of Particle Advection in Asymmetric Staggered Herringbone Type Micromixers
Authors: Tóth Eszter , Holczer Eszter , Iván Kristóf , Fürjes Péter
Published: December 2014

This paper presents and compares two different strategies in the numerical simulation of passive microfluidic mixers based on chaotic advection. In addition to flow velocity field calculations, concentration distributions of molecules and trajectories of microscale particles were determined and compared to evaluate the performance of the applied modeling approaches in the proposed geometries. A staggered herringbone type micromixer (SHM) was selected and studied in order to demonstrate finite element modeling issues. The selected microstructures were fabricated by a soft lithography technique, utilizing multilayer SU-8 epoxy-based photoresist as a molding replica for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) casting. The mixing processes in the microfluidic systems were characterized by applying molecular and particle (cell) solutions and adequate microscopic visualization techniques. We proved that modeling of the molecular concentration field is more costly, in regards to computational time, than the particle trajectory based method. However, both approaches showed adequate qualitative agreement with the experimental results.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Vinpocetine in Atherosclerosis and Ischemic Stroke: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Zhang Linjie , Yang Li
Published: December 2014

Immune responses play an important role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and ischemic stroke. Atherosclerosis is a common condition that increases the risk of stroke. Hyperlipidemia damages endothelial cells, thus initiating chemokine pathways and the release of inflammatory cytokines—this represents the first step in the inflammatory response to atherosclerosis. Blocking blood flow in the brain leads to ischemic stroke, and deprives neurons of oxygen and energy. Damaged neurons release danger-associated molecular patterns, which promote the activation of innate immune cells and the release of inflammatory cytokines. The nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells κB (NF-κB) pathway plays a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and ischemic stroke. Vinpocetine is believed to be a potent anti-inflammatory agent and has been used to treat cerebrovascular disorders. Vinpocetine improves neuronal plasticity and reduces the release of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines from endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and microglia, by inhibiting the inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway. This review clarifies the anti-inflammatory role of vinpocetine in atherosclerosis and ischemic stroke.
Marine Sponge Lectins: Actual Status on Properties and Biological Activities
Authors: Gomes Filho Sandro , Cardoso Juscélio , Anaya Katya , Silva do Nascimento Edilza , De Lacerda José , Mioso Roberto , Santi Gadelha Tatiane , De Almeida Gadelha Carlos
Published: December 2014

Marine sponges are primitive metazoans that produce a wide variety of molecules that protect them against predators. In studies that search for bioactive molecules, these marine invertebrates stand out as promising sources of new biologically-active molecules, many of which are still unknown or little studied; thus being an unexplored biotechnological resource of high added value. Among these molecules, lectins are proteins that reversibly bind to carbohydrates without modifying them. In this review, various structural features and biological activities of lectins derived from marine sponges so far described in the scientific literature are discussed. From the results found in the literature, it could be concluded that lectins derived from marine sponges are structurally diverse proteins with great potential for application in the production of biopharmaceuticals, especially as antibacterial and antitumor agents.
Flavonoids from Symplocos racemosa
Authors: Jung Mila , Choi Janggyoo , Chae Hee-Sung , Cho Jae , Kim Young-Dong , Htwe Khin , Lee Woo-Shin , Chin Young-Won , Kim Jinwoong , Yoon Kee
Published: December 2014

A novel isoflavone glycoside, peseudobatigenin 7-O-[β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1''''→5''')-O-β-d-apiofuranosyl-(1'''→6'')]-β-d-glucopyranoside, namely sympracemoside (1), was isolated from the aerial parts of Symplocos racemosa along with 15 known flavonoids (2–16). Their structures were characterized by Q-TOF mass, optical rotation, UV, 1D and 2D-NMR spectroscopic data. Compounds 3, 9, 16 showed moderate inhibitory activities against NO production with IC50 value of 88.2, 42.1 and 74.3 μM, respectively.
Rare Earth Ion-Doped Upconversion Nanocrystals: Synthesis and Surface Modification
Authors: Chang Hongjin , Xie Juan , Zhao Baozhou , Liu Botong , Xu Shuilin , Ren Na , Xie Xiaoji , Huang Ling , Huang Wei
Published: December 2014

The unique luminescent properties exhibited by rare earth ion-doped upconversion nanocrystals (UCNPs), such as long lifetime, narrow emission line, high color purity, and high resistance to photobleaching, have made them widely used in many areas, including but not limited to high-resolution displays, new-generation information technology, optical communication, bioimaging, and therapy. However, the inherent upconversion luminescent properties of UCNPs are influenced by various parameters, including the size, shape, crystal structure, and chemical composition of the UCNPs, and even the chosen synthesis process and the surfactant molecules used. This review will provide a complete summary on the synthesis methods and the surface modification strategies of UCNPs reported so far. Firstly, we summarize the synthesis methodologies developed in the past decades, such as thermal decomposition, thermal coprecipitation, hydro/solvothermal, sol-gel, combustion, and microwave synthesis. In the second part, five main streams of surface modification strategies for converting hydrophobic UCNPs into hydrophilic ones are elaborated. Finally, we consider the likely directions of the future development and challenges of the synthesis and surface modification, such as the large-scale production and actual applications, stability, and so on, of the UCNPs.
Special Issue: Design and Engineering of Microreactor and Smart-Scaled Flow Processes
Authors: Hessel Volker
Published: December 2014

Reaction-oriented research in flow chemistry and microreactor has been extensively focused upon in special journal issues and books. On a process level, this resembled the “drop-in” (retrofit) concept with the microreactor replacing a conventional (batch) reactor. Meanwhile, with the introduction of the mobile, compact, modular container technology, the focus is more on the process side, including also providing an end-to-end vision of intensified process design. Exactly this is the focus of the current special issue “Design and Engineering of Microreactor and Smart-Scaled Flow Processes” of the journal “Processes”. This special issue comprises three review papers, five research articles and two communications. [...]
High-Precision Attitude Post-Processing and Initial Verification for the ZY-3 Satellite
Authors: Tang Xinming , Xie Junfeng , Wang Xiao , Jiang Wanshou
Published: December 2014

Attitude data, which is the important data strongly correlated with the geometric accuracy of optical remote sensing satellite images, are generally obtained using a real-time Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) with star-tracker and gyro data for current high-resolution satellites, such as Orb-view, IKONOS, Quickbird,Pleiades, and ZY-3.We propose a forward-backward Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) for post-processing, and the proposed method employs UKF to suppress noise by using an unscented transformation (UT) rather than an EKF in a nonlinear attitude system. Moreover, this method makes full use of the collected data in the fixed-interval and computational resources on the ground, and it determines optimal attitude results by forward-backward filtering and weighted smoothing with the raw star-tracker and gyro data collected for a fixed period. In this study, the principle and implementation of the proposed method are described. The post-processed attitude was compared with the on-board attitude, and the absolute accuracy was evaluated by the two methods. One method compares the positioning accuracy of the object space coordinates with the post-processed and on-board attitude data without using ground control points (GCPs). The other method compares the tie-point residuals of the image coordinates after a free net adjustment. In addition, the internal and external parameters of the camera were accurately calibrated before use for an objective evaluation of the attitude accuracy. The experimental results reveal that the accuracy of the post-processed attitude is superior to the accuracy of the on-board processed attitude. This method has been applied to the ZiYuan-3 satellite system for processing the raw star-tracker and gyro data daily.
Comparing Machine Learning Classifiers for Object-Based Land Cover Classification Using Very High Resolution Imagery
Authors: Qian Yuguo , Zhou Weiqi , Yan Jingli , Li Weifeng , Han Lijian
Published: December 2014

This study evaluates and compares the performance of four machine learning classifiers—support vector machine (SVM), normal Bayes (NB), classification and regression tree (CART) and K nearest neighbor (KNN)—to classify very high resolution images, using an object-based classification procedure. In particular, we investigated how tuning parameters affect the classification accuracy with different training sample sizes. We found that: (1) SVM and NB were superior to CART and KNN, and both could achieve high classification accuracy (>90%); (2) the setting of tuning parameters greatly affected classification accuracy, particularly for the most commonly-used SVM classifier; the optimal values of tuning parameters might vary slightly with the size of training samples; (3) the size of training sample also greatly affected the classification accuracy, when the size of training sample was less than 125. Increasing the size of training samples generally led to the increase of classification accuracies for all four classifiers. In addition, NB and KNN were more sensitive to the sample sizes. This research provides insights into the selection of classifiers and the size of training samples. It also highlights the importance of the appropriate setting of tuning parameters for different machine learning classifiers and provides useful information for optimizing these parameters.
Retrieval of a Temporal High-Resolution Leaf Area Index (LAI) by Combining MODIS LAI and ASTER Reflectance Data
Authors: Qu Yonghua , Han Wenchao , Ma Mingguo
Published: December 2014

This paper aims to retrieve temporal high-resolution LAI derived by fusing MOD15 products (1 km resolution), field-measured LAI and ASTER reflectance (15-m resolution). Though the inversion of a physically based canopy reflectance model using high-resolution satellite data can produce high-resolution LAI products, the obstacle to producing temporal products is obvious due to the low temporal resolution of high resolution satellite data. A feasible method is to combine different source data, taking advantage of the spatial and temporal resolution of different sensors. In this paper, a high-resolution LAI retrieval method was implemented using a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) inversion framework. MODIS LAI data with higher temporal resolution were used to fit the temporal background information, which is then updated by new, higher resolution data, herein ASTER data. The interactions between the different resolution data were analyzed from a Bayesian perspective. The proposed method was evaluated using a dataset collected in the HiWater (Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research) experiment. The determination coefficient and RMSE between the estimated and measured LAI are 0.80 and 0.43, respectively. The research results suggest that even though the coarse-resolution background information differs from the high-resolution satellite observations, a satisfactory estimation result for the temporal high-resolution LAI can be produced using the accumulated information from both the new observations and background information.
A Hierarchical Approach to Persistent Scatterer Network Construction and Deformation Time Series Estimation
Authors: Zhang Rui , Liu Guoxiang , Li Zhilin , Zhang Guo , Lin Hui , Yu Bing , Wang Xiaowen
Published: December 2014

This paper presents a hierarchical approach to network construction and time series estimation in persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) for deformation analysis using the time series of high-resolution satellite SAR images. To balance between computational efficiency and solution accuracy, a dividing and conquering algorithm (i.e., two levels of PS networking and solution) is proposed for extracting deformation rates of a study area. The algorithm has been tested using 40 high-resolution TerraSAR-X images collected between 2009 and 2010 over Tianjin in China for subsidence analysis, and validated by using the ground-based leveling measurements. The experimental results indicate that the hierarchical approach can remarkably reduce computing time and memory requirements, and the subsidence measurements derived from the hierarchical solution are in good agreement with the leveling data.
Spectral Slope as an Indicator of Pasture Quality
Authors: Lugassi Rachel , Chudnovsky Alexandra , Zaady Eli , Dvash Levana , Goldshleger Naftaly
Published: December 2014

In this study, we develop a spectral method for assessment of pasture quality based only on the spectral information obtained with a small number of wavelengths. First, differences in spectral behavior were identified across the near infrared–shortwave infrared spectral range that were indicative of changes in chemical properties. Then, slopes across different spectral ranges were calculated and correlated with the changes in crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and metabolic energy concentration (MEC). Finally, partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis was applied to identify the optimal spectral ranges for accurate assessment of CP, NDF and MEC. Six spectral domains and a set of slope criteria for real-time evaluation of pasture quality were suggested. The evaluation of three level categories (low, medium, high) for these three parameters showed a success rate of: 73%–96% for CP, 72%–87% for NDF and 60%–85% for MEC. Moreover, only one spectral range, 1748–1764 nm, was needed to provide a good estimation of CP, NDF and MEC. Importantly, five of the six selected spectral regions were not affected by water absorbance. With some modifications, this rationale can be applied to further analyses of pasture quality from airborne sensors.
A Structure Fidelity Approach for Big Data Collection in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Wu Mou , Tan Liansheng , Xiong Naixue
Published: December 2014

One of the most widespread and important applications in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is the continuous data collection, such as monitoring the variety of ambient temperature and humidity. Due to the sensor nodes with a limited energy supply, the reduction of energy consumed in the continuous observation of physical phenomenon plays a significant role in extending the lifetime of WSNs. However, the high redundancy of sensing data leads to great waste of energy as a result of over-deployed sensor nodes. In this paper, we develop a structure fidelity data collection (SFDC) framework leveraging the spatial correlations between nodes to reduce the number of the active sensor nodes while maintaining the low structural distortion of the collected data. A structural distortion based on the image quality assessment approach is used to perform the nodes work/sleep scheduling, such that the number of the working nodes is reduced while the remainder of nodes can be put into the low-power sleep mode during the sampling period. The main contribution of SFDC is to provide a unique perspective on how to maintain the data fidelity in term of structural similarity in the continuous sensing applications for WSNs. The simulation results based on synthetic and real world datasets verify the effectiveness of SFDC framework both on energy saving and data fidelity.
New Research on MEMS Acoustic Vector Sensors Used in Pipeline Ground Markers
Authors: Song Xiaopeng , Jian Zeming , Zhang Guojun , Liu Mengran , Guo Nan , Zhang Wendong
Published: December 2014

According to the demands of current pipeline detection systems, the above-ground marker (AGM) system based on sound detection principle has been a major development trend in pipeline technology. A novel MEMS acoustic vector sensor for AGM systems which has advantages of high sensitivity, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and good low frequency performance has been put forward. Firstly, it is presented that the frequency of the detected sound signal is concentrated in a lower frequency range, and the sound attenuation is relatively low in soil. Secondly, the MEMS acoustic vector sensor structure and basic principles are introduced. Finally, experimental tests are conducted and the results show that in the range of 0°~90°, when r = 5 m, the proposed MEMS acoustic vector sensor can effectively detect sound signals in soil. The measurement errors of all angles are less than 5°.