bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Human Right to Water in Israel: A Case Study of the Unrecognised Bedouin Villages in the Negev
Authors: Murthy Sharmila L , Williams Mark , Baskin Elisha
Published: March 2013

In the case 9535/06 Abadallah Abu Massad and Others v Water Commissioner and Israel Lands Administration (2011), the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the right to water deserves constitutional protection under Israel's Basic Law: Human Dignity and Freedom. The Court also found support for the right to water under both international human rights law and Israeli statutory law. At the same time, the Court held that the right to water is not absolute but must be balanced against the rights of the state. The case was brought by residents of unrecognised Bedouin villages in the Negev, a desert region in southern Israel, who do not have access to household water. The Court found that in exercising its discretion regarding additional water access points, the Israeli Water Authority could consider the ‘illegal’ nature of these villages. Applying the criteria of reasonableness and proportionality, the Court ultimately affirmed the Israeli Water Authority's policy in unrecognised villages in the Negev. Despite this administrative deference, the invocation of constitutional and international human rights law raises the level of scrutiny that should be applied to a review of the Israeli Water Authority's exercise of discretion. The Court's opinion is coloured and influenced by long-standing land disputes between the indigenous Bedouin population and the State of Israel. Drawing on empirical research conducted in December 2011, the analysis attempts to place the Abu Massad decision in its proper historical and political context. The dispute over land in the Negev can be traced back to the days of the Ottoman Empire. More recent efforts by the Israeli government as set out in the Goldberg Report and the Prawer Plan, and the international community's response to these efforts, are discussed. In light of the history and current political context, it may be prudent for the Israeli Water Authority to re-assess the effectiveness of its existing water policy in unrecognised Bedouin villages in the Negev.
Security: The Long History
Authors: JELLY-SCHAPIRO ELI
Published: March 2013

This articles undertakes a genealogy of security: its integral place in the philosophic justification of settler-colonial processes, its constitutive role in the genesis of the modern state and capitalist mode of production, its intellectual and political history in the twentieth- and twenty-first-century United States. I contend that the current-day expressions of security governance – neoliberal technologies of accumulation by dispossession; the prosecution of a boundless and interminable War on Terror – reveal with a particular clarity the essential tensions and contradictions of the security project over thelongue durée. And inversely, I argue, reflecting upon the longer history of the modern security project deepens our insight into the contemporary manifestation of security discourse and practice. My analysis of security is divided into three parts: security and property, security and race, and security and emergency. Property is the principal object of security governance, race delimits and structures the security state, and emergency is one governmental tactic through which a multifarious politics of security is legitimated and enforced.
Ion-acoustic double layers in electron–positron–ion plasmas with finite ion temperature
Authors: JAIN S. K. , MISHRA M. K.
Published: March 2013

The large-amplitude ion-acoustic double layers in a collisionless plasma consisting of isothermal positrons, warm adiabatic ions and two-temperature distribution of electrons are investigated. Using the pseudo-potential approach, an energy-integral equation for the system has been derived which encompasses complete nonlinearity for the plasma system. The existence region of the double layers is analyzed numerically. It is found that for a selected set of physical parameters, the rarefactive double layer exists in the electron–positron–ion plasma. It is found that the existence regime of the double layer is very sensitive to the plasma parameters, e.g. cold electron concentration (μ) and temperature ratio of two electron species (β). An increase in the finite ion temperature ratio increases the amplitude of the rarefactive double layer. To study small-amplitude double layers, we have expanded the Sagdeev potential. In the case of small amplitude, it is found that the amplitude of the double layer increases with increase in ion temperature ratio (σ) and cold electron concentration (μ). However increase in positron concentration (α) and temperature ratio of positrons to electrons (γ) decreases the amplitude of the double layer. The effect of various plasma parameters on the characteristics of the double layers is discussed in detail. The results of the investigation may be helpful to understanding basic plasma characteristics in space.
Invasive bryozoan alters interaction between a native grazer and its algal food
Authors: O'Brien John M. , Krumhansl Kira A. , Scheibling Robert E.
Published: March 2013

The epiphytic bryozoan Membranipora membranacea encrusts the surface of kelp blades, causing recurrent large-scale defoliation events in kelp beds off the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The gastropod Lacuna vincta grazes kelp, creating perforations that weaken blade tissues and increase the fragmentation rate. We assess the interaction between M. membranacea and L. vincta by measuring the grazing rate of snails on bryozoan-encrusted and non-encrusted kelp (Saccharina latissima) in no-choice and choice experiments in the laboratory conducted in November and December 2010. There was no effect of diet on grazing rate in no-choice experiments. In choice experiments, however, L. vincta grazed significantly more non-encrusted than encrusted kelp (7.1 versus 1.1 mg snail−1 d−1), and grazing rate of non-encrusted kelp was almost twice that in the no-choice experiment (3.8 mg snail−1 d−1), indicating that snails may avoid colonies of M. membranacea on partially encrusted kelp blades. We found no effect of diet on growth, reproduction and survival of snails maintained for four weeks on encrusted or non-encrusted kelp. By concentrating grazing damage on non-encrusted areas of blades, L. vincta may act synergistically with M. membranacea to increase the likelihood of blade breakage and canopy loss. This indirect effect of the invasive bryozoan could augment its direct effect on the standing biomass of native kelp beds and detrital export to adjacent communities.
Sessile biota fouling farmed mussels: diversity, spatio-temporal patterns, and implications for the basibiont
Authors: Antoniadou Chryssanthi , Voultsiadou Eleni , Rayann Abdalnasser , Chintiroglou Chariton
Published: March 2013

The structure of sessile epibiotic assemblages fouling the shells of farmed populations of the common Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, a species known to be involved in ecosystem engineering processes, was investigated in the north Aegean Sea. Mussel samples were collected from three aquaculture installations and all sessile organisms were examined. Fifteen species were recorded, one macroalga and 14 macro-invertebrates. Four colonial species covered up to 20% of the mussel shell. Among solitary organisms, polychaetes dominated followed by barnacles. The diversity of sessile epibionts associated with farmed mussel populations was comparable to that observed on natural mussel beds in contrast to their abundance/cover, which was higher in the former, possibly due to the higher trophic status in the farming areas. The structure of epibiotic assemblages exhibited limited variability at the spatial scale, in general. On the contrary, strong temporal variability with decreased diversity and abundance/cover values during the cold period of the year was assessed, in accordance with the life cycles of species involved and prevailing environmental conditions. Mussel epibionts appeared to have a negative impact on their basibiont since a reduced condition index was detected; however this impact was rather weak and further data are required to generalize the consequences of epibiosis on farmed mussels.
Assessment of salt intake: how accurate is it?
Authors: Champagne Catherine M. , Cash Katherine C.
Published: March 2013

The aims of this review paper are to provide an overview of the association of sodium intake with cardiovascular health, to identify sodium in our global food supply and to describe problems associated with assessment of dietary sodium intake. Excess sodium intake may contribute to the development of hypertension in some individuals, consequently increasing CVD risk. The average intake of sodium in populations around the world far exceeds the actual body's needs. Processed and restaurant foods contribute the most dietary sodium for Americans and other populations worldwide. There is a worldwide focus on reducing sodium content of food products in an effort to reduce health related issues associated with excessive salt and sodium intake in individuals. In several countries, regulations have been introduced to lower the sodium content of foods. Manufacturers are complying with these regulations by formulating new products to meet these standards. However, the variability in food sodium content poses challenges to researchers to accurately assess dietary sodium intakes of individuals. There are differences in sodium content of foods in databases compared with nutritional information provided by manufacturers for the same food products. Variations also exist in restaurant foods, where values differ from those available on restaurant websites. Sodium may be either underestimated or overestimated; it is not always on target. Awareness of the variability among food products is crucial but capturing sodium content of every food in the market is not feasible. Whenever possible, updating databases is critical. In conclusion, it is not feasible to capture the sodium content of every food in the marketplace but being aware of these differences is essential to assessing actual sodium consumption. Since biological determinations are burdensome and impractical, it is imperative for researchers and other health professionals to participate in the development and implementation of tools to accurately assess sodium intake in individuals.
Distributions of Order Patterns of Interval Maps
Authors: ABRAMS AARON , BABSON ERIC , LANDAU HENRY , LANDAU ZEPH , POMMERSHEIM JAMES
Published: March 2013

A permutation σ describing the relative orders of the first n iterates of a point x under a self-map f of the interval I=[0,1] is called an order pattern. For fixed f and n, measuring the points x ∈ I (according to Lebesgue measure) that generate the order pattern σ gives a probability distribution μn(f) on the set of length n permutations. We study the distributions that arise this way for various classes of functions f.

Our main results treat the class of measure-preserving functions. We obtain an exact description of the set of realizable distributions in this case: for each n this set is a union of open faces of the polytope of flows on a certain digraph, and a simple combinatorial criterion determines which faces are included. We also show that for general f, apart from an obvious compatibility condition, there is no restriction on the sequence {μn(f)}n=1,2,. . ..

In addition, we give a necessary condition for f to have finite exclusion type, that is, for there to be finitely many order patterns that generate all order patterns not realized by f. Using entropy we show that if f is piecewise continuous, piecewise monotone, and either ergodic or with points of arbitrarily high period, then f cannot have finite exclusion type. This generalizes results of S. Elizalde.
Blastocyst rate of in vitro embryo production in sheep is affected by season
Authors: Mara L. , Sanna D. , Casu S. , Dattena M. , Muñoz I.M. Mayorga
Published: March 2013

It has been reported that the number and quality of in vitro produced embryos is season related. This study was conducted to assess the effect of season on cleavage, blastocyst and lambing rates of in vitro produced ovine embryos during 3 years of collection data. Ovaries of Sarda sheep were collected from a slaughterhouse. In total, 5035 oocytes were recovered and matured in TCM-199 with 4 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA), 100 μM cysteamine, 0.3 mM Na pyruvate, 0.1 UI/ml recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (r-FSH), 0.1 UI/ml recombinant luteinising hormone (r-LH), and 1 μg/ml estradiol-17β. Matured oocytes were fertilized with fresh semen in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) with 20% heat inactivated estrous sheep serum. The presumptive zygotes were cultured for 6–7 days (blastocyst stage) in SOF medium supplemented with 1% Basel Medium Eagle (BME), 1% Minimum Essential Medium, 1 mM glutamine and 8 mg/ml fatty acid-free BSA. The embryos produced were vitrified and a total of 165 blastocysts (80 from the breeding season and 85 from the anoestrous season) were transferred in pairs into recipient ewes during the reproductive period. There were no significant differences in cleavage rates between seasons in any of the 3 years examined (84% versus 83%, 81% versus 80% and 80% versus 79%, respectively). The blastocyst rate varied significantly between seasons in 2005 and 2007 (P < 0.05), and in 2006 (P < 0.001). There were no differences in pregnancy and lambing rates between embryos during anoestrous versus during the breeding season. In conclusion, only the blastocyst rate appeared to have been affected by season, possibly due to variation in the number of developmentally competent oocytes.
Diastolic dysfunction measured by tissue Doppler imaging in children with end-stage renal disease: a report of the RICH-Q study
Authors: Schoenmaker Nikki J. , Kuipers Irene M. , van der Lee Johanna H. , Tromp Wilma F. , van Dyck Maria , Gewillig Marc , Blom Nico A. , Groothoff Jaap W.
Published: March 2013

Introduction:Early detection of cardiovascular disease in children with end-stage renal disease is essential in order to prevent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in early adulthood. Tissue Doppler imaging has shown to be a promising method to detect and quantify subtle abnormalities in diastolic function. We therefore compared assessment of diastolic function by conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging.Methods:We performed conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging in 38 children with end-stage renal disease and 76 healthy controls. We compared outcomes on parameters related to diastolic function (E/a ratio for conventional echocardiography and E/E′ ratio for tissue Doppler imaging) for both groups using multiple linear regression analysis. Diastolic dysfunction was defined as E/a ratio <1 or E/E′ ratio > 95th percentile for age. To assess the intra-observer reproducibility, the coefficient of variation was calculated.Results: Children with end-stage renal disease had on average a lower E/a ratio (p = 0.004) and a higher mitral and septal E/E′ ratio (both p < 0.001) compared with controls. In all, two children with end-stage renal disease (5%) had diastolic dysfunction according to the E/a ratio, 11 according to the mitral E/E′ ratio (29%), and 16 according to the septal E/E′ ratio (42%) compared with none of the controls (p = 0.109, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). The coefficients of variation of the mitral (7%) and septal E/E′ ratio (4%) were smaller than the coefficient of variation of the E/a ratio (11%).Conclusions:Tissue Doppler imaging is a more sensitive and reliable method to detect diastolic dysfunction than conventional E/a ratio in children with end-stage renal disease.
Medical and surgical management of primary cardiac tumours in infants and children
Authors: Padalino Massimo A. , Reffo Elena , Cerutti Alessia , Favero Valentina , Biffanti Roberta , Vida Vladimiro , Stellin Giovanni , Milanesi Ornella
Published: March 2013

Primary cardiac tumours in infants and children are extremely rare, with an estimated incidence of 0.2% according to echocardiographic studies. Owing to their rarity, there is very little literature available, and most knowledge is based on collections of case reports. Therefore, we reviewed retrospectively our 27 years of clinical experience on the overall management of cardiac tumours among children in order to improve not only our knowledge but also to provide others with information about the incidence, clinical presentation, management, and long-term outcome of this rare disease. Between April, 1982 and April, 2009, 52 children were diagnosed with cardiac tumours at our Institution. Medical records and follow-up echocardiographic evaluations were studied. The diagnosis was prenatal in 35% of the patients. The most frequent tumour types were rhabdomyomas (61.5%), fibromas (15.4%), and myxomas (5.8%). There were no cases of primary malignant tumours. All diagnoses were achieved using two-dimensional echocardiography, and for 12 patients a pathological analysis was carried out. A total of 41 patients (79%) were managed medically, whereas 11 (21%) patients underwent surgical treatment. At a mean follow-up of 7.2 ± 5.4 years, two patients died of complications related to cardiac transplantation; all the remaining patients are in excellent clinical condition. In conclusion, cardiac tumours in paediatric practice are usually clinically and histologically benign. Only a few cases need surgery. Up to one-third of the cardiac masses are detectable prenatally. Rhabdomyoma is the most common histotype, followed by fibroma and myxoma. The long-term prognosis is generally good.
Responding to the Treatment Challenge of Patients with Severe BPD: Results of Three Pilot Studies of Inpatient Schema Therapy
Authors: Reiss Neele , Lieb Klaus , Arntz Arnoud , Shaw Ida A. , Farrell Joan
Published: March 2013

Background: Schema Therapy (ST), a psychotherapy model integrating cognitive, experiential and behavioural interventions, was initially developed and evaluated as an outpatient treatment for patients with severe and chronic disorders, among them Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Two randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of ST for BPD, delivered in an individual or group format, in the outpatient setting. However, the most severely impaired BPD patients are referred to inpatient treatment due to suicidality and severe self-harm. Specialized inpatient treatment programs are limited, with little evaluative research. Aims: The pilot studies are designed to be first steps in naturalistic clinical settings to evaluate the effects of an intensive inpatient ST treatment program. Method: This report presents the results of three independent uncontrolled pilot studies with a total of 92 BPD patients. The programs combine individual and group modalities and are consistent theoretically with the ST model for BPD patients. Results: Results show that inpatient ST can significantly reduce symptoms of severe BPD and global severity of psychopathology with effect sizes ranging from Cohen's d = 2.84 to Cohen's d = .43. Conclusions: Differences in the effect sizes across the three pilot studies could be explained by length of treatment, number of group psychotherapists and their training. Although there are limitations to the presented pilot studies such as differences in the samples, treatment settings, variations in the treatment itself and the use of different measures, which may have influenced outcome, they are a starting point for describing and evaluating inpatient treatment for BPD in naturalistic settings.
Functional Language Networks in Sedentary and Physically Active Older Adults
Authors: Zlatar Zvinka Z. , Towler Stephen , McGregor Keith M. , Dzierzewski Joseph M. , Bauer Andrew , Phan Stephanie , Cohen Matthew , Marsiske Michael , Manini Todd M. , Crosson Bruce
Published: March 2013

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have identified consistent age-related changes during various cognitive tasks, such that older individuals display more positive and less negative task-related activity than young adults. Recently, evidence shows that chronic physical exercise may alter aging-related changes in brain activity; however, the effect of exercise has not been studied for the neural substrates of language function. Additionally, the potential mechanisms by which aging alters neural recruitment remain understudied. To address these points, the present study enrolled elderly adults who were either sedentary or physically active to characterize the neural correlates of language function during semantic fluency between these groups in comparison to a young adult sample. Participants underwent fMRI during semantic fluency and transcranial magnetic stimulation to collect the ipsilateral silent period, a measure of interhemispheric inhibition. Results indicated that sedentary older adults displayed reductions in negative task-related activity compared to the active old group in areas of the attention network. Longer interhemispheric inhibition was associated with more negative task-related activity in the right and left posterior perisylvian cortex, suggesting that sedentary aging may result in losses in task facilitatory cortical inhibition. However, these losses may be mitigated by regular engagement in physical exercise. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–10)
Self-stereotyping as “Evangelical Republican”: An Empirical Test
Authors: Patrikios Stratos
Published: March 2013

The prominence of evangelical Christians in the electoral base of the Republican Party is a noted feature of recent American elections. This prominence is linked to a key stereotype that saturates public discourse: “born-again/evangelical Republicanism.” The stereotype fuses religious and partisan social group membership to create a composite social label. Using a social categorization approach, which challenges the assumptions and methods of existing research, the present analysis asks whether voters embrace this stereotype in their definitions of self. The article employs confirmatory factor analysis of religious and partisan identity constructs from a national internet survey, the 2008 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, and finds evidence of the presence of this religious-partisan stereotype in individual self-views, and of the backlash that it has produced, particularly among citizens that are exposed to public discourse on American elections.
Complementary Sierpinski gasket fractal antenna for dual-band WiMAX/WLAN (3.5/5.8 GHz) applications
Authors: Malik Jagannath , Kalaria Parth C. , Kartikeyan Machavaram V.
Published: March 2013

A proximity-fed complementary Sierpinski gasket fractal with equilateral triangular shape resonator in multilayer structure to achieve dual-band behavior for WiMAX and WLAN applications has been proposed. An electromagnetic coupled stacked structure of two different patches operating at two frequencies (3.5 GHz WiMAX and 5.8 GHz wireless LAN) has been designed for dual-band wireless applications. Proposed antenna was simulated using CST Microwave Studio based on the finite integration technique (FIT) with perfect boundary approximation (PBA). Finally, the proposed antenna was fabricated and some performance parameters were measured to validate against simulation results. The design procedures and employed tuning techniques to achieve the desired performance are presented.
Design and optimization of a microstrip patch antenna for increased bandwidth
Authors: Agrawal Archana , Singhal Pramod Kumar , Jain Ankit
Published: March 2013

With the ever-increasing need for wireless communication and the emergence of many systems, it is important to design broadband antennas to cover a wide frequency range. The aim of this paper is to design a broadband patch antenna, employing the three techniques of slotting, adding directly coupled parasitic elements and fractal electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures.The bandwidth is improved from 9.3 to 23.7%. A wideband ranging from 4.15 to 5.27 GHz is obtained. Also, a comparative analysis of embedding EBG structures at different heights is also done. The composite effect of integrating these techniques in the design provides a simple and efficient method for obtaining low-profile, broadband, and high-gain antenna. By the addition of parasitic elements the bandwidth was increased to 18%. Later on by embedding EBG structures the bandwidth was increased up to 23.7%. The design is suitable for a variety of wireless applications like WLAN and radar applications.
Traumatische Ereignisse, psychische Belastung und Prädiktoren der PTBS-Symptomatik bei Kindern und Jugendlichen
Authors: Tagay Sefik , Repic Nevena , Düllmann Sonja , Schlottbohm Ellen , Hermans Enno , Hiller Regina , Holtmann Martin , Frosch Doris , Senf Wolfgang
Published: March 2013

Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war der Vergleich von Psychotherapiepatienten im Kindes- und Jugendalter mit Schülern bezüglich der Prävalenz potentiell traumatischer Ereignisse, der posttraumatischen Symptomatik und der psychischen Belastung. Zudem wurden der Einfluss kumulativer Traumata auf posttraumatisches Erleben und mögliche Prädiktoren einer PTBS untersucht. Mit Hilfe des Essener Trauma-Inventars für Kinder und Jugendliche (ETI-KJ) und der Symptom Check-Liste 27 (SCL-27) wurden 96 Therapiepatienten mit 99 Schülern im Alter von 12 bis 17 verglichen. Hinsichtlich der Prävalenz potentiell traumatischer Ereignisse konnte kein Unterschied zwischen den Gruppen festgestellt werden. Patienten berichteten häufiger von interpersonellen Traumata und waren von einer höheren Anzahl persönlich erlebter Traumata betroffen. Für beide Gruppen erwiesen sich Alter, weibliches Geschlecht, die Anzahl traumatischer Erlebnisse sowie sexueller Missbrauch als signifikante Prädiktoren für die PTBS-Symptomatik. Kumulative und interpersonelle Traumata führen zu schweren psychosozialen Folgen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. Daher gilt es diese standardmäßig zu eruieren und die Chronifizierung einer PTBS zu vermeiden.
Entwicklungsgefährdungen im Bereich sozialer Kompetenzen bei 3- bis 6-jährigen Kindern in Kindertageseinrichtungen
Authors: Rudolph Stephanie , Franze Marco , Gottschling-Lang Annika , Hoffmann Wolfgang
Published: March 2013

12 % der Einschüler in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (M-V) weisen sozial-emotionale Entwicklungsverzögerungen auf. Die Ermittlung des individuellen Förderbedarfs und des Einflusses potentieller Risikofaktoren auf die Ausprägung sozialer Kompetenzen sind Voraussetzungen für die Entwicklung kindspezifischer Präventionsmaßnahmen für Kindertageseinrichtungen (KiTas) in M-V. Daten wurden mittels „Dortmunder Entwicklungsscreening für den Kindergarten” und einem auf dem Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurvey (KiGGS) basierenden Elternfragebogen erhoben. An der Studie nahmen 870 drei- bis sechsjährige Kinder teil (Response: 92.4 %). 599 Kinder wurden in die Analysen aufgenommen. 15.4 % der Kinder sind in ihrer sozialen Entwicklung gefährdet, 7.7 % fraglich gefährdet. Als statistisch signifikante Risikofaktoren wurden sprachlich-kognitive Entwicklungsgefährdungen, männliches Geschlecht und niedriger/mittlerer Sozialstatus identifiziert. Unregelmäßiger Kindergartenbesuch, Alter, unvollständige Teilnahme an Früherkennungsuntersuchungen und seltener TV-Konsum erreichen hingegen keine statistische Signifikanz. Präventionsansätze liegen in der Förderung sprachlich-kognitiver Kompetenzen 3- bis 6-Jähriger und einer gendersensiblen Förderung.
Spinning plates and juggling balls
Authors: Williams Richard Alun
Published: March 2013

A PhD thesis is a project with an established goal and a deadline. As such, the tools, strategies and insight of professional project management can be used effectively to improve both research success and personal well‐being.
Ubiquilin4 is an adaptor protein that recruits Ubiquilin1 to the autophagy machinery
Authors: Yun Lee Dong , Arnott David , Brown Eric J
Published: March 2013

Ubiquilins (Ubqlns)—a family of ubiquitin‐binding proteins—are involved in several protein degradation pathways and have been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases. Ubqln1 regulates autophagosome maturation during autophagy‐mediated degradation. We now show that Ubqln4 mediates the interaction between Ubqln1 and the autophagy machinery by recruiting Ubqln1 to LC3. This targeting of Ubqln1 to autophagosomes requires the Ubqln4 UBL domain and the Ubqln1 UBA domain. This study identifies a new role for Ubqln4, expanding the role for Ubqlns in protein degradation.
Hirsutella sinensis mycelium suppresses interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 secretion by inhibiting both canonical and non-canonical inflammasomes
Authors: Huang Tsung-Teng , Chong Kowit-Yu , Ojcius David M. , Wu Yi-Hui , Ko Yun-Fei , Wu Cheng-Yeu , Martel Jan , Lu Chia-Chen , Lai Hsin-Chih , Young John D.
Published: March 2013

Cordyceps sinensis is a medicinal mushroom used for centuries in Asian countries as a health supplement and tonic. Hirsutella sinensis—the anamorphic, mycelial form of C. sinensis—possesses similar properties and is increasingly used as a health supplement. Recently, C. sinensis extracts were shown to inhibit the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide-treated macrophages. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this process has remained unclear. In addition, whether H. sinensis mycelium (HSM) extracts also inhibit the production of IL-1β has not been investigated. In the present study, the HSM extract suppresses IL-1β and IL-18 secretion and ATP-induced activation of caspase-1. Notably, we observed that HSM not only reduced expression of the inflammasome component NLRP1 and the P2X7R but also reduced the activation of caspase-4 and ATP-induced ROS production. These findings reveal that the HSM extract has anti-inflammatory properties attributed to its ability to inhibit both canonical and non-canonical inflammasomes.
State estimation and fault detection and identification for constrained stochastic linear hybrid systems
Authors: Mann Garrett , Hwang Inseok
Published: March 2013

In this study, a fault detection and identification (FDI) scheme are proposed for constrained stochastic linear hybrid systems (CSLHSs) based on our proposed constrained innovation hybrid estimator (CIHE). CSLHSs are stochastic linear hybrid systems that have state equality constraints on the dynamics of each mode. The CIHE is derived to estimate the CSLHS in such a way that the expectation of the innovations of the mode‐matched filters satisfy the constraints. Therefore the constraint information is available in the residual of the CIHE for FDI of not only system dynamic faults but also constraint violations. Each constrained, mode‐matched filter is proved to be unbiased, satisfy the constraint, and have smaller estimation error than corresponding unconstrained filters. It is also proved that the CIHE is unbiased and that three residuals from the CIHE have zero mean with a given covariance for different cases of system faults. By monitoring the statistical properties of these residuals, both constraint and discrete faults are detected and identified. The estimation and FDI characteristics of the CIHE algorithm are illustrated using a water tank system as an example.
New class of discrete‐time models for non‐linear systems through discretisation of integration gains
Authors: Nguyen‐Van Triet , Hori Noriyuki
Published: March 2013

A new approach is proposed for obtaining discrete‐time models of a non‐linear autonomous continuous‐time system based on classification of, what is called in this study, a discrete‐time integration gain. The models are expressed as a product of this gain and the system function that has the same structure as that of the continuous‐time system. Sufficient conditions on this gain to make the model exact, in the sense defined in this study, are presented. A new discrete‐time model is proposed for non‐linear systems, which is approximate in general, but exact for linear systems. The method is applicable to any system that has a Jacobian matrix. As examples, van der Pol and Lorenz oscillators are examined and simulated to show that the proposed discrete‐time models perform better than other discrete‐time models that are known to the authors to be on‐line computable, and tends to retain such key features as limit cycles and chaos, even for relatively large sampling periods.
Virtual power plant‐based distributed control strategy for multiple distributed generators
Authors: Xin Huanhai , Gan Deqiang , Li Naihu , Li Huijie , Dai Chensong
Published: March 2013

A distributed control strategy is developed to control the output of multiple distributed generators (DGs) in a coordinated fashion such that these generators develop into a virtual power plant (VPP) in a distribution network. To this end, cooperative control methodology from network control theory is used to make the VPP converge and operate at an optimal output, which is determined by the DGs’ costs and the necessary service assigned by the distribution network. For each DG, the strategy only requires information from its neighbouring units, making communication networks (CNs) among the DGs simple and robust. A set of sufficient conditions under which the proposed method is valid are provided. It is shown that the proposed strategy has the advantages that the corresponding CNs are local and there is no central station collecting global information from the DGs. These features enable the VPP to have both self‐organising and adaptive coordination properties. The proposed method is simulated using the IEEE standard 34‐bus distribution network.
Consensus of multi‐agent systems with general linear dynamics via dynamic output feedback control
Authors: Xu Jun , Xie Lihua , Li Tao , Lum Kai Yew
Published: March 2013

This study addresses consensus problems of multi‐agent systems (MASs) using dynamic output feedback control under both fixed and switching topologies. We aim to exploit the information structure for the consensusability of MASs. Necessary and sufficient conditions are presented in terms of detectability and stabilisability of the agents, graph topology, and some matrix inequality constraints. These conditions explicitly reveal how consensusability is affected by the intrinsic dynamics of the agents, the communication topology and available information. In addition, this paper provides several constructive procedures for protocol design to achieve consensus, and establishes the so‐called separation principle, which simplifies the design procedure greatly.
Fuzzy logic‐based adaptive gravitational search algorithm for optimal tuning of fuzzy‐controlled servo systems
Authors: Precup Radu‐Emil , David Radu‐Codruţ , Petriu Emil M. , Preitl Stefan , Rădac Mircea‐Bogdan
Published: March 2013

This study proposes an adaptive gravitational search algorithm (AGSA) which carries out adaptation of depreciation law of the gravitational constant and of a parameter in the weighted sum of all forces exerted from the other agents to the iteration index. The adaptation is ensured by a simple single input–two output (SITO) fuzzy block in the algorithm's structure. SITO fuzzy block operates in the iteration domain, the iteration index is the input variable and the gravitational constant and the parameter in the weighted sum of all forces are the output variables. AGSA's convergence is guaranteed by a theorem derived from Popov's hyperstability analysis results. AGSA is embedded in an original design and tuning method for Takagi‐Sugeno proportional‐integral fuzzy controllers (T‐S PI‐FCs) dedicated to servo systems modelled by second‐order models with an integral component and variable parameters. AGSA solves a minimisation‐type optimisation problem based on an objective function which depends on the sensitivity function with respect to process gain variations, therefore a reduced process gain sensitivity is offered. AGSA is validated by a case study that optimally tunes a T‐S PI‐FC for position control of a laboratory servo system.Representative experimental results are presented.
Temporal and one‐step stabilisability and detectability of discrete‐time linear systems
Authors: Van Willigenburg L. Gerard , De Koning Willem L.
Published: March 2013

In a past study the authors drew attention to the fact that time‐varying discrete‐time linear systems may be temporarily uncontrollable and unreconstructable and that this is vital knowledge for both control engineers and system scientists. Describing and detecting the temporal loss of controllability and reconstructability requires considering discrete‐time systems with variable dimensions and the j ‐step, k ‐step Kalman decomposition. In this study for linear discrete‐time systems with variable dimensions measures of temporal and one‐step stabilisability and detectability are developed. These measures indicate to what extent the temporal loss of controllability and reconstructability may lead to temporal instability of the closed‐loop system when designing a static state or dynamic output feedback controller. The measures are calculated by solving specific linear quadratic cheap control problems by means of standard linear quadratic control algorithms. The importance of our developments for control system design is illustrated by means of two numerical examples.
Delay‐dependent robust ℋ∞ filter design for state‐delayed discrete‐time linear systems via homogeneous polynomial matrices
Authors: Lacerda Márcio J. , Leite Valter J.S. , Oliveira Ricardo C.L.F. , Peres Pedro L.D.
Published: March 2013

This study presents new robust linear matrix inequality (LMI) conditions for robust ℋ∞ full‐order filter design of discrete‐time linear systems affected by time‐invariant uncertainty and a time‐varying state delay. Thanks to the use of a larger number of slack variables, the proposed robust LMI conditions contain and generalise other results from the literature. LMI relaxations based on homogeneous polynomial matrices of arbitrary degree are used to determine the state‐space realisation of the full‐order filter, that can also be implemented with delayed state terms whenever the time‐delay is available in real time. As another contribution, an iterative LMI‐based procedure involving the decision variables is proposed to improve the ℋ∞ filter performance. Numerical experiments illustrate the better performance of the proposed filter when compared to other approaches available in the literature.
Mandible and Zygomatic Fracture in a 2-Year-Old Patient due to Dog Bite
Authors: Baldi Jesús R. Manzani , Wolff de Freitas Daniel A.
Published: March 2013

Dog bite injury frequently occurs in children, and many of these bites involve the facial region. On the other hand, facial fractures due to dog attacks are a rare complication, with the orbital, nasal, and maxillary bones most often affected. We present a case report of a child who suffered a double facial fracture, mandible and left zygoma, due to a dog bite. The clinical diagnosis was supported by X-rays and computed tomography, which also provided information about the characteristics of the fracture. Internal fixation was done with titanium miniplates. Finally, the pathophysiological mechanism and the biomechanics of the fracture, as well as the use of resorbable versus nonresorbable material on infants, are discussed.
Design and experiment of a directional coupler for X-band long pulse high power microwaves
Authors: Bai Zhen , Li Guolin , Zhang Jun , Jin Zhenxing
Published: March 2013

Higher power and longer pulse are the trend of the development of high power microwave (HPM), and then some problems emerge in measuring the power of HPM because rf breakdown is easier to occur under the circumstance of high power (the level of gigawatt) and long pulse (about 100 ns). In order to measure the power of the dominant TM01 mode of an X-band long pulse overmoded HPM source, a directional coupler with stable coupling coefficient, high directivity, and high power handling capacity in wide band is investigated numerically and experimentally. At the central frequency 9.4 GHz, the simulation results show that the coupling coefficient is −59.6 dB with the directivity of 35 dB and the power handling capacity of 2 GW. The coupling coefficient is calibrated to be accordant with the simulation results. The high power tests are performed on an X-band long pulse HPM source, whose output mode is mainly TM01 mode, and the results show that the measured power and waveform of the directional coupler have a good consistency with the far-field measuring results.
Comb-linked, cavity ring-down spectroscopy for measurements of molecular transition frequencies at the kHz-level
Authors: Truong G.-W. , Long D. A. , Cygan A. , Lisak D. , van Zee R. D. , Hodges J. T.
Published: March 2013

We present a low uncertainty measurement technique for determining molecular transition frequencies. This approach is complementary to sub-Doppler saturation spectroscopies and is expected to enable new frequency measurements for a wide variety of molecular species with uncertainties at the kHz-level. The technique involves measurements of Doppler broadened lines using cavity ring-down spectroscopy whereby the probe laser is actively locked to the ring-down cavity and the spectrum frequencies are linked directly to an optical frequency comb that is referenced to an atomic frequency standard. As a demonstration we have measured the transition frequency of the (30012) ← (00001) P14e line of CO2 near 1.57 μm with a combined standard uncertainty of ∼9 kHz. This technique exhibits exceptional promise for measurements of transition frequencies and pressure shifting parameters of many weak absorbers, and indicates the potential for substantially improved measurements when compared to those obtained with conventional spectroscopic methods.
The physics of aerobreakup. III. Viscoelastic liquids
Authors: Theofanous T. G. , Mitkin V. V. , Ng C. L.
Published: March 2013

We extend the work of Theofanous and Li [Phys. Fluids 20, 052103 (2008)10.1063/1.2907989] on aerobreakup physics of water-like, low viscosity liquid drops, and of Theofanous et al. [Phys. Fluids 24, 022104 (2012)10.1063/1.3680867] for Newtonian liquids of any viscosity, to polymer-thickened liquids over wide ranges of viscoelasticity. The scope includes the full range of aerodynamics from near incompressible to supersonic flows and visualizations are recorded with μs/μm resolutions. The key physics of Rayleigh-Taylor piercing (RTP, first criticality) and of Shear-Induced Entrainment (SIE, second criticality) are verified and quantified on the same scaling approach as in our previous work, but with modifications due to the shear-thinning and elastic nature of these liquids. The same holds for the onset of surface waves by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, which is a key attribute of the second criticality. However, in the present case, even at conditions well-past the first criticality, there is no breakup (particulation) to be found; instead the apparently unstable (extensively stretched into sheets) drops rebound elastically to reconstitute an integral mass. Such a resistance to breakup is found also past the second criticality, now with extensive filament formation that maintain a significant degree of cohesiveness, until the gas-dynamic pressure is high enough to cause filament ruptures. Thereby we define the onset of a third criticality peculiar to viscoelastic liquids—SIER, for SIE with ruptures. Past this criticality the extent of particulation increases and the characteristic dimension of fragments generated decreases in a more or less continuous fashion with increasing dynamic pressure. We outline a rheology-based scaling approach for these elasticity-modulated phenomena and suggest a path to similitude (with polymer and solvent variations) in terms of a critical rupture stress that can be measured independently. The advanced stages of breakup and resulting particle clouds are observed and a clear definition and quantification of breakup time is offered.
High-power InP quantum dot based semiconductor disk laser exceeding 1.3 W
Authors: Schwarzbäck T. , Bek R. , Hargart F. , Kessler C. A. , Kahle H. , Koroknay E. , Jetter M. , Michler P.
Published: March 2013

We demonstrate an optically pumped semiconductor disk laser (OP-SDL) using InP quantum dots (QDs) as active material fabricated by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. The QDs are grown within [(Al0.1Ga0.9)0.52In0.48]0.5P0.5 (abbr. Al0.1GaInP) barriers in order to achieve an emission wavelength around 655 nm. We present optical investigations of the active region showing typical QD behavior like blue shift with increasing excitation power and single emission lines, which show anti-bunching in an intensity auto-correlation measurement. We report maximum output powers of the OP-SDL of 1.39 W at low emission wavelength of ∼654 nm with a slope efficiency of ηdiff=25.4 %.
The B1Π and D1Π states of LiRb
Authors: Ivanova Milena , Stein Alexander , Pashov Asen , Knöckel Horst , Tiemann Eberhard
Published: March 2013

We studied the molecule LiRb in the gas phase with high resolution by Fourier-transform spectroscopy of laser induced fluorescence. The spectra were assigned to transitions between the ground state X1Σ+ and B1Π or D1Π states and showed perturbations. For levels with e symmetry the coupling to the nearby state C1Σ+ was included in the analysis by means of coupled channel calculations. The evaluation gives potential energy curves for all three electronic states and the coupling functions for B-C coupling, which are related to the expectation value of the electronic orbital angular momentum operator L+ or L−. The same coupling between C and D states is considered, but is not yet as fixed as in the case B-C because of lack of data. The model was extended to include the Λ-doubling by distant electronic states through effective q-parameters, but their interpretation is incomplete because of several possible perturbing states and too few data.
Detection of protonated vinyl cyanide, CH2CHCNH+, a prototypical branched nitrile cation
Authors: Martinez Oscar , Lattanzi Valerio , Thorwirth Sven , McCarthy Michael C.
Published: March 2013

The rotational spectrum of protonated vinyl cyanide, CH2CHCNH+, a prototypical branched nitrile species and likely intermediate in astronomical sources and in the planetary atmosphere of Titan, has been detected in a pulsed-discharge supersonic molecular beam by means of Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Fifteen lines arising from 11 a-type rotational transitions have been observed between 9 and 46 GHz, several with partially resolved nitrogen hyperfine structure. From this data set, the leading spectroscopic constants, including all three rotational constants, have been determined to high accuracy. The agreement between experimental rotational constants and those calculated at the CCSD(T) level of theory is of order 0.1%. An even better estimate was obtained through empirical scaling using calculated and experimental rotational constants of isoelectronic vinyl acetylene. Measurement of a small nitrogen quadrupole coupling constant in protonated vinyl cyanide is consistent with a quadruply bound nitrogen atom and a H+–N≡C–R type structure. Because vinyl cyanide is abundant in molecule-rich astronomical sources and possesses a high proton affinity, and because protonated vinyl cyanide is unreactive with hydrogen and other well-known interstellar species, this cation is an excellent candidate for astronomical detection. The present work suggests that other organic molecules containing the nitrile group and closely related species such as protonated vinyl acetylene can probably be detected with the same instrumentation.