bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrated decision-making model for multi-attributes decision-making (MADM) problems in additive manufacturing process planning
Authors: Zhang Yicha , Bernard Alain
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated decision-making model for multi-attributes decision-making (MADM) problems in additive manufacturing (AM) process planning and for related MADM problems in other research areas.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research analyzed the drawbacks of former methods and then proposed two sub-decision-making models, “deviation model” and “similarity model”. The former sub-model aimed to measure the deviation extent of each alternative to the aspired goal based on analyzing Euclidean distance between them, whereas the latter sub-model applying grey incidence analysis was used to measure the similarity between alternatives and the expected goal by investigating the curve shape of each alternative. Afterwards, an integrated model based on the aggregation of the two sub-models was proposed and verified by a numerical example and simple case studies.

Findings

– The calculating results of the cited numerical example and the comparison to former related research showed that this proposed model is more practical and reasonable than former methods applied in MADM problems of AM. In addition, the proposed model can be applied in other fields where MADM problems exist.

Originality/value

– This proposed integrated model not only considered the deviation extent of alternatives to the aspired goal but also investigated the similarity between alternatives and the expected goal. The similarity analysis compensates the drawbacks of traditional “distance-based” models or methods that cannot distinguish alternatives which have the same distance-based index value.
Toolpaths for additive manufacturing of functionally graded materials (FGM) parts
Authors: Muller Pierre , Hascoet Jean-Yves , Mognol Pascal
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose an evaluation of toolpaths for additive manufacturing of functionally graded materials (FGM) parts to ensure the manufacturing of parts in compliance with the desired material distribution. The selection of an appropriate path strategy is critical when manufacturing FGM parts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The selection of a path strategy is based on a process modeling and an additive laser melting (ALM) system control. To do that, some path strategies are selected, simulated and compared.

Findings

– The comparison of some paths strategies was applied on a study case from the biomedical field. Test-parts were manufactured and analyzed. Results show a good correlation between the simulated and the deposited material distributions. The evaluation of toolpaths based on the process modeling and the system control was validated.

Originality/value

– Nowadays, FGM parts manufactured with ALM processes are not functional. To move from these samples to functional parts, it is necessary to have a global approach of the manufacturing procedure centered on the path planning. Few methodologies of path planning are adapted to FGM parts but are still limited.
Environmental impact modeling of selective laser sintering processes
Authors: Kellens Karel , Renaldi Renaldi , Dewulf Wim , Kruth Jean-pierre , Duflou Joost R.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present parametric models to estimate the environmental footprint of the selective laser sintering (SLS)’ production phase, covering energy and resource consumption as well as process emissions. Additive manufacturing processes such as (SLS) are often considered to be more sustainable then conventional manufacturing methods. However, quantitative analyses of the environmental impact of these processes are still limited and mainly focus on energy consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

– The required Life Cycle Inventory data are collected using the CO2PE! – Methodology, including time, power, consumables and emission studies. Multiple linear regression analyses have been applied to investigate the interrelationships between product design features on the one hand and production time (energy and resource consumption) on the other hand.

Findings

– The proposed parametric process models provide accurate estimations of the environmental footprint of SLS processes based on two design features, build height and volume, and help to identify and quantify measures for significant impact reduction of both involved products and the supporting machine tools.

Practical implications

– The gained environmental insight can be used as input for ecodesign activities, as well as environmental comparison of alternative manufacturing process plans.

Originality/value

– This article aims to overcome the current lack of environmental impact models, covering energy and resource consumption as well as process emissions for SLS processes.
Selective laser melting (SLM) of pure gold for manufacturing dental crowns
Authors: Khan Mushtaq , Dickens Phill
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present the application aspect of the work to manufacturing premolar and molar dental crowns by selective laser melting (SLM) of pure gold. Over the years different metals have been processed using laser-based Additive Manufacturing processes, but very little work has been published on the SLM of gold (Au). Previously published work presented suitable processing parameters for SLM of pure gold.

Design/methodology/approach

– Suitable processing parameters were used to manufacture premolar and molar dental crowns using SLM system. Different layer thickness was used to analyse the effect on surface quality of crowns. Mechanical properties are checked using nanoindentation and micro Computerized Tomography scanning.

Findings

– Dental crowns were successfully manufacturing using new build platform and suitable processing parameters. Parts were manufacturing using minimal supports which prevented parts from damaging during removal. A bed temperature of 100°C was found suitable for reducing warpage in the layers. Layer thickness of 50μm was found to have better surface quality and structural integrity as compared to 75μm. Porosity was found to be predominantly inter-layer. Small difference in mechanical properties of dental crowns is associated with the laser processing.

Originality/value

– This research is the first of its kind which presents dental crown manufacturing using SLM of pure gold.
Characterization of sintered hydroxyapatite samples produced by 3D printing
Authors: Pires I. , Gouveia B. , Rodrigues J. , Fonte R.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to characterize sintered hydroxyapatite (HA) samples produced by three-dimensional printing (3DP). This study is part of a project concerned with the fabrication of calcium phosphates implants by 3DP. However, before considering a more complex structure, like scaffolds or implants, a thorough knowledge of the role played by the sintering temperature on physical and mechanical the properties of porous HA is necessary.

Design/methodology/approach

– The characteristics of sintered HA samples have been analyzed by means of x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and uniaxial compression tests. The 3DP parameters used to produce the HA samples were those who led to higher accuracy and mechanical stability.

Findings

– Sintering temperature and powder morphology are critical factors influencing densification behavior, porosity, phase stability, mechanical strength and tangent modulus of the HA samples produced by 3DP. This study allowed us to conclude about the 3DP parameters to be used to produce porous HA specimens with the required integrity and dimensional accuracy, and the optimal post-processing sintering temperature which led to the best results in terms of porosity, microstructure, phase stability of HA and mechanical properties.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a method to evaluate the manufacturability of calcium phosphate models produced by 3DP.
Fabrication of three-dimensional honeycomb structure for aeronautical applications using selective laser melting: a preliminary investigation
Authors: Chantarapanich Nattapon , Laohaprapanon Apinya , Wisutmethangoon Sirikul , Jiamwatthanachai Pongnarin , Chalermkarnnon Prasert , Sucharitpwatskul Sedthawatt , Puttawibul Puttisak , Sitthiseripratip Kriskrai
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to investigate the feasibility on design and production of a three-dimensional honeycomb based on selective laser melting (SLM) technique for use in aeronautical application.

Design/methodology/approach

– Various polyhedrons were investigated using their mechanical property, i.e. strain energy density (SED), by means of finite element (FE) analysis for the suitability of use in aerospace application; the highest SED polyhedron was selected as a candidate polyhedron. From the FE analysis, the truncated octahedron (three-dimensional honeycomb) structure was considered to be the potential candidate. Polyhedron size and beam thickness of the open-cellular three-dimensional honeycomb structure were modelled and analysed to observe how the geometric properties influence the stiffness of the structure. One selected model of open-cellular honeycomb (unit cell size: 2.5 mm and beam thickness: 0.15 mm) was fabricated using SLM. The SLM prototypes were assessed by their mechanical properties, including compressive strength, stiffness and strength per weight ratio. To investigate the feasibility in production of airfoil section sandwich structure, NACA 0016 airfoil section with three-dimensional honeycomb core was constructed and also fabricated using SLM.

Findings

– According to the result, the three-dimensional honeycomb has elastic modulus of 63.18 MPa and compressive strength of 1.1 MPa, whereas strength per weight ratio is approximately 5.0 × 103 Nm/kg. The FE result presented good agreement to the mechanical testing result. The geometric parameter of the three-dimensional honeycomb structure influences the stiffness, especially the beam thickness, i.e. increase of beam thickness obviously produces the stiffer structure. In addition, the sandwich structure of airfoil was also successfully manufactured.

Originality/value

– This work demonstrated the production of sandwich structure of airfoil using SLM for aeronautical engineering. This investigation has shown the potential applications of the three-dimensional structure, e.g. aircraft interior compartment components and structure of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Childhood traumatic brain injury; education and medical disability
Authors: Nilsson Johanna , Emanuelson Ingrid
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe level of education and return to school and employment among children and young adults who sustained a Traumatic brain injury (TBI) 15 years ago and to analyse the occurrence of any medical disability.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is descriptive. The authors used a questionnaire with questions covering education, employment, sick leave, insurance compensation and medical follow-up.

Findings

– A total of 37 individuals, 17 (45.9 per cent) women and 20 (54.1 per cent) men, participated. Just over half (20 individuals, 54.1 per cent) were in employment, five (13.5 per cent) were unemployed and four (10.8 per cent) received disability pension. In total, 18 (48.6 per cent) individuals had received full compensation from their insurance companies, while 12 (35.3 per cent) had had their medical disability classified. A total of 12 (33.3 per cent) individuals were taking medication and five (13.9 per cent) had been followed by the health care system. The results indicate that people sustaining a TBI are less successful on the labour market than the general population, that relatively few had had their disability classified and that almost 50 per cent receive no insurance compensation.

Originality/value

– There are few long-term follow-up studies on brain injuries acquired during childhood, and this study would add to the previous knowledge, as aspects of medical disability and legal compensation are included.
Competitive analysis of a contact lens market
Authors: Toor Tajinder
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present a broader industry-level competitive analysis of a contact lens market.

Design/methodology/approach

– Porter’s Five Forces model can be used for a broader and rigorous competitive analysis of a contact lens market to determine the competitive intensity and to form a well-rounded business strategy.

Findings

– The contact lens market is highly competitive and unattractive. Because growth has been stagnant, traditional competition has become more intense to steal share from each other. However, the competition in the market could not be defined narrowly between traditional competition but is broad with substitutes, and bargaining power of customers and distributors. A contact lens manufacturer has to look beyond the traditional competition to not only compete with traditional competitors within the industry but also with substitutes, and bargaining power of customers and distributors.

Practical implications

– This paper will benefit contact lens manufacturers/businesses in forming a well-rounded business strategy.
An economy of access is opening for business: five strategies for success
Authors: Denning Stephen
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Many new businesses are being formed to offer shared products and services. The author describes this trend as an access economy, which offers customers the benefits of disintermediation - tourist accommodations without hotel chains, local transportation without taxi companies, peer-to-peer lending without banks, retail storefronts with brokers and leases. The paper aims to analyse the factors that are driving its growth.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author offers five strategies for success in the access economy and describes how firms are using them to gain competitive advantage.

Findings

– The sharing economy has produced three phenomena – the shredding of vertical value chains, the creation of vast new horizontal value chains, and the social change of people preferring access to ownership or accepting the benefits of access. Together they bring significant economic and social changes to business and society.

Practical implications

– Some companies are beginning to adjust to the generational shift from ownership to access by deemphasizing the sale of things and refocusing their business practices on managing every aspect of their client’s value chain – what they call being a “solution provider.”

Social implications

– Instead of planning their lives on the premise of acquiring and owning more private property, a new generation of web adventurers, mostly young people, is finding meaning and satisfaction in having shared access to things and interacting with other people in the process.

Originality/value

– Each business will likely have a unique take on the best way to compete is this emerging environment given how much its customers value access and accept sharing. The author’s five possible strategies provide a starting point for corporate competitive scenarios.
Strategy, organization and leadership in a new “transient-advantage” world
Authors: Leavy Brian
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– In this Masterclass Prof Leavy considers some game changing advice about how to manage the fundamental challenges of the spread of hyper-competition and speed at which knowledge advantages now typically erode. His intent is to advance the dialogue among the corporate strategy, innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship functions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The concepts and tools of three new books are studied closely: in The End of Competitive Advantage, strategy and innovation guru Rita Gunther McGrath offers a strategy playbook for what she calls the new “transient advantage economy; in Accelerate, change leadership researcher, John Kotter, makes the case for developing a new “strategy operating system” to run in tandem with the traditional “performance operating system,” so that renewal can become continuous rather than episodic; and in The Good Struggle, leadership and ethics expert, Joseph Badarraco turns to five enduring questions of responsible leadership and looks for the emerging answers that might offer the most valuable guidance to leaders now having to operate in today’s recombinant environment.

Findings

– The perspectives provided can help leaders raise the odds of working successfully and responsibly in the exciting, uncertain, recombinant, market-driven world that now surrounds us all.

Practical implications

– Clearly, not only do companies have to be become ever more adaptable, but ever more innovative. Lessons in how to do so are offered and exemplars are examined.

Originality/value

– The article looks at three management compentencies-strategy making, organization building and enlightened leadership – in the context of the disruptive, hypercompetitive environment of transient advantage.
Seven challenges management must overcome when implementing IT-shared services
Authors: Ulbrich Frank , Schulz Veit
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to empirically explore management challenges that management must overcome in the early phase of adopting IT-shared services. Organizations to an increasing extent adopt IT-shared services as a means to providing organization-wide IT services.

Design/methodology/approach

– Qualitative data from 20 case studies were analysed. The data were originally collected in a variety of predominantly large-size organizations from the public and private sectors in six different countries. The data used were collected between 2002 and 2010.

Findings

– Our research identifies seven reoccurring themes in the collected data, all being common management challenges. These challenges are evident within the whole organization – including their service-consuming business units – as well as their service-providing IT units. The seven challenges are related to the ability to deliver IT services, communication between IT and non-IT staff, IT-service portfolios, nature of IT services, power and control, pricing and service-level agreements.

Research limitations/implications

– Gaining a deeper understanding of the seven common challenges is essential for further research on how to manage the successful transition towards organization-wide shared-services arrangements.

Originality/value

– This study provides fundamental insights into the complex endeavour of adopting IT-shared services in organizations. It furthers the understanding of common management challenges, which management needs to consider in the early stage of an organization-wide adoption of IT-shared services.
Corporate sustainability: accounting standards vs tax by design
Authors: Russell David
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the contradiction between sustainability and accounting practices, underpinned by reporting standards and question whether financial statements prepared in this way represent a true and fair view? The paper highlights the disregard for externalities as a fundamental obstacle to sustainable reporting and proposes taxation designs to recognise the costs associated with externalities as the basis for equitable reporting, pricing and sustainable business practices.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach taken uses Smith’s (1776) tenets of a good tax, to consider characteristics of taxation that may be harnessed for financial reporting, valuation, economic substance and legal form.

Findings

– The findings reveal a case for further examination of the efficacy of taxation, alongside a full-cost accounting approach, to benefit sustainable reporting.

Research limitations/implications

– The implications of the research are a possible whole reappraisal of costs and prices to recognise the sustainability dimension and place it at the heart of the corporate agenda. The limitations arise from contestable valuation of sustainable matters, arising from a lack of an agreed theoretical framework.

Originality/value

– The paper proposes a realignment of costs and prices to correct market imperfection through the innovative application of taxation, but without a fundamental reappraisal of the economic status quo upon which Western-style capitalism is underpinned.
Modelling drivers of adapt for effective strategy execution
Authors: Kumar Srivastava Amit , Sushil Sushil
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to develop a framework for “Adapt” in the context of strategy execution.

Design/methodology/approach

– Both exploratory and confirmatory modes of research using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Interpretive Structure Modeling, Total Interpretive Structural Modeling and t-test methods have been conducted.

Findings

– The conceptualization of learning and learning organization can only be possible when organization develops adaptive culture. When an organization becomes learning organization, it starts becoming vital by adopting flexibility wherever and whenever it is required. This vitalization process helps organization use successfully the frameworks of strategy execution.

Research limitations/implications

– In many cases the Balance Score Card could not succeed. Our study suggests that the adaptive culture gives impetus for learning and growth suggested in balanced scorecard (BSC) and adapt suggested in Management System. This study is more an exploratory effort with limited sample size. The findings can be consolidated and enriched with significantly large sample from varied contexts.

Practical implications

– There is clear relative importance and sequence of corrective actions required to improve the hit rate of strategy execution. Organization can use the proposed framework to handle the issues of adapt in strategy execution.

Originality/value

– Many scholars have pointed out that there is lack of strategy execution framework, and more specifically, in the case of adapt. The study contributes by providing a conceptual framework to address different aspects of adapt and change management for effective strategy execution. Additionally, this study adds methodological value to traditional model building.
Identification of leadership in emerging tourist destinations
Authors: Zmys̀lony Piotr
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The paper aims to propose a method of identifying and evaluating leadership potential of stakeholders in emerging tourist destinations and to verify this method in three Polish destinations. Developing destinations miss well-established networking structures and management experiences. The greatest impact on their success is made by the most active stakeholders who are able to pool and mobilise partners and coordinate their efforts to realise common goals.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on a stakeholders’ potential analysis and the network approach. To identify destination leadership, the method – adapted from an axiological analysis of regional development participants – is used and verified in rural, coastal and mountain destinations in Poland. An in-depth analysis of stakeholders representing the public, private and non-profit sectors is conducted to assess their leadership potential. Ultimately, 183 interviews were conducted.

Findings

Based on literature review, five dimensions of destination leadership were identified, namely, networking capability, analytical abilities, impact capability, economic potential and legitimacy. In emerging destinations, the most influential stakeholders are characterised by strong impact, analytical leadership capabilities and legitimacy.

Research limitations/implications

The paper provides insights into destination leadership discussion and research. The limited number of verification cases and limited qualitative data analysis could be seen as its limitation.

Practical implications

Emerging destinations have incomplete leadership. An imbalanced structure of destination leadership may have serious consequences on stability and development of destinations; it also affects the process of identification of potential leaders.

Originality/value

The paper is original because it proposes an innovative method of identifying destination leadership, especially in emerging destinations.
Economic crisis and the image of Portugal as a tourist destination: the hospitality perspective
Authors: Veiga Luís
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impacts of the economic crisis on the image of Portugal as a touristic destination and the main changes operationalized during this recession period to secure better tourism performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using official statistical data and other information available, the author takes a critical look at the evolution of the touristic market in Portugal prior to the Eurozone debt crisis, and reflects on the main challenges and possible solutions as they relate to the hospitality industry.

Findings

– Crisis, tension and austerity measures are definitely negative factors in terms of the domestic market and tourism demand. However, a new competitive way forward may emerge as governmental policies are implemented to help reduce inefficient micro regional tourism, facilitate financing and venture capital and use digital marketing strategies to reach external markets.

Research limitations/implications

– The goal of reducing costs and increasing efficiency as well as gaining a better understanding of the importance of tourism in the current balance of payments is not enough to produce significant improvements in the hotel industry. It is suggested that independent hotels (about 60 per cent of the total in Portugal) should benefit from industry benchmarks, to increase up-selling and cross-selling policies in a customer-focused environment.

Originality/value

– The paper reflects on the creation of long-term superior value in the hotel industry and the role of investors, government and associations in this respect and on the importance of committing to this task of value creation.
Translating intermediate phenotypes to psychopathology: The NIMH Research Domain Criteria
Authors: Cuthbert Bruce N.
Published: November 2014

The Research Domain Criteria project (RDoC) was initiated by the National Institute of Mental Health in early 2009 to “develop, for research purposes, new ways of classifying mental disorders based on dimensions of observable behavior and neurobiological measures.” RDoC provides a framework for psychopathology research intended to explicate specific aspects of functional impairment by studying relevant brain‐behavior relationships, in contrast to the current heterogeneous categories of mental disorders defined by various groupings of symptoms. Endophenotypes fit naturally into the RDoC context since they are typically conceived to be closer to fundamental neural and psychological mechanisms than more abstracted disorder categories. Consequently, the genomic aspects of endophenotypes take on particular significance for understanding genetic risk architectures in such an approach to psychopathology.
Designing Bayesian Sampling Plans with Adaptive Progressive Hybrid Censored Samples
Authors: Liang TaChen
Published: November 2014

This paper studies the acceptance sampling for exponential distributions with type-I and type-II adaptive progressive hybrid censored samples. Algorithms are proposed for deriving Bayesian sampling plans. We compare the performance of the proposed sampling plans with the sampling plans of Lin and Huang (2012). The numerical results indicate that the proposed sampling plans outperform the sampling plans of Lin and Huang (2012).
Coronary Artery Fistulae Discovered during Presentation of a Patient Having Heart Failure due to Severe Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Alammar Abdulrahman Khalifa
Published: November 2014

Introduction. Coronary artery fistulae (CAF) are rare defects with abnormal communication between a coronary artery with either a cardiac chamber or another vascular structure, bypassing the myocardial capillary network. We report a rare multiple arterial coronary fistulae with drainage to the right pulmonary artery.Case Presentation. A 56-year-old male was brought to our hospital for work-up of severe aortic stenosis. Further evaluation revealed multiple CAF with abnormal drainage to the right pulmonary artery. He was discharged after aortic valve replacement and closure of the coronary fistula.Conclusion. This case demonstrates that patients with complex CAF and drainage to the right pulmonary artery can remain asymptomatic and diagnosed accidentally during cardiac imaging, presenting particular challenges in both medical and surgical treatment.
Observation of the Primo Vessel Approaching the Axillary Lymph Node with the Fluorescent Dye, DiI
Authors: Park Su Youn , Chang Byung-Soo , Lee Seung Hwan , Yoon Ju Hwan , Kim Sungchul , Soh Kwang-Sup
Published: November 2014

The primo vascular system (PVS) floating in lymph fluid has mostly been observed in large caliber ducts around the caudal vena cava and the thoracic duct of rabbits, rats, and mice. But the PVS has not been traced up to the lymph nodes. It has not been established whether the PVS leaves the lymph vessel through the lymph vessel wall or it enters the lymph nodes. Therefore, observing the PVS entering a lymph node, for example, the axillary node, is desirable. In the current work, we traced the PVS approaching up to the surface of axillary node of a rat. The method used for this study was based upon a method that was recently developed to detect the PVS in the lymph duct from the inguinal to the axillary nodes in the skin of a rat by injecting Alcian blue into the inguinal node. However, the Alcian blue blurred near the lymph nodes and tracing the PVS up to the lymph nodes has not been possible. The current method clearly showed the PVS approaching the axillary node.
Heritability and Genetic Advance among Chili Pepper Genotypes for Heat Tolerance and Morphophysiological Characteristics
Authors: Usman Magaji G. , Rafii M. Y. , Ismail M. R. , Malek M. A. , Abdul Latif Mohammad
Published: November 2014

High temperature tolerance is an important component of adaptation to arid and semiarid cropping environment in chili pepper. Two experiments were carried out to study the genetic variability among chili pepper for heat tolerance and morphophysiological traits and to estimate heritability and genetic advance expected from selection. There was a highly significant variation among the genotypes in response to high temperature (CMT), photosynthesis rate, plant height, disease incidence, fruit length, fruit weight, number of fruits, and yield per plant. At 5% selection intensity, high genetic advance as percent of the mean (>20%) was observed for CMT, photosynthesis rate, fruit length, fruit weight, number of fruits, and yield per plant. Similarly, high heritability (>60%) was also observed indicating the substantial effect of additive gene more than the environmental effect. Yield per plant showed strong to moderately positive correlations (r=0.23–0.56) at phenotypic level while at genotypic level correlation coefficient ranged from 0.16 to 0.72 for CMT, plant height, fruit length, and number of fruits. Cluster analysis revealed eight groups and Group VIII recorded the highest CMT and yield. Group IV recorded 13 genotypes while Groups II, VII, and VIII recorded one each. The results showed that the availability of genetic variance could be useful for exploitation through selection for further breeding purposes.
Energy Consumption Modelling of the Machining System Based on Petri Net
Authors: Wang Qiulian , Wang Xianglian , Yang Suihong
Published: November 2014

Increasing pressures from a variety of directives and standards have caused the manufacturing enterprises to consider and initiate implementation of energy assessment and energy quota practices to improve both their economic and environmental performance. Therefore, in view of the complexity of machining system's energy consumption and the difficulty of data collection for energy analysis, a simplified and practical energy consumption model for machining system based on Coloured Petri Net (CPN) was proposed. Firstly, the energy flow of machining system was analysed. And then the energy consumption model of the machining system processing various tasks based on CPN was proposed, where the calculation method of energy use during production was simplified and it was determined by four parameters: idle power of machine, machining time, material pattern, and material removal volume. Finally, through the case study of a machining system with two tasks, the proposed energy model was simulated and the simulation results were proved to be significant in practice.
Numerical Algorithm Based on Haar-Sinc Collocation Method for Solving the Hyperbolic PDEs
Authors: Pirkhedri A. , Javadi H. H. S. , Navidi H. R.
Published: November 2014

The present study investigates the Haar-Sinc collocation method for the solution of the hyperbolic partial telegraph equations. The advantages of this technique are that not only is the convergence rate of Sinc approximation exponential but the computational speed also is high due to the use of the Haar operational matrices. This technique is used to convert the problem to the solution of linear algebraic equations via expanding the required approximation based on the elements of Sinc functions in space and Haar functions in time with unknown coefficients. To analyze the efficiency, precision, and performance of the proposed method, we presented four examples through which our claim was confirmed.
Regional Reduction of Ganglion Cell Complex after Vitrectomy with Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling for Idiopathic Macular Hole
Authors: Baba Takayuki , Sato Eiju , Oshitari Toshiyuki , Yamamoto Shuichi
Published: November 2014

Purpose. To determine whether the reduction of ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness is uniform in the parafoveal region after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for idiopathic macular hole (MH).Methods. Thirty-nine consecutive eyes were studied. Vitrectomy was performed with ILM peeling with brilliant blue G (BBG) staining, and room air was used for an intraocular tamponade. The GCC thickness and retinal sensitivity were measured at the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal quadrants around the fovea using spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and microperimetry (MP-1). The measurements were made at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months postoperatively.Results. In 38 of the 39 eyes, the MH was closed after the initial surgery. At three and six months, the percentage of eyes with significantly thinner GCC areas was higher at the temporal quadrant (40.5% at 3 months and 46.0% at 6 months) than that at the other quadrants (P<0.001, P<0.001, resp.). The retinal sensitivity was also significantly lower in the temporal area than in the other areas (15.7 dB at 3 months,P=0.003; 15.4 dB at 6 months,P=0.006).Conclusion. These findings indicate that the inner retina in the temporal area may be more vulnerable to surgical manipulations than the other areas.
Determinant Factors of Anemia among Nonpregnant Women of Childbearing Age in Southwest Ethiopia: A Community Based Study
Authors: Asres Yaregal , Yemane Tilahun , Gedefaw Lealem
Published: November 2014

Background. Anemia affects one-quarter of the world’s population; nonpregnant women were one of the groups for whom it is common, making it a global public health problem. Objective. To determine prevalence and risk factors of anemia among nonpregnant women of childbearing age in Jimma town southwest Ethiopia. Methodology. We conducted a community based cross-sectional study involving 441 nonpregnant women. Data was collected over two months of period. We collected sociodemographic and related data using structured questionnaire. We collected four milliliters of venous blood and five grams of stool samples from each study participant for hematological and parasitological analysis. We performed statistical analysis using SPSS-V 16 software. Result. The prevalence of anemia was 16.1% (n=71) with mean hemoglobin 12.96 g/dL (±1.04), among which 97.2% (n=69) were mildly anemic. Age group of 25–36 years old, lower economic level, illiteracy, multiparity, having intestinal parasitic infection, using more than two sanitary pads per day during menstruation period, and low body mass index were found to be risk factors of anemia among the group. Conclusion. Prevalence of anemia indicates mild public health importance which shows it was indeed public health problem. Identified risk factors should be considered for prevention and control of anemia among the group.
Link Prediction in Complex Network via Penalizing Noncontribution Relations of Endpoints
Authors: Zhu Xuzhen , Tian Yang , Tian Hui
Published: November 2014

Similarity based link prediction algorithms become the focus in complex network research. Although endpoint degree as source of influence diffusion plays an important role in link prediction, some noncontribution links, also called noncontribution relations, involved in the endpoint degree serve nothing to the similarity between the two nonadjacent endpoints. In this paper, we propose a novel link prediction algorithm to penalize those endpoints’ degrees including many null links in influence diffusion, namely, noncontribution relations penalization algorithm, briefly called NRP. Seven mainstream baselines are introduced for comparison on nine benchmark datasets, and numerical analysis shows great improvement of accuracy performance, measured by the Area Under roc Curve (AUC). At last, we simply discuss the complexity of our algorithm.
Application of Real-Time Automated Traffic Incident Response Plan Management System: A Web Structure for the Regional Highway Network in China
Authors: Ma Yongfeng , Zhang Wenbo , Xie Junping , Lu Jian
Published: November 2014

Traffic incidents, caused by various factors, may lead to heavy traffic delay and be harmful to traffic capacity of downstream sections. Traffic incident management (TIM) systems have been developed widely to respond to traffic incidents intelligently and reduce the losses. Traffic incident response plans, as an important component of TIM, can effectively guide responders as to what and how to do in traffic incidents. In the paper, a real-time automated traffic incident response plan management system was developed, which could generate and manage traffic incident response plans timely and automatically. A web application structure and a physical structure were designed to implement and show these functions. A standard framework of data storage was also developed to save information about traffic incidents and generated response plans. Furthermore, a conformation survey and case-based reasoning (CBR) were introduced to identify traffic incident and generate traffic incident response plans automatically, respectively. Twenty-three traffic crash-related incidents were selected and three indicators were used to measure the system performance. Results showed that 20 of 23 cases could be retrieved effectively and accurately. The system is practicable to generate traffic incident response plans and has been implemented in China.
In Vitro Assessment of Cytotoxicity, Antioxidant, and Anti‐Inflammatory Activities of Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) Leaf Extracts
Authors: Nemudzivhadi Vhutshilo , Masoko Peter
Published: November 2014

Ricinus communis has been utilized traditionally as medicine to treat inflammatory related diseases including wounds, sores, and boils. The leaves of R. communis were sequentially extracted with n‐hexane, dichloromethane, acetone, and methanol using serial exhaustive extraction method. Antioxidant activity of all crude extracts was quantitatively measured against 2,2′‐azino‐bis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) free radical molecules using ABTS+ assay. Cytotoxic effect and anti‐inflammatory activity of R. communis leaves extracts were evaluated on Human Caucasian skin fibroblast and Raw 264.7 macrophage cell lines, respectively. Methanol extract had the highest percentage free radical (ABTS+) scavenging activity of 95% at 2.50 mg/mL, acetone 91%, dichloromethane 62%, and hexane the least (50%). Percentage scavenging activity of ABTS+ free radical molecules increases with increase in concentrations of the plant extracts. Hexane and dichloromethane extracts had more than 90% cell viability at 100 µg/mL after 24 and 48 hours of exposure. Methanol extract had LC50 of 784 µg/mL after 24‐hour exposure, hexane had 629.3 µg/mL and dichloromethane 573.6 µg/mL, and 544.6 µg/mL was the lowest with acetone extract. The study present the first report on the scavenging activity of R. communis leaf extracts against ABTS+ radicals and cytotoxic effects on human Caucasian skin fibroblast cell lines.
The Effects of Quinacrine, Proglumide, and Pentoxifylline on Seizure Activity, Cognitive Deficit, and Oxidative Stress in Rat Lithium-Pilocarpine Model of Status Epilepticus
Authors: Ahmad Mohammad , Abu-Taweel Gasem M. , Aboshaiqah Ahmad E. , Ajarem Jamaan S.
Published: November 2014

The present data indicate that status epilepticus (SE) induced in adult rats is associated with cognitive dysfunctions and cerebral oxidative stress (OS). This has been demonstrated using lithium-pilocarpine (Li-Pc) model of SE. OS occurring in hippocampus and striatum of mature brain following SE is apparently due to both the increased free radicals production and the limited antioxidant defense. Pronounced alterations were noticed in the enzymatic, glutathione-S transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as in the nonenzymatic; thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GST), indices of OS in the hippocampus and striatum of SE induced animals. Quinacrine (Qcn), proglumide (Pgm), and pentoxifylline (Ptx) administered to animals before inducing SE, were significantly effective in ameliorating the seizure activities, cognitive dysfunctions, and cerebral OS. The findings suggest that all the drugs were effective in the order of Ptx < Pgm < Qcn indicating that these drugs are potentially antiepileptic as well as antioxidant; however, further studies are needed to establish this fact. It can be assumed that these antiepileptic substances with antioxidant properties combined with conventional therapies might provide a beneficial effect in treatment of epilepsy through ameliorating the cerebral OS.
Novel Antidepressant‐Like Activity of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Is Mediated by Enhanced Glucocorticoid Receptor Function in the Hippocampus
Authors: Lee Mi-Sook , Kim Young Han , Lee Bo-ram , Kwon Seung-Hae , Moon Won-Jin , Hong Kwan-Su , Song Yun Seon , Morita Kyoji , Hahm Dae Hyun , Shim Insop , Her Song
Published: November 2014

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component of propolis that has a variety of potential pharmacological effects. Although we previously demonstrated that propolis has antidepressant‐like activity, the effect of CAPE on this activity remains unknown. The present study assessed whether treatment with CAPE (5, 10, and 20 µmol/kg for 21 days) has an antidepressant‐like effect in mice subjected to chronic unpredictable stress via tail suspension (TST) and forced swim (FST) tests. CAPE administration induced behaviors consistent with an antidepressant effect, evidenced by decreased immobility in the TST and FST independent of any effect on serum corticosterone secretion. Western blots, conducted subsequent to behavioral assessment, revealed that CAPE significantly decreased glucocorticoid receptor phosphorylation at S234 (pGR(S234)), resulting in an increased pGR(S220/S234) ratio. We also observed negative correlations between pGR(S220)/(S234) and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) phosphorylation, which was decreased by CAPE treatment. These findings suggest that CAPE treatment exerts an antidepressant‐like effect via downregulation of p38MAPK phosphorylation, thereby contributing to enhanced GR function.
Differentiation of Benign Angiomatous and Microcystic Meningiomas with Extensive Peritumoral Edema from High Grade Meningiomas with Aid of Diffusion Weighted MRI
Authors: Azizyan Avetis , Eboli Paula , Drazin Doniel , Mirocha James , Maya Marcel M. , Bannykh Serguei
Published: November 2014

Objective. To determine whether angiomatous and microcystic meningiomas which mimic high grade meningiomas based on extent of peritumoral edema can be reliably differentiated as low grade tumors using normalized apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values.Methods. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of seventy patients with meningiomas was reviewed. Morphologically, the tumors were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 contained 12 pure microcystic, 3 pure angiomatoid and 7 mixed angiomatoid and microcystic tumors. Group 2 included World Health Organization (WHO) grade II and WHO grade III tumors, of which 28 were atypical and 9 were anaplastic meningiomas. Group 3 included WHO grade I tumors of morphology different than angiomatoid and microcystic. Peritumoral edema, normalized ADC, and cerebral blood volume (CBV) were obtained for all meningiomas.Results. Edema index of tumors in group 1 and group 2 was significantly higher than in group 3. Normalized ADC value in group 1 was higher than in group 2, but not statistically significant between groups 1 and 3. CBV values showed no significant group differences.Conclusion. A combination of peritumoral edema index and normalized ADC value is a novel approach to preoperative differentiation between true aggressive meningiomas and mimickers such as angiomatous and microcystic meningiomas.
Partial Cystectomy after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Contemporary Experience
Authors: Bazzi Wassim M. , Kopp Ryan P. , Donahue Timothy F. , Bernstein Melanie , Russo Paul , Bochner Bernard H. , Donat Sherri M. , Dalbagni Guido , Herr Harry W.
Published: November 2014

Objective. To report our contemporary experience with partial cystectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and Methods. Retrospective review of patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and partial cystectomy for urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from 1995 to 2013. Log-rank test and Cox regression models were used to analyze variables possibly associated with recurrence-free, advanced recurrence-free (free from recurrence beyond salvage with intravesical therapy or radical cystectomy), and overall survival. Results. All 36 patients had a solitary tumor <5 cm in size. Twenty-one patients (58%) achieved cT0 following neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 7 (33%) having residual disease at PC. At last follow-up, 19 (53%) patients had recurrence, 15 (42%) had advanced recurrence, 10 (28%) died of disease, and 22 (61%) maintained an intact bladder. Median follow-up of those who were with no evidence of disease was 17 months. On univariable analysis, after neoadjuvant chemotherapy positive nodes on imaging and positive surgical margin at partial cystectomy were both associated with worse recurrence-free, advanced recurrence-free, and overall survival. Five-year recurrence-free, advanced recurrence-free, and overall survival were 28%, 51%, and 63%, respectively. Conclusion. Partial cystectomy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy provides acceptable oncologic outcomes in highly selected patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.