bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unravelling the nocturnal appearance of bogue Boops boops shoals in the anthropogenically modified shallow littoral
Authors: Mavraki N. , Georgiadis M. , Koutsikopoulos C. , Tzanatos E.
Published: April 2016

In the present study the role of the nocturnal migration of bogue Boops boops shoals to anthropogenically modified shallow littoral locations was examined, evaluating four alternative hypotheses: (1) feeding, (2) reproduction, (3) attraction of B. boops to artificial light and (4) concealment in the darkness related to predation avoidance. All hypotheses apart from predation avoidance were rejected, as B. boops tended to concentrate in shaded locations of wider illuminated areas, a finding not only important concerning fish behaviour, but also with significant management implications.
Physical Properties of Cassava Grits before and after Pneumatic Drying
Authors: Romuli Sebastian , Abass Adebayo , Müller Joachim
Published: April 2016

Particle characteristics are crucial knowledge to improve the process chain of cassava flour. Wet and dry grits, as the intermediate products, were investigated in this study. With respect to particle size, wet grits were predominately (66.7%) obtained between mesh size 0.50 and 1.00 mm, while dry grits (28.4%) were between 0.09 and 0.25 mm. Higher moisture content of wet grits generally resulted in higher bulk density, static and dynamic angle of repose, but lower particle density and porosity than dry grits. Plywood typically led to the highest coefficient of static friction of both, wet and dry grits. The transported mass and air velocity fitted well into a sigmoidal model. Due to particle size, terminal velocity of wet and dry grits ranged from 1.07 to 4.25 m/s and from 0.88 to 2.87 m/s, respectively, whereas conveying velocity ranged from 1.23 to 6.47 m/s and from 1.02 to 3.70 m/s.

Practical Applications

Physical characteristics of wet and dry cassava grits were compared and studied. Particle size distribution relies on moisture change before and after drying. Effect of particle size on the aerodynamic properties was investigated. Homogeneity of particle size before flash drying should be controlled using sieves.
Oral‐health‐related quality of life of dental patients: a hospital based study in far north Queensland, Australia
Authors: Bilic Shontel , Blomberg Ingrid , Burry Kate , Chong Erica , Yeung Eric , Ariyawardana Anura
Published: April 2016

Objective

To investigate the prevalence, extent, and severity of oral‐health‐related quality of life among dental patients in far north Queensland, Australia.

Methods

A questionnaire was designed consisting of two parts: socio‐demographic questions and the short form of Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14) in part 1 and 2 respectively. The survey was conducted from July to August 2014 among patients attending the James Cook University Dental Clinic.

Results

Five hundred and nineteen questionnaires were distributed and collected. Of these, 40 were excluded from the analysis due to being incomplete. Therefore, a total of 479 questionnaires were available for the analysis. Half the respondents (50.9%) reported one or more of the 14 impacts as “fairly often” or “very often.” The individual OHIP items with the highest prevalence recorded were physical pain and psychological discomfort. Females (52.2%) experienced a slightly higher prevalence compared to males (49.3%) but this difference was not statistically significant (Chi‐square test: P > 0.05). Participants who identified as Indigenous Australian or Torres Strait Islanders and those in the 36–50 age group recorded the highest prevalence (Kruskal–Wallis test: P < 0.05). Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders also reported the highest mean extent score (4.39) and mean severity score (23.19).

Conclusion

This study revealed comparatively higher prevalence, extent, and severity scores reflecting a significantly poor oral‐health‐related quality of life among dental patients living in far north Queensland, Australia.
Rejuvenation of the deep superior sulcus in the eyelid
Authors: Moon Hyung Suk , Ahn Byungjoon , Lee Jun Hee , Rah Dong Kyun , Park Tae Hwan
Published: April 2016

Background

Nowadays, a number of patients seeking cosmetic surgery for their sunken upper eyelid are increasing. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the various treatment options for sunken superior sulcus with reported complications and to discuss effective methods for treatment.

Methods

In a PubMed search, studies involving patients undergoing correction of sunken superior sulcus with various treatment options were included.

Results

A systematic search revealed twelve articles representing 680 cases that satisfied inclusion criteria. All were case series, and no randomized controlled studies were found. Five reported on augmentation of the deformity with surgery, while hyaluronic acid filler was used in four reports. There was a report attempting to correct the deformity by the microautologous fat grafting. The combined surgical approaches including ptosis correction with upper blepharoplasty and appropriate fat grafting were used in two reports. About 7.2% of patients (49/680) experienced complications, with 4.3% requiring re‐operation, while no severe complications were observed.

Conclusions

By careful identification of the clinical features and proper classification of the types of sunken superior sulcus, the treatment plan can be specified.
First report of icatibant treatment in a pregnant patient with hereditary angioedema
Authors: Farkas Henriette , Kőhalmi Kinga Viktória , Veszeli Nóra , Tóth Ferenc , Varga Lilian
Published: April 2016

Hereditary angioedema resulting from C1‐inhibitor deficiency (C1‐INH‐HAE) is a rare, autosomal dominant disorder, characterized by recurrent attacks of edema formation. The management of pregnant patients with C1‐INH‐HAE is often a challenge for the physician. There is limited experience with novel therapies. Plasma‐derived nanofiltered C1‐INH (pnfC1‐INH) is the only recommended therapeutic option during pregnancy. In our 26‐year‐old female patient with type II C1‐INH‐HAE, pregnancy was confirmed in the sixth week of gestation. During this period, the patient received the bradykinin B2‐receptor antagonist, icatibant, on five occasions, as acute treatment. She experienced 119 attacks, for which she received 108 vials of pnfC1‐INH during her pregnancy. The patient gave birth to a healthy baby. No side effects were detected with either treatment. No reports have been published to date on multiple dosing with icatibant during the first trimester of pregnancy. This therapy proved effective and free of maternal or fetal adverse effects.
Bilateral ovarian maldescent: Unusual cause of infertility – A case report and literature review
Authors: Garg D. , Grazi R. , Kankanala N. , Melzer‐Ross K.
Published: April 2016

Infertility due to ovarian maldescent is extremely rare and diagnosis can be challenging in the absence of uterine anomalies. We present a case of infertility due to bilateral ovarian maldescent with normal uterine anatomy who conceived after in vitro fertilization and did not require removal of the ovaries. A 19‐year‐old woman presented with primary infertility. After three failed cycles of ovulation induction/intrauterine insemination and one failed cycle of fresh embryo transfer, the patient underwent laparoscopy, which showed bilateral ovaries above the pelvic brim. The patient conceived after second in vitro fertilization and delivered at 34 weeks. Accurate diagnosis of ovarian maldescent in a patient of unexplained infertility and normal uterus is crucial for successful follicular aspiration and infertility treatment. It is important to counsel patients about the benign nature of this rare entity and future fertility.
Atrial fibrillation: from atrial extrasystoles to atrial cardiomyopathy – what have we learned from basic science and interventional procedures?
Authors: Blomström‐Lundqvist C.
Published: April 2016

Content List – Read more articles from the symposium: Atrial fibrillation ‐ from atrial extrasystoles to atrial cardiomyopathy. What have we learned from basic science and interventional procedures
Likely allopatric origins of Adiantum × meishanianum (Pteridaceae) through multiple hybridizations
Authors: Shang Hui , Wang Ying , Zhu Xiao‐Feng , Zhao Guo‐Hua , Wang Fan‐Hong , Lu Jin‐Mei , Yan Yue‐Hong
Published: April 2016

Adiantum × meishanianum F. S. Hsu ex Y. C. Liu & W. L. Chiou was regarded as an endemic species in Meishan Village, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China and a hybrid between A. malesianum Ghatak (the maternal parent) and a sexually reproducing diploid cryptic species of A. philippense L. (the paternal parent), as revealed by chloroplast and nuclear markers. However, morphological research revealed that A. × meishanianum is also disjunctively distributed in Yunnan and that its paternal parent is possibly A. menglianense Y. Y. Qian. Thus, this study aimed to confirm these findings by using two chloroplast regions and a low‐copy nuclear marker in DNA barcoding and phylogenetic analyses, spore measurement, and flow cytometry. Our results indicated that A. × meishanianum in Yunnan is triploid and abortive, the same as A. × meishanianum in Taiwan, and they both originated from the hybridization between the maternal parent of A. malesianum and the paternal parent of A. menglianense, but not A. philippense. In conclusion, A. × meishanianum probably originated from multiple hybridizations in Taiwan and Yunnan.
The transcriptomic response of the coral Acropora digitifera to a competent Symbiodinium strain: the symbiosome as an arrested early phagosome
Authors: Mohamed A. R. , Cumbo V. , Harii S. , Shinzato C. , Chan C. X. , Ragan M. A. , Bourne D. G. , Willis B. L. , Ball E. E. , Satoh N. , Miller D. J.
Published: April 2016

Despite the ecological significance of the relationship between reef‐building corals and intracellular photosynthetic dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in its establishment. Indeed, microarray‐based analyses point to the conclusion that host gene expression is largely or completely unresponsive during the establishment of symbiosis with a competent strain of Symbiodinium. In this study, the use of Illumina RNA‐Seq technology allowed detection of a transient period of differential expression involving a small number of genes (1073 transcripts; <3% of the transcriptome) 4 h after the exposure of Acropora digitifera planulae to a competent strain of Symbiodinium (a clade B strain). This phenomenon has not previously been detected as a consequence of both the lower sensitivity of the microarray approaches used and the sampling times used. The results indicate that complex changes occur, including transient suppression of mitochondrial metabolism and protein synthesis, but are also consistent with the hypothesis that the symbiosome is a phagosome that has undergone early arrest, raising the possibility of common mechanisms in the symbiotic interactions of corals and symbiotic sea anemones with their endosymbionts.
EnvironmentalDNAmetabarcoding of lake fish communities reflects long‐term data from established survey methods
Authors: Hänfling Bernd , Lawson Handley Lori , Read Daniel S. , Hahn Christoph , Li Jianlong , Nichols Paul , Blackman Rosetta C. , Oliver Anna , Winfield Ian J.
Published: April 2016

Organisms continuously releaseDNAinto their environments via shed cells, excreta, gametes and decaying material. Analysis of this ‘environmentalDNA’ (eDNA) is revolutionizing biodiversity monitoring.eDNAoutperforms many established survey methods for targeted detection of single species, but few studies have investigated how welleDNAreflects whole communities of organisms in natural environments. We investigated whethereDNAcan recover accurate qualitative and quantitative information about fish communities in large lakes, by comparison to the most comprehensive long‐term gill‐net data set available in theUK. Seventy‐eight 2L water samples were collected along depth profile transects, gill‐net sites and from the shoreline in three large, deep lakes (Windermere, Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwent Water) in the English Lake District. Water samples were assayed byeDNAmetabarcoding of the mitochondrial 12S and cytochromebregions. Fourteen of the 16 species historically recorded in Windermere were detected usingeDNA, compared to four species in the most recent gill‐net survey, demonstratingeDNAis extremely sensitive for detecting species. A key question for biodiversity monitoring is whethereDNAcan accurately estimate abundance. To test this, we used the number of sequence reads per species and the proportion of sampling sites in which a species was detected witheDNA(i.e. site occupancy) as proxies for abundance.eDNAabundance data consistently correlated with rank abundance estimates from established surveys. These results demonstrate thateDNAmetabarcoding can describe fish communities in large lakes, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and has great potential as a complementary tool to established monitoring methods.
Use of high‐flow nasal cannula in neonates: Nationwide survey in Japan
Authors: Motojima Yukiko , Ito Masato , Oka Shuntaro , Uchiyama Atsushi , Tamura Masanori , Namba Fumihiko
Published: April 2016

High‐flow nasal cannula is a new modality of respiratory support and is increasing in popularity despite the lack of supporting evidence. We investigated the prevalence of its use in tertiary neonatal units in Japan. A paper‐based survey was conducted. The response rate was 83%. High‐flow nasal cannula was used in 46/80 units (58%), of which 96% used the high‐flow nasal cannula without guidelines. It was used for several indications, including weaning off nasal continuous positive airway pressure and post‐extubation respiratory support. The main perceived benefits of the cannula included better access to the neonate and reduced risk of nasal trauma. This survey found that high‐flow nasal cannula is used without clear criteria and that clinical practice varies across neonatal units in Japan. Its use in neonates needs to be urgently evaluated.
Alternation of generations – unravelling the underlying molecular mechanism of a 165‐year‐old botanical observation
Authors: Horst N. A. , Reski R.
Published: April 2016

Characteristically, land plants exhibit a life cycle with an ‘alternation of generations’ and thus alternate between a haploid gametophyte and a diploid sporophyte. At meiosis and fertilisation the transitions between these two ontogenies take place in distinct single stem cells. The evolutionary invention of an embryo, and thus an upright multicellular sporophyte, in the ancestor of land plants formed the basis for the evolution of increasingly complex plant morphologies shaping Earth's ecosystems. Recent research employing the moss Physcomitrella patens revealed the homeotic gene BELL1 as a master regulator of the gametophyte‐to‐sporophyte transition. Here, we discuss these findings in the context of classical botanical observations.
Direct and host‐mediated interactions between Fusarium pathogens and herbivorous arthropods in cereals
Authors: Drakulic J. , Bruce T. J. A. , Ray R. V.
Published: April 2016

Fusarium head blight and fusarium ear rot diseases of cereal crops are significant global problems, causing yield and grain quality losses and accumulation of harmful mycotoxins. Safety limits have been set by the European Commission for several Fusarium‐produced mycotoxins; mitigating the risk of breaching these limits is of great importance to crop producers as part of an integrated approach to disease management. This review examines current knowledge regarding the role of arthropods in disease epidemiology. In the field, diseased host plants are likely to interact with arthropods that may substantially impact the disease by influencing spread or condition of the shared host. For example, disease progress by Fusarium graminearum can be doubled if wheat plants are aphid‐infested. Arthropods have been implicated in disease epidemiology in several cases and the evidence ranges from observed correlations between arthropod infestation and increased disease severity and mycotoxin accumulation, to experimental evidence for arthropod infestation causing heightened pathogen prevalence in hosts. Fusarium pathogens differ in spore production and impact on host volatile chemistry, which influences their suitability for arthropod dispersal. Herbivores may allow secondary fungal infection after wounding a plant or they may alter host susceptibility by inducing changes in plant defence pathways. Post‐harvest, during storage, arthropods may also interact with Fusarium pathogens, with instances of fungivory and altered behaviour by arthropods towards volatile chemicals from infected grain. Host‐mediated indirect pathogen–arthropod interactions are discussed alongside a comprehensive review of evidence for direct interactions where arthropods act as vectors for inoculum.
The accessory stimulus effect is mediated by phasic arousal: A pupillometry study
Authors: Tona Klodiana‐Daphne , Murphy Peter. R. , Brown Stephen B.R.E. , Nieuwenhuis Sander
Published: April 2016

People usually respond faster to a visual stimulus when it is immediately preceded by a task‐irrelevant, auditory accessory stimulus (AS). This AS effect occurs even in choice reaction time tasks, despite the fact that the AS carries no information about the correct response. Researchers often assume that the AS effect is mediated by a phasic arousal burst evoked by the AS, but direct evidence for that assumption is lacking. We conducted a pupillometry study to directly test the phasic arousal hypothesis. Participants carried out a demanding choice reaction time task with accessory stimuli occurring on 25% of the trials. Pupil diameter, a common index of arousal, was measured throughout the task. Standard analyses of task performance and pupil diameter showed that participants exhibited the typical AS effect, and that accessory stimuli evoked a reliable early pupil dilation on top of the more protracted dilation associated with the imperative stimulus. Moreover, regression analyses at the single‐trial level showed that variation in reaction times on AS trials was selectively associated with pupil dilation during the early time window within which the AS had an effect, such that particularly large AS‐evoked dilations were associated with especially fast responses. These results provide the first evidence that the AS effect is mediated by AS‐evoked phasic arousal.
Thresholds of intrabed flow and other interactions of turbidity currents with soft muddy substrates
Authors: Baas Jaco H. , Manica Rafael , Puhl Eduardo , de Oliveira Borges Ana Luiza
Published: April 2016

Controlled laboratory experiments reveal that the lower part of turbidity currents has the ability to enter fluid mud substrates, if the bed shear stress is higher than the yield stress of the fluid mud and the density of the turbidity current is higher than the density of the substrate. Upon entering the substrate, the turbidity current either induces mixing between flow‐derived sediment and substrate sediment, or it forms a stable horizontal flow front inside the fluid mud. Such ‘intrabed’ flow is surrounded by plastically deformed mud; otherwise it resembles the front of a ‘bottom‐hugging’ turbidity current. The ‘suprabed’ portion of the turbidity current, i.e. the upper part of the flow that does not enter the substrate, is typically separated from the intrabed flow by a long horizontal layer of mud which originates from the mud that is swept over the top of the intrabed flow and then incorporated into the flow. The intrabed flow and the mixing mechanism are specific types of interaction between turbidity currents and muddy substrates that are part of a larger group of interactions, which also include bypass, deposition, erosion and soft sediment deformation. A classification scheme for these types of interactions is proposed, based on an excess bed shear stress parameter, which includes the difference in the bed shear stress imposed by the flow and the yield stress of the substrate and an excess density parameter, which relies on the density difference between the flow and the substrate. Based on this classification scheme, as well as on the sedimentological properties of the laboratory deposits, an existing facies model for intrabed turbidites is extended to the other types of interaction involving soft muddy substrates. The physical threshold of flow‐substrate mixing versus stable intrabed flow is defined using the gradient Richardson number, and this method is validated successfully with the laboratory data. The gradient Richardson number is also used to verify that stable intrabed flow is possible in natural turbidity currents, and to determine under which conditions intrabed flow is likely to be unstable. It appears that intrabed flow is likely only in natural turbidity currents with flow velocities well below ca 3·5 m s−1, although a wider range of flows is capable of entering fluid muds. Below this threshold velocity, intrabed flow is stable only at high‐density gradients and low‐velocity gradients across the upper boundary of the turbidity current. Finally, the gradient Richardson number is used as a scaling parameter to set the flow velocity limits of a natural turbidity current that formed an inferred intrabed turbidite in the deep‐marine Aberystwyth Grits Group, West Wales, United Kingdom.
Victimization and Exposure to Pro‐Self‐Harm and Pro‐Suicide Websites: A Cross‐National Study
Authors: Minkkinen Jaana , Oksanen Atte , Kaakinen Markus , Keipi Teo , Räsänen Pekka
Published: April 2016

The study of websites displaying methods of both physical self‐harm and suicide has become an important aspect of deliberate self‐injury and suicide research. However, little is known about contextual factors related to entering such sites. Using data from 3,567 respondents aged 15–30 in the US, UK, Germany, and Finland, we found that experiences of victimization are associated with entering pro‐self‐harm sites and pro‐suicide sites. Also, the victimization context had relevance, as online victimization was particularly related to pro‐self‐harm behavior. The findings suggest a need to organize more specific online support for the victims of violence and online aggression.
DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF A 60 GHZ MILLIMETER WAVE ANTENNA
Authors: Ullah Sana , Ullah Sadiq , Khan Shahbaz
Published: April 2016

In this paper an inset feed 60 GHz millimeter wave microstrip patch antenna is proposed for future high speed wireless communication systems. The performance of a conventional 60 GHz patch antenna compared with metamaterial-based 60 GHz antennas. The later employs three types (mushroom, cross and hexagonal) of Electromagnetic Bandgap (EBG) surfaces as a ground planes. The millimeter wave antenna employing the cross-shaped EBG give improved gain as compared to the rest of the antenna models. The 60 GHz antenna based on the mushroom type EBG present better efficiency due to the surface suppression by the ground plane. The proposed antennas can be used in future high speed wireless applications. Due to the very small size these antennas are suitable for medical implants operating in the unlicensed millimeter wave band.
THE ROLE OF CROSS-LAYERED DESIGNS IN WIRELESS BODY AREA NETWORK
Authors: Ullah Fasee , Abdullah Abdul Hanan , Zubair Muhammad , Rauf Waqar , Junaid Junaid , Qureshi Kashif Naseer
Published: April 2016

With recent advancement, Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) plays an important role to detect various diseases of a patient in advance and informs the medical team about the life threatening situation. WBAN comprises of small intelligent Biomedical sensors which are implanted inside patient body and attached on the surface of a patient to monitor different vital signs, namely; respiratory rate, ECG, EMG, temperature, blood pressure, glucose. The routing layer of WBAN has the same challenging problems as similarly faced in WSN but the unique challenge is the temperature-rise during monitoring of vital signs and data transmission. IEEE 802.15.6 MAC Superframe of WBAN is different from IEEE 802.15.4 MAC of WSN and provides channels to emergency and non-emergency data for transmission. As similarly seen in WSN, PHY layer of IEEE 802.15.4 and IEEE 802.15.6 provide various modulation techniques for data transmission. The purpose of this study is to familiar with routing layer, MAC layer and PHY layer in the cross-layer design of WBAN.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF SPRAY-DIC MODELING FOR FRUIT CONCENTRATION DRYING PROCESS INTO POWDER BASED ON COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMIC
Authors: Alias Norma , Yeni Suhari Nadia Nofri , Che Teh Che Rahim
Published: April 2016

The drying process is most popular preservation methods. It is important in producing the powder and natural dye by concentration fruit drying. Spray-DIC is one of the concentration techniques for drying process using the nozzle flow application in computational fluid dynamic. The mathematical modeling for drying process in this paper includes mass conservation and energy conservation of fruit concentration based on partial differential equation. The discretization of mathematical model will use the finite difference method with the initial and boundary conditions of nozzle flow application. The mathematical modeling computes numerical in sequential algorithm. Jacobi and Gauss-Seidel scheme will use to solve the linear system of mathematical modeling. The execution time, no of iteration, accuracy, root mean square error and maximum error are measured for investigating the numerical analysis. The results show the Gauss Seidel method is the alternative method compared to Jacobi method for solving the Spray-DIC modeling.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS ON MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM ON BLOOD FLOW IN EXTERNAL MAGNETIC FIELDS BY MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES
Authors: Alias Norma , Abdul Hanan Sakinah , Ali Akhtar , Dollah Zakaria
Published: April 2016

A new design of mathematical model of therapeutic compound in blood flow patterns in a capillary attached the magnetic nanoparticles by the external magnetic field which is applied uniformly is considered. The blood flowing through the capillary is dominated to be Newtonian and the flow is assumed unsteady, incompressible and laminar. Based on the present knowledge of the drug delivery, the mathematical models have highly potential to develop by researchers. The implementation of the sequential algorithm is used to model the magnetic nanoparticles drug delivery system. Discretization of the governing equation together with the boundary condition is carried out before they are solved numerically using a finite difference scheme. The sequential algorithms on the mathematical model based on some numerical methods such as Jacobi and Gauss Seidel. The numerical analysis investigates in terms of execution time, accuracy, computational complexity, convergence criterion, root means square error and maximum error. The Gauss Seidel is the superior method compared to Jacobi.
SEQUENTIAL ALGORITHM AND NUMERICAL ANALYSIS ON MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR THERMAL CONTROL CURING PROCESS OF THERMOSET COMPOSITE MATERIALS
Authors: Alias Norma , Hamlan Hazidatul Akma , Rahmat Hamisan
Published: April 2016

To reproduce and improve the efficiency of waste composite materials with consistence and high quality, it is important to tailor and control their temperature profile during curing process. Due to this phenomenon, temperature profile during curing process between two layers of composite materials, which are, resin and carbon fibre are visualized in this paper. Thus, mathematical model of 2D convection-diffusion of the heat equation of thick thermoset composite during its curing process is employed for this study. Sequential algorithms for some numerical approximation such as Jacobi and Gauss Seidel are investigated. Finite difference method schemes such as forward, backward and central methods are used to discretize the mathematical modelling in visualizing the temperature behavior of composite materials. While, the physical and thermal properties of materials used from previous studies are fully employed. The comparisons of numerical analysis between Jacobi and Gauss Seidel methods are investigated in terms of time execution, iteration numbers, maximum error, computational and complexity, as well as root means square error (RMSE). The Fourth-order Runge-Kutta scheme is applied to obtain the degree of cure for curing process of composite materials. From the numerical analysis, Gauss Seidel method gives much better output compared to Jacobi method.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SHRINKAGE COVARIANCE MATRIX USING MICROARRAYS DATA
Authors: Karjanto Suryaefiza , Mohamed Ramli Norazan , Md Ghani Nor Azura
Published: April 2016

The DNA microarray technologies permit scientists to depict the expression of genes for related samples.  This relationship between genes is analysed using Hotelling’s T2 as a multivariate test statistic but the disadvantage of this test, when used in microarray studies is the number of samples is larger than the number of variables.  This study discovers the potential of the shrinkage approach to estimate the covariance matrix specifically when the high dimensionality problem happened.  Consequently, the sample covariance matrix in Hotelling’s T2 statistic is not positive definite and become singular thus cannot be inverted.  In this research, the Hotelling’s T2 statistic is combined with a shrinkage approach as an alternative estimation to estimate the covariance matrix to detect significant gene sets.  The multivariate test statistic of classical Hotelling's T2 is used to integrate the correlation when assessing changes in activity level across biological conditions.  The performances of the proposed methods were assessed using real data study.  Shrinkage covariance matrix approach indicates a better result for detection of differentially expressed gene sets as compared to other methods.
CURRENCY HEDGING STRATEGIES USING MULTIVARIATE GARCH MODELS
Authors: Mohd Muhammad Azri , Mohd Nawawi Abdul Halim , Sheikh Hussin Siti Aida , Ramdzan Siti Nurul Ain
Published: April 2016

Hedging on futures or forward markets is an important tool to reduce risk. Thus, in order to manage the currency risk, it is important to have a suitable hedging strategy. Hedging is a means to offset potential losses on investment by making the second investment, which is expected to move in the opposite way in the financial markets. Therefore, this study aims to identify the relationship between spot and futures contract exchange rates and spot and forwards contract exchange rates. Secondly, calculate the optimal hedge ratio in order for effective optimal portfolio design and hedging strategy using CCC, DCC and Diagonal-BEKK models. The data consist of daily closing prices of spot, futures and 3-month forwards contract for currencies within ASEAN and ASEAN+3 countries. The empirical results revealed that the best model for hedging effectiveness is found to be CCC and DCC. These two models are able to reduce the variance 59.64 percent for Japanese Yen, 97.42 percent for Malaysia Ringgit, 66.14 percent for Singapore Dollar and 93.42 for Philippine Peso. Hence, it can be suggested to investors to hedge Malaysia Ringgit since the currency has the highest reduction in risk.
Empirical Analysis of Primary Mortgage Institutions Fundamentals and Gross Domestic Product Increase in Nigeria
Authors: Agbada Andrew O , Sunny Ekakitie-Emonena
Published: April 2016

This study seeks to empirically analyze Primary Mortgage Institutions (PMIs) Fundamentals and Gross Domestic Product Increase; in other words, economic growth in Nigeria. The (PMIs) fundamentals in the new PMIs guidelines include Mortgage finance, Investments and Deposits taking. Thus, PMIs Loans, PMIs Investments and PMIs Deposits are adopted as the explanatory variables and served as proxies for PMIs fundamentals to explain Gross Domestic Products (GDP). Data used for empirical estimation were sourced from CBN statistical Bulletin, 2011 and 2013 and analyzed using Multiple Regression technique parameters. The research findings were robust. The statistical parameters exhibited high coefficients and the F-statistics which indicates the overall significance of the model stood at 75.23. These results led us to reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternate hypothesis that there is a strong relationship between GDP and PMIs Loans, PMIs Investments and PMIs Deposits. However, the coefficients of the t-test parameters were low indicating that the impact of the explanatory variables on GDP was very minimal, meaning that their contributions to GDP were not relevant. Conclusively, the results indicate that while there is a significant relationship between GDP and PMIs variables, the impact of these variables on GDP was not significant during the period under review. Thus, we recommend that relevant policies with capacity to boost the activities of PMIs for maximum productivity should be enacted by government regulatory agencies in order to re-equip the housing finance market and increase the ratio of mortgage finance as a percentage of GDP.
Analyze the optimal solutions of optimization problems by means of fractional gradient based system using VIM
Authors: Evirgen Firat
Published: April 2016

In this paper, a class of Nonlinear Programming problem is modeled with gradient based system of fractional order differential equations in Caputo's sense. To see the overlap between the equilibrium point of the fractional order dynamic system and theoptimal solution of the NLP problem in a longer timespan the Multistage Variational ?teration Method isapplied. The comparisons among the multistage variational iteration method, the variationaliteration method and the fourth order Runge-Kutta method in fractional and integer order showthat fractional order model and techniques can be seen as an effective and reliable tool for finding optimal solutions of Nonlinear Programming problems.
Optimization of recirculating laminar air flow in operating room air conditioning systems
Authors: Yalcin Enver , Sogut Mehmet Ziya , Erdogmus Seckin , Karakoc Hikmet
Published: April 2016

The laminar flow air-conditioning system with 100% fresh air is used in almost all operating rooms without discrimination in Turkey. The laminar flow device which is working with 100% fresh air should be absolutely used in Type 1A operating rooms. However, there is not mandatory to use of 100% fresh air for Type 1B defined as places performed simpler operation. Compared with recirculating laminar flow, energy needs of the laminar flow with 100 % fresh air has been emerged about 40% more than re-circulated air flow. Therefore, when a recirculating laminar flow device is operated instead of laminar flow system with 100% fresh air in the Type 1B operating room, annual energy consumption will be reduced. In this study, in an operating room with recirculating laminar flow, optimal conditions have been investigated in order to obtain laminar flow form by analyzing velocity distributions at various supply velocities by using computational fluid dynamics method (CFD).
Primary Resonance of Dry-Friction Oscillator With Fractional-Order Proportional-Integral-Derivative Controller of Velocity Feedback
Authors: Shen Yongjun , Niu Jiangchuan , Yang Shaopu , Li Sujuan
Published: April 2016

The classical mass-on-moving-belt model describing friction-induced vibration is studied. The primary resonance of dry-friction oscillator with fractional-order PID (FOPID) controller of velocity feedback is investigated by Krylov–Bogoliubov–Mitropolsky (KBM) asymptotic method, and the approximately analytical solution is obtained. The effects of the parameters in FOPID controller on dynamical properties are characterized by five equivalent parameters. Those equivalent parameters could distinctly illustrate the effects of the parameters in FOPID controller on the dynamical response. The effects of dry friction on the dynamical properties are characterized in the form of the equivalent linear damping and nonlinear damping. The amplitude-frequency equation for steady-state solution associated with the stability condition is also studied. A comparison of the analytical solution with the numerical results is fulfilled, and their satisfactory agreement verifies the correctness of the approximately analytical results. Finally, the effects of the coefficients and orders in FOPID controller on the amplitude-frequency curves are analyzed, and the control performances of FOPID and traditional integer-order proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers are compared. The comparison results show that FOPID controller is better than traditional integer-order PID controller for controlling the primary resonance of dry-friction oscillator, when the coefficients of the two controllers are the same. This presents theoretical basis for scholars and engineers to design similar fractional-order controlled system.
A Neural Network Identification Technique for a Foil-Air Bearing Under Variable Speed Conditions and Its Application to Unbalance Response Analysis
Authors: Hassan Mohd Firdaus Bin , Bonello Philip
Published: April 2016

This paper proposes and studies the nonparametric system identification of a foil-air bearing (FAB). This research is motivated by two advantages: (a) it removes computational limitations by replacing the air film and foil structure equations by a displacement/force relationship and (b) it can capture complications that cannot be easily modeled, if the identification is based on empirical data. A recurrent neural network (RNN) is trained to identify the full numerical model of a FAB over a wide range of speeds. The variable-speed RNN-FAB model is then successfully validated against benchmark results in two ways: (i) by subjecting it to different input data sets and (ii) by using it in the harmonic balance (HB) solution process for the unbalance response of a rotor-bearing system. In either case, the results from the identified variable-speed RNN maintain very good correlation with the benchmark over a wide range of speeds, in contrast to an earlier identified constant-speed RNN, demonstrating the great potential of this method in the absence of self-excitation effects.
Nonlinear Phonon Modes in Second-Order Anharmonic Coupled Monoatomic Chains
Authors: Dubus B. , Swinteck N. , Muralidharan K. , Vasseur J. O. , Deymier P. A.
Published: April 2016

We have used multiple-time-scales perturbation theory as well as the numerical methods of molecular dynamics and spectral energy density (SED) to investigate the phonon band structure of a two-chain model with second-order anharmonic interactions. We show that when one chain is linear and the other is nonlinear, the two-chain model exhibits a nonlinear resonance near a critical wave number due to mode self-interaction. The nonlinear resonance enables wave number-dependent interband energy transfer. We have also shown that there exist nonlinear modes within the spectral gap separating the lower and upper branches of the phonon band structure. These modes result from three phonon interactions between a phonon belonging to the nonlinear branch and two phonons lying on the lower branch. This phenomenon offers a mechanism for phonon splitting.
Design Optimization of Honeycomb Core Sandwich Panels for Maximum Sound Transmission Loss
Authors: Galgalikar Rohan , Thompson Lonny L.
Published: April 2016

This study focuses on sound transmission frequency response through honeycomb core sandwich panels with in-plane orientation. Specifically, an optimization technique has been presented to determine the honeycomb unit cell geometric parameters that maximize the sound transmission loss (STL) through a sandwich panel, while maintaining constraints of constant mass and overall dimensions of panel length and height. The vibration characteristics and STL response of a sandwich panel are parameterized in terms of four honeycomb unit cell independent geometric parameters; two side lengths, cell wall thickness, and interior cell wall angle. With constraints of constant mass and overall dimensions, relationships are determined such that the number of independent variables needed to define the honeycomb cell and panel geometry is reduced to three; the integer number of unit cells in the longitudinal direction of the core, number of unit cells in the height direction, and interior cell wall angle. The optimization procedure is implemented by linking a structural acoustic finite-element (FE) model of the panel, with modefrontier, a general purpose optimization software. Optimum designs are obtained in representative frequency ranges within the resonance region of the STL response. Optimized honeycomb geometric solutions show at least 20% increase in STL response compared to standard hexagonal honeycomb core panels. It is found that the STL response is not only affected by the cell wall angle, but strongly depends also on the number of unit cells in the horizontal and vertical direction.
Chemotaxis for enhanced immobilization of Escherichia coli and Legionella pneumophila on biofunctionalized surfaces of GaAs
Authors: Hassen Walid M. , Sanyal Hashimita , Hammood Manar , Moumanis Khalid , Frost Eric H. , Dubowski Jan J.
Published: April 2016

The authors have investigated the effect of chemotaxis on immobilization of bacteria on the surface of biofunctionalized GaAs (001) samples. Escherichia coli K12 bacteria were employed to provide a proof-of-concept of chemotaxis-enhanced bacterial immobilization, and then, these results were confirmed using Legionella pneumophila. The recognition layer was based on a self-assembled monolayer of thiol functionalized with specific antibodies directed toward E. coli or L. pneumophila, together with the enzyme beta-galactosidase (β-gal). The authors hypothesized that this enzyme together with its substrate lactose would produce a gradient of glucose which would attract bacteria toward the biochip surface. The chemotaxis effect was monitored by comparing the number of bacteria bound to the biochip surface with and without attractant. The authors have observed that β-gal plus lactose enhanced the immobilization of bacteria on our biochips with a higher effect at low bacterial concentrations. At 100 and 10 bacteria/ml, respectively, for E. coli and L. pneumophila, the authors observed up to 11 and 8 times more bacteria bound to biochip surfaces assisted with the chemotaxis effect in comparison to biochips without chemotaxis. At 104 bacteria/ml, the immobilization enhancement rate did not exceed two times.
The relativistic gamma factor from Newtonian mechanics and Einstein's equivalence of mass and energy
Authors: Cross Daniel J.
Published: April 2016

We obtain the expressions for the energy and momentum of a relativistic particle by incorporating the equivalence of mass and energy into Newtonian mechanics.
Relativity on rotated graph paper
Authors: Salgado Roberto B.
Published: April 2016

We demonstrate a method for constructing spacetime diagrams for special relativity on graph paper that has been rotated by 45°. The diagonal grid lines represent light-flash worldlines in Minkowski spacetime, and the boxes in the grid (called “clock diamonds”) represent units of measurement corresponding to the ticks of an inertial observer's light clock. We show that many quantitative results can be read off a spacetime diagram simply by counting boxes, with very little algebra. In particular, we show that the squared interval between two events is equal to the signed area of the parallelogram on the grid (called the “causal diamond”) with opposite vertices corresponding to those events. We use the Doppler effect—without explicit use of the Doppler formula—to motivate the method.
Clarifying possible misconceptions in the foundations of general relativity
Authors: Brown Harvey R. , Read James
Published: April 2016

We discuss what we take to be three possible misconceptions in the foundations of general relativity, relating to: (a) the interpretation of the weak equivalence principle and the relationship between gravity and inertia; (b) the connection between gravitational redshift results and spacetime curvature; and (c) the Einstein equivalence principle and the ability to “transform away” gravity in local inertial coordinate systems.
Self-Branding Reflection Through the Use of Infographic Résumés
Authors: Lee Jason Warren , Cavanaugh Terence
Published: April 2016

Infographics can add a resource for today’s competitive marketplace, helping differentiate individuals in a visually effective way. This can be a reflective education strategy for students to gain an understanding of who they are. This includes having a better understanding of their personal strengths and areas for personal improvement. This pedagogical approach for self-analysis and self-branding uses infographic résumés, where visual images such as diagrams, charts, and graphs are used to represent personal information or data. The students acquire new knowledge and technology skills in the course of designing, planning, and producing their own personal infographics. The process of creating infographics can be a valuable tool for self-promotional, reflection, and its integration into appropriate course curriculum (i.e., sport marketing) is addressed.
Personalizing the royal treatment for hemophilia
Authors: Hulbert Monica L.
Published: April 2016

Whole-exome sequencing makes progress toward individualized treatment for the “royal disease.”
A glimmer of hope for depression
Authors: Etkin Amit
Published: April 2016

A study of deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression points to the potential impact of this tool and also illustrates the challenges ahead.
AID-ing inflammatory carcinogenesis
Authors: Lund Amanda W.
Published: April 2016

Inflammation-induced AID expression in epithelial cells drives mutagenesis and skin carcinogenesis independent of UV damage.