bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Astaxanthin prevents loss of insulin signaling and improves glucose metabolism in liver of insulin resistant mice
Authors: Bhuvaneswari Saravanan , Anuradha Carani Venkatraman
Published: November 2012

This study investigates the effects of astaxanthin (ASX) on insulin signaling and glucose metabolism in the liver of mice fed a high fat and high fructose diet (HFFD). Adult male Mus musculus mice of body mass 25–30 g were fed either normal chow or the HFFD. After 15 days, mice in each group were subdivided among 2 smaller groups and treated with ASX (2 mg·(kg body mass)–1) in olive oil for 45 days. At the end of 60 days, HFFD-fed mice displayed insulin resistance while ASX-treated HFFD animals showed marked improvement in insulin sensitivity parameters. ASX treatment normalized the activities of hexokinase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, glycogen phosphorylase, and increased glycogen reserves in the liver. Liver tissue from ASX-treated HFFD-fed animals showed increased tyrosine phosphorylation and decreased serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrates (IRS)-1 and -2. ASX increased IRS 1/2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) association and serine phosphorylation of Akt. In addition, ASX decreased HFFD-induced serine kinases (c-jun N-terminal kinase-1 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1). The results suggest that ASX treatment promotes the IRS–PI3K–Akt pathway of insulin signaling by decreasing serine phosphorylation of IRS proteins, and improves glucose metabolism by modulating metabolic enzymes.
Tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside improves the learning and memory of amyloid-β1–42-injected rats and may be connected to synaptic changes in the hippocampus
Authors: Zhou Lin , Hou Ying , Yang Qidong , Du Xiaoping , Li Min , Yuan Mei , Zhou Zhiwen
Published: November 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-d-glucoside (TSG), an active component extracted from Polygonum multiflorum, on learning/memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We randomly divided 24 male Sprague–Dawley rats among 4 groups: (i) the sham-operated group (control); (ii) sham-operated group also treated with TSG (sham+TSG); (iii) beta amyloid treated group (Aβ); and (iv) Aβ treatment group also treated with TSG (Aβ+TSG). Rats in the Aβ and Aβ+TSG groups were treated with Aβ1–42 intracerebroventricularly, whereas the control and sham+TSG groups were given phosphate-buffered saline. Rats in the sham+TSG and Aβ+TSG groups were then treated intragastrically with TSG (50 mg·(kg body mass)–1·day–1) for 4 weeks, and rats in the Aβ and control groups were treated with saline. The results from Morris water maze tests, electron microscopy, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting demonstrated that Aβ1–42 induced impairment in learning and memory, degeneration in synaptic structures, and downregulation of Src and NR2B at the gene and protein level, respectively. These alterations were reversed by the administration of TSG, suggesting that TSG exerts anti-AD properties by protecting synaptic structure and function. TSG-induced upregulation of Src and NR2B may be responsible for this process.
PGE2and BMP-2 in bone and cartilage metabolism: 2 intertwining pathways
Authors: Haversath Marcel , Catelas Isabelle , Li Xinning , Tassemeier Tjark , Jäger Marcus
Published: November 2012

Osteoarthritis and lesions to cartilage tissue are diseases that frequently result in impaired joint function and patient disability. The treatment of osteoarthritis, along with local bone defects and systemic skeletal diseases, remains a significant clinical challenge for orthopaedic surgeons. Several bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are known to have osteoinductive effects, whereof BMP-2 and BMP-7 are already approved for clinical applications. There is growing evidence that the metabolism of bone as well as the cartilage damage associated with the above disease processes are strongly inter-related with the interactions of the inflammation-related pathways (in particular prostaglandin E2(PGE2)) and osteogenesis (in particular bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2)). There is strong evidence that the pathways of prostaglandins and bone morphogenetic proteins are intertwined, and they have recently come into focus in several experimental and clinical studies. This paper focuses on PGE2and BMP-2 intertwining pathways in bone and cartilage metabolism, and summarizes the recent experimental and clinical data.
Secondary biliary cirrhosis in the rat is prevented by decreasing NF-κ B nuclear translocation and TGF-β expression using allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase
Authors: Aldaba-Muruato Liseth R. , Moreno Mario G. , Hernández-Mercado Elisa , Shibayama Mineko , Muriel Pablo
Published: November 2012

Allopurinol is an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase (XO), and XO is an enzyme that generates great amounts of reactive oxygen species. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of allopurinol to prevent experimental cirrhosis. Fibrosis and cirrhosis were induced by common bile duct ligation (BDL) for 4 weeks in rats. Animals were divided into 4 groups: sham-operated rats (SHAM); BDL group; BDL plus allopurinol (100 mg·kg–1, p.o.), and SHAM plus allopurinol treatment. Alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase were increased in BDL rats but were preserved normal by allopurinol. XO activity was prevented by allopurinol; however, lipophilic and hydrophilic oxidative stress was not prevented by the drug. Allopurinol partially suppresses nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) nuclear translocation and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) expression, and increased the active form of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13). Moreover, collagen production induced by BDL was partially but significantly reduced by allopurinol. These findings suggest that allopurinol possesses a hepatoprotective effect probably by modulating proteins such as NF-κB, TGF-β, and MMP-13, helping to protect against liver damage induced by chronic cholestasis and a mechanism independent of oxidative stress.
Anticancer activity and mechanism of juglone on human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells
Authors: Zhang Wei , Liu Anheng , Li Yan , Zhao Xingyu , Lv Shijie , Zhu Wenhe , Jin Ying
Published: November 2012

Induction of apoptosis in tumor cells has become the major focus of anti-tumor therapeutics development. Juglone, a major chemical constituent of Juglans mandshurica Maxim, possesses several bioactivities, including anti-tumor. In the present study, HeLa cells were incubated with juglone at various concentrations. The proliferation inhibition of juglone on HeLa cells was tested by the MTT assay. Occurrence of apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33258 staining, flow cytometry, and transmission electron microscopy. The expression of apoptotic-related proteins was examined by Western blot. The results showed that juglone inhibits the growth of HeLa cells in dose–dependent manner. Topical morphological changes of apoptotic body formation after juglone treatment were observed. The percentages of early apoptosis of Annexin V-FITC were 5.23%, 7.95%, 10.69%, and 20.92% with the concentrations of juglone (12.5, 25, 50, and 100 µmol/L), respectively. After cells were treated with juglone at the different dose for 24 h, the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly down-regulated and the expression of Bax was significantly up-regulated compared with the control. These events paralleled with activation of caspase-9, -8, -3, and PARP cleavage. The results suggest that juglone may be effective for the treatment of HeLa cells.
UNWEIGHTED AND WEIGHTED HYPER-MINIMIZATION
Authors: MALETTI ANDREAS , QUERNHEIM DANIEL
Published: November 2012

Hyper-minimization of deterministic finite automata (DFA) is a recently introduced state reduction technique that allows a finite change in the recognized language. A generalization of this lossy compression method to the weighted setting over semifields is presented, which allows the recognized weighted language to differ for finitely many input strings. First, the structure of hyper-minimal deterministic weighted finite automata is characterized in a similar way as in classical weighted minimization and unweighted hyper-minimization. Second, an efficient hyper-minimization algorithm, which runs in time [Formula: see text], is derived from this characterization. Third, the closure properties of canonical regular languages, which are languages recognized by hyper-minimal DFA, are investigated. Finally, some recent results in the area of hyper-minimization are recalled.
SYNCHRONIZATION OF COMPLEX-VARIABLE DYNAMICAL NETWORKS WITH COMPLEX COUPLING
Authors: WU ZHAOYAN , FU XINCHU
Published: November 2012

In this paper, synchronization of complex-variable dynamical networks with complex coupling is investigated. An adaptive feedback control scheme is adopted to design controllers for achieving synchronization of a general network with both complex inner and outer couplings. For a network with only complex inner or outer coupling, pinning control and adaptive coupling strength methods are adopted to achieve synchronization under some assumptions. Several synchronization criteria are derived based on Lyapunov stability theory. Numerical simulations are provided to verify the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE STRUCTURE OF OFF-SHELL SUPERMULTIPLET QUOTIENTS
Authors: HÜBSCH TRISTAN , KATONA GREGORY A.
Published: November 2012

Recent efforts to classify representations of supersymmetry with no central charge [C. F. Doran et al., Adv. Theor. Math. Phys.15, 1909 (2011)] have focused on supermultiplets that are aptly depicted by Adinkras, wherein every supersymmetry generator transforms each component field into precisely one other component field or its derivative. Herein, we study gauge-quotients of direct sums of Adinkras by a supersymmetric image of another Adinkra and thus solve a puzzle in the paper by Doran et al., Int. J. Mod. Phys. A22, 869 (2007): such (gauge-)quotients are not Adinkras but more general types of supermultiplets, each depicted as a connected network of Adinkras. Iterating this gauge-quotient construction then yields an indefinite sequence of ever larger supermultiplets, reminiscent of Weyl's construction that is known to produce all finite-dimensional unitary representations in Lie algebras.
ON HIGHER ORDER BAZILEVIC FUNCTIONS
Authors: NOOR KHALIDA INAYAT , AHMAD KHALIL
Published: November 2012

A new class Bk(α, ρ, γ) of analytic functions defined in the unit disc is introduced. This class contains generalized Bazilevic functions of type α. Arclength problem, coefficient and distortion results are studied and also discussed the rate of growth of Hankel determinant for these functions.
PHASE RIGIDITY OF POINT INTERACTIONS
Authors: KOČINAC S. Lj. S. , MILANOVIĆ V.
Published: November 2012

In this paper, we investigate phase rigidity of one-dimensional point interactions. With the aid of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SUSYQM) we generate family of isospectral potentials describing point interactions. We than demonstrate that for SUSYQM generated bound states in the continuum (BIC) phase rigidity is always zero, while for bound states from discrete part of spectrum phase rigidity may vary from zero to unity, depending on the strength of point interaction.
PREPARATION OF C60 BY DETONATION A MIXTURE OF TRINITROTOLUENE AND GRAPHITE
Authors: WEI XIANFENG , HAN YONG , LIU LIU , LONG XINPING
Published: November 2012

To explore the practicability of C 60 synthesis under extreme conditions (high pressure and high temperature), trinitrotoluene (TNT), trinitramine (RDX) and graphite mixtures of different proportions were detonated in a vacuum container, and the detonation products were collected for detecting. The results of mass spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography showed significant signals of C 60, which proved that C 60 could be synthesized by detonating the mixture of TNT and graphite (in 6:4 and 7:3 mass ratio, respectively), the detonation pressure and temperature were calculated around 13 GPa and 2000 K, respectively. Both experiment results and theoretical analysis showed the importance of detonation pressure and cooling temperature in detonation synthesis of C 60.
FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF La2-xSrxCuO4/Nb-SrTiO3 HETEROJUNCTIONS IN DIFFERENT DOPED REGIMES
Authors: ZHANG Y. , WANG G. F. , LI W. L. , SHEN J. Q. , LI P. G. , LEI M. , TANG W. H.
Published: November 2012

Two types of p–n junction were fabricated by depositing underdoped La 1.9 Sr 0.1 CuO 4 film and overdoped La 1.8 Sr 0.2 CuO 4 film on n -type 0.5 wt.% Nb -doped SrTiO 3 (NSTO) substrates using pulsed laser deposition technique (PLD), respectively. Current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of the La 2-x Sr x CuO 4/NSTO heterojunction were measured in the temperature range from 5 K to 300 K. All I–V curves show a fine rectifying property and a visible reduction of the diffusion potential (Vd) is observed, but the behaviors of Vd are vastly different for the underdoped and overdoped regimes at temperatures below Tc. Analysis results show that the characteristics of the heterojunction are possibly affected not only by the superconducting gap of LSCO at Tc, but also by the depletion layer in the interface of LSCO/NSTO junction. The variation of the depletion layer is possibly different under the same applied bias voltages for the underdoped La 1.9 Sr 0.1 CuO 4/NSTO junction and overdoped La 1.8 Sr 0.2 CuO 4/NSTO junction due to the difference of carrier density at La 1.9 Sr 0.1 CuO 4 and La 1.8 Sr 0.2 CuO 4.
TURING INSTABILITY AND PATTERN FORMATION IN A SEMI-DISCRETE BRUSSELATOR MODEL
Authors: XU L. , ZHAO L. J. , CHANG Z. X. , FENG J. T. , ZHANG G.
Published: November 2012

In this paper, a semi-discrete Brusselator system is considered. The Turing instability theory analysis will be given for the model, then Turing instability conditions can be deduced combining linearization method and inner product technique. A series of numerical simulations of the system are performed in the Turing instability region, various patterns such as square, labyrinthine, spotlike patterns, can be exhibited. The impact of the system parameters and diffusion coefficients on patterns can also observed visually.
AREA-DELAY EFFICIENT FFT ARCHITECTURE USING PARALLEL PROCESSING AND NEW MEMORY SHARING TECHNIQUE
Authors: OUERHANI YOUSRI , JRIDI MAHER , ALFALOU AYMAN
Published: November 2012

In this paper we present a novel architecture for FFT implementation on FPGA. The proposed architecture based on radix-4 algorithm presents the advantage of a higher throughput and low area-delay product. In fact, the novelty consists on using a memory sharing and dividing technique along with parallel-in parallel-out Processing Elements (PE). The proposed architecture can perform N-point FFT using only 4/3N delay elements and involves a latency of N/4 cycles. Comparison in terms of hardware complexity and area-delay product with recent works presented in the literature and commercial IPs has been made to show the efficiency of the proposed design. Moreover, from the experimental results obtained from a FPGA prototype we find that the proposed design involves an execution time of 56% lower than that obtained with Xilinx IP core and an increase of 19% in the throughput by area ratio for 256-point FFT.
A NEW MODEL FOR SHALLOW VISCOELASTIC FLUIDS
Authors: BOUCHUT FRANÇOIS , BOYAVAL SÉBASTIEN
Published: November 2012

We propose a new reduced model for gravity-driven free-surface flows of shallow viscoelastic fluids. It is obtained by an asymptotic expansion of the upper-convected Maxwell model for viscoelastic fluids. The viscosity is assumed small (of order epsilon, the aspect ratio of the thin layer of fluid), but the relaxation time is kept finite. In addition to the classical layer depth and velocity in shallow models, our system describes also the evolution of two components of the stress. It has an intrinsic energy equation. The mathematical properties of the model are established, an important feature being the non-convexity of the physically relevant energy with respect to conservative variables, but the convexity with respect to the physically relevant pseudo-conservative variables. Numerical illustrations are given, based on a suitable well-balanced finite-volume discretization involving an approximate Riemann solver.
RADIATION CONDITION FOR A NON-SMOOTH INTERFACE BETWEEN A DIELECTRIC AND A METAMATERIAL
Authors: BONNET-BEN DHIA ANNE-SOPHIE , CHESNEL LUCAS , CLAEYS XAVIER
Published: November 2012

We study a 2D scalar harmonic wave transmission problem between a classical dielectric and a medium with a real-valued negative permittivity/permeability which models an ideal metamaterial. When the interface between the two media has a corner, according to the value of the contrast (ratio) of the physical constants, this non-coercive problem can be ill-posed (not Fredholm) in H 1. This is due to the degeneration of the two dual singularities which then behave like r±iη = e±iη ln r with η ∈ ℝ*. This apparition of propagative singularities is very similar to the apparition of propagative modes in a waveguide for the classical Helmholtz equation with Dirichlet boundary condition, the contrast playing the role of the wavenumber. In this work, we derive for our problem a functional framework by adding to H 1 one of these propagative singularities. Well-posedness is then obtained by imposing a radiation condition, justified by means of a limiting absorption principle, at the corner between the two media.
HIGH-ORDER GALERKIN APPROXIMATIONS FOR PARAMETRIC SECOND-ORDER ELLIPTIC PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Authors: NISTOR VICTOR , SCHWAB CHRISTOPH
Published: November 2012

Let D ⊂ ℝd, d = 2, 3, be a bounded domain with piecewise smooth boundary, Y = ℓ∞(ℕ) and U = B1(Y), the open unit ball of Y. We consider a parametric family (Py)y∈U of uniformly strongly elliptic, second-order partial differential operators Py on D. Under suitable assumptions on the coefficients, we establish a regularity result for the solution u of the parametric boundary value problem Py u(x, y) = f(x, y), x ∈ D, y ∈ U, with mixed Dirichlet–Neumann boundary conditions on ∂d D and, respectively, on ∂n D. Our regularity and well-posedness results are formulated in a scale of weighted Sobolev spaces [Formula: see text] of Kondrat'ev type. We prove that the (Py)y ∈ U admit a shift theorem that is uniform in the parameter y ∈ U. Specifically, if the coefficients of P satisfy [Formula: see text], y = (yk)k≥1 ∈ U and if the sequences [Formula: see text] are p-summable in k, for 0 < p< 1, then the parametric solution u admits an expansion into tensorized Legendre polynomials Lν(y) such that the corresponding sequence [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text]. We also show optimal algebraic orders of convergence for the Galerkin approximations uℓ of the solution u using suitable Finite Element spaces in two and three dimensions. Namely, let t = m/d and s = 1/p-1/2, where [Formula: see text], 0 < p < 1. We show that, for each m ∈ ℕ, there exists a sequence {Sℓ}ℓ≥0 of nested, finite-dimensional spaces Sℓ ⊂ L2(U;V) such that the Galerkin projections uℓ ∈ Sℓ of u satisfy ‖u - uℓ‖L2(U;V) ≤ C dim (Sℓ)- min {s, t} ‖f‖Hm-1(D), dim (Sℓ) → ∞. The sequence Sℓ is constructed using a sequence Vμ⊂V of Finite Element spaces in D with graded mesh refinements toward the singularities. Each subspace Sℓ is defined by a finite subset [Formula: see text] of "active polynomial chaos" coefficients uν ∈ V, ν ∈ Λℓ in the Legendre chaos expansion of u which are approximated by vν ∈ Vμ(ℓ, ν), for each ν ∈ Λℓ, with a suitable choice of μ(ℓ, ν).
A MULTI-OBJECTIVE APPROACH TO OPTIMIZE A PERIODIC MAINTENANCE POLICY
Authors: CERTA ANTONELLA , ENEA MARIO , GALANTE GIACOMO , LUPO TONI
Published: November 2012

The present paper proposes a multi-objective approach to find out an optimal periodic maintenance policy for a repairable and stochastically deteriorating multi-component system over a finite time horizon. The tackled problem concerns the determination of the system elements to replace at each scheduled and periodical system inspection by ensuring the simultaneous minimization of both the expected total maintenance cost and the expected global system unavailability time. It is assumed that in the case of system elements failure they are instantaneously detected and repaired by means of minimal repair actions in order to rapidly restore the system. A nonlinear integer mathematical programming model is developed to solve the treated multi-objective problem, whereas the Pareto optimal frontier is described by the Lexicographic Goal Programming and the ε-constraint methods. To explain the whole procedure, a case study is solved and the related considerations are given.
BASELINE-DIFFERENCING: A NOVEL APPROACH FOR BUILDING GENERALIZABLE OCEAN TURBINE RELIABILITY MODELS
Authors: WALD RANDALL , KHOSHGOFTAAR TAGHI M. , ALHALABI BASSEM
Published: November 2012

Ocean turbines are a promising new source of clean energy, but their remote and inhospitable environment (the open ocean) poses reliability challenges. Machine condition monitoring/prognostic health monitoring (MCM/PHM) systems assure the reliability of these turbines by detecting and predicting machine state. These MCM/PHM systems use sensor data (such as vibration information) to determine whether or not the machine is operating properly. However, not all sensor data corresponds to the machine state: some portions of the sensor signal are influenced by certain environmental conditions which do not directly relate to machine health. Therefore, models must be built which can detect system state regardless of these environmental operating conditions. The proposed baseline-differencing approach permits this by creating a baseline for different conditions (such that each baseline represents what the normal, healthy machine state looks like while in that operating condition) and using the difference of the observed data and this baseline to train and evaluate models. We present two case studies, both conducted on data from a dynamometer representing an ocean turbine, to demonstrate the improved predictive capabilities of models which incorporate baseline-differencing, compared to the models which use the nonbaselined data. The results show that significantly more high-quality models can be built with baseline-differencing.
OPTIMAL ALLOCATION OF TRADABLE EMISSION PERMITS UNDER UPSTREAM–DOWNSTREAM STRATEGIC INTERACTION
Authors: DE FEO GIUSEPPE , RESENDE JOANA , SANIN MARIA-EUGENIA
Published: November 2012

In this paper, we analyze environmental regulation based on tradable emission permits in the presence of strategic interaction in an output market with differentiated products. We characterize firms' equilibrium behavior in the permits and in the output market and we show that both firms adopt "rival's cost-rising strategies". Then, we study the problem of the regulator that aims at maximizing social welfare, proposing an efficient criterion to allocate permits between firms. We find that the optimal allocation criterion requires a perfect balance between the difference on firms' price-cost margins in the permits market and the difference on firms' mark ups in the output market. In light of the previous result, we use a simulation to obtain the optimal allocation of permits between firms as a function of output market characteristics, in particular as a function of goods substitutability.
VALUES FOR GAMES ON THE CYCLES OF A DIGRAPH
Authors: OLVERA-LOPEZ WILLIAM , SANCHEZ-SANCHEZ FRANCISCO
Published: November 2012

In this paper we introduce a new class of cooperative games. We define a characteristic function over the cycles of a digraph. We present a mathematical model for this situation and an axiomatic characterization of a solution for this class of cooperative games. This is introduced as a method to measure the importance of the nodes in a digraph, and can be related with the Shapley value of a game in characteristic function form. Also, we extend the modeling by applying coalitional structures for the nodes and r-efficient solutions, where the allocation amount is a real number r, showing axiomatic solutions in both cases.
REACTIVE FLOW IN LARGE-DEFORMATION ELECTRODES OF LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
Authors: BRASSART LAURENCE , SUO ZHIGANG
Published: November 2012

An electrode in a lithium-ion battery may undergo inelastic processes of two types: flow and reaction. Flow changes the shape of the electrode, preserves its composition and volume, and is driven by the deviatoric stress — a process similar to the plastic flow of a metal. By contrast, reaction changes the composition and volume of the electrode, and is driven by a combination of the mean stress and the chemical potential of lithium in the environment. Both flow and reaction are mediated by breaking and forming atomic bonds. Here we formulate a continuum theory of large-deformation electrodes by placing flow and reaction on the same footing. We treat flow and reaction as concurrent nonequilibrium processes, formulate a thermodynamic inequality and a rheological model, and couple the two processes through a chemomechanical flow rule. Within this theory, the driving force for reaction — the mean stress and the chemical potential — can stimulate flow in an electrode too brittle to flow under a mechanical load alone. For an electrode under vanishingly small stress and current, cyclic lithiation and delithiation can cause hysteresis in the voltage-concentration curve. For a thin-film electrode bonded on a substrate, cyclic lithiation and delithiation can cause hysteresis in both the voltage-concentration curve and the stress–concentration curve.
FREE VIBRATION AND BUCKLING ANALYSIS OF BEAMS WITH A MODIFIED COUPLE-STRESS THEORY
Authors: DOS SANTOS J. V. ARAÚJO , REDDY J. N.
Published: November 2012

A model based on a modified couple stress theory for the free vibration and buckling analyses of beams is presented. The model also incorporates the Poisson's effect and allows the analysis of Timoshenko beams with any arbitrary end boundary condition. The natural frequencies and buckling loads are computed using the Ritz method. Parametric studies show that, while the natural frequencies and the buckling loads increase monotonically with the increase of the material length scale, they present a minimum in certain values of the Poisson's ratio. A study relating the classical elasticity and the couple stress strain energies is also presented. By establishing this relation, explicit formulas to obtain the natural frequencies and buckling loads, in which the couple stress and Poisson's effects are accounted for, in terms of the buckling loads of the classical elasticity are found. These formulas, which are valid when the shear strain and stress are zero, allow an expedite computation of natural frequencies and buckling loads of beams with couple stress and Poisson's effect.
EFFECT OF FRACTIONAL PARAMETER ON PLANE WAVES IN A ROTATING ELASTIC MEDIUM UNDER FRACTIONAL ORDER GENERALIZED THERMOELASTICITY
Authors: SARKAR NANTU , LAHIRI ABHIJIT
Published: November 2012

In ["Theory of fractional order generalized thermoelasticity," Journal of Heat Transfer132, 2010] Youssef has proposed a model in generalized thermoelasticity based on the fractional order time derivatives. The current manuscript is concerned with a two-dimensional generalized thermoelastic coupled problem for a homogeneous isotropic and thermally conducting thermoelastic rotating medium in the context of the above fractional order generalized thermoelasticity with two relaxation time parameters. The normal mode analysis technique is used to solve the resulting non-dimensional coupled governing equations of the problem. The resulting solution is then applied to two concrete problems. The effect of the fractional parameter and the time instant on the variations of different field quantities inside the elastic medium are analyzed graphically in the presence of rotation.
OPTIMAL DESIGN OF SANDWICH BEAMS WITH LIGHTWEIGHT CORES IN THREE-POINT BENDING
Authors: CHEN LI-MING , CHEN MING-JI , PEI YONG-MAO , ZHANG YI-HUI , FANG DAI-NING
Published: November 2012

Being widely used in engineering, the optimization of sandwich beams to achieve greater stiffness-to-weight ratio is of great research interest. In this paper, the optimization process was carried to obtain minimum weight designs in three-point bending based on prescribed stiffness index. Results indicate that honeycomb-cored sandwich beams possess smaller minimum weight index in comparison with metal foam-cored beams. In addition, failure mechanisms of the optimized designs were also investigated to reveal that the sandwich-cored beams were more prone to face wrinkling than metal foam-cored beams. In the optimization process, five different core topologies and four different parent materials were investigated under a given load index. It was found for low prescribed load values where bending is dominant, unidirectional lattice composite sandwich beams bear loads more efficiently than steel cored beams. However, the primary mode of failure for high prescribed load index is core shear, thus implying no significant advantage in lattice composite sandwich beams over other materials. Comparing the different materials, that laminate lattice composite sandwich beams possess the best bending performance for varying levels of prescribed load index, making it suitable for applications in the aerospace field.
LOW-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES: SPARSE CODING FOR NEURONAL ACTIVITY
Authors: XU YUNHUA , BAI WENWEN , TIAN XIN
Published: November 2012

Neuronal ensemble activity codes working memory. In this work, we developed a neuronal ensemble sparse coding method, which can effectively reduce the dimension of the neuronal activity and express neural coding. Multichannel spike trains were recorded in rat prefrontal cortex during a work memory task in Y-maze. As discrete signals, spikes were transferred into continuous signals by estimating entropy. Then the normalized continuous signals were decomposed via non-negative sparse method. The non-negative components were extracted to reconstruct a low-dimensional ensemble, while none of the feature components were missed. The results showed that, for well-trained rats, neuronal ensemble activities in the prefrontal cortex changed dynamically during the working memory task. And the neuronal ensemble is more explicit via using non-negative sparse coding. Our results indicate that the neuronal ensemble sparse coding method can effectively reduce the dimension of neuronal activity and it is a useful tool to express neural coding.
A METHOD FOR PERFORMANCE MODELING AND EVALUATION OF LDPC DECODER ARCHITECTURE
Authors: TSANG TONY
Published: November 2012

This paper presents a high-throughput memory efficient decoder for low density parity check (LDPC) codes in the high-rate wireless personal area network application. The novel techniques which can apply to our selected LDPC code is proposed, including parallel blocked layered decoding architecture and simplification of the WiGig networks. State-of-the-art flexible LDPC decoders cannot simultaneously achieve the high throughput mandated by these standards and the low power needed for mobile applications. This work develops a flexible, fully pipelined architecture for the IEEE 802.11ad standard capable of achieving both goals. We use Real Time–Performance Evaluation Process Algebra (RT-PEPA) to evaluate a typical LDPC Decoder system's performance. The approach is more convenient, flexible, and lower cost than the former simulation method which needs to develop special hardware and software tools. Moreover, we can easily analyze how changes in performance depend on changes in a particular mode by supplying ranges for parameter values.
MODELING LAND-USE CHANGE IMPACTS OF BIOFUELS IN THE GTAP-BIO FRAMEWORK
Authors: GOLUB ALLA A. , HERTEL THOMAS W.
Published: November 2012

This paper reviews an analysis of land use change impacts of expanded biofuel production with GTAP-BIO computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. It describes the treatment of energy substitution, the role of biofuel by-products, specification of bilateral trade, the determination of land cover changes in response to increased biofuel feedstock production, and changes in crop yields – both at the intensive and extensive margins. The paper responds to some of the criticisms of GTAP-BIO and provides insights into the sensitivity of land use change and GHG emissions to changes in key parameters and assumptions. In particular, it considers an alternative specification of acreage response that takes into account the degree of land heterogeneity within agro-ecological zone (AEZ) for different AEZs and countries. The paper concludes with the discussion of alternative specifications of land mobility across uses employed in CGE models and the agenda for further research to narrow parametric and structural uncertainty to improve the model's performance.
BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTING LOW-CARBON TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: GILLINGHAM KENNETH , SWEENEY JAMES
Published: November 2012

This paper reviews the major barriers to the adoption of low-carbon technologies, with a focus on market failures that provide a rationale for policy intervention to improve economic efficiency. Market failures include externalities, asymmetric information, institutional failures, regulatory failures, and failures of consumer or firm decision-making. We discuss central generation renewable energy technologies, CCS technology, distribution generation renewable energy, and technologies to reduce the demand for energy. For each technology category, we assess whether and how policy might improve economic efficiency, and point to key open research questions.
PRESSURE DROP AND HEAT TRANSFER INSIDE THE COILED FLOW CHANNEL OF SMOOTH TUBES AND INTERNALLY HELICAL-GROOVED TUBES
Authors: INOUE NORIHIRO , IKU SHINITSU , WATANABE KAZUHIDE
Published: November 2012

In this study, we investigated ways of improving the performance of heat exchangers, which are the heat pumps for use in hot-water supply systems on the hot-water supply side. Therefore, we verified experimentally the pressure drop and the heat transfer characteristics within the coiled flow channel. Five smooth copper tubes and five internally helical-grooved copper tubes with an outside diameter of 12.7 mm and coil diameters of 100 mm, 120 mm, 140 mm, 160 mm and 180 mm were used as the heat-transfer coiled tubes in the experiments. Experiments were conducted under conditions of constant isothermal heating and fluid flow inside coiled tubes with an inlet temperature of 20°C, and the flow rates of the fluid flow inside the coiled tubes were adjusted and varied to change the Reynolds number within the range of 900 to 25,000. Based on the experimental values, we proposed prediction equations to systematically calculate the friction factor and the heat transfer coefficient for different curvature radius ratios.
On Absolute Continuity of Conjugations between Circle Maps with Break Points
Authors: Akhadkulov Habibulla , Md Noorani Mohd Salmi
Published: November 2012

Let T1 and T2 be piecewise smooth circle homeomorphisms with break points and identical irrational rotation numbers. We provide one sufficient and necessary condition for the absolute continuity of conjugation map between T1 and T2.
Myeloid Antigen Expression in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Its Relevance for Clinical Outcome in Indonesian ALL-2006 Protocol
Authors: Supriyadi Eddy , Veerman Anjo J. P. , Sutaryo  , Purwanto Ignatius , vd Ven Peter M. , Cloos Jacqueline
Published: November 2012

The frequency of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients expressing myeloid antigens on their ALL cells varies between 5 and 36% in several different studies. The clinical relevance of myeloid antigen expression in childhood ALL is controversial. In Indonesian patients, no data were present. Therefore, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, we analyzed 239 ALL patients who were immunophenotyped including myeloid markers (CD13, CD33, CD117, and/or cMPO). Myeloid antigen expression was found in 25% of patients. Expression of myeloid antigen in B-lineage leukemia was 27%, and in T-lineage leukemia, it was 18% (P=0.15). No association was found between myeloid antigen expression and clinical or biological features. In the whole cohort of patients we did not find a significant association between myeloid antigen expression and survival, although leukemia-free survival at 3 years was higher in the myeloid-negative patients (73% ± 6%) compared to myeloid-positive patients (67% ± 8%). Interestingly, in T-ALL patients, expression of myeloid antigens was an independent adverse prognostic factor (hazard ratio: 3.26, 95% CI: 1.06–9.98,P=0.04). Kaplan-Meier analysis for event-free survival was also significant (log rankP=0.03) in this subgroup. In conclusion, in the Indonesian ALL population, in particular, myeloid antigen-expressing T-ALL patients had a higher chance of having induction failure.
Perturbation-Theory-Based Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis with CASMO-4
Authors: Pusa Maria
Published: November 2012

The topic of this paper is the development of sensitivity and uncertainty analysis capability to the reactor physics code CASMO-4 in the context of the UAM (Uncertainty Analysis in Best-Estimate Modelling for Design, Operation, and Safety Analysis of LWRs) benchmark. The sensitivity analysis implementation is based on generalized perturbation theory, which enables computing the sensitivity profiles of reaction rate ratios efficiently by solving one generalized adjoint system for each response. Both the theoretical background and the practical guidelines for modifying a deterministic transport code to compute the generalized adjoint solutions and sensitivity coefficients are reviewed. The implementation to CASMO-4 is described in detail. The developed uncertainty analysis methodology is deterministic, meaning that the uncertainties are computed based on the sensitivity profiles and covariance matrices for the uncertain nuclear data parameters. The main conclusions related to the approach used for creating a covariance library compatible with the cross-section libraries of CASMO-4 are presented. Numerical results are given for a lattice physics test problem representing a BWR, and the results are compared to the TSUNAMI-2D sequence in SCALE 6.1.
The Convergent Behavior for Parametric Generalized Vector Equilibrium Problems
Authors: Lin Yen-Cherng , Cheng Po-Jen , Lee Su-Ling
Published: November 2012

We study some properties for parametric generalized vector equilibrium problems and the convergent behavior for the correspondent solution sets of this problem under some suitable conditions. Several existence results and the topological structures of the efficient solutions set are established. Some new results of existence for weak solutions and strong solutions are derived. Finally, we give some examples to illustrate our theory including the example studied by Fang (1992), who established the perturbed nonlinear program (Pμ) and described successfully that the optimal solution of (Pμ) will approach the optimal solution of
linear program (P).
Differential Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Expression in Disseminated Tumor Cells and Micrometastasis in Bone Marrow of Patients with Nonmetastatic and Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Theoretical Considerations and Clinical Implications—An Immunocytochemical Study
Authors: Murray Nigel P. , Reyes Eduardo , Tapia Pablo , Badínez Leonardo , Orellana Nelson
Published: November 2012

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is important in the dissemination and invasion of tumor cells and activates angiogenesis. We present an immunocytochemical study of MMP-2 expression in circulating prostate cells (CPCs), disseminated tumor cells (DTCs), and micrometastasis (mM) in bone marrow of men with prostate cancer.Methods and Patients. Tumor cells were identified with anti-PSA immunocytochemistry. Positive samples underwent processing with anti-MMP-2, its expression was compared with Gleason score, concordance of expression, and metastatic and nonmetastatic disease.Results. 215 men participated, CPCs were detected in 62.7%, DTCs in 62.2%, and mM in 71.4% in nonmetastatic cancer; in metastatic cancer all had CPCs, DTCs, and mM detected. All CPCs and DTCs expressed MMP-2; in mM MMP-2 expression was positively associated with increasing Gleason score. MMP-2 expression in CPCs and DTCs showed concordance. In low grade tumors, mM and surrounding stromal cells were MMP-2 negative, with variable expression in high grade tumors; in metastatic disease, both mM and stromal cells were MMP-2 positive.Conclusions. CPCs and DTCs are different from mM, with inhibition of MMP-2 expression in mM of low grade tumors. With disease progression, MMP-2 expression increases in both mM and surrounding stromal cells, with implications for the use of bisphosphonates or MMP-2 inhibitors.
Dynamic Recognition Model of Driver’s Propensity under Multilane Traffic Environments
Authors: Wang Xiaoyuan , Liu Jin , Zhang Jinglei
Published: November 2012

Driver’s propensity intends to change along with driving environment. In this paper, the situation factors (vehicle groups) that affect directly the driver’s affection among environment factors are considered under two‐lane conditions. Then dynamic recognition model of driver’s propensity can be established in time‐varying environment through Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN). Physiology‐psychology experiments and real vehicle tests are designed to collect characteristic data of driver’s propensity in different situations. Results show that the model is adaptable to realize the dynamic recognition of driver’s propensity type in multilane conditions, and it provides a theoretical basis for the realization of human‐centered and personalized automobile active safety systems.
Advances towards a Marker-Assisted Selection Breeding Program in Prairie Cordgrass, a Biomass Crop
Authors: Gedye K. R. , Gonzalez-Hernandez J. L. , Owens V. , Boe A.
Published: November 2012

Prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinataBosc ex Link) is an indigenous, perennial grass of North America that is being developed into a cellulosic biomass crop suitable for biofuel production. Limited research has been performed into the breeding of prairie cordgrass; this research details an initial investigation into the development of a breeding program for this species. Genomic libraries enriched for four simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs were developed, 25 clones from each library were sequenced, identifying 70 SSR regions, and primers were developed for these regions, 35 of which were amplified under standard PCR conditions. These SSR markers were used to validate the crossing methodology of prairie cordgrass and it was found that crosses between two plants occurred without the need for emasculation. The successful cross between two clones of prairie cordgrass indicates that this species is not self-incompatible. The results from this research will be used to instigate the production of a molecular map of prairie cordgrass which can be used to incorporate marker-assisted selection (MAS) protocols into a breeding program to improve this species for cellulosic biomass production.
The Expression of the Drazin Inverse with Rank Constraints
Authors: Zhao Linlin
Published: November 2012

By using the matrix decomposition and the reverse order law, we provide some new expressions of the Drazin inverse for any 2 × 2 block matrix with rank constraints.
Comparison of Detection and Classification Algorithms Using Boolean and Fuzzy Techniques
Authors: Dixit Rahul , Singh Harpreet
Published: November 2012

Modern military ranging, tracking, and classification systems are capable of generating large quantities of data. Conventional “brute-force” computational techniques, even with Moore’s law for processors, present a prohibitive computational challenge, and often, the system either fails to “lock onto” a target of interest within the available duty cycle, or the data stream is simply discarded because the system runs out of processing power or time. In searching for high-fidelity convergence, researchers have experimented with various reduction techniques, often using logic diagrams to make inferences from related signal data. Conventional Boolean and fuzzy logic systems generate a very large number of rules, which often are difficult to handle due to limitations in the processors. Published research has shown that reasonable approximations of the target are preferred over incomplete computations. This paper gives a figure of merit for comparing various logic analysis methods and presents results for a hypothetical target classification scenario. Novel multiquantization Boolean approaches also reduce the complexity of these multivariate analyses, making it possible to better use the available data to approximate target classification. This paper shows how such preprocessing can reasonably preserve result confidence and compares the results between Boolean, multi-quantization Boolean, and fuzzy techniques.
Myocardial Hydatid Cyst in a Young Male Patient Who Feeds Pet at Home: A Case Report
Authors: Demirtas Sinan , Yavuz Celal , Basyigit İsmail , Firat Ugur , Caliskan Ahmet
Published: November 2012

Hydatid cysts are rarely asymptomatic depending on their location. Complaints may be only relevant due to secondary problems. This paper presents a case report of a myocardial hydatid cyst which was totally excised under cardiopulmonary bypass operation with median sternotomy. Patient was admitted to the hospital with complaint of atypical chest pain in pungent manner together with shortness of breath. Various methods are used for diagnosis. However, echocardiography and computerized tomography with contrast are usually enough for definitive diagnosis and for deciding the strategy of operation. Curative excision must be performed. Extra care should be provided during the operation in order to prevent contamination. Postoperative appropriate antibiotherapy must be administered. Environment should be changed, and infrastructure must be improved in order to prevent further recurrences.
Driver Cognitive Distraction Detection Using Driving Performance Measures
Authors: Jin Lisheng , Niu Qingning , Hou Haijing , Xian Huacai , Wang Yali , Shi Dongdong
Published: November 2012

Driver cognitive distraction is a hazard state, which can easily lead to traffic accidents. This study focuses on detecting the driver cognitive distraction state based on driving performance measures. Characteristic parameters could be directly extracted from Controller Area Network‐(CAN‐)Bus data, without depending on other sensors, which improves real‐time and robustness performance. Three cognitive distraction states (no cognitive distraction, low cognitive distraction, and high cognitive distraction) were defined using different secondary tasks. NLModel, NHModel, LHModel, and NLHModel were developed using SVMs according to different states. The developed system shows promising results, which can correctly classify the driver’s states in approximately 74%. Although the sensitivity for these models is low, it is acceptable because in this situation the driver could control the car sufficiently. Thus, driving performance measures could be used alone to detect driver cognitive state.