bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Policy Revision of Japan Communist Party and its Implications
Authors: KC Khadga
Published: September 2015

No abstract available Himalayan Journal of Sociology & Anthropology Vol.1 2004 p.85-98
Gender and Development: A micro-level sociological study
Authors: Uprety Laya Prasad
Published: September 2015

No abstract available Himalayan Journal of Sociology & Anthropology Vol.1 2004 p.106-137
Utilization of Shoot Cuttings for Elimination of PLRV and PVY by Thermotherapy and Chemotherapy from Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)
Authors: Dhital S. P. , Sakha B. M. , Lim H. T.
Published: September 2015

Heat and ribavirin treatments were applied for the elimination of potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) and potato virus Y (PVY) from the potato genotype F 9-99. The explants, rooted young plantlets, cultured on MS medium with and without ribavirin (20 mg l-1) were subjected to thermotherapy (35ºC/31ºC, 4 h alternating periods) and room temperature (25ºC) for 30 days. Double antibody sandwich - enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) testing following the therapies revealed that ribavirin alone was enable to eliminate 10% each of PLRV and PVY, whereas along with thermotherapy its efficacy increased to 25% PLRV and 20% PVY elimination. In another experiment, three potato genotypes F 9-99 infected with PLRV and PVY, Gui Valley with PLRV infection and Rose Valley with PVY infection were evaluated. Ribavirin (20 mg l-1) and ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) (10-5 M) were supplemented in liquid culture medium alone or in combination with thermotherapy for three successive cycles of 30-36 days interval. Heat and/or ribavirin suppressed survival and plant height whereas ASA promoted the survival as well as plant height even under heat treatment. After each cycle, the effect of treatment on virus elimination was evaluated by DAS-ELISA. The combined application of ribavirin and ASA with thermotherapy after three cycles of treatment showed up to 47.4% PLRV and 57.9% PVY elimination in F 9-99. In the case of single viral infection of PLRV or PVY the same combined treatment showed up to 58.8% PLRV and 61.1% PVY free plantlets. Virus elimination was also confirmed by transplanting in vitro grown plantlets in a net house and then retesting after 45 days of in vivo growth. This novel technique would be highly efficient for virus elimination within a short duration in diverse genotypes of potato. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology  7 2006
Ginger Integration in Maize Based Cropping System for Increased Income in the Hills of Nepal
Authors: Pandey Y. R. , Karki T. B. , Paudel G. P.
Published: September 2015

A field experiment was conducted at Deurali, Palpa (1200 m asl) during 2004 rainy season to identify the appropriate plant population of maize for increased productivity of maize ginger, net economic return and land use efficiency due to integration of the above crops based cropping system in the hills. Maize was planted as double planting (double plants in a hill with 100x100 cm spacing), single planting (single plant in a hill with 100 x 50 cm spacing), normal planting (75 x 25 cm spacing) and ginger was cropped in between the maize rows at 30 x 30 cm spacing sole maize and sole ginger. The results of the experiment showed that the highest maize and ginger yield were obtained from sole planting system with an average of 6.15 and 41.13t/ha maize ginger and fresh ginger rhizomes respectively. the lowest net return of Rs 16,934/ha was obtained from sole maize planting. Among the intercropping systems. Maize double planting and ginger integration system produced significantly high net income of Rs. 535,426/ha with acceptable land equivalent ration (LER) (1.40). However, the highest net return of Rs 604,034/ ha was obtained from ginger as sole planting. Since maize is the staple food crop in the hill and it could not be ignored in the cropping system, maize double planting with ginger integration was found beneficial with significant high net profit compared to sole maize while ginger gave 12.81% more net profit compared to intercropping. the result of the experiment revealed that double planting of maize with ginger integration system would be profitable instead of sole maize but cultivation of ginger as sole crop has been found much profitable than intercropping in the mid-hills. In the hilly regions farmers generally grow maize and ginger separately. The concept of intercropping maize + ginger in a field enhances crop productivity per unit area. This information which is documented in the maize + ginger in a field enhances crop productivity per unit area. This information which is documented in the different social studies in western hills. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Results on Common Fixed Points by Alerting Distances
Authors: Jha K. , Pant R. P. , Sastry K. P. R.
Published: September 2015

The aim of this paper is to establish a common fixed point theorem for two pairs of compatible mapping by altering distances between the points under a ¢-contractive condition. In this paper, we employ a control function that unifies the choice of control function in Sastry and Babu [10] and Sastry et al. [11], and so extend the results of Sastry et. al. [11]. Also, our results improve the results of Pant et. al. [8]. Pant and Jha [9]. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
The Fertility Impact of Changes in the Timing of Childbearing in Nepal
Authors: Aryal T. R.
Published: September 2015

The main aim of this paper is to study the tempo effect in fertility (B-F0 procedure and parity progression-based techniques have been used to check the tempo effects in fertility schedules. B-F procedure has been modified by smoothing annual change in mean age at childbearing over time. Data are taken from NFHS 1996. These techniques yielded a consistent tempo free period TFR for Nepal. These were found to be suitable for adjusting period fertility, especially when fertility is subject to fluctuating tempo effects. It was also found that the tempo effect amounted to be 0.4 births per women in 1991 whereas it was 0.3 birth per women in 1994. Women are likely to delay their childbearing, which implies that observed fertility is lower than it would have been without tempo changes. The period fertility was declining somewhat slow pace, and declined from as about 5 births in 1989 to as about 4 births in 1995. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Possible Use of Crop Residues Supplemented with Urea and Molasses in Goat Diets
Authors: Upreti C. R. , Kuwar B. S. , Panday S. B.
Published: September 2015

In this experiment, 20 castrated male Khari and halfbred (Khari x Jamunapari) goats of 6 to 8 months of age were divided into 4 dietary groups comprising of five goats in each. The experiment was conducted for 150 days during the winter season. Animals of first diet group (D1) were fed with fodder leaves (Khanyu) + concentrate @ 1% body weight, second diet group (D2) consisted of fodder leaves ( Khanyu) + chaffed rice straw and 2% molasses top dressed rice straw @ 20% of dry matter (DM) requirement + concentrate @ 1% of body weight, third diet group (D3) had fodder ( Khanyu) + chaffed rice straw and 2% urea-molasses top dressed rice straw @ 20% of DM requirement + concentrate @ 1% body weight, and diet group 4 (D4) consisted of fodder (Khanyu) + chaffed rice straw, 4% urea treated, ensiled and 2% molasses top dressed rice straw @ 20% of DM requirement + concentrate @ 1% body weight were fed to the animals. A digestibility trial for 7 days was carried out at the end of the experiment. Daily feed intake, and urine and faeces excreted by the animals were recorded. Body weight change was recorded at 15 days interval. The average daily weight gain was not significantly different (P>0.05) between diet groups. However, animals under D2 obtained highest growth rate (44.9 g/d) followed by D3 (44.0 g/d), and D1 (34.8) and the lowest average daily gain (ADG) was obtained in D4 (28.9 g/d). Significantly higher (P<0.05) coefficient of digestibility for DM, CP, ADF, hemicelluloses, and cellulose was found in D3. Nitrogen, Ca, and P balance were high and positive in all diets groups. From this evidence, it can be suggested that rice straw could be used for goat feeding without affecting the growth rate provided it was pre-treated either with 2% molasses or 2% urea-molasses solution. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Contribution to the Ethnobotany of Dhading District, Central Nepal
Authors: Kunwar Ripu M. , Nepal Bal K. , Sigdel Krishna P. , Balami Narayan
Published: September 2015

This paper describes the richness of ethnobotanical knowledge of local people of Pinda, Muralibhanjyang and Dhadingbesi areas of Dhading district in central Nepal. A total of 108 species have been recorded which are being used locally. Of them, 96 are used as medicine, 22 as food, 19 as fodder, 15 as fuelwood and five as religious. Species of the families Moraceae, Leguminosae and Euphorbiaceae contributed the most. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Feasibility Study of In-Situ Bioremediation of Atrazine by Pseudomonas SP. ADP (PADP) in a Laboratory Scale Model Aquifer
Authors: Shrestha Binita K. , Shakya Pawan Raj , Soares M. I. M.
Published: September 2015

The feasibility of in-situ bioremediation of atrazine-contaminated groundwater by Pseudomonas sp. ADP (PADP) was tested in a two-dimensional laboratory scale model aquifer. The experimental set-up consisted of three compartments: an inlet chamber, a saturated sandy aquifer with a biological permeable reactive barrier (BPRB) and an outlet chamber. Multi-layer samplers (MLSs) at 10, 25 and 40 cm from the bed base were located at 7, 28.5 (well), 42.5 (BPRB) and 55 cm from the inlet. Artificial atrazine-contaminated groundwater (1 mg/L) amended with nitrate (20 mg/L NO3- -N) flowed horizontally through the aquifer at a rate of 5.5 cm/day. Inoculation of the reactive barrier was achieved by temporarily stopping the water flow, and injecting into the reactive barrier 1 L of a PADP suspension with a concentration of 5.6 x 109 CFU/mL; water flow was resumed one hour later. To enhance bacterial activity, a citrate solution (1 g/L) was injected into the barrier twice a week. During the four months of operation, water samples were withdrawn weekly from the MLSs at each sampling station and from the inlet and the outlet, to determine the following water quality parameters: dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, nitrate, atrazine, total dissolved solids and bacterial colony counts (CFU). The concentration of atrazine was practically unchanged from the inlet to the barrier, and an average removal of 50% was observed at the barrier. This removal in the concentration of atrazine was maintained downstream with a slight increase at the outlet, probably due to matrix heterogeneities and preferential channeling. The concentration of dissolved oxygen also decreased along the water path and the lowest value, 2.2 mg/L, was measured at the barrier and at the station downstream. A very small decline was detected in pH values, which decreased from an average of 8.4 ± 0.1 at the inlet to an average of 8.0 ± 0.1 at the outlet. The values of total dissolved solids and temperature did not change significantly throughout the aquifer. In general, low levels of nitrate reduction were detected, although up to 80% reduction was observed at the third week at location 55 cm, with no detectable decrease in the concentration of dissolved oxygen. No correlation was found between degradation of atrazine and nitrate reduction. Our results indicate that in-situ treatment may be a suitable method for the restoration of atrazine contaminated aquifers.  Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Urbanization and Changes in Cropping Patterns at Kathmandu Valley
Authors: Shrestha Raj Man
Published: September 2015

The increase of population in Kathmandu valley is bringing a considerable change in cropping system. Rapid urbanization and introduction of new agriculture technology have encouraged the valley’s farmers to change their cropping patterns from traditional (low value crops) to new crops (high value crops). According to numerous studies made in Nepal, the change is seen considerably in winter crops than in summer crops and the land under cultivation of green leafy vegetables is increasing rapidly in the urban and semi-urban areas. An average growth of population at 3 % in the valley during the period 1951-2001 has resulted in the rapid expansion of area under urban coverage (24.6 % growth per year from 1984 - 2000) has made agriculture land of Katmandu valley to decline per year by 2.04 % (836.27 ha per year). If this trend of decline in agriculture land in Kathmandu valley continues in future too, it is expected that there will be no agriculture land left over by two and half decades in the valley. The planners should take note of this fact that if fertile land of Katmandu valley is to be preserved for agriculture necessary planning is urgently needed. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Statistical Manifolds with almost Quaternionic Structures and Quaternionic Kähler-like Statistical Submersions
Authors: Vîlcu Alina-Daniela , Vîlcu Gabriel-Eduard
Published: September 2015

In this paper we investigate statistical manifolds with almost quaternionic structures. We define the concept of quaternionic Kähler-like statistical manifold and derive the main properties of quaternionic Kähler-like statistical submersions, extending in a new setting some previous results obtained by K. Takano concerning statistical manifolds endowed with almost complex and almost contact structures. Finally, we give a nontrivial example and propose some open problems in the field for further research.
On the Exact Solution of Wave Equations on Cantor Sets
Authors: Baleanu Dumitru , Khan Hasib , Jafari Hossien , Khan Rahmat
Published: September 2015

The transfer of heat due to the emission of electromagnetic waves is called thermal radiations. In local fractional calculus, there are numerous contributions of scientists, like Mandelbrot, who described fractal geometry and its wide range of applications in many scientific fields. Christianto and Rahul gave the derivation of Proca equations on Cantor sets. Hao et al. investigated the Helmholtz and diffusion equations in Cantorian and Cantor-Type Cylindrical Coordinates. Carpinteri and Sapora studied diffusion problems in fractal media in Cantor sets. Zhang et al. studied local fractional wave equations under fixed entropy. In this paper, we are concerned with the exact solutions of wave equations by the help of local fractional Laplace variation iteration method (LFLVIM). We develop an iterative scheme for the exact solutions of local fractional wave equations (LFWEs). The efficiency of the scheme is examined by two illustrative examples.
Using Generalized Entropies and OC-SVM with Mahalanobis Kernel for Detection and Classification of Anomalies in Network Traffic
Authors: Santiago-Paz Jayro , Torres-Roman Deni , Figueroa-Ypiña Angel , Argaez-Xool Jesus
Published: September 2015

Network anomaly detection and classification is an important open issue in network security. Several approaches and systems based on different mathematical tools have been studied and developed, among them, the Anomaly-Network Intrusion Detection System (A-NIDS), which monitors network traffic and compares it against an established baseline of a “normal” traffic profile. Then, it is necessary to characterize the “normal” Internet traffic. This paper presents an approach for anomaly detection and classification based on Shannon, Rényi and Tsallis entropies of selected features, and the construction of regions from entropy data employing the Mahalanobis distance (MD), and One Class Support Vector Machine (OC-SVM) with different kernels (Radial Basis Function (RBF) and Mahalanobis Kernel (MK)) for “normal” and abnormal traffic. Regular and non-regular regions built from “normal” traffic profiles allow anomaly detection, while the classification is performed under the assumption that regions corresponding to the attack classes have been previously characterized. Although this approach allows the use of as many features as required, only four well-known significant features were selected in our case. In order to evaluate our approach, two different data sets were used: one set of real traffic obtained from an Academic Local Area Network (LAN), and the other a subset of the 1998 MIT-DARPA set. For these data sets, a True positive rate up to 99.35%, a True negative rate up to 99.83% and a False negative rate at about 0.16% were yielded. Experimental results show that certain q-values of the generalized entropies and the use of OC-SVM with RBF kernel improve the detection rate in the detection stage, while the novel inclusion of MK kernel in OC-SVM and k-temporal nearest neighbors improve accuracy in classification. In addition, the results show that using the Box-Cox transformation, the Mahalanobis distance yielded high detection rates with an efficient computation time, while OC-SVM achieved detection rates slightly higher, but is more computationally expensive.
Epigenetic Heterogeneity of B-Cell Lymphoma: DNA Methylation, Gene Expression and Chromatin States
Authors: Hopp Lydia , Löffler-Wirth Henry , Binder Hans
Published: September 2015

Mature B-cell lymphoma is a clinically and biologically highly diverse disease. Its diagnosis and prognosis is a challenge due to its molecular heterogeneity and diverse regimes of biological dysfunctions, which are partly driven by epigenetic mechanisms. We here present an integrative analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression data of several lymphoma subtypes. Our study confirms previous results about the role of stemness genes during development and maturation of B-cells and their dysfunction in lymphoma locking in more proliferative or immune-reactive states referring to B-cell functionalities in the dark and light zone of the germinal center and also in plasma cells. These dysfunctions are governed by widespread epigenetic effects altering the promoter methylation of the involved genes, their activity status as moderated by histone modifications and also by chromatin remodeling. We identified four groups of genes showing characteristic expression and methylation signatures among Burkitt’s lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and multiple myeloma. These signatures are associated with epigenetic effects such as remodeling from transcriptionally inactive into active chromatin states, differential promoter methylation and the enrichment of targets of transcription factors such as EZH2 and SUZ12.
The Use, Perceived Effectiveness and Safety of Herbal Galactagogues During Breastfeeding: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Sim Tin , Hattingh H. , Sherriff Jillian , Tee Lisa
Published: September 2015

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding as the normal infant feeding method and that infants being breastfed should be regarded as the control group or norm reference in all instances. There are many factors which could contribute to a new mother ceasing breastfeeding early, with the most commonly reported reason being perceived insufficient breast milk supply. The use of herbal galactagogues is increasingly common worldwide. Literature review identified a need for more research in the area of herbal galactagogue use during breastfeeding. Twenty in-depth semi-structured interviews were undertaken with breastfeeding women who used herbal galactagogues, to document use and explore their perceived effectiveness and safety of herbal galactagogues. Several indicators of breastfeeding adequacy were mentioned as participants described their experiences with the use of herbal galactagogues. Confidence and self-empowerment emerged as an over-arching theme linked to positive experiences with the use of herbal galactagogues. Despite the lack of clinical trial data on the actual increase in measured volume of breast milk production, indicators of breastfeeding adequacy boosted participants’ confidence levels and resulted in psychological benefits. This study highlighted the importance of considering the potential psychological benefits of using herbal galactagogues, and how this translates into breastfeeding adequacy.
Introducing DInaMo: A Package for Calculating Protein Circular Dichroism Using Classical Electromagnetic Theory
Authors: Uporov Igor , Forlemu Neville , Nori Rahul , Aleksandrov Tsvetan , Sango Boris , Mbote Yvonne , Pothuganti Sandeep , Thomasson Kathryn
Published: September 2015

The dipole interaction model is a classical electromagnetic theory for calculating circular dichroism (CD) resulting from the π-π* transitions of amides. The theoretical model, pioneered by J. Applequist, is assembled into a package, DInaMo, written in Fortran allowing for treatment of proteins. DInaMo reads Protein Data Bank formatted files of structures generated by molecular mechanics or reconstructed secondary structures. Crystal structures cannot be used directly with DInaMo; they either need to be rebuilt with idealized bond angles and lengths, or they need to be energy minimized to adjust bond lengths and bond angles because it is common for crystal structure geometries to have slightly short bond lengths, and DInaMo is sensitive to this. DInaMo reduces all the amide chromophores to points with anisotropic polarizability and all nonchromophoric aliphatic atoms including hydrogens to points with isotropic polarizability; all other atoms are ignored. By determining the interactions among the chromophoric and nonchromophoric parts of the molecule using empirically derived polarizabilities, the rotational and dipole strengths are determined leading to the calculation of CD. Furthermore, ignoring hydrogens bound to methyl groups is initially explored and proves to be a good approximation. Theoretical calculations on 24 proteins agree with experiment showing bands with similar morphology and maxima.
Gene Expression Variations of Red—White Skin Coloration in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
Authors: Li Xiao-Min , Song Ying-Nan , Xiao Gui-Bao , Zhu Bai-Han , Xu Gui-Cai , Sun Ming-Yuan , Xiao Jun , Mahboob Shahid , Al-Ghanim Khalid , Sun Xiao-Wen , Li Jiong-Tang
Published: September 2015

Teleosts have more types of chromatophores than other vertebrates and the genetic basis for pigmentation is highly conserved among vertebrates. Therefore, teleosts are important models to study the mechanism of pigmentation. Although functional genes and genetic variations of pigmentation have been studied, the mechanisms of different skin coloration remains poorly understood. The koi strain of common carp has various colors and patterns, making it a good model for studying the genetic basis of pigmentation. We performed RNA-sequencing for red skin and white skin and identified 62 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Most of them were validated with RT-qPCR. The up-regulated DEGs in red skin were enriched in Kupffer’s vesicle development while the up-regulated DEGs in white skin were involved in cytoskeletal protein binding, sarcomere organization and glycogen phosphorylase activity. The distinct enriched activity might be associated with different structures and functions in erythrophores and iridophores. The DNA methylation levels of two selected DEGs inversely correlated with gene expression, indicating the participation of DNA methylation in the coloration. This expression characterization of red—white skin along with the accompanying transcriptome-wide expression data will be a useful resource for further studies of pigment cell biology.
First Trimester Urine and Serum Metabolomics for Prediction of Preeclampsia and Gestational Hypertension: A Prospective Screening Study
Authors: Austdal Marie , Tangerås Line , Skråstad Ragnhild , Salvesen Kjell , Austgulen Rigmor , Iversen Ann-Charlotte , Bathen Tone
Published: September 2015

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia, are major contributors to maternal morbidity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential of metabolomics to predict preeclampsia and gestational hypertension from urine and serum samples in early pregnancy, and elucidate the metabolic changes related to the diseases. Metabolic profiles were obtained by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of serum and urine samples from 599 women at medium to high risk of preeclampsia (nulliparous or previous preeclampsia/gestational hypertension). Preeclampsia developed in 26 (4.3%) and gestational hypertension in 21 (3.5%) women. Multivariate analyses of the metabolic profiles were performed to establish prediction models for the hypertensive disorders individually and combined. Urinary metabolomic profiles predicted preeclampsia and gestational hypertension at 51.3% and 40% sensitivity, respectively, at 10% false positive rate, with hippurate as the most important metabolite for the prediction. Serum metabolomic profiles predicted preeclampsia and gestational hypertension at 15% and 33% sensitivity, respectively, with increased lipid levels and an atherogenic lipid profile as most important for the prediction. Combining maternal characteristics with the urinary hippurate/creatinine level improved the prediction rates of preeclampsia in a logistic regression model. The study indicates a potential future role of clinical importance for metabolomic analysis of urine in prediction of preeclampsia.
Anthocyanin Absorption and Metabolism by Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cells—A Review
Authors: Kamiloglu Senem , Capanoglu Esra , Grootaert Charlotte , Van Camp John
Published: September 2015

Anthocyanins from different plant sources have been shown to possess health beneficial effects against a number of chronic diseases. To obtain any influence in a specific tissue or organ, these bioactive compounds must be bioavailable, i.e., effectively absorbed from the gut into the circulation and transferred to the appropriate location within the body while still maintaining their bioactivity. One of the key factors affecting the bioavailability of anthocyanins is their transport through the gut epithelium. The Caco-2 cell line, a human intestinal epithelial cell model derived from a colon carcinoma, has been proven to be a good alternative to animal studies for predicting intestinal absorption of anthocyanins. Studies investigating anthocyanin absorption by Caco-2 cells report very low absorption of these compounds. However, the bioavailability of anthocyanins may be underestimated since the metabolites formed in the course of digestion could be responsible for the health benefits associated with anthocyanins. In this review, we critically discuss recent findings reported on the anthocyanin absorption and metabolism by human intestinal Caco-2 cells.
A Phospholipid-Protein Complex from Antarctic Krill Reduced Plasma Homocysteine Levels and Increased Plasma Trimethylamine-N-Oxide (TMAO) and Carnitine Levels in Male Wistar Rats
Authors: Bjørndal Bodil , Ramsvik Marie , Lindquist Carine , Nordrehaug Jan , Bruheim Inge , Svardal Asbjørn , Nygård Ottar , Berge Rolf
Published: September 2015

Seafood is assumed to be beneficial for cardiovascular health, mainly based on plasma lipid lowering and anti-inflammatory effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, other plasma risk factors linked to cardiovascular disease are less studied. This study aimed to penetrate the effect of a phospholipid-protein complex (PPC) from Antarctic krill on one-carbon metabolism and production of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed isoenergetic control, 6%, or 11% PPC diets for four weeks. Rats fed PPC had reduced total homocysteine plasma level and increased levels of choline, dimethylglycine and cysteine, whereas the plasma level of methionine was unchanged compared to control. PPC feeding increased the plasma level of TMAO, carnitine, its precursors trimethyllysine and γ-butyrobetaine. There was a close correlation between plasma TMAO and carnitine, trimethyllysine, and γ-butyrobetaine, but not between TMAO and choline. The present data suggest that PPC has a homocysteine lowering effect and is associated with altered plasma concentrations of metabolites related to one-carbon metabolism and B-vitamin status in rats. Moreover, the present study reveals a non-obligatory role of gut microbiota in the increased plasma TMAO level as it can be explained by the PPC’s content of TMAO. The increased level of carnitine and carnitine precursors is interpreted to reflect increased carnitine biosynthesis.
A Novel Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonator for Filters and Sensors Applications
Authors: Zhang Zhixin , Liang Ji , Zhang Daihua , Pang Wei , Zhang Hao
Published: September 2015

Bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators are widely applied in filters and gravimetric sensors for physical or biochemical sensing. In this work, a new architecture of BAW resonator is demonstrated, which introduces a pair of reflection layers onto the top of a thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) device. The new device can be transformed between type I and type II dispersions by varying the thicknesses of the reflection layers. A computational modeling is developed to fully investigate the acoustic waves and the dispersion types of the device theoretically. The novel structure makes it feasible to fabricate both type resonators in one filter, which offers an effective alternative to improve the pass band flatness in the filter. Additionally, this new device exhibits a high quality factor (Q) in the liquid, which opens a possibility for real time measurement in solutions with a superior limitation of detection (LOD) in sensor applications.
Textile-Based Electronic Components for Energy Applications: Principles, Problems, and Perspective
Authors: Kaushik Vishakha , Lee Jaehong , Hong Juree , Lee Seulah , Lee Sanggeun , Seo Jungmok , Mahata Chandreswar , Lee Taeyoon
Published: September 2015

Textile-based electronic components have gained interest in the fields of science and technology. Recent developments in nanotechnology have enabled the integration of electronic components into textiles while retaining desirable characteristics such as flexibility, strength, and conductivity. Various materials were investigated in detail to obtain current conductive textile technology, and the integration of electronic components into these textiles shows great promise for common everyday applications. The harvest and storage of energy in textile electronics is a challenge that requires further attention in order to enable complete adoption of this technology in practical implementations. This review focuses on the various conductive textiles, their methods of preparation, and textile-based electronic components. We also focus on fabrication and the function of textile-based energy harvesting and storage devices, discuss their fundamental limitations, and suggest new areas of study.
Seronegative Celiac Disease and Immunoglobulin Deficiency: Where to Look in the Submerged Iceberg?
Authors: Giorgio Floriana , Principi Mariabeatrice , Losurdo Giuseppe , Piscitelli Domenico , Iannone Andrea , Barone Michele , Amoruso Annacinzia , Ierardi Enzo , Di Leo Alfredo
Published: September 2015

In the present narrative review, we analyzed the relationship between seronegative celiac disease (SNCD) and immunoglobulin deficiencies. For this purpose, we conducted a literature search on the main medical databases. SNCD poses a diagnostic dilemma. Villous blunting, intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) count and gluten “challenge” are the most reliable markers. Immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence tissue transglutaminase (tTG)-targeted mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) immune complexes in the intestinal mucosa of SNCD patients may be useful. In our experience, tTG-mRNA was similarly increased in seropositive celiac disease (CD) and suspected SNCD, and strongly correlated with the IELs count. This increase is found even in the IELs’ range of 15–25/100 enterocytes, suggesting that there may be a “grey zone” of gluten-related disorders. An immune deregulation (severely lacking B-cell differentiation) underlies the association of SNCD with immunoglobulin deficiencies. Therefore, CD may be linked to autoimmune disorders and immune deficits (common variable immunodeficiency (CVID)/IgA selective deficiency). CVID is a heterogeneous group of antibodies dysfunction, whose association with CD is demonstrated only by the response to a gluten-free diet (GFD). We hypothesized a familial inheritance between CD and CVID. Selective IgA deficiency, commonly associated with CD, accounts for IgA-tTG seronegativity. Selective IgM deficiency (sIgMD) is rare (<300 cases) and associated to CD in 5% of cases. We diagnosed SNCD in a patient affected by sIgMD using the tTG-mRNA assay. One-year GFD induced IgM restoration. This evidence, supporting a link between SNCD and immunoglobulin deficiencies, suggests that we should take a closer look at this association.
Improved Leg Tracking Considering Gait Phase and Spline-Based Interpolation during Turning Motion in Walk Tests
Authors: Yorozu Ayanori , Moriguchi Toshiki , Takahashi Masaki
Published: September 2015

Falling is a common problem in the growing elderly population, and fall-risk assessment systems are needed for community-based fall prevention programs. In particular, the timed up and go test (TUG) is the clinical test most often used to evaluate elderly individual ambulatory ability in many clinical institutions or local communities. This study presents an improved leg tracking method using a laser range sensor (LRS) for a gait measurement system to evaluate the motor function in walk tests, such as the TUG. The system tracks both legs and measures the trajectory of both legs. However, both legs might be close to each other, and one leg might be hidden from the sensor. This is especially the case during the turning motion in the TUG, where the time that a leg is hidden from the LRS is longer than that during straight walking and the moving direction rapidly changes. These situations are likely to lead to false tracking and deteriorate the measurement accuracy of the leg positions. To solve these problems, a novel data association considering gait phase and a Catmull–Rom spline-based interpolation during the occlusion are proposed. From the experimental results with young people, we confirm that the proposed methods can reduce the chances of false tracking. In addition, we verify the measurement accuracy of the leg trajectory compared to a three-dimensional motion analysis system (VICON).
Novel PCR Assays Complement Laser Biosensor-Based Method and Facilitate Listeria Species Detection from Food
Authors: Kim Kwang-Pyo , Singh Atul , Bai Xingjian , Leprun Lena , Bhunia Arun
Published: September 2015

The goal of this study was to develop the Listeria species-specific PCR assays based on a house-keeping gene (lmo1634) encoding alcohol acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (Aad), previously designated as Listeria adhesion protein (LAP), and compare results with a label-free light scattering sensor, BARDOT (bacterial rapid detection using optical scattering technology). PCR primer sets targeting the lap genes from the species of Listeria sensu stricto were designed and tested with 47 Listeria and 8 non-Listeria strains. The resulting PCR primer sets detected either all species of Listeria sensu stricto or individual L. innocua, L. ivanovii and L. seeligeri, L. welshimeri, and L. marthii without producing any amplified products from other bacteria tested. The PCR assays with Listeria sensu stricto-specific primers also successfully detected all species of Listeria sensu stricto and/or Listeria innocua from mixed culture-inoculated food samples, and each bacterium in food was verified by using the light scattering sensor that generated unique scatter signature for each species of Listeria tested. The PCR assays based on the house-keeping gene aad (lap) can be used for detection of either all species of Listeria sensu stricto or certain individual Listeria species in a mixture from food with a detection limit of about 104 CFU/mL.
Design and Application of a High Sensitivity Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor for Low Pressure Conditions
Authors: Yu Huiyang , Huang Jianqiu
Published: September 2015

In this paper, a pressure sensor for low pressure detection (0.5 kPa–40 kPa) is proposed. In one structure (No. 1), the silicon membrane is partly etched to form a crossed beam on its top for stress concentration. An aluminum layer is also deposited as part of the beam. Four piezoresistors are fabricated. Two are located at the two ends of the beam. The other two are located at the membrane periphery. Four piezoresistors connect into a Wheatstone bridge. To demonstrate the stress concentrate effect of this structure, two other structures were designed and fabricated. One is a flat membrane structure (No. 2), the other is a structure with the aluminum beam, but without etched silicon (No. 3). The measurement results of these three structures show that the No.1 structure has the highest sensitivity, which is about 3.8 times that of the No. 2 structure and 2.7 times that of the No. 3 structure. They also show that the residual stress in the beam has some backside effect on the sensor performance.
Reclaimed Water Use in Biofuel Production
Authors: Palacios-Diaz María , Mendoza-Grimón Vanessa , Brito Idaira , Fernández-Vera Juan , Hernández-Moreno José
Published: September 2015

Jatropha curcas L., a toxic species that does not interfere with the food chain, produces biodiesel of better environmental quality than mineral oils. However, in order to cultivate it sustainably, it is necessary to optimize the limited resources used, mainly water and soil. Therefore, in arid areas, it is necessary to cultivate under intensive conditions, irrigate with reclaimed water and cut production costs. To optimize water consumption, partial root-zone drying (PRD), which keeps a part of the root system dry, was used. This water management strategy, employed successfully in other oil crops, yielded less fruit per bunch, but more fruit bunches per plant. This fact will probably allow to establish higher planting density and, consequently, higher productivity per surface unit. This is one of the few available options for improving profitability as production per tree is stable (1.25 kg seed plant−1 year−1 for the most productive trees, with excellent climate and soil, and no limitations water use). A high percentage of fruit lying on the ground (24%) and non-uniform timing in fruit production (except some specimens) greatly hinder its mechanization. Although this crop’s environmental and socio-economic benefits are not taken into account, it is very difficult, with only the calculated water consumption (15.5 m3 water per L of oil or 5.6 m3 water per L of oil according to our best estimations), to consider it a profitable option.
A new species of Harpactea Bristowe, 1939 from Turkey (Araneae: Dysderidae)
Authors: Özkütük Recep , Elverici Mert , Marusik Yuri , Kunt Kadir
Published: September 2015

A new species of Harpactea Bristowe, 1939, H. alanyana sp. n. is described from southern Turkey. The new species appears closely related to H. osellai Brignoli, 1978. Detailed description and illustrations of the new and related species are provided. The relationships of the two species are discussed.
Concept of Designing Systems for Monitoring Technical State of Rolling Mill Electric Drives
Authors: Evdokimov Aleksey S. , Khramshin Vadim Rifhatovich , Evdokimov Sergey A.
Published: September 2015

It has been proven that the introduction of the systems for continuous control of the equipment technical state is a necessary requirement of the modern maintenance of the critical equipment. The paper proposes the list of the processing facilities applied within the development systems for technical state control. The task of development of the system for recording, storing and displaying oscillographs of the automated electric drives of the wide-strip hot-rolling mill has been defined. The paper offers the analysis of the recording system based on the remote I/O controllers and the system with distributed industrial computers. The most informative-significant signals are listed. The network topology of the decentralized system implemented at the 2,500 mm wide-strip hot-rolling mill of OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works is suggested. Oscillographs of the main coordinates of the mill's electric drives obtained by means of the introduced system are provided.
Simulation of Voltage on Stator Winding Terminals of Induction Motor with Impaired Short-Circuit Winding of Rotor
Authors: Novozhilov Alexander , Potapenko Alexandra
Published: September 2015

The paper is presented the method of simulation of voltage on the stator winding terminals of induction motor with impaired short-circuit winding of rotor in the running-out mode. This method allows to simulate processes in induction motors with precision to satisfy the requirements of protection equipment.
The Universal Mathematical Model of Excitation System of Synchronous Machines
Authors: Ruban Nikolay , Borovikov Yuri , Sulaymanova Venera
Published: September 2015

The article presents the results of the synthesis of universal mathematical model of the excitation system of synchronous machines that can adequately reproduce a variety of excitation systems with different regulation laws. The information about the practical verification of the mathematical model is given in the paper.
Multilevel NPC Converters in Parallel Connection for Power Conditioning Systems
Authors: Dybko Maxim , Brovanov Sergey , Lee Hong Hee
Published: September 2015

This paper investigates a multilevel combined NPC converter for medium-and high-power energy storage systems and active power filters. The proposed multilevel NPC converter is composed of a parallel connection of multiple NPC converters using the current sharing reactors and involves the phase shifted PWM strategy for better energy quality performance. Using the switching function-based mathematical model, the proposed multilevel converter is evaluated to show the energy quality performance and fault tolerance of an energy storage system or active power filter. In addition, the switching frequency of circulating currents is analyzed to obtain its relationship with the converter parameters and maximum sharing reactor current ripple. The performance of the proposed multilevel converter is verified by simulation.
Francis Turbine Modeling for Hydrounit on the Bases of the Doubly Fed Induction Machine
Authors: Diyorov Rustam Kh. , Glazyrin M.V.
Published: September 2015

The mathematical model of Francis turbine, operating at variable speed hydrounit, has created. The results of numerical modeling are fully consistent with the physical representation of the behavior of the hydraulic turbine in dynamic modes.
Subsynchronous Resonance in Independent Energo with Distributed Semiconductoring Load
Authors: Orel Egor Olegovich , Anosov Vladimir Nikolaevich , Kaveshnikov Vladimir Mikhaylovich
Published: September 2015

A subsynchronous eleсtromechanical resonance in autonomous power systems is caused by the coincidence of the natural frequency of power network and one of the natural frequencies of turbogenerator unit in the electrical power plant. The occurrence and development of subsynchronous resonance causes subsynchronous oscillations of generators rotors, which are dangerous for shaft elements of turbogenerator units. Besides that, load angle oscillations having small amplitude under frequencies of 10-15 Hz create radial vibrations in bearing supports of turbogenerator units. The vibrations cause the emergency disconnection by vibration protection. In this paper the feature of subsynchronous resonance development in autonomous power system is present in the load power uncontrolled asynchronous motors and a large amount of similar frequency-controlled asynchronous various power drives through numerical simulations are discussed.
Population-Based Algorithms for Optimization of the Reactive Power Distribution and Selection of the Cable Cross-Section in the Power-Supply Systems
Authors: Manusov Vadim , Tretyakova Elena , Matrenin Pavel
Published: September 2015

The article is devoted to optimization of the reactive power sources arrangement in the industrial power grid to reduce the active power losses in transmission lines and select cross-sections of cable of the lines. To reduce the losses installing of additional reactive power sources in junctions of the grid are proposed. Thus, a problem of the optimal arrangement of the reactive power sources is appeared. This problem was solved by two stochastic optimization algorithms such as the Genetic and the Particle Swarm optimization algorithms. The cost-effectiveness of the suggested method is shown.
On Methods of Investigation of Power Generator Differential Protection Behavior in Automatic Mode
Authors: Glazirin Vladimir , Litvinov Ilya , Osintsev Anatoliy
Published: September 2015

The criterion of selection of external faulty states was proposed to help one to analyze generator differential protection behavior under possible faulty conditions. The use of computer modeling provides great advantages to explore protection behavior but, as a rule, transient state simulation takes much time. The approach proposed by the authors helps one to completely investigate differential protection behavior under various external fault conditions and save one’s time.
Equipment State Assessment System Based on Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS)
Authors: Khalyasmaa Alexandra , Aminev Artem , Bliznyuk Dmitry
Published: September 2015

The paper is dedicated to analyze the modern expert systems to assess the technical condition of power stations and substations high-voltage equipment. The main problems of modern expert systems and their possible solutions are determined. As the structure and their basic construction principles are considered. Also this paper proposes an algorithm for the expert system model using fuzzy inference on the basis of technical diagnostics and tests. As a case study of assessment of power transformers state based on dissolved gas analysis in the oil is presented.
Peculiarity of Determination of Economic Current Density Values for 6 – 35 kV Power Lines under Modern Conditions
Authors: Suvorova Irina , Cherepanov Vyacheslav , Basmanov Vladislav
Published: September 2015

The paper studies the issues concerning the updating of standardized values of economic current density due to the change of price indices in the modern Russian economy. Results of economic current density determination for 6 – 35 kV power lines based on minimal discounted costs in terms of modern cost data are presented. Assessment of responsitivity of economic current density values to the variation of technical and economic factors influencing them has been performed. Moreover, economic current density values for cables insulated with cross-linked polyethylene and self-supporting insulated wires which are not presented in the Electrical Installation Code have been obtained. Changes in electric power cost and time-dependant changes of electric load are taken into consideration in the specified values.
Investigation of Defect Formation Process in Transmission and Distribution Equipment
Authors: Rychagova Elena , Levin Vladimir
Published: September 2015

The results of the statistical investigation of defect formation process in the equipment of electric networks are shown. Probabilistic characteristics of the stochastic process of the growing defects formation are determined for the 6/0.4 kV transformers with a high degree of confidence. The results will be used in the evaluation models of the equipment reliability under the actual maintenance condition.
Efficiency of Using Artificial Neural Network for Short-Term Load Forecasting
Authors: Rodygina Svetlana , Lyubchenko Valentina , Rodygin Alexander
Published: September 2015

Using artificial neural networks (ANN) for short-term load forecasting is an efficient method to get the best result. Considered problem of short-term load forecasting shows that the accuracy of short-term forecasting models and methods significantly influences on the further planning of operating conditions at the modern electricity market. The obtained error for short-term load forecasting using the neural network algorithm is 2.78%.