bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PARITY AND EXOTIC COMBINATORIAL FORMULAE FOR FINITE-TYPE INVARIANTS OF VIRTUAL KNOTS
Authors: CHRISMAN MICAH WHITNEY , MANTUROV VASSILY OLEGOVICH
Published: August 2012

The present paper produces examples of Gauss diagram formulae for virtual knot invariants which have no analogue in the classical knot case. These combinatorial formulae contain additional information about how a subdiagram is embedded in a virtual knot diagram. The additional information comes from the second author's recently discovered notion of parity. For a parity of flat virtual knots, the new combinatorial formulae are Kauffman finite-type invariants. However, many of the combinatorial formulae possess exotic properties. It is shown that there exists an integer-valued virtualization invariant combinatorial formula of order n for every n (i.e. it is stable under the map which changes the direction of one arrow but preserves the sign). Hence, it is not of Goussarov–Polyak–Viro finite-type. Moreover, every homogeneous Polyak–Viro combinatorial formula admits a decomposition into an "even" part and an "odd" part. For the Gaussian parity, neither part of the formula is of GPV finite-type when it is non-constant on the set of classical knots. In addition, eleven new non-trivial combinatorial formulae of order 2 are presented which are not of GPV finite-type.
2.5D AND 3D GREEN'S FUNCTIONS FOR ACOUSTIC WEDGES: IMAGE SOURCE TECHNIQUE VERSUS A NORMAL MODE APPROACH
Authors: TADEU A. , COSTA E. G. A. , ANTÓNIO J. , AMADO-MENDES P.
Published: August 2012

2.5D and 3D Green's functions are implemented to simulate wave propagation in the vicinity of two-dimensional wedges. All Green's functions are defined by the image-source technique, which does not account directly for the acoustic penetration of the wedge surfaces. The performance of these Green's functions is compared with solutions based on a normal mode model, which are found not to converge easily for receivers whose distance to the apex is similar to the distance from the source to the apex. The applicability of the image source Green's functions is then demonstrated by means of computational examples for three-dimensional wave propagation. For this purpose, a boundary element formulation in the frequency domain is developed to simulate the wave field produced by a 3D point pressure source inside a two-dimensional fluid channel. The propagating domain may couple different dipping wedges and flat horizontal layers. The full discretization of the boundary surfaces of the channel is avoided since 2.5D Green's functions are used. The BEM is used to couple the different subdomains, discretizing only the vertical interfaces between them.
HAAR BASES FOR $L^2(\mathbb{Q}_2^2)$ GENERATED BY ONE WAVELET FUNCTION
Authors: ALBEVERIO S. , SKOPINA M.
Published: August 2012

The concept of p-adic quincunx Haar MRA was introduced and studied in Ref. 12. In contrast to the real setting, infinitely many different wavelet bases are generated by a p-adic MRA. We give an explicit description for all wavelet functions corresponding to the quincunx Haar MRA. Each one generates an orthogonal basis, one of them was presented in Ref. 12. A connection between quincunx Haar MRA and two-dimensional separable Haar MRA is also found.
DISCRETE-TIME WILSON FRAMES WITH GENERAL LATTICES
Authors: LIAN QIAOFANG , LIAN YUNFANG , YOU MINGHOU
Published: August 2012

In this paper, we focus on the construction of Wilson frames and their dual frames for general lattices of volume [Formula: see text] (K even) in the discrete-time setting. We obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for two Bessel sequences having Wilson structure to be dual frames for l2(ℤ). When the window function satisfies some symmetry property, we obtain a characterization of a Wilson system to be a tight frame for l2(ℤ), show that a Wilson frame for l2(ℤ) can be derived from the underlying Gabor frame, and that the dual frame having Wilson structure can also be derived from the canonical Gabor dual of the underlying Gabor frame.
ELASTIC-NET REGULARIZATION FOR LOW-RANK MATRIX RECOVERY
Authors: LI HONG , CHEN NA , LI LUOQING
Published: August 2012

This paper considers the problem of recovering a low-rank matrix from a small number of measurements consisting of linear combinations of the matrix entries. We extend the elastic-net regularization in compressive sensing to a more general setting, the matrix recovery setting, and consider the elastic-net regularization scheme for matrix recovery. To investigate on the statistical properties of this scheme and in particular on its convergence properties, we set up a suitable mathematic framework. We characterize some properties of the estimator and construct a natural iterative procedure to compute it. The convergence analysis shows that the sequence of iterates converges, which then underlies successful applications of the matrix elastic-net regularization algorithm. In addition, the error bounds of the proposed algorithm for low-rank matrix and even for full-rank matrix are presented in this paper.
BEWARE OF MOVING TARGETS: REFERENCE PROTEOME CONTENT FLUCTUATES SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE YEARS
Authors: SIROTA FERNANDA L. , BATAGOV ARSEN , SCHNEIDER GEORG , EISENHABER BIRGIT , EISENHABER FRANK , MAURER-STROH SEBASTIAN
Published: August 2012

Reference proteomes are generated by increasingly sophisticated annotation pipelines as part of regular genome build releases; yet, the corresponding changes in reference proteomes' content are dramatic. In the history of the NCBI-curated human proteome, the total number of entries has remained roughly constant but approximately half of the proteins from the 2003 build 33 are no longer represented by entries in current releases, while about the same number of new proteins have been added (for sequence identity thresholds 50–90%). Although mostly hypothetical proteins are affected, there are also spectacular cases of entry removal/addition of well studied proteins. The changes between the 2003 and recent human proteomes are in a similar order of magnitude as the differences between recent human and chimpanzee proteome releases. As an application example, we show that the proteome fluctuations affect the interpretation (about 74% of hits) of organelle-specific mass-spectrometry data. Although proteome quality tends to improve with more recent releases as, for example, the fraction of proteins with functional annotation has increased over time, existing evidence implies that, apparently, the proteome content still remains incomplete, not just pertaining to isoforms/sequence variants but also to proteins and their families that are clearly distinct.
GROUP QUASI-REPRESENTATIONS AND INDEX THEORY
Authors: DADARLAT MARIUS
Published: August 2012

Let M be a closed connected manifold and let D be an elliptic operator on M. Let G be a discrete countable group and let [Formula: see text] be a principal G-bundle. Connes and Moscovici showed that this data defines an analytic index ind ℓ1(G)(D) ∈ K0(ℓ1(G)). If B is a unital tracial C*-algebra, we give a formula for the trace of the image of ind ℓ1(G)(D) in K0(B) under the map induced by a quasi-representation of G in B. As an application, we reprove and generalize a formula of Exel and Loring to surface groups.
A Novel Method for Simulating the Extracellular Matrix in Models of Tumour Growth
Authors: Toma Alina , Mang Andreas , Schuetz Tina A. , Becker Stefan , Buzug Thorsten M.
Published: August 2012

A novel hybrid continuum-discrete model to simulate tumour growth on a cellular scale is proposed. The lattice-based spatiotemporal model consists of reaction-diffusion equations that describe interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment. The fundamental ingredients that are typically considered are the nutrient concentration, the extracellular matrix (ECM), and matrix degrading enzymes (MDEs). The in vivo processes are very complex and occur on different levels. This in turn leads to huge computational costs. The main contribution of the present work is therefore to describe the processes on the basis of simplified mathematical approaches, which, at the same time, depict realistic results to understand the biological processes. In this work, we discuss if we have to simulate the MDE or if the degraded matrix can be estimated directly with respect to the cancer cell distribution. Additionally, we compare the results for modelling tumour growth using the common and our simplified approach, thereby demonstrating the advantages of the proposed method. Therefore, we introduce variations of the positioning of the nutrient delivering blood vessels and use different initializations of the ECM. We conclude that the novel method, which does not explicitly model the matrix degrading enzymes, provides means for a straightforward and fast implementation for modelling tumour growth.
Investigations on the Effects of Five Different Plant Extracts on the Two-Spotted MiteTetranychus urticaeKoch (Arachnida: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Erdogan Pervin , Yildirim Aysegul , Sever Betul
Published: August 2012

Two-spotted mite,Tetranychus urticaeKoch (Arac.: Tetranychidae), is an economic pest worldwide including Turkey, causing serious damage to vegetables, flowers, and fruit crops. In recent years, broad-spectrum insecticides/miticides have been used to control this pest in Turkey. Control is difficult mainly due to resistance to conventional pesticides. This study was conducted to determine efficacy of pesticides extracted from five different plants [i.e.,Allium sativumL. (Amaryllidaceae),Rhododendron luteumS. (Ericaceae),Helichrysum arenariumL. (Asteraceae),Veratrum albumL. (Liliaceae), andTanacetum partheniumL. (Asteraceae)] against this mite. Bioassays were tested by two different methods to determine the effects of varying concentrations. Experiments were performed using 3 cm diameter leaf disk from unsprayed bean plants (Phaseolus vulgarisL.). In addition, the effects of the extracts on reproduction and oviposition were investigated. The extract yielded high mortality. In the lowest-concentration bioassays, the adult mites laid lower numbers of eggs compared to the untreated control. No ovicidal effect was observed.
How the Statistical Validation of Functional Connectivity Patterns Can Prevent Erroneous Definition of Small-World Properties of a Brain Connectivity Network
Authors: Toppi J. , De Vico Fallani F. , Vecchiato G. , Maglione A. G. , Cincotti F. , Mattia D. , Salinari S. , Babiloni F. , Astolfi L.
Published: August 2012

The application of Graph Theory to the brain connectivity patterns obtained from the analysis of neuroelectrical signals has provided an important step to the interpretation and statistical analysis of such functional networks. The properties of a network are derived from the adjacency matrix describing a connectivity pattern obtained by one of the available functional connectivity methods. However, no common procedure is currently applied for extracting the adjacency matrix from a connectivity pattern. To understand how the topographical properties of a network inferred by means of graph indices can be affected by this procedure, we compared one of the methods extensively used in Neuroscience applications (i.e. fixing the edge density) with an approach based on the statistical validation of achieved connectivity patterns. The comparison was performed on the basis of simulated data and of signals acquired on a polystyrene head used as a phantom. The results showed (i) the importance of the assessing process in discarding the occurrence of spurious links and in the definition of the real topographical properties of the network, and (ii) a dependence of the small world properties obtained for the phantom networks from the spatial correlation of the neighboring electrodes.
Convergence Results for the Gaussian Mixture Implementation of the Extended‐Target PHD Filter and Its Extended Kalman Filtering Approximation
Authors: Lian Feng , Han Chongzhao , Liu Jing , Chen Hui
Published: August 2012

The convergence of the Gaussian mixture extended‐target probability hypothesis density (GM‐EPHD) filter and its extended Kalman (EK) filtering approximation in mildly nonlinear condition, namely, the EK‐GM‐EPHD filter, is studied here. This paper proves that both the GM‐EPHD filter and the EK‐GM‐EPHD filter converge uniformly to the true EPHD filter. The significance of this paper is in theory to present the convergence results of the GM‐EPHD and EK‐GM‐EPHD filters and the conditions under which the two filters satisfy uniform convergence.
Laparoscopy in Liver Transplantation: The Future Has Arrived
Authors: Lai Quirino , Pinheiro Rafael S. , Levi Sandri Giovanni B. , Spoletini Gabriele , Melandro Fabio , Guglielmo Nicola , Di Laudo Marco , Frattaroli Fabrizio M. , Berloco Pasquale B. , Rossi Massimo
Published: August 2012

In the last two decades, laparoscopy has revolutionized the field of surgery. Many procedures previously performed with an open access are now routinely carried out with the laparoscopic approach. Several advantages are associated with laparoscopic surgery compared to open procedures: reduced pain due to smaller incisions and hemorrhaging, shorter hospital length of stay, and a lower incidence of wound infections. Liver transplantation (LT) brought a radical change in life expectancy of patients with hepatic end-stage disease. Today, LT represents the standard of care for more than fifty hepatic pathologies, with excellent results in terms of survival. Surely, with laparoscopy and LT being one of the most continuously evolving challenges in medicine, their recent combination has represented an astonishing scientific progress. The intent of the present paper is to underline the current role of diagnostic and therapeutic laparoscopy in patients waiting for LT, in the living donor LT and in LT recipients.
Inhibition ofStaphylococcus epidermidisBiofilm Formation by Traditional Thai Herbal Recipes Used for Wound Treatment
Authors: Chusri S. , Sompetch K. , Mukdee S. , Jansrisewangwong S. , Srichai T. , Maneenoon K. , Limsuwan S. , Voravuthikunchai S. P.
Published: August 2012

Development of biofilm is a key mechanism involved inStaphylococcus epidermidisvirulence during device-associated infections. We aimed to investigate antibiofilm formation and mature biofilm eradication ability of ethanol and water extracts of Thai traditional herbal recipes including THR-SK004, THR-SK010, and THR-SK011 againstS. epidermidis. A biofilm forming reference strain,S. epidermidisATCC 35984 was employed as a model for searching anti-biofilm agents by MTT reduction assay. The results revealed that the ethanol extract of THR-SK004 (THR-SK004E) could inhibit the formation ofS. epidermidisbiofilm on polystyrene surfaces. Furthermore, treatments with the extract efficiently inhibit the biofilm formation of the pathogen on glass surfaces determined by scanning electron microscopy and crystal violet staining. In addition, THR-SK010 ethanol extract (THR-SK010E; 0.63–5 μg/mL) could decrease 30 to 40% of the biofilm development. Almost 90% of a 7-day-old staphylococcal biofilm was destroyed after treatment with THR-SK004E (250 and 500 μg/mL) and THR-SK010E (10 and 20 μg/mL) for 24 h. Therefore, our results clearly demonstrated THR-SK004E could prevent the staphylococcal biofilm development, whereas both THR-SK004E and THR-SK010E possessed remarkable eradication ability on the mature staphylococcal biofilm.
Single Intramammary Infusion of Recombinant Bovine Interleukin-8 at Dry-Off Induces the Prolonged Secretion of Leukocyte Elastase, Inflammatory Lactoferrin-Derived Peptides, and Interleukin-8 in Dairy Cows
Authors: Watanabe Atsushi , Hirota Jiro , Shimizu Shinya , Inumaru Shigeki , Kimura Kazuhiro
Published: August 2012

A single intramammary infusion of recombinant bovine interleukin-8 (IL-8) at 50 μg/quarter/head, but not 10 μg/quarter/head, induced clinical mastitis in three of four cows during the dry-off period, resulting in an elevated rectal temperature, redness and swelling of the mammary gland, extensive polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) infiltration, and milk clot formation from 1 to 28 days post infusion (PI). In the mammary secretions of the mastitic glands, high levels of IL-8 were sustained from 8 hours to 28 days PI, peaking at 1–3 days PI. The levels of leukocyte-derived elastase and inflammatory 22 and 23 kDa lactoferrin derived peptides (LDP) were also increased in the mammary secretions from the mastitic glands. In addition to the experimentally induced mastitis, the mammary secretions from the glands of cattle with spontaneousStaphylococcus aureusdry-period mastitis displayed milk clot formations and significant increases in their levels of PMNL counts, elastase, LDP, and IL-8, compared with those of the mammary secretions from the uninfected glands. These results suggest that after an intramammary infusion of IL-8 has elicited inflammatory responses, it induces the prolonged secretion of elastase, inflammatory LDP, and IL-8, and that long-lasting IL-8-induced inflammatory reactions are involved in the pathogenesis ofS. aureusdry-period mastitis.
Global Behavior for a Strongly Coupled Predator‐Prey Model with One Resource and Two Consumers
Authors: Jiao Yujuan , Fu Shengmao
Published: August 2012

We consider a strongly coupled predator‐prey model with one resource and two consumers, in which the first consumer species feeds on the resource according to the Holling II functional response, while the second consumer species feeds on the resource following the Beddington‐DeAngelis functional response, and they compete for the common resource. Using the energy estimates and Gagliardo‐Nirenberg‐type inequalities, the existence and uniform boundedness of global solutions for the model are proved. Meanwhile, the sufficient conditions for global asymptotic stability of the positive equilibrium for this model are given by constructing a Lyapunov function.
The Inequalities for Quasiarithmetic Means
Authors: Mićić Jadranka , Pavić Zlatko , Pečarić Josip
Published: August 2012

Overview and refinements of the results are given for discrete,
integral, functional and operator variants of inequalities for quasiarithmetic
means. The general results are applied to further refinements of the power
means. Jensen′s inequalities have been systematically presented, from the
older variants, to the most recent ones for the operators without operator
convexity.
Curcumin Induces Nrf2 Nuclear Translocation and Prevents Glomerular Hypertension, Hyperfiltration, Oxidant Stress, and the Decrease in Antioxidant Enzymes in 5/6 Nephrectomized Rats
Authors: Tapia Edilia , Soto Virgilia , Ortiz-Vega Karla Mariana , Zarco-Márquez Guillermo , Molina-Jijón Eduardo , Cristóbal-García Magdalena , Santamaría José , García-Niño Wylly Ramsés , Correa Francisco , Zazueta Cecilia , Pedraza-Chaverri José
Published: August 2012

Renal injury resulting from renal ablation induced by 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6NX) is associated with oxidant stress, glomerular hypertension, hyperfiltration, and impaired Nrf2-Keap1 pathway. The purpose of this work was to know if the bifunctional antioxidant curcumin may induce nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and prevents 5/6NX-induced oxidant stress, renal injury, decrease in antioxidant enzymes, and glomerular hypertension and hyperfiltration. Four groups of rats were studied: (1) control, (2) 5/6NX, (3) 5/6NX+CUR,and (4) CUR (n=8–10). Curcumin was given by gavage to NX5/6+CURand CUR groups (60 mg/kg/day) starting seven days before surgery. Rats were studied 30 days after NX5/6 or sham surgery. Curcumin attenuated 5/6NX-induced proteinuria, systemic and glomerular hypertension, hyperfiltration, glomerular sclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, interstitial inflammation, and increase in plasma creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. This protective effect was associated with enhanced nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and with prevention of 5/6NX-induced oxidant stress and decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. It is concluded that the protective effect of curcumin against 5/6NX-induced glomerular and systemic hypertension, hyperfiltration, renal dysfunction, and renal injury was associated with the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and the prevention of both oxidant stress and the decrease of antioxidant enzymes.
Femtosecond Laser‐Induced Formation of Wurtzite Phase ZnSe Nanoparticles in Air
Authors: Wang Hsuan I , Tang Wei Tsung , Liao Li Wei , Tseng Pei Shan , Luo Chih Wei , Yang Chu Shou , Kobayashi Takayoshi
Published: August 2012

We demonstrate an effective method to prepare wurtzite phase ZnSe nanoparticles from zincblende ZnSe single crystal using femtosecond pulse laser ablation. The fabricated ZnSe nanoparticles are in spherical shape and uncontaminated while synthesized under ambient environment. By controlling the laser fluences, the average size of ZnSe nanoparticles can be varied from ~16 nm to ~22 nm in diameter. In Raman spectra, the surface phonon mode becomes dominant in the smaller average particle size with uniform size distribution. The interesting phase transition from the zinc blende structure of ZnSe single crystal to wurtzite structure of ZnSe nanoparticles may have been induced by the ultrahigh ablation pressure at the local area due to the sudden injection of high energy leading to solid‐solid transition.
Inulae Flos and Its Compounds Inhibit TNF-α- and IFN-γ-Induced Chemokine Production in HaCaT Human Keratinocytes
Authors: Kim Jung-Hoon , Lim Hye-Sun , Ha Hyekyung , Seo Chang-Seob , Shin Hyeun-Kyoo
Published: August 2012

The present study is to investigate which kinds of solvent extracts of Inulae Flos inhibit the chemokine productions in HaCaT cell and whether the inhibitory capacity of Inulae Flos is related with constitutional compounds. The 70% methanol extract showed comparatively higher inhibition of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) in HaCaT cells, therefore this extract was further partitioned with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water. The ethyl acetate fraction inhibited TARC, macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22), and regulated on activation of normal T-cell-expressed and -secreted (RANTES/CCL5) production in HaCaT cells better than the other fractions. The compounds of Inulae Flos, such as 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and luteolin, inhibited TARC, MDC, and RANTES production in HaCaT cells. 1,5-Dicaffeoylquinic acid was contained at the highest concentrations both in the 70% methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction and inhibited the secretion of chemokines dose-dependently more than the other compounds. Luteolin also represented dose-dependent inhibition on chemokine productions although it was contained at lower levels in 70% methanol extract and solvent fractions. These results suggest that the inhibitory effects of Inulae Flos on chemokine production in HaCaT cell could be related with constituent compounds contained, especially 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and luteolin.
Pollination Biology ofPotentilla recta(Sulfur Cinquefoil) and Its Cooccurring Native CongenerPotentilla gracilisin Northeastern Oregon
Authors: McIver James , Erickson Karen
Published: August 2012

Pollination biology of the invasive plant sulfur cinquefoil (Potentilla rectaL.) and it's native cooccurring congener slender cinquefoil (P. gracilisDougl. ex. Hook.) was studied from 2002–2004, at four sites in northeastern Oregon, USA The native cinquefoil flowered first for five weeks, followed by the invasive for five weeks, with two weeks overlap in mid-June. Invasive flowers attracted 74 species and 543 individuals; the native attracted 93 species and 619 individuals. The most important pollinators for the invasive, in order of importance, were:Apis mellifera,Ceratina nanula,Halictus tripartitus,Lasioglossum sisymbrii, andBombus rufocinctus; for the native:C. nanula,Trichodes ornatus,H. ligatus,L. sisymbrii, andL. olympiae. The invasive produced higher numbers of seeds per plant, having greater mass per unit vegetation. Mean seed size was lower for the invasive when pollinators were allowed access to flowers, but seed size increased linearly with more complete exclusion of pollinators; the native showed no such response to pollinator exclusion. Compared to the native, nearly twice as many seeds germinated for sulfur cinquefoil (35.0% versus 19.5%), with seeds germinating over a longer period of time. Results are discussed as they relate to the invasiveness of sulfur cinquefoil relative to the native.
The Mesozoic Tectonic Dynamics and Chronology in the Eastern North China Block
Authors: Hou Quanlin , Liu Qing , Zhang Hongyuan , Zhang Xiaohui , Li Jun
Published: August 2012

Mesozoic tectonic events in different areas of the eastern North China Block (NCB) show consistency in tectonic time and genesis. The Triassic collision between NCB and Yangtze results in the nearly S-N strong compression in the Dabie, Jiaodong, and west Shandong areas in Middle Triassic-Middle Jurassic. Compression in the Yanshan area in the north part of NCB was mainly affected by the collision between Mongolia Block and NCB, as well as Siberia Block and North China-Mongolia Block in Late Triassic-Late Jurassic. However, in the eastern NCB, compressive tectonic system in Early Mesozoic was inversed into extensional tectonic system in Late Mesozoic. The extension in Late Mesozoic at upper crust mainly exhibits as extensional detachment faults and metamorphic core complex (MCC). The deformation age of extensional detachment faults is peaking at 120–110 Ma in Yanshan area and at 130–110 Ma in the Dabie area. In the Jiaodong area eastern to the Tan-Lu faults, the compression thrust had been continuing to Late Mesozoic at least in upper crust related to the sinistral strike slipping of the Tan-Lu fault zone.The extensional detachments in the eastern NCB would be caused by strong crust-mantle action with upwelling mantle in Late Mesozoic.
Multilayer Orthogonal Beamforming for Priority-Guaranteed Wireless Communications
Authors: Xie Jindong , Zhang Jun , Bai Lin
Published: August 2012

To utilize the benefits of cellular systems, wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) communications over cellular systems are being widely considered. In order to support efficient spectrum sharing between M2M devices and normal mobile users, in the paper, we propose a multilayer orthogonal beamforming (MOBF) scheme for M2M communications over orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA-) based cellular systems. Using MOBF, each subcarrier in OFDMA systems could be efficiently reused by both normal mobile users and machine-type devices which are organized into multiple virtual layers. The users located in higher layers (e.g., mobile users) are not to be interfered by those in lower layers (e.g., machine devices). To improve the performance, the orthogonal deficiency (OD-) based user selection is carried out, where the intralayer fairness and quasimaximal performance can be guaranteed, simultaneously. Moreover, the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) is investigated to measure the performance lower bound of different layers. It is demonstrated by both theoretical and numerical results that the proposed approach provides a stable SINR performance for each layer, that is, the interference free ability from lower level layers.
On Antiperiodic Boundary Value Problems for Higher‐Order Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Alsaedi Ahmed , Ahmad Bashir , Assolami Afrah
Published: August 2012

We study an antiperiodic boundary value problem of nonlinear fractional differential equations of order q ∈ (4, 5]. Some existence results are obtained by applying some standard
tools of fixed‐point theory. We show that solutions for lower‐order anti‐periodic fractional
boundary value problems follow from the solution of the problem at hand. Our results are
new and generalize the existing results on anti‐periodic fractional boundary value problems.
The paper concludes with some illustrating examples.
Effects of a Nonuniform Tip Clearance Profile on the Performance and Flow Field in a Centrifugal Compressor
Authors: Jung Yohan , Choi Minsuk , Oh Seonghwan , Baek Jehyun
Published: August 2012

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the effects of a nonuniform tip clearance profile on the performance and flow field in a centrifugal compressor with a vaneless diffuser. This study focuses in particular on the magnitude and location of the wake. Six impellers with different tip clearance profiles were tested in the flow simulations. The accuracy of the numerical simulations was assessed by comparing the experimental data with the computational results for a system characterized by the original tip clearance. Although the performance improved for low tip clearances, a low tip clearance at the trailing edge improved the compressor performance more significantly than a low tip clearance at the leading edge. The flow field calculated for a system characterized by a low tip clearance at the trailing edge produced a more uniform velocity distribution both in the circumferential and in the axial directions at the impeller exit because the wake magnitude was reduced. As a consequence, this impeller provided a better potential for diffusion processes inside a vaneless diffuser.
Complex Permittivity Measurements of Textiles and Leather in a Free Space: An Angular-Invariant Approach
Authors: Kapilevich B. , Litvak B. , Anisimov M. , Hardon D. , Pinhasi Y.
Published: August 2012

The paper describes the complex permittivity measurements of textiles and leathers in a free space at 330 GHz. The destructive role of the Rayleigh scattering effect is considered and the angular-invariant limit for an incidence angle has been found out experimentally within 25–30 degrees. If incidence angle exceeds this critical parameter, the uncertainty caused by the Rayleigh scattering is drastically increased preventing accurate measurements of the real and imaginary parts of a bulky material. The phenomenon must be taken into consideration in predicting shielding effectiveness of materials covering hidden object in concealed threat detection with millimeter-wave radar systems.
Revisiting the Relationship between Economic Growth and Government Size
Authors: Ghosh Roy Atrayee
Published: August 2012

The purpose of this paper is to explore the association between government size and economic growth in the United States using time-series data over the period 1950–2007. In particular, this paper examines the effects of two key components of government expenditure, namely, government consumption and government investment, on US economic growth. A simultaneous-equation model is used to deal with the problem of bi-directional relationship between government size and economic growth. The results suggest that an increase in government consumption slows economic growth, while a rise in government investment enhances economic growth. Furthermore, the results also show that government investment crowds out private investment. Therefore, the overall effect of total government expenditure on economic growth is ambiguous.
Play and Be Happy? Leisure Participation and Quality of Life in School-Aged Children with Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Shikako-Thomas Keiko , Dahan-Oliel Noémi , Shevell Michael , Law Mary , Birnbaum Rena , Rosenbaum Peter , Poulin Chantal , Majnemer Annette
Published: August 2012

The objective of this study was to examine the association between leisure participation and quality of life (QoL) in school-age children with cerebral palsy (CP). Leisure participation was assessed using the Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) and QoL using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the association between CAPE and PedsQL scores, and a multiple linear regression model was used to estimate QoL predictors. Sixty-three children (mean age9.7±2.1years; 39 male) in GMFCS levels I–V were included. Intensity of participation in active-physical activities was significantly correlated with both physical (r=0.34,P=0.007) and psychosocial well-being (r=0.31,P=0.01). Intensity and diversity of participation in skill-based activities were negatively correlated with physical well-being (r=−0.39,P=0.001, andr=−0.41,P=0.001, resp.). Diversity and intensity of participation accounted for 32% (P=0.002) of the variance for physical well-being and 48% (P<0.001) when age and gross motor functioning were added. Meaningful and adapted leisure activities appropriate to the child’s skills and preferences may foster QoL.
Removal of Noise Oscillation Term Appearing in the Nonlinear Equation Solution
Authors: Khan Yasir , Vázquez-Leal Hector , Hernandez-Martínez Luis
Published: August 2012

This paper suggests a novel modified Laplace method for removal of noise oscillation term appearing in the nonlinear equation solutions. The modified method overcomes the noise oscillation during the iteration procedure by suitable choice of an initial solution. Several examples are tested, and the obtained results suggest that this newly developed technique could lead to a promising tool and powerful improvement for many applications in differential and integral equations.
Cor Triatriatum Sinister in a French Bulldog
Authors: Almeida Gustavo L. G. , Almeida Marcelo B. , Santos Ana Carolina M. , Mattos Ângela V. , Oliveira Ludmila S. C. , Braga Rômulo C.
Published: August 2012

A 3-year-old male French Bulldog was evaluated due to recent history of intolerance to exercise and coughing. The clinical, radiographic, and echocardiographic findings were consistent with cor triatriatum sinister (CTS), a congenital heart anomaly in which the left atrium is subdivided into two compartments by an abnormal fibromuscular membrane. This defect has been rarely recognized in humans and in domestic cats. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the disorder in the canine species.
“Dead Cells Talking”: The Silent Form of Cell Death Is Not so Quiet
Authors: Jäger Richard , Fearnhead Howard O.
Published: August 2012

After more than twenty years of research, the molecular events of apoptotic cell death can be succinctly stated; different pathways, activated by diverse signals, increase the activity of proteases called caspases that rapidly and irreversibly dismantle condemned cell by cleaving specific substrates. In this time the ideas that apoptosis protects us from tumourigenesis and that cancer chemotherapy works by inducing apoptosis also emerged. Currently, apoptosis research is shifting away from the intracellular events within the dying cell to focus on the effect of apoptotic cells on surrounding tissues. This is producing counterintuitive data showing that our understanding of the role of apoptosis in tumourigenesis and cancer therapy is too simple, with some interesting and provocative implications. Here, we will consider evidence supporting the idea that dying cells signal their presence to the surrounding tissue and, in doing so, elicit repair and regeneration that compensates for any loss of function caused by cell death. We will discuss evidence suggesting that cancer cell proliferation may be driven by inappropriate or corrupted tissue-repair programmes that are initiated by signals from apoptotic cells and show how this may dramatically modify how we view the role of apoptosis in both tumourigenesis and cancer therapy.
The Heineke-Mikulicz Principle for Hepaticojejunostomy Stricture
Authors: Elbir Orhan Hayri , Karaman Kerem , Surmelioglu Ali , Bostanci Erdal Birol , Akoglu Musa
Published: August 2012

Benign anastomotic stricture after hepaticojejunostomy is one of the serious complications of biliary surgery. If left untreated, jaundice, cholangitis, or cirrhosis may develop. A 58-year-old male patient was admitted with benign hepaticojejunostomy stricture. The patient initially underwent an endoscopic retrograde cholangiography using double-balloon enteroscope, which was unsuccessful due to the sharp angle between the jejunal limb and the biliary tree. It was decided to perform surgery. During the operation, we performed Heineke-Mikulicz strictureplasty to the narrowed anastomosis. Patient’s postoperative course was uneventful. At the end of followup, for 18 months, his liver enzymes were within normal ranges, and the ultrasound examination showed a patent hepaticojejunostomy anastomosis. The simplicity of the technique and the promising result support the applicability of the Heineke-Mikulicz principle in suitable cases as an alternative treatment approach for hepaticojejunostomy strictures.
Acute Mastoiditis in a Newborn with Aural Atresia
Authors: Parpounas K. , Bouka K. , Athanasopoulos J. , Lamprou M. , Helmis G. , Vlastos I. M.
Published: August 2012

Acute mastoiditis in the newborn is a very rare disease. Herein we report a case of a 28-day-old child with right aural atresia and ipsilateral mastoiditis requiring mastoidectomy. To our knowledge, this is the youngest case reported in the literature. Issues on diagnosis and management of mastoiditis in cases of aural atresia are further discussed. Based on our experience and on previous reported cases we conclude that mastoiditis is difficult to diagnose in a child with aural atresia. Moreover, mastoidectomy may be necessary, although identification of the facial nerve and consequent treatment of the atresia are usually too difficult to perform simultaneously.
Physical Activity across Frailty Phenotypes in Females with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Roland Kaitlyn P. , M. D. Cornett Kayla , Theou Olga , Jakobi Jennifer M. , Jones Gareth R.
Published: August 2012

Females with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are vulnerable to frailty. PD eventually leads to decreased physical activity, an indicator of frailty. We speculate PD results in frailty through reduced physical activity.Objective. Determine the contribution of physical activity on frailty in PD (n=15, 65 ± 9 years) and non-PD (n=15, 73 ± 14 years) females.Methods. Frailty phenotype (nonfrail/prefrail/frail) was categorized and 8 hours of physical activity was measured using accelerometer, global positioning system, and self-report. Two-way ANCOVA (age as covariate) was used to compare physical activity between disease and frailty phenotypes. Spearman correlation assessed relationships, and linear regression determined associations with frailty.Results. Nonfrail recorded more physical activity (intensity, counts, self-report) compared with frail. Self-reported physical activity was greater in PD than non-PD. In non-PD, step counts, light physical activity time, sedentary time, and self-reported physical activity were related to frailty (R=0.91). In PD, only carbidopa-levodopa dose was related to frailty (r=0.61).Conclusion. Physical activity influences frailty in females without PD. In PD females, disease management may be a better indicator of frailty than physical activity. Further investigation into how PD associated factors contribute to frailty is warranted.
Hyperemia-Related Changes in Arterial Stiffness: Comparison between Pulse Wave Velocity and Stiffness Index in the Vascular Reactivity Assessment
Authors: Torrado Juan , Bia Daniel , Zócalo Yanina , Farro Ignacio , Farro Federico , Armentano Ricardo L.
Published: August 2012

Carotid-to-radial pulse wave velocity (PWVcr) has been proposed to evaluate endothelial function. However, the measurement ofPWVcris not without limitations. A new simple approach could have wide application.Stiffness index(SI) is obtained by analysis of the peripheral pulse wave and gives reproducible information about stiffness of large arteries. This study assessed the effects of hyperemia on SI and compared it withPWVcrin 14 healthy subjects. Both were measured at rest and during 8 minutes after ischemia. SI temporal course was determined. At 1 minute, SI andPWVcrdecreased (5.58±0.24to5.34±0.23 m/s,P<0.05;7.8±1.0to7.2±0.9 m/s;P<0.05, resp.). SI was positively related toPWVcrin baseline (r=0.62,P<0.05), at 1 minute (r=0.79,P<0.05), and during the whole experimental session (r=0.52,P<0.05).Conclusion. Hyperemia significantly decreases SI in healthy subjects. SI was related toPWVcrand could be used to facilitate the evaluation of hyperemia-related changes in arterial stiffness.
Simulation of CO-H2-Air Turbulent Nonpremixed Flame Using the Eddy Dissipation Concept Model with Lookup Table Approach
Authors: Fukumoto Kazui , Ogami Yoshifumi
Published: August 2012

We present a new combustion simulation technique based on a lookup table approach. In the proposed technique, a flow solver extracts the reaction rates from the look-up table using the mixture fraction, progress variable, and reaction time. Look-up table building and combustion simulation are carried out simultaneously. The reaction rates of the chemical species are recorded in the look-up table according to the mixture fraction, progress variable, and time scale of the reaction. Once the reaction rates are recorded, a direct integration to solve the chemical equations becomes unnecessary; thus, the time for computing the reaction rates is shortened. The proposed technique is applied to an eddy dissipation concept (EDC) model and it is validated through a simulation of a CO-H2-air nonpremixed flame. The results obtained by using the proposed technique are compared with experimental and computational data obtained by using the EDC model with direct integration. Good agreement between our method and the EDC model and the experimental data was found. Moreover, the computation time for the proposed technique is approximately 99.2% lower than that of the EDC model with direct integration.
Fractional Calculus and Shannon Wavelet
Authors: Cattani Carlo
Published: August 2012

An explicit analytical formula for the any order fractional derivative of Shannon wavelet is given as wavelet series based on connection coefficients. So that for any L2(ℝ) function, reconstructed by Shannon wavelets, we can easily define its fractional derivative. The approximation error is explicitly computed, and the wavelet series is compared with Grünwald fractional derivative by focusing on the many advantages of the wavelet method, in terms of rate of convergence.
PPAR Medicines and Human Disease: The ABCs of It All
Authors: Apostoli Anthony J. , Nicol Christopher J. B.
Published: August 2012

ATP-dependent binding cassette (ABC) transporters are a family of transmembrane proteins that pump a variety of hydrophobic compounds across cellular and subcellular barriers and are implicated in human diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis. Inhibition of ABC transporter activity showed promise in early preclinical studies; however, the outcomes in clinical trials with these agents have not been as encouraging. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors that regulate genes involved in fat and glucose metabolism, and inflammation. Activation of PPAR signaling is also reported to regulate ABC gene expression. This suggests the potential of PPAR medicines as a novel means of controlling ABC transporter activity at the transcriptional level. This paper summarizes the advances made in understanding how PPAR medicines affect ABC transporters, and the potential implications for impacting on human diseases, in particular with respect to cancer and atherosclerosis.
Spectral Ratios for Crack Detection Using P and Rayleigh Waves
Authors: Olivera-Villaseñor Enrique , Flores-Guzmán Norberto , Pineda-León Ernesto , Núñez-Farfán Jaime , Carbajal-Romero Manuel , Rodríguez-Castellanos Alejandro
Published: August 2012

We obtain numerical results to help the detection and characterization of subsurface cracks in solids by the application of P and Rayleigh elastic waves. The response is obtained from boundary integral equations, which belongs to the field of elastodynamics. Once the implementation of the boundary conditions has been done, a system of Fredholm integral equations of the second kind and order zero is found. This system is solved using the method of Gaussian elimination. Resonance peaks in the frequency domain allow us to infer the presence of cracks using spectral ratios. Several models of cracked media were analyzed, where effects due to different crack orientations and locations were observed. The results obtained are in good agreement with those published in the references.
Electrodynamics of Radiating Charges
Authors: Grøn Øyvind
Published: August 2012

The theory of electrodynamics of radiating charges is reviewed with special emphasis on the role of the Schott energy for the conservation of energy for a charge and its electromagnetic field. It is made clear that the existence of radiation from a charge is not invariant against a transformation between two reference frames that has an accelerated motion relative to each other. The questions whether the existence of radiation from a uniformly accelerated charge with vanishing radiation reaction force is in conflict with the principle of equivalence and whether a freely falling charge radiates are reviewed. It is shown that the resolution of an electromagnetic “perpetuum mobile paradox” associated with a charge moving geodetically along a circular path in the Schwarzschild spacetime requires the so-called tail terms in the equation of motion of a charged particle.
BSA Nanoparticles for siRNA Delivery: Coating Effects on Nanoparticle Properties, Plasma Protein Adsorption, andIn VitrosiRNA Delivery
Authors: Yogasundaram Haran , Bahniuk Markian Stephan , Singh Harsh-Deep , Aliabadi Hamidreza Montezari , Uludaǧ Hasan , Unsworth Larry David
Published: August 2012

Developing vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic molecules, like siRNA, is an area of active research. Nanoparticles composed of bovine serum albumin, stabilizedviathe adsorption of poly-L-lysine (PLL), have been shown to be potentially inert drug-delivery vehicles. With the primary goal of reducing nonspecific protein adsorption, the effect of using comb-type structures of poly(ethylene glycol) (1 kDa, PEG) units conjugated to PLL (4.2 and 24 kDa) on BSA-NP properties, apparent siRNA release rate, cell viability, and cell uptake were evaluated. PEGylated PLL coatings resulted in NPs withζ-potentials close to neutral. Incubation with platelet-poor plasma showed the composition of the adsorbed proteome was similar for all systems. siRNA was effectively encapsulated and released in a sustained manner from all NPs. With 4.2 kDa PLL, cellular uptake was not affected by the presence of PEG, but PEG coating inhibited uptake with 24 kDa PLL NPs. Moreover, 24 kDa PLL systems were cytotoxic and this cytotoxicity was diminished upon PEG incorporation. The overall results identified a BSA-NP coating structure that provided effective siRNA encapsulation while reducingζ-potential, protein adsorption, and cytotoxicity, necessary attributes forin vivoapplication of drug-delivery vehicles.
Botanicals as Grain Protectants
Authors: Rajashekar Yallappa , Bakthavatsalam Nandagopal , Shivanandappa Thimmappa
Published: August 2012

Prevention of food losses during postharvest storage is of paramount economic importance. Integrated pest management is now a widely accepted strategy in pest control including postharvest infestation control which involves the use of chemical (contact/residual) insecticides along with fumigants. The use of synthetic chemical insecticides is either not permitted or used restrictively because of the residue problem and health risks to consumers. In view of the above, there is a need for plants that may provide potential alternatives to the currently used insect control agents as they constitute a rich source of bioactive molecules. Available literature indicates that plant could be source for new insecticides. Therefore, there is a great potential for a plant-derived insecticidal compounds. This paper focuses on the current state of the botanical insecticides as grain protectants and its mode of action.