bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TRUST-BASED SPECTRUM SHARING FOR COGNITIVE RADIO NETWORKS
Authors: PARVIN SAZIA , HUSSAIN FAROOKH KHADEER , HAN SONG , HUSSAIN OMAR KHADEER
Published: February 2012

Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) is a promising technology which deals with shared spectrum access and usage in order to improve the utilization of limited radio spectrum resources for future wireless communications and mobile computing. Security becomes a very challenging issue in CRNs as different types of attacks are very common to cognitive radio technology compared to general wireless networks. The proper working of cognitive radio and the functionality of CRNs relies on the compliant behaviour of the secondary user. In order to address this issue, we propose two approaches in this paper. Firstly, we propose a trust aware model to authenticate the secondary users of CRNs which offers a reliable technique to provide a security-conscious decision by using trust evaluation for CRNs. Secondly, we propose an analytical model for analyzing the availability of spectrum in CRNs using a stochastic approach. We have modeled and analyzed the availability of free spectrum for the usage of secondary users by adopting different activities in a spectrum management scheme to improve the spectrum availability in CRNs.
NEW ADAPTIVE RTS/CTS CONTROL METHOD FOR REDUCED TRANSMISSION OVERHEAD ON NETWORKS WITH HIDDEN TERMINALS
Authors: SHIGEYASU TETSUYA , AKIMOTO MAKOTO , MATSUNO HIROSHI
Published: February 2012

The IEEE802.11 standard uses the RTS/CTS handshake mechanism to avoid packet collisions with transmissions from hidden terminals. Although this mechanism is effective, it increases the transmission overhead. Here, we discuss this transmission overhead induced by RTS/CTS handshaking and propose a new adaptive RTS/CTS control method based on the actual existence of hidden terminals on a network for mitigating the transmission overhead. The results from computer simulations confirm that our proposed method improves throughput performance in a saturated traffic environment.
AN APPLICATION-ORIENTED POWER CONSUMPTION MODEL OF STORAGE SERVERS
Authors: INOUE TAKURO , ENOKIDO TOMOYA , AIKEBAIER AILIXIER , TAKIZAWA MAKOTO
Published: February 2012

The electric power consumption of each information system has to be reduced in order to realize green societies. In information systems, clients issue requests to servers and the servers spend electric power to handle the requests. We have to reduce the power consumption of servers since servers mainly consume electric power compared with clients. There are computation (CP), communication (CM), and storage (ST) types of applications to be performed on servers. In CP and CM applications, CPU and communication resources are mainly consumed, respectively. In this paper, we consider ST applications where files in storage drives are manipulated on a server. First, we measure the power consumption rate of a server to perform processes in ST and CP applications. Here, there are read (R), write (W), and computation (C) types of processes which just read files, write files, and do computation, respectively. Then, we discuss a power consumption model of a server by abstracting most essential parameters dominating the power consumption of the server from the experimental results. Here, the power consumption rate of a server is maximum if at least one process is performed. The maximum power consumption rate of a server depends on types of processes concurrently performed on the server. We discuss algorithms to select one server in a set of storage servers so as to reduce the power consumption of the servers.
FINITENESS CONDITIONS OF S-COHN–JORDAN EXTENSIONS
Authors: MATCZUK JERZY
Published: March 2012

Let a monoid S act on a ring R by injective endomorphisms and A(R; S) denote the S-Cohn–Jordan extension of R. Some results relating finiteness conditions of R and that of A(R; S) are presented. In particular necessary and sufficient conditions for A(R; S) to be left noetherian, to be left Bézout and to be left principal ideal ring are presented. This also offers a solution to Problem 10 from [On S-Cohn–Jordan extensions, in Proc. 39th Symp. Ring Theory and Representation Theory, Hiroshima, ed. M. Kutami (Hiroshima Univ., Japan, 2007), pp. 30–35].
CONTINUOUS-VARIABLE QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION PROTOCOLS WITH EIGHT-STATE DISCRETE MODULATION
Authors: BECIR A. , EL-ORANY F. A. A. , WAHIDDIN M. R. B.
Published: March 2012

We propose a continuous variable quantum key distribution protocol based on discrete modulation of eight-state coherent states. We present a rigorous security proof against the collective attacks by taking into consideration the realistic lossy and noisy quantum channel, the imperfect detector efficiency, and the detector electronic noise. This protocol shows high tolerance against excess noise and promises to achieve over 100 km distance of optical fiber.
QUANTUM CAPACITY REGION OF SIMULTANEOUS AMPLITUDE AND PHASE DAMPED QUBIT CHANNEL
Authors: JIANG LI-ZHEN , CHEN XIAO-YU
Published: March 2012

A typical channel model of the decoherence of qubit is the simultaneous amplitude and phase damping. The parameter region of the channel is classified using the degradability and anti-degradability. It is shown that there is a large parameter region with zero quantum capacity. The formula for one-shot quantum capacity is also given.
TAMING THE INCOMPUTABLE, RECONSTRUCTING THE NONCONSTRUCTIVE AND DECIDING THE UNDECIDABLE IN MATHEMATICAL ECONOMICS
Authors: VELUPILLAI K. VELA
Published: February 2012

The emergence of non-constructivities in economics is entirely due to the unnecessary and inappropriate formalization of economics by means of 'classical' mathematics. I have made similar claims for the emergence of uncomputabilities and undecidabilities in economics in earlier writings. Here, on the other hand, I want to suggest a way of confronting uncomputabilities, and remedying non-constructivities, in economics, and turning them into a positive force for modeling, for example, endogenous growth, as suggested by Stefano Zambelli.107,108In between, a case is made for economics to take seriously the kind of mathematical methodology fostered by Feynman and Dirac, in particular the way they developed the path integral and the δ-function, respectively. A sketch of a "research program" in mathematical economics, analogous to the way Gödel thought incompleteness and its perplexities should be interpreted and resolved, is also outlined, albeit briefly, in the concluding section.
THE ROAD TAKEN (AND NOT TAKEN) IN THE MATHEMATIZATION OF ECONOMICS
Authors: LEE CASSEY
Published: February 2012

The work of K. 'Vela' Velupillai has illuminated the debate on the mathematization of economics by providing a broader view of the universe of mathematics and its possible applications in economics. The theoretical and policy consequences from the peculiar mode of mathematization in economics is another important theme in Vela work. Alternative modes of mathematization are offered with a call for an "Algorithmic Economics" in the future.
THE INFLUENCE OF MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL INTERFACIAL CONDITIONS ON THRESHOLD FIELD OF FERROELECTRIC NANOTHIN FILMS
Authors: ZHAO X. F. , SOH A. K.
Published: February 2012

The influence of mechanical and electrical interfacial conditions on the threshold field of ferroelectric nanothin films has been studied by employing Ginzburg–Landau theory and the phase field method. The results obtained show that the threshold field of the ferroelectric thin film increased with increasing compressive misfit strain and extrapolation length. This was because the said factors increased the energy barrier for domain wall motion by affecting the elastic and depolarization fields in the film. These results are useful for the manufacture and application of micro-electromechanical-systems including ferroelectric thin films.
AN EXFOLIATED VANADIUM PENTOXIDE NANOPLATELET AND ITS ELECTROCHEMICAL PROPERTIES FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
Authors: YANG JIE , LI ZHAOHUI , WANG JINGLIANG , XIAO QIZHEN , LEI GANGTIE , ZHOU XIAODONG
Published: February 2012

A novel vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanoplatelet has been prepared by an oxalic acid assisted sol–gel method using β-cyclodextrin as an exfoliation agent followed by sintering at a high temperature. Crystal structure and morphology are analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Due to about 10 nm thick, the product shows a large chemical diffusion coefficient of Li+ ions over 10-10 cm2 s-1 at room temperature. In the potential range of 4.0–2.0 V (vs. Li/Li+ ), it can deliver an initial capacity of 291 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C rate, which equals approximately to the theoretic one. It also shows excellent rate ability and good cycling performance at room temperature. The primary results suggest this two-dimensional nanomaterial could be developed into a promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries.
ORGANIC CuPc COATING INDUCED IMPROVED PHOTOLUMINESCENCE AND PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY OF ZnO NANOWIRES ARRAY
Authors: DHARA SOUMEN , GIRI P. K.
Published: February 2012

In this work, we investigated the effect of organic CuPc coating on the surface of the ZnO NWs for possible improvement in the photoluminescence, photoconductivity and photoresponse. As a result of surface covering, the UV emission is enhanced by a factor of 7–8 while the green emission is reduced to half. Despite an increase in dark current after the CuPc covering, we obtained a significant improvement in the photocurrent and photoresponse rate. The photocurrent-to-dark current ratio is nearly doubled and the photoresponse process becomes faster for the ZnO/CuPc heterostructure. Improvements in the photoluminescence and photoconductivity for the ZnO/CuPc heterostructure are explained on the basis of modification of surface defects and interfacial charge transfer process.
DIELECTRIC, PIEZOELECTRIC, AND ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF BaTiO3/SrTiO3 FERROELECTRIC SUPERLATTICES FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES
Authors: LEBEDEV ALEXANDER I.
Published: February 2012

The effect of epitaxial strain on the phonon spectra, crystal structure, spontaneous polarization, dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic properties of (001)-oriented ferroelectric ( BaTiO 3)m/( SrTiO 3)n superlattices (m = n = 1-4) was studied using the first-principles density functional theory. The ground state of free-standing superlattices is the monoclinic Cm polar phase. Under the in-plane biaxial compressive strain, it transforms to tetragonal P4mm polar phase, and under the in-plane biaxial tensile strain, it transforms to orthorhombic Amm2 polar phase. When changing the in-plane lattice parameter, a softening of several optical and acoustic modes appears at the boundaries between the polar phases, and corresponding components of dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic tensors diverge critically. The comparison of the mixing enthalpy of disordered Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 solid solution modeled using two special quasirandom structures SQS-4 with the mixing enthalpy of the superlattices reveals a tendency of the BaTiO3–SrTiO3 system to short-range ordering and shows that these superlattices are thermodynamically quite stable.
Pb-DOPING EFFECTS ON THE DIELECTRIC AND PYROELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF (Sr,Pb)TiO3 SYSTEM
Authors: JIANG Y. P. , TANG X. G. , ZHOU Y. C. , LIU Q. X.
Published: February 2012

Lead strontium titanate ( Sr 1-x Pb x) TiO 3 (0.20 ≤ x ≤ 0.45,step = 0.05) ceramics were prepared by conventional mixed oxide method. The X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the prepared samples have perovskite-type structure. With the increase of Pb content, there is a tendency from the cubic to tetragonal structure. The scanning electron microscopy micrographs reveal that the addition of Pb can affect microstructure. The dependent temperature dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss were investigated in the frequency range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz. The maximum peak of the dielectric permittivity versus temperature curve was broadened and a frequency dispersion of the dielectric permittivity was observed for the (Sr0.8Pb0.2)TiO3 ceramics. The results obtained at the frequency of 10 kHz reveal the Curie temperature linearly increased with the lead content. The fitted curves of temperature versus inverse dielectric permittivity at 10 kHz for ( Sr 1-x Pb x) TiO3 ceramics are consistent with Curie–Weiss law. The Pyroelectric properties were also investigated. The high pyroelectric coefficients and figure of merits indicate that the SPT ceramics are potential materials for pyroelectric sensors.
INFLUENCE OF Mg-DOPING ON SYNTHESIS OF SOL–GEL DERIVED BST THIN FILMS
Authors: CZEKAJ DIONIZY , LISIŃSKA-CZEKAJ AGATA
Published: February 2012

Solid solutions of Ba 1-x Sr x TiO 3 (BST) type are very attractive for application in information technology, but also in microwaves for such electrically controlled devices as phase shifters, tunable filters, steerable antennas, varactors, etc. In the present study thin films of a BST solid solution with x = 0.4 (BST60/40) were prepared by the sol–gel-type chemical solution deposition method. The influence of y = 1, 3 and 5 mol.% MgO doping on synthesis of BST60/40 thin films was studied. Thermal analysis both differential and thermogravimetric were used to determine the thermochemical properties of dried BST60/40– MgO gel powders. A multilayer spin-coating approach was utilized for the Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3–MgO thin film deposition on stainless steel substrates. X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM and EDS were utilized for thin film characterization in terms of its crystalline structure, microstructure and chemical composition. Raman spectroscopy investigation of MgO -doped Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films grown on stainless steel substrates were also performed within the wavenumber range k = 40–1070 cm-1.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERPENDICULAR MAGNETIC TUNNELING JUNCTIONS
Authors: LEE HUANG-MING , LEE YEN-CHI , CHEN HAO-HSUAN , HORNG LANCE , WU JONG-CHING , LEE CHING-MING , WU TE-HO , CHERN GUNG
Published: February 2012

This paper reviews the progress made over the last few years in understanding the development of perpendicular magnetic tunneling junctions (pMTJs). The material systems for making pMTJs, including rare-earth/transition metal alloys, L10-ordered (Co, Fe)–Pt alloys, Co/(Pd, Pt) multilayers, and CoFeB–MgO crystallized structures, are briefly introduced. The fabrication processes of the MTJ devices are focused on, consisting of open-trench, etch-back and self-aligned techniques. The authors also propose a spin-torque nano-oscillator based on pMTJ, for application in GHz range telecommunications.
LOW-FIELD INHOMOGENEITY-INDUCED MAGNETORESISTANCE IN SILICON
Authors: ZHANG XIAOZHONG , WAN CAIHUA
Published: February 2012

We show that inhomogeneity-induced magnetoresistance (IMR) in lightly doped silicon can be significantly enhanced through the injection of minority charge carriers, and then tuned by an applied current to have an onset at low magnetic fields. We designed an IMR device in which, the inhomogeneity is provided by the p–n boundary formed between regions where conduction is dominated by the minority and majority charge carriers respectively; application of a magnetic field distorts the current in the boundary region, resulting in large magnetoresistance. The room-temperature field sensitivity of our IMR device at low fields was remarkably improved, with magnetoresistance reaching 10% at 0.07 T and 100% at 0.2 T, approaching the performance of commercial giant magnetoresistance devices. The combination of high sensitivity to low magnetic fields and large high-field response should make this device concept attractive to the magnetic field sensing industry. Moreover, being based on a conventional silicon platform, it should be possible to integrate with existing silicon devices and so aid the development of silicon-based magnetoelectronics.
ELECTRIC-FIELD CONTROL OF GIANT MAGNETORESISTANCE IN SPIN-VALVES
Authors: RIZWAN SYED , LIU H. F. , HAN X. F. , ZHANG SEN , ZHAO Y. G. , ZHANG S.
Published: February 2012

It has been known that magnetic properties of a ferromagnet grown on piezoelectric substrates can be altered by the electric field-induced strain. We consider spin-valve CoFe/Cu/CoFe/IrMn grown on (011)-cut piezoelectric Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PMN–PT) substrate and investigate the effect of the electric field on the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) of the spin valve. We found that the electric field induced strain on PMN–PT substrate enhances the coercivity of the magnetic layers. The transport measurement shows that the GMR ratio of the spin valve could be altered as much as 50% for an electric field of -8 kV/cm. The change of GMR is attributed to the reduced maximum degree of the antiparallel alignment between the magnetization directions of the free and pinned layers. The present studies establish a prototype electrically tunable magnetic memory device such that the electric field can reversibly tune spin valve magnetoresistance without deteriorating electric and magnetic properties.
Hydrogeological support to United States military operations, 1917–2010
Authors: Gellasch Christopher A.
Published: February 2012

Over the past 100 years, hydrogeology has played a role in most military operations undertaken by the USA. The first significant application by US forces took place during World War I, on the Western Front. America's entry into World War II highlighted the need for military hydrogeologists once again, and a combination of civilian and uniformed hydrogeologists provided valuable support to the war effort, notably by terrain analysis. During the Cold War, the United States Geological Survey Military Geology Branch conducted military hydrogeological studies, and in 1985 the US Army Corps of Engineers created the Water Detection Response Team (WDRT) to provide hydrogeological expertise to military well-drilling units. During the Persian Gulf War of 1990–1991, groundwater was important for sustaining troops living in the northern Saudi Arabian desert. Operations in Bosnia and Kosovo later in that decade required the assistance of the WDRT in obtaining adequate groundwater supplies for base camps. Current military operations in Afghanistan rely on groundwater as a significant source for most US bases. In combination, uniformed and civilian geologists serving in a variety of roles to support American troops have located water supplies essential to the success of US military operations around the globe.
Hydrogeology of British military sites: Project Aquatrine
Authors: McCaffrey Lewis , Bullock Colin
Published: February 2012

Project Aquatrine was the UK Ministry of Defence's Private Finance Initiative project to transfer responsibility for water supply and waste water removal to private companies. Britain was split into three geographical areas, with Package A approximately covering the area to the west of a line between the Mersey and Southampton, Package C covering the rest of England, and Package B covering Scotland. Hydrogeology was a major factor in the models used to produce financial forecasts for Package A, upon which the winning bid was based. Reconnaissance-level understanding of aquifers, water demand and the Environment Agency's view of licensing possibilities were used to produce a list of sites where water resources could be developed to replace the incumbent water suppliers. Several sites have been developed successfully, but a number of possible abstractions have failed to be realized because of hydrogeological (quality, quantity) and other causes. In the operational phase of Aquatrine, hydrogeology was used to understand the data produced by a new network of telemetred groundwater level loggers, to constrain the location of new sewage treatment works and to apply for appropriate abstraction licences when Crown Immunity under the Water Resources Act 1991 is finally lost.
Examples of the influence of groundwater on British military mining in Flanders, 1914–1917
Authors: Doyle Peter
Published: February 2012

The success of military mining is inherently controlled by subsurface conditions. Military mining may be offensive (i.e. intended to breach enemy fortifications at the ground surface by explosive detonation), defensive (counter-mining to destroy enemy mine galleries) or passive (to provide troops with underground protection from bombardment). The geology of the British Sector of the Western Front in World War I varied from the Palaeogene–Neogene sediments of the Flanders Plain in Belgium to the late Cretaceous chalks of Picardy and Artois in northern France, all with intermittent Quaternary cover. In Flanders, British mining operations commenced in late 1914. Passive mining created shallow dugouts and isolated shelters, and offensive mines also tended to be shallow, rapidly dug, and of low engineering impact. By 1915, with the war above ground now largely in stalemate, the impetus for more extensive mining grew, leading to the high point of offensive mine warfare with detonations that initiated the Battle of Messines on 7 June 1917. Development of mine warfare required engineering innovations such as ‘tubbing’ to deal with major groundwater problems presented by variation in the permeability of the sediments, as can be illustrated by two examples from the battleground of Ypres (Ieper).
Diagnosing network-wide P2P live streaming inefficiencies
Authors: Wu Chuan , Li Baochun , Zhao Shuqiao
Published: February 2012

Large-scale live peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming applications have been successfully deployed in today's Internet. While they can accommodate hundreds of thousands of users simultaneously with hundreds of channels of programming, there still commonly exist channels and times where and when the streaming quality is unsatisfactory. In this paper, based on more than two terabytes and one year worth of live traces from UUSee, a large-scale commercial P2P live streaming system, we show an in-depth
network-wide
diagnosis of streaming inefficiencies, commonly present in typical mesh-based P2P live streaming systems. As the first highlight of our work, we identify an evolutionary pattern of low streaming quality in the system, and the distribution of streaming inefficiencies across various streaming channels and in different geographical regions. We then carry out an extensive investigation to explore the causes to such streaming inefficiencies over different times and across different channels/regions at specific times, by investigating the impact of factors such as the number of peers, peer upload bandwidth, inter-peer bandwidth availability, server bandwidth consumption, and many more. The original discoveries we have brought forward include the two-sided effects of peer population on the streaming quality in a streaming channel, the significant impact of inter-peer bandwidth bottlenecks at peak times, and the inefficient utilization of server capacities across concurrent channels. Based on these insights, we identify problems within the existing P2P live streaming design and discuss a number of suggestions to improve real-world streaming protocols operating at a large scale.
Finger photoplethysmography during the Valsalva maneuver reflects left ventricular filling pressure
Authors: Silber Harry A. , Trost Jeffrey C. , Johnston Peter V. , Maughan W. Lowell , Wang Nae-Yuh , Kasper Edward K. , Aversano Thomas R. , Bush David E.
Published: March 2012

It is often challenging to assess cardiac filling pressure clinically. An improved system for detecting or ruling out elevated cardiac filling pressure may help reduce hospitalizations for heart failure. The blood pressure response to the Valsalva maneuver reflects left heart filling pressure, but its underuse clinically may be due in part to lack of continuous blood pressure recording along with lack of standardization of expiratory effort. In this study, we tested whether Valsalva-induced changes in the pulse amplitude of finger photoplethysmography (PPG), a technology already widely available in medical settings, correlate with invasively measured left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). We tested 33 subjects before clinically scheduled cardiac catheterizations. A finger photoplethysmography waveform was recorded during a Valsalva effort of 20 mmHg expiratory pressure sustained for 10 s, an effort most patients can achieve. Pulse amplitude ratio (PAR) was calculated as the PPG waveform amplitude just before release of expiratory effort divided by the waveform amplitude at baseline. PAR was well correlated with LVEDP ( r = 0.68; P < 0.0001). For identifying LVEDP > 15 mmHG, PAR > 0.4 was 85% sensitive [95% confidence interval (95CI): 54–97%] and 80% specific (95CI: 56–93%). In conclusion, finger PPG, a technology already ubiquitous in medical centers, may be useful for assessing clinically meaningful categories of left heart filling pressure, using simple analysis of the waveform after a Valsalva maneuver effort that most patients can achieve.
Intelligent On/Off Dynamic Link Management for On‐Chip Networks
Authors: Savva Andreas G. , Theocharides Theocharis , Soteriou Vassos
Published: February 2012

Networks‐on‐chips (NoCs) provide scalable on‐chip communication and are expected to be the dominant interconnection architectures in multicore and manycore systems. Power consumption, however, is a major limitation in NoCs today, and researchers have been constantly working on reducing both dynamic and static power. Among the NoC components, links that connect the NoC routers are the most power‐hungry components. Several attempts have been made to reduce the link power consumption at both the circuit level and the system level. Most past research efforts have proposed selective on/off link state switching based on system‐level information based on link utilization levels. Most of these proposed algorithms focus on a pessimistic and simple static threshold mechanism which determines whether or not a link should be turned on/off. This paper presents an intelligent dynamic power management policy for NoCs with improved predictive abilities based on supervised online learning of the system status (i.e., expected future utilization link levels), where links are turned off and on via the use of a small and scalable neural network. Simulation results with various synthetic traffic models over various network topologies show that the proposed work can reach up to 13% power savings when compared to a trivial threshold computation, at very low (<4%) hardware overheads.
Reticulophagy and Ribophagy: Regulated Degradation of Protein Production Factories
Authors: Cebollero Eduardo , Reggiori Fulvio , Kraft Claudine
Published: February 2012

During autophagy, cytosol, protein aggregates, and organelles are sequestered into double-membrane vesicles called autophagosomes and delivered to the lysosome/vacuole for breakdown and recycling of their basic components. In all eukaryotes this pathway is important for adaptation to stress conditions such as nutrient deprivation, as well as to regulate intracellular homeostasis by adjusting organelle number and clearing damaged structures. For a long time, starvation-induced autophagy has been viewed as a nonselective transport pathway; however, recent studies have revealed that autophagy is able to selectively engulf specific structures, ranging from proteins to entire organelles. In this paper, we discuss recent findings on the mechanisms and physiological implications of two selective types of autophagy: ribophagy, the specific degradation of ribosomes, and reticulophagy, the selective elimination of portions of the ER.
Robustness Comparison of Emerging Devices for Portable Applications
Authors: Pable S. D. , Kafeel Mohd. Ajmal , Kureshi A. K. , Hasan Mohd.
Published: February 2012

Extensive development in portable devices imposes pressing need for designing VLSI circuits with ultralow power (ULP) consumption. Subthreshold operating region is found to be an attractive solution for achieving ultralow power. However, it limits the circuit speed due to use of parasitic leakage current as drive current. Maintaining power dissipation at ultralow level with enhanced speed will further broaden the application area of subthreshold circuits even towards the field programmable gate arrays and real‐time portable domain. Operating the Si‐MOSFET in subthreshold regions degrades the circuit performance in terms of speed and also increases the well‐designed circuit parameter spreading due to process, voltage, and temperature variations. This may cause the subthreshold circuit failure at very low supply voltage. It is essential to examine the robustness of most emerging devices against PVT variations. Therefore, this paper investigates and compares the performance of most promising upcoming devices like CNFET and DG FinFET in subthreshold regions. Effect of PVT variation on performance of CNFET and DG FinFET has been explored and it is found that CNFET is more robust than DG‐FinFET under subthreshold conditions against PVT variations.
Recent Applications of Ion Mobility Spectrometry in Diagnosis of Vaginal Infections
Authors: Karpas Zeev , Cohen Gabi , Atweh Elias , Barnard Geoff , Golan Moshe
Published: February 2012

Vaginal infections (vaginosis) globally affect more than 15% of the female population of reproductive age. However, diagnosis of vaginosis and differentiating between the three common types: bacterial vaginosis (BV), vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), and trichomoniasis are challenging. Elevated levels of the biogenic amines, trimethylamine (TMA), putrescine, and cadaverine have been found in vaginal discharge fluid of women with vaginosis. Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) is particularly suitable for measurement of amines even in complex biological matrices due to their high proton affinity and has been shown to be suitable for the diagnosis of vaginal infections. Recent developments that have increased the accuracy of the technique for diagnosis of BV and simplified sample introduction are described here.
Magnetohydrodynamic Stability of Streaming Jet Pervaded Internally by Varying Transverse Magnetic Field
Authors: Hasan Alfaisal A.
Published: February 2012

The Magnetohydrodynamic stability of a streaming cylindrical model penetrated by varying transverse magnetic field has been discussed. The problem is formulated, the basic equations are solved, upon appropriate boundary conditions the eigenvalue relation is derived and discussed analytically, and the results are verified numerically. The capillary force is destabilizing in a small axisymmetric domain 0 < x < 1 and stabilizing otherwise. The streaming has a strong destabilizing effect in all kinds of perturbation. The toroidal varying magnetic field interior the fluid has no direct effect at all on the stability of the fluid column. The axial exterior field has strong stabilizing effect on the model. The effect of all acting forces altogether could be identified via the numerical analysis of the stability theory of the present model.
Three-Axis Model for Atg Recruitment in Autophagy againstSalmonella
Authors: Noda Takeshi , Kageyama Shun , Fujita Naonobu , Yoshimori Tamotsu
Published: February 2012

Salmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium enter epithelial cells and take up residence there. Within epithelial cells, a portion of the bacteria are surrounded by an autophagosome-like double-membrane structure, and they are still residing within theSalmonella-containing vacuole (SCV). In this paper, we will discuss how the autophagy machinery is recruited in proximity toSalmonella. The formation of this double membrane requires Atg9L1 and FIP200; these proteins are important for autophagy-specific recruitment of the PI3-kinase complex. In the absence of Atg9L1, FIP200, and PI3-kinase activity, LC3 is still recruited to the vicinity ofSalmonella. We propose a novel model in which the mechanism of LC3 recruitment is separate from the generation of the isolation membrane. There exist at least three axes in Atg recruitment: ULK1 complex, Atg9L1, and Atg16L complex.
Antidiabetic Effect of an Active Components Group fromIlex kudingchaand Its Chemical Composition
Authors: Song Chengwu , Xie Chao , Zhou Zhiwen , Yu Shanggong , Fang Nianbai
Published: March 2012

The leaves ofIlex kudingchaare used as an ethnomedicine in the treatment of symptoms related with diabetes mellitus and obesity throughout the centuries in China. The present study investigated the antidiabetic activities of an active components group (ACG) obtained fromIlex kudingchain alloxan-induced type 2 diabetic mice. ACG significantly reduced the elevated levels of serum glycaemic and lipids in type 2 diabetic mice. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and glucokinase were upregulated significantly, while fatty acid synthetase, glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic enzyme was downregulated in diabetic mice after treatment of ACG. These findings clearly provided evidences regarding the antidiabetic potentials of ACG fromIlex kudingcha. Using LC-DAD/HR-ESI-TOF-MS, six major components were identified in ACG. They are three dicaffeoylquinic acids that have been reported previously, and three new triterpenoid saponins, which were the first time to be identified inIlex kudingcha. It is reasonable to assume that antidiabetic activity ofIlex kudingchaagainst hyperglycemia resulted from these six major components. Also, synergistic effects among their compounds may exist in the antidiabetic activity ofIlex kudingcha.
Manipulation of the Complement System for Benefit in Sepsis
Authors: Ward Peter A. , Guo Ren-Feng , Riedemann Niels C.
Published: March 2012

There is evidence in sepsis, both in rodents and in humans, that activation of the complement system results in excessive production of C5a, which triggers a series of events leading to septic shock, multiorgan failure, and lethality. In rodents following cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), which induces polymicrobial sepsis, in vivo blockade of C5a using neutralizing antibodies dramatically improved survival, reduced apoptosis of lymphoid cells, and attenuated the ensuing coagulopathy. Based on these data, it seems reasonable to consider therapeutic blockade of C5a in humans entering into sepsis and septic shock. Strategies for the development of such an antibody for use in humans are presented.
Gastric Carcinomas Localized to the Cardia
Authors: Bakkelund Karin E. , Nordrum Ivar S. , Fossmark Reidar , Waldum Helge L.
Published: February 2012

Objectives. Gastric adenocarcinomas localized to the cardia are increasing. Enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells play a role in gastric carcinogenesis in hypergastrinemia, and the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) leading to hypergastrinemia has increased considerably during the last decades. We have examined cardia cancers for neuroendocrine and ECL cell differentiation.Methods. Thirty-two cardia cancers were examined by immunohistochemical labelling of chromogranin A (CgA), synaptophysin, serotonin, and histidine decarboxylase (HDC). Information about PPI use was collected from the patient records.Results. In 15 of 32 tumours, there were positive signs for one or several neuroendocrine markers. Five cases were CgA and serotonin positive; three of these carcinomas were also positive for HDC. Three patients were long-term users of PPI, and two of these were immunoreactive for neuroendocrine markers.Conclusions. A high proportion of cardia cancers expressed neuroendocrine markers, but only few patients with cardia cancers were using PPI.
A Class of Spherical and Elliptical Distributions with Gaussian-Like Limit Properties
Authors: Sherlock Chris , Elton Daniel
Published: February 2012

We present a class of spherically symmetric random variables defined by the property that as dimension increases to infinity the mass becomes concentrated in a hyperspherical shell, the width of which is negligible compared to its radius. We provide a sufficient condition for this property in terms of the functional form of the density and then show that the property carries through to equivalent elliptically symmetric distributions, provided that the contours are not too eccentric, in a sense which we make precise. Individual components of such distributions possess a number of appealing Gaussian-like limit properties, in particular that the limiting one-dimensional marginal distribution along any component is Gaussian.
Angiotensin-(1-7)-Mediated Signaling in Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Gomes Enéas R. M. , Santos Robson A. S. , Guatimosim Silvia
Published: March 2012

The Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) acts at multiple targets and has its synthesis machinery present in different tissues, including the heart. Actually, it is well known that besides Ang II, the RAS has other active peptides. Of particular interest is the heptapeptide Ang-(1-7) that has been shown to exert cardioprotective effects. In this way, great compilations about Ang-(1-7) actions in the heart have been presented in the literature. However, much less information is available concerning the Ang-(1-7) actions directly in cardiomyocytes. In this paper, we show the actual knowledge about Ang-(1-7)-mediated signaling in cardiac cells more specifically we provide a brief overview of ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis; and highlight the discoveries made in cardiomyocyte physiology through the use of genetic approaches. Finally, we discuss the protective signaling induced by Ang-(1-7) in cardiomyocytes and point molecular determinants of these effects.
Neuroprotective Effects of San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang in the MPP+/MPTP Models of Parkinson’s DiseaseIn VitroandIn Vivo
Authors: Lo Yi-Ching , Shih Yu-Tzu , Tseng Yu-Ting , Hsu Hung-Te
Published: March 2012

San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang (SHXT), composed ofCoptidis rhizoma, Scutellariae radix, andRhei rhizoma, is a traditional Chinese medicine used for complementary and alternative therapy of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases via its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of SHXT in the 1–methyl–4–phenylpyridinium (MPP+)/1–methyl–4–phenyl–1,2,3,6–tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) models of Parkinson’s disease. Rat primary mesencephalic neurons and mouse Parkinson disease model were used in this study. Oxidative stress was induced by MPP+in vitroand MPTPin vivo. In MPP+-treated mesencephalic neuron cultures, SHXT significantly increased the numbers of TH-positive neurons. SHXT reduced apoptotic signals (cytochrome and caspase) and apoptotic death. MPP+-inducedgp91phoxactivation and ROS production were attenuated by SHXT. In addition, SHXT increased the levels of GSH and SOD in MPP+-treated neurons. In MPTP animal model, SHXT markedly increased TH-positive neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and improved motor activity of mice. In conclusion, the present results reveal the evidence that SHXT possesses beneficial protection against MPTP-induced neurotoxicity in this model of Parkinson’s disease via its antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects. SHXT might be a potentially alternative and complementary medicine for neuroprotection.
Quantitative Proteomic Study of Human Lung Squamous Carcinoma and Normal Bronchial Epithelial Acquired by Laser Capture Microdissection
Authors: Yan Xu , Lan-Qin Cao , Long-Yu Jin , Zhu-Chu Chen , Gu-Qing Zeng , Can-E Tang , Guo-Qing Li , Chao-Jun Duan , Fang Peng , Zhi-Qiang Xiao , Cui Li
Published: February 2012

Objective. To investigate the differential protein profile of human lung squamous carcinoma (HLSC) and normal bronchial epithelium (NBE) and provide preliminary results for further study to explore the carcinogenic mechanism of HLSC.Methods. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) was used to purify the target cells from 10 pairs of HLSC tissues and their matched NHBE, respectively. A stable-isotope labeled strategy using iTRAQ, followed by 2D-LC/Q-STAR mass spectrometry, was performed to separate and identify the differential expression proteins.Results. A total of 96 differential expression proteins in the LCM-purified HLSC and NBE were identified. Compared with NBE, 49 proteins were upregulated and 47 proteins were downregulated in HLSC. Furthermore, the expression levels of the differential proteins including HSPB1, CKB, SCCA1, S100A8, as well as S100A9 were confirmed by western blot and tissue microarray and were consistent with the results of quantitative proteomics.Conclusion. The different expression proteins in HLSC will provide scientific foundation for further study to explore the carcinogenic mechanism of HLSC.
CSD‐Coded Genetic Algorithm on Robustly Stable Multiplierless IIR Filter Design
Authors: Pan Shing-Tai
Published: March 2012

A Canonic‐Signed‐Digit‐(CSD‐) coded genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to find the optimal design of robustly stable infinite impulse response digital filter (IIR). Under the characteristics of the CSD structure, the circuit of the filter can be simplified and also the calculation speed can be raised to increase the hardware’s efficiency. However, the design of CSD has a big challenge: the CSD structure of the system parameters will be destroyed by an optimal design procedure. To solve this problem, in this research a CSD‐coded GA is proposed so that the CSD structure can be maintained. Moreover, the robustly stable IIR filters design problem is included in this paper. The robustness of the IIR filters is achieved by ensuring that all poles of the filters are located inside a disk D(α, r) contained in the unit circle, in which α is the center, r is the radius of the disk, and |α| + r < 1. Consequently, in this paper, a new and more efficient D(α, r)‐stability criterion will be derived and then embedded in GA for the design of robust IIR filters. It is worthwhile to note that to design an IIR filter simultaneously with CSD‐structured parameters and robust stability is difficult and is not well explored so far. An example will be presented to show the efficiency of the proposed strategy for design of IIR filters.
Soybean Oil-Quality Variants Identified by Large-Scale Mutagenesis
Authors: Hudson Karen
Published: February 2012

To identify genetic variation for fatty acid composition in mature soybean seeds, 4566 M3generation seed samples from a chemically mutagenized population were subjected to fatty acid profiling by gas chromatography. In the population, a wide range of variation in the content for each of the five major fatty acids was observed. Seventy-nine lines were identified which contained significantly high or low levels of one of the five major soybean fatty acids. These lines were advanced to the subsequent generation. Of the 79 lines showing a variant fatty acid profile in the M3, 52 showed clear heritability for the oil composition in the seeds of the subsequent generation. These lines are likely to represent 52 distinct genetic mutations. These mutants may represent new loci involved in the determination of soybean seed oil content or could be new isolates or alleles of previously identified genetic variants for soybean oil composition.
Features of Methylation and Gene Expression in the Promoter-Associated CpG Islands Using Human Methylome Data
Authors: Du Xin , Han Leng , Guo An-Yuan , Zhao Zhongming
Published: March 2012

CpG islands are typically located in the 5′end of genes and considered as gene markers because they play important roles in gene regulation via epigenetic change. In this study, we compared the features of CpG islands identified by several major algorithms by setting the parameter cutoff values in order to obtain a similar number of CpG islands in a genome. This approach allows us to systematically compare the methylation and gene expression patterns in the identified CpG islands. We found that Takai and Jones’ algorithm tends to identify longer CpG islands but with weaker CpG island features (e.g., lower GC content and lower ratio of the observed over expected CpGs) and higher methylation level. Conversely, the CpG clusters identified by Hackenberg et al.’s algorithm using stringent criteria are shorter and have stronger features and lower methylation level. In addition, we used the genome-wide base-resolution methylation profile in two cell lines to show that genes with a lower methylation level at the promoter-associated CpG islands tend to express in more tissues and have stronger expression. Our results validated that the DNA methylation of promoter-associated CpG islands suppresses gene expression at the genome level.
PPAR and Oxidative Stress: Con() Catenating NRF2 and FOXO
Authors: Polvani Simone , Tarocchi Mirko , Galli Andrea
Published: March 2012

Peroxisome-proliferator activator receptorγ(PPARγ) is a nuclear receptor of central importance in energy homeostasis and inflammation. Recent experimental pieces of evidence demonstrate that PPARγis implicated in the oxidative stress response, an imbalance between antithetic prooxidation and antioxidation forces that may lead the cell to apoptotic or necrotic death. In this delicate and intricate game of equilibrium, PPARγstands out as a central player devoted to the quenching and containment of the damage and to foster cell survival. However, PPARγdoes not act alone: indeed the nuclear receptor is at the point of interconnection of various pathways, such as the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), Wnt/β-catenin, and forkhead box proteins O (FOXO) pathways. Here we reviewed the role of PPARγin response to oxidative stress and its interaction with other signaling pathways implicated in this process, an interaction that emerged as a potential new therapeutic target for several oxidative-related diseases.
EhADH112 Is a Bro1 Domain-Containing Protein Involved in theEntamoeba histolyticaMultivesicular Bodies Pathway
Authors: Bañuelos Cecilia , García-Rivera Guillermina , López-Reyes Israel , Mendoza Leobardo , González-Robles Arturo , Herranz Silvia , Vincent Olivier , Orozco Esther
Published: February 2012

EhADH112 is anEntamoeba histolyticaBro1 domain-containing protein, structurally related to mammalian ALIX and yeast BRO1, both involved in the Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport (ESCRT)-mediated multivesicular bodies (MVB) biogenesis. Here, we investigated an alternative role for EhADH112 in the MVB protein trafficking pathway by overexpressing 166 amino acids of its N-terminal Bro1 domain in trophozoites. Trophozoites displayed diminished phagocytosis rates and accumulated exogenous Bro1 at cytoplasmic vesicles which aggregated into aberrant complexes at late stages of phagocytosis, probably preventing EhADH112 function. Additionally, the existence of a putativeE. histolyticaESCRT-III subunit (EhVps32) presumably interacting with EhADH112, led us to perform pull-down experiments with GST-EhVps32 and [35S]-labeled EhADH112 or EhADH112 derivatives, confirming EhVps32 binding to EhADH112 through its Bro1 domain. Our overall results define EhADH112 as a novel member of ESCRT-accessory proteins transiently present at cellular surface and endosomal compartments, probably contributing to MVB formation during phagocytosis.
Protecting Family Interests: An Interview Study with Foreign-Born Parents Struggling On in Childhood Cancer Care
Authors: Pergert Pernilla , Ekblad Solvig , Björk Olle , Enskär Karin , Andrews Tom
Published: March 2012

Sweden's population is gradually changing to become more multiethnic and diverse and that applies also for recipients of health care, including childhood cancer care. A holistic view on the sick child in the context of its family has always been a cornerstone in childhood cancer care in Sweden. The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge about the experiences and main concern of foreign-born parents in the context of paediatric cancer care. Interviews were performed with eleven foreign-born parents and data were analysed using a classic grounded theory approach. Foreign-born parents often feel in a position of powerless dependence, but family interests are protected in their approaches to interaction with healthcare staff, through cooperation, contesting, and reluctant resigning. Healthcare staff need to listen to foreign-born parents and deal with their concerns seriously to prevent powerless-dependence and work for trustful cooperation in the common fight against childhood cancer.