bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Life Exposure to Fructose and Offspring Phenotype: Implications for Long Term Metabolic Homeostasis
Authors: Sloboda Deborah M. , Li Minglan , Patel Rachna , Clayton Zoe E. , Yap Cassandra , Vickers Mark H.
Published: April 2014

The consumption of artificially sweetened processed foods, particularly high in fructose or high fructose corn syrup, has increased significantly in the past few decades. As such, interest into the long term outcomes of consuming high levels of fructose has increased significantly, particularly when the exposure is early in life. Epidemiological and experimental evidence has linked fructose consumption to the metabolic syndrome and associated comorbidities—implicating fructose as a potential factor in the obesity epidemic. Yet, despite the widespread consumption of fructose-containing foods and beverages and the rising incidence of maternal obesity, little attention has been paid to the possible adverse effects of maternal fructose consumption on the developing fetus and long term effects on offspring. In this paper we review studies investigating the effects of fructose intake on metabolic outcomes in both mother and offspring using human and experimental studies.
Modeling Peer-to-Peer Botnet on Scale-Free Network
Authors: Feng Liping , Wang Hongbin , Han Qi , Zhao Qingshan , Song Lipeng
Published: April 2014

Peer-to-peer (P2P) botnets have emerged as one of the serious threats to Internet security. To prevent effectively P2P botnet, in this paper, a mathematical model which combines the scale-free trait of Internet with the formation of P2P botnet is presented. Explicit mathematical analysis demonstrates that the model has a globally stable endemic equilibrium when infection rate is greater than a critical value. Meanwhile, we find that, in scale-free network, the critical value is very little. Hence, it is unrealistic to completely dispel the P2P botnet. Numerical simulations show that one can take effective countermeasures to reduce the scale of P2P botnet or delay its outbreak. Our findings can provide meaningful instruction to network security management.
Psychological Reactions and Persistent Facial Pain following Enucleation
Authors: Hegarty Dominic , Coakley Daniel , Dooley Ian
Published: April 2014

Background. Enucleation is a psychologically and physically traumatic event associated with chronic pain. It would be desirable to better predict which patients will have pain after surgery. Methods. A cross-sectional postal questionnaire study of adults undergoing enucleation captured the demographic details, Pain Quality Assessment Scale (PQAS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and the Facial Pain Assessment questionnaire. Patients were classified as suffering from chronic pain if they reported a pain score of >1 out of 10 on the numerical pain score (NRS). Results. Seventeen of 60 adults participated in the study. 47% of patients reported chronic pain (mean pain score = 1.4 ± 0.7, n=17); 25% experienced pain daily. No difference in age, surgical side, reason for surgery, or the duration of time since the surgery was noted. All patients had low PQAS scores and 50% of individuals with persistent pain were concerned about their facial appearance. There was no significant difference in the level of catastrophization noted in patients with or without pain or between the subgroups (rumination, magnification, or helplessness). Conclusions. Although persistent pain following enucleation affected a significant number of patients, the pain intensity was mild. Enucleation influenced the physical perception some individuals had of themselves.
A Stability-Indicating High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Assay for the Simultaneous Determination of Pyridoxine, Ethionamide, and Moxifloxacin in Fixed Dose Combination Tablets
Authors: Munib-ur-Rehman  , Yousuf Rabia Ismail , Shoaib Muhammad Harris
Published: April 2014

Stability indicating reversed phase HPLC method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitation of antitubercular drugs, ethionamide (ETH), and moxifloxacin (MOX) with commonly coprescribed vitamin, pyridoxine (PYR) in tablet dosage form. The method was found rapid, precise and accurate. The separation was performed in Hibar 150-4.6, Purospher STAR, RP-18e (5 μm) column, using mobile phase A (0.03 M sodium citrate adjusted to pH 5 with glacial acetic acid) and mobile phase B (100% methanol), ran at variable proportions at flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection was carried out at 320 nm. The method was observed linearly in the range of 2.5–17.5 μg/mL for PYR, 25–175 μg/mL for ETH, and 40–280 μg/mL for MOX with respective limits of detection/quantitation of 0.125 μg/mL/1.28 μg/mL, 0.25 μg/mL/2.56 μg/mL, and 0.35 μg/mL/3.65 μg/mL. The drugs were also subjected to oxidative, hydrolytic, photolytic, and thermal degradation; the degradation products showed interference with the detection of PYR, ETH, and MOX. The proposed method was observed to be effective to quantitate MOX (400 mg), ETH (250 mg), and PYR (25 mg) in fixed dose combination tablet formulation.
An Investigation of Generalized Differential Evolution Metaheuristic for Multiobjective Optimal Crop-Mix Planning Decision
Authors: Adekanmbi Oluwole , Olugbara Oludayo , Adeyemo Josiah
Published: April 2014

This paper presents an annual multiobjective crop-mix planning as a problem of concurrent maximization of net profit and maximization of crop production to determine an optimal cropping pattern. The optimal crop production in a particular planting season is a crucial decision making task from the perspectives of economic management and sustainable agriculture. A multiobjective optimal crop-mix problem is formulated and solved using the generalized differential evolution 3 (GDE3) metaheuristic to generate a globally optimal solution. The performance of the GDE3 metaheuristic is investigated by comparing its results with the results obtained using epsilon constrained and nondominated sorting genetic algorithms—being two representatives of state-of-the-art in evolutionary optimization. The performance metrics of additive epsilon, generational distance, inverted generational distance, and spacing are considered to establish the comparability. In addition, a graphical comparison with respect to the true Pareto front for the multiobjective optimal crop-mix planning problem is presented. Empirical results generally show GDE3 to be a viable alternative tool for solving a multiobjective optimal crop-mix planning problem.
Energy Consumption Evaluation for Wireless Sensor Network Nodes Based on Queuing Petri Net
Authors: Li J. , Zhou H. Y. , Zuo D. C. , Hou K. M. , Xie H. P. , Zhou P.
Published: April 2014

Due to the large scale of wireless sensor networks (WSN) and the huge density of WSN nodes, classical performance evaluation techniques face new challenges in view of the complexity and diversity in WSN applications. This paper presents a “state-event-transition” formal description for WSN nodes and proposes an event-driven QPN-based modeling technique to simulate the energy behaviors of nodes. Besides, the framework architecture of a dedicated energy evaluation platform has been introduced, which can be used to simulate the energy consumption of WSN nodes and to evaluate the system lifetime of WSN. Case studies prove that this platform can be utilized for the selection of WSN nodes and network protocols, the deployment of network topology, and the prediction of system lifetime as well.
Effects of Thinning Intensities on Soil Infiltration and Water Storage Capacity in a Chinese Pine-Oak Mixed Forest
Authors: Chen Lili , Yuan Zhiyou , Shao Hongbo , Wang Dexiang , Mu Xingmin
Published: April 2014

Thinning is a crucial practice in the forest ecosystem management. The soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity of pine-oak mixed forest under three different thinning intensity treatments (15%, 30%, and 60%) were studied in Qinling Mountains of China. The thinning operations had a significant influence on soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity. The soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity in different thinning treatments followed the order of control (nonthinning): <60%, <15%, and <30%. It demonstrated that thinning operation with 30% intensity can substantially improve soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity of pine-oak mixed forest in Qinling Mountains. The soil initial infiltration rate, stable infiltration rate, and average infiltration rate in thinning 30% treatment were significantly increased by 21.1%, 104.6%, and 60.9%, compared with the control. The soil maximal water storage capacity and noncapillary water storage capacity in thinning 30% treatment were significantly improved by 20.1% and 34.3% in contrast to the control. The soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity were significantly higher in the surface layer (0~20 cm) than in the deep layers (20~40 cm and 40~60 cm). We found that the soil property was closely related to soil infiltration rate and water storage capacity.
High Level of Tregs Is a Positive Prognostic Marker in Patients with HPV-Positive Oral and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Lukesova E. , Boucek J. , Rotnaglova E. , Salakova M. , Koslabova E. , Grega M. , Eckschlager T. , Rihova B. , Prochazka B. , Klozar J. , Tachezy R.
Published: April 2014

Background. Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been proved as one of the etiological factors of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Patients with tumors of viral etiology have a lower recurrence rate and better prognosis. OPSCC is linked to an alteration in the immune system. Only a limited number of studies have correlated both the immunological parameters and HPV status with patient prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether HPV infection and the immunological status influence patient prognosis individually or in concurrence.Material and Methods. Sixty patients with oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas were enrolled. They were divided into HPV-positive and HPV-negative groups based on the expression of HPV 16 E6 mRNA. Basic lymphocyte subpopulations were determined in the peripheral blood by means of flow cytometry.Results. Significantly better disease-specific survival (DSS) was observed in patients with HPV-positive tumors. Nodal status, tumor grade, recurrence, and CD8+/Tregs ratio were identified as factors influencing DSS. A higher level of Tregs and a lower ratio of CD8/Tregs influenced overall survival (OS) independently of HPV status and age. Patients with HPV-positive tumors and high levels of Tregs survived significantly better than patients from the other groups.Conclusion. Better survival is associated with HPV positivity and elevated Tregs levels. Our data suggest that HPV infection and Tregs do not influence patient prognosis in concurrence.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hypertension among Male Occupational Bus Drivers in North Kerala, South India: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Lakshman Arjun , Manikath Neeraj , Rahim Asma , Anilakumari V. P.
Published: April 2014

Background. Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of hypertension in a population of male bus drivers in North Kerala, India. Methods. The study population included male bus drivers of Corporation Bus stand Kozhikode, Kerala. Blood pressure, height, and weight of subjects were measured, and relevance was obtained using a structured questionnaire. Results. Age varied from 21 to 60 years (mean 36.5±8.4). Among 179 bus drivers studied, 16.8% (30/179) had normal BP, 41.9% (75/179) had prehypertension, and 41.3% (74/179) had hypertension. Isolated systolic HTN was seen in 6.70% (12/179) individuals. Out of 74 hypertensives, 9 (12.1%) were aware of their hypertension, while 3 (4.0%) were medicated and only 1 (1.3%) had BP adequately controlled. Age > 35 years (P = 0.015), BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2 (P = 0.007), supporting more than four family members (P = 0.011), and taking main meals from restaurants on most working days (P = 0.017) were independently associated with HTN in binary logistic regression. Conclusion. Prevalence of hypertension was high among bus drivers. Age > 35 years, elevated BMI, supporting a large family, and dietary habits associated with the job showed significant association with hypertension. Primary and secondary prevention strategies need to be emphasized in this occupational group.
Design of Optimal Attack-Angle for RLV Reentry Based on Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Zhang Qingzhen , Wang Zhenbo , Tao Fei , Sarker Bhaba R. , Cheng Lin
Published: April 2014

The attack-angle optimization is a key problem for reentry trajectory design of a gliding type reusable launch vehicle (RLV). In order to solve such a problem, the equations of motion are derived first. A physical programming (PP) method is briefly presented and the preference function is reflected in mathematical representation. The attack-angle optimization problem with four criteria (i.e., downrange, total heat, heat rate, and trajectory oscillation) is converted into a single-objective optimization problem based on the PP method. A winged gliding reentry RLV is chosen as a simulation example and the transformed single-objective problem is solved by the quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) algorithm based on two types of preference structures, longer range preference and smaller total heat preference. The constraints of maximizing heating rate, normal load factor, and dynamic pressure and minimizing terminal velocity are handled by a penalty function method. The simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of these methods. The physical causation of the optimal solution and the typical profiles are presented, which reflect the designer's preference. At last, the feasibility and advantages of QPSO are revealed by comparison with the results of genetic algorithm (GA) and standard particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm on this optimization problem.
Novel Design Strategy for Checkpoint Kinase 2 Inhibitors Using Pharmacophore Modeling, Combinatorial Fusion, and Virtual Screening
Authors: Lin Chun-Yuan , Wang Yen-Ling
Published: April 2014

Checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) has a great effect on DNA-damage and plays an important role in response to DNA double-strand breaks and related lesions. In this study, we will concentrate on Chk2 and the purpose is to find the potential inhibitors by the pharmacophore hypotheses (PhModels), combinatorial fusion, and virtual screening techniques. Applying combinatorial fusion into PhModels and virtual screening techniques is a novel design strategy for drug design. We used combinatorial fusion to analyze the prediction results and then obtained the best correlation coefficient of the testing set (rtest) with the value 0.816 by combining theBesttrainBesttestandFasttrainFasttestprediction results. The potential inhibitors were selected from NCI database by screening according toBesttrainBesttest+FasttrainFasttestprediction results and molecular docking with CDOCKER docking program. Finally, the selected compounds have high interaction energy between a ligand and a receptor. Through these approaches, 23 potential inhibitors for Chk2 are retrieved for further study.
Application of D‐S Evidence Fusion Method in the Fault Detection of Temperature Sensor
Authors: Dou Zheng , Xu Xiaochun , Lin Yun , Zhou Ruolin
Published: April 2014

Due to the complexity and dangerousness of drying process, the fault detection of temperature sensor is very difficult and dangerous in actual working practice and the detection effectiveness is not satisfying. For this problem, in this paper, based on the idea of information fusion and the requirements of D‐S evidence method, a D‐S evidence fusion structure with two layers was introduced to detect the temperature sensor fault in drying process. The first layer was data layer to establish the basic belief assignment function of evidence which could be realized by BP Neural Network. The second layer was decision layer to detect and locate the sensor fault which could be realized by D‐S evidence fusion method. According to the numerical simulation results, the working conditions of sensors could be described effectively and accurately by this method, so that it could be used to detect and locate the sensor fault.
A Highly Accurate Regular Domain Collocation Method for Solving Potential Problems in the Irregular Doubly Connected Domains
Authors: Wang Zhao-Qing , Li Shuchen , Ping Yang , Jiang Jian , Ma Teng-Fei
Published: April 2014

Embedding the irregular doubly connected domain into an annular regular region, the unknown functions can be approximated by the barycentric Lagrange interpolation in the regular region. A highly accurate regular domain collocation method is proposed for solving potential problems on the irregular doubly connected domain in polar coordinate system. The formulations of regular domain collocation method are constructed by using barycentric Lagrange interpolation collocation method on the regular domain in polar coordinate system. The boundary conditions are discretized by barycentric Lagrange interpolation within the regular domain. An additional method is used to impose the boundary conditions. The least square method can be used to solve the overconstrained equations. The function values of points in the irregular doubly connected domain can be calculated by barycentric Lagrange interpolation within the regular domain. Some numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the presented method.
PredictingMycobacterium tuberculosisComplex Clades Using Knowledge-Based Bayesian Networks
Authors: Aminian Minoo , Couvin David , Shabbeer Amina , Hadley Kane , Vandenberg Scott , Rastogi Nalin , Bennett Kristin P.
Published: April 2014

We develop a novel approach for incorporating expert rules into Bayesian networks for classification ofMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex (MTBC) clades. The proposed knowledge-based Bayesian network (KBBN) treats sets of expert rules as prior distributions on the classes. Unlike prior knowledge-based support vector machine approaches which require rules expressed as polyhedral sets, KBBN directly incorporates the rules without any modification. KBBN uses data to refine rule-based classifiers when the rule set is incomplete or ambiguous. We develop a predictive KBBN model for 69 MTBC clades found in the SITVIT international collection. We validate the approach using two testbeds that model knowledge of the MTBC obtained from two different experts and large DNA fingerprint databases to predict MTBC genetic clades and sublineages. These models represent strains of MTBC using high-throughput biomarkers called spacer oligonucleotide types (spoligotypes), since these are routinely gathered from MTBC isolates of tuberculosis (TB) patients. Results show that incorporating rules into problems can drastically increase classification accuracy if data alone are insufficient. The SITVIT KBBN is publicly available for use on the World Wide Web.
Flexural Toughness of Steel Fiber Reinforced High Performance Concrete Containing Nano-SiO2and Fly Ash
Authors: Zhang Peng , Zhao Ya-Nan , Li Qing-Fu , Wang Peng , Zhang Tian-Hang
Published: April 2014

This paper aims to clarify the effect of steel fiber on the flexural toughness of the high performance concrete containing fly ash and nano-SiO2. The flexural toughness was evaluated by two methods, which are based on ASTM C1018 and DBV-1998, respectively. By means of three-point bending method, the flexural toughness indices, variation coefficients of bearing capacity, deformation energy, and equivalent flexural strength of the specimen were measured, respectively, and the relational curves between the vertical load and the midspan deflection (PV-δ) were obtained. The results indicate that steel fiber has great effect on the flexural toughness parameters and relational curves (PV-δ) of the three-point bending beam specimen. When the content of steel fiber increases from 0.5% to 2%, the flexural toughness parameters increase gradually and the curves are becoming plumper and plumper with the increase of steel fiber content, respectively. However these flexural toughness parameters begin to decrease and the curves become thinner and thinner after the steel fiber content exceeds 2%. It seems that the contribution of steel fiber to the improvement of flexural toughness of the high performance concrete containing fly ash and nano-SiO2is well performed only when the steel fiber content is less than 2%.
Image-Guided Hypofractionated Radiotherapy in Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients
Authors: Valeriani Maurizio , Carnevale Alessia , Agolli Linda , Bonome Paolo , Montalto Adelaide , Nicosia Luca , Osti Mattia F. , De Sanctis Vitaliana , Minniti Giuseppe , Maurizi Enrici Riccardo
Published: April 2014

Aim. To evaluate efficacy and toxicity of image-guided hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) in the treatment of low-risk prostate cancer. Outcomes and toxicities of this series of patients were compared to another group of 32 low-risk patients treated with conventional fractionation (CFRT).Methods. Fifty-nine patients with low-risk prostate cancer were analysed. Total dose for the prostate and proximal seminal vesicles was 60 Gy delivered in 20 fractions.Results. The median follow-up was 30 months. The actuarial 4-year overall survival, biochemical free survival, and disease specific survival were 100%, 97.4%, and 97.4%, respectively. Acute grade 1-2 gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity rates were 11.9% and 40.7%, respectively. Grade 1 GI and GU late toxicity rates were 8.5% and 13.6%, respectively. No grade ≥2 late toxicities were recorded. Acute grade 2-3 GU toxicity resulted significantly lower (P=0.04) in HFRT group compared to the CFRT group. The cumulative 4-year incidence of grade 1-2 GU toxicity was significantly higher (P<0.001) for HFRT patients.Conclusions. Our study demonstrated that hypofractionated regimen provided excellent biochemical control in favorable risk prostate cancer patients. The incidence of GI and GU toxicity was low. However, HFRT presented higher cumulative incidence of low-grade late GU toxicity than CFRT.
Parameter Sensitivity Analysis on Deformation of Composite Soil‐Nailed Wall Using Artificial Neural Networks and Orthogonal Experiment
Authors: Hao Jianbin , Wang Banqiao
Published: April 2014

Based on the back‐propagation algorithm of artificial neural networks (ANNs), this paper establishes an intelligent model, which is used to predict the maximum lateral displacement of composite soil‐nailed wall. Some parameters, such as soil cohesive strength, soil friction angle, prestress of anchor cable, soil‐nail spacing, soil‐nail diameter, soil‐nail length, and other factors, are considered in the model. Combined with the in situ test data of composite soil‐nail wall reinforcement engineering, the network is trained and the errors are analyzed. Thus it is demonstrated that the method is applicable and feasible in predicting lateral displacement of excavation retained by composite soil‐nailed wall. Extended calculations are conducted by using the well‐trained intelligent forecast model. Through application of orthogonal table test theory, 25 sets of tests are designed to analyze the sensitivity of factors affecting the maximum lateral displacement of composite soil‐nailing wall. The results show that the sensitivity of factors affecting the maximum lateral displacement of composite soil nailing wall, in a descending order, are prestress of anchor cable, soil friction angle, soil cohesion strength, soil‐nail spacing, soil‐nail length, and soil‐nail diameter. The results can provide important reference for the same reinforcement engineering.
Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil on Hair Growth in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Trial
Authors: Cho Young Hye , Lee Sang Yeoup , Jeong Dong Wook , Choi Eun Jung , Kim Yun Jin , Lee Jeong Gyu , Yi Yu Hyeon , Cha Hyeong Soo
Published: April 2014

Pumpkin seed oil (PSO) has been shown to block the action of 5‐alpha reductase and to have antiandrogenic effects on rats. This randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind study was designed to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of PSO for treatment of hair growth in male patients with mild to moderate androgenetic alopecia (AGA). 76 male patients with AGA received 400 mg of PSO per day or a placebo for 24 weeks. Change over time in scalp hair growth was evaluated by four outcomes: assessment of standardized clinical photographs by a blinded investigator; patient self‐assessment scores; scalp hair thickness; and scalp hair counts. Reports of adverse events were collected throughout the study. After 24 weeks of treatment, self‐rated improvement score and self‐rated satisfaction scores in the PSO‐treated group were higher than in the placebo group (P  =  0.013, 0.003). The PSO‐treated group had more hair after treatment than at baseline, compared to the placebo group (P < 0.001). Mean hair count increases of 40% were observed in PSO‐treated men at 24 weeks, whereas increases of 10% were observed in placebo‐treated men (P < 0.001). Adverse effects were not different in the two groups.
Oral and Intraperitoneal Administration of Quercetin Decreased Lymphocyte DNA Damage and Plasma Lipid Peroxidation Induced by TSA In Vivo
Authors: Chan Shu-Ting , Lin Yi-Chin , Chuang Cheng-Hung , Shiau Rong-Jen , Liao Jiunn-Wang , Yeh Shu-Lan
Published: April 2014

Our previous study showed that quercetin enhances the anticancer effect of trichostatin A (TSA) in xenograft mice given quercetin intraperitoneally (10 mg/kg, 3 times/week). Herein, we investigate whether quercetin administered orally exerts such an effect and prevents the cytotoxic side effects of TSA. We found that quercetin given orally (20 and 100 mg/kg, 3 times/week) failed to enhance the antitumor effect of TSA although it increased the total quercetin concentration more than quercetin administered intraperitoneally in the plasma. The compound quercetin-3-glucuronide (Q3G) increased the most. However, quercetin administered intraperitoneally increased the total quercetin level in tumor tissues more than oral quercetin. Oral and intraperitoneal administration of quercetin similarly decreased lymphocyte DNA damage and plasma lipid peroxidation level induced by TSA. Furthermore, we found that the enhancing effect of Q3G on the antitumor effect of TSA and the incorporation of Q3G was less than that of quercetin in A549 cells. However, we found that A549 cells possessed the ability to convert Q3G to quercetin. In conclusion, different from quercetin administered intraperitoneally, quercetin administered orally failed to enhance the antitumor effect of TSA because of its metabolic conversion. However, it prevented TSA-induced DNA damage and lipid peroxidation.
Pentafluoropropionic Acid: An Efficient and Metal-Free Catalyst for the One-Pot Synthesis of Tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran Derivatives
Authors: Montazeri Naser , Noghani Taghva , Ghorchibeigy Mona , Zoghi Rozita
Published: April 2014

Pentafluoropropionic acid (PFPA) efficiently catalyzes the one-pot, three-component reaction of aromatic aldehyde, malononitrile, and dimedone to yield tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyran derivatives in high yields. This method is of great value because of its easy processing, short reaction time, environmentally, and high yields.
On the Logarithmic Regularity Conditions for the Variable Exponent Hardy Type Inequality
Authors: Harman Aziz , Keleş Mustafa Özgür
Published: April 2014

We discuss a logarithmic
regularity condition in a neighborhood of the origin and infinity on the
exponent functions qx≥px and βx for the variable exponent
Hardy inequality xβ·-1∫0xftdtLp·0,l≤Cxβ·fLp·0,l to hold.
The Optimization of Matrix Preparation Process and Performance Testing for Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell
Authors: Cheng Jian , Guo Liejin , Xu Shisen , Zhang Ruiyun
Published: April 2014

A key component in the molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) is electrolyte matrix, which provides both ionic conduction and gas sealing. The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of selected operating conditions on the performance of the matrix preparation. Slurries were prepared to produce matrices by the technique of tape casting. The characteristics of the slurries and matrices were examined by laser particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscopy, and BET surface area analyzer. The testing results revealed that a slurry composition with 40 wt.% lithium aluminate was the optimal formulation to produce a good matrix with a pore size distribution of 0.1–0.4 μm and porosity of 50 vol.%. Coarse and fine LiAlO2particles were added in the matrix slurry to enhance the mechanical strength. Several green sheets were heated and pressed to enhance the bulk density to get a dense matrix of MCFC. Finally, a single MCFC was assembled and tested. The testing results showed the matrix with 40% solid loading gave the maximum discharge current of 20 A at 0.56 V.
Fluid‐Thermal‐Structural Coupled Analysis of a Radial Inflow Micro Gas Turbine Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Computational Solid Mechanics
Authors: Xie Yonghui , Lu Kun , Liu Le , Xie Gongnan
Published: April 2014

A three‐dimensional fluid‐thermal‐structural coupled analysis for a radial inflow micro gas turbine is conducted. First, a fluid‐thermal coupled analysis of the flow and temperature fields of the nozzle passage and the blade passage is performed by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The flow and heat transfer characteristics of different sections are analyzed in detail. The thermal load and the aerodynamic load are then obtained from the temperature field and the pressure distribution. The stress distributions of the blade are finally studied by using computational solid mechanics (CSM) considering three cases of loads: thermal load, aerodynamics load combined with centrifugal load, and all the three types of loads. The detailed parameters of the flow, temperature, and the stress are obtained and analyzed. The numerical results obtained provide a useful knowledge base for further exploration of radial gas turbine design.
Computational Prediction of Protein Function Based on Weighted Mapping of Domains and GO Terms
Authors: Teng Zhixia , Guo Maozu , Dai Qiguo , Wang Chunyu , Li Jin , Liu Xiaoyan
Published: April 2014

In this paper, we propose a novel method, SeekFun, to predict protein function based on weighted mapping of domains and GO terms. Firstly, a weighted mapping of domains and GO terms is constructed according to GO annotations and domain composition of the proteins. The association strength between domain and GO term is weighted by symmetrical conditional probability. Secondly, the mapping is extended along the true paths of the terms based on GO hierarchy. Finally, the terms associated with resident domains are transferred to host protein and real annotations of the host protein are determined by association strengths. Our careful comparisons demonstrate that SeekFun outperforms the concerned methods on most occasions. SeekFun provides a flexible and effective way for protein function prediction. It benefits from the well-constructed mapping of domains and GO terms, as well as the reasonable strategy for inferring annotations of protein from those of its domains.
Gamma-Ray Effects of Dark Forces in Dark Matter Clumps
Authors: Belotsky K. , Khlopov M. , Kirillov A.
Published: April 2014

Existence of new gauge U(1) symmetry possessed by dark matter (DM) particles implies the existence of a new Coulomb-like interaction, which leads to Sommerfeld-Gamow-Sakharov enhancement of dark matter annihilation at low relative velocities. We discuss a possibility to put constraints on such dark forces of dark matter from the observational data on the gamma radiation in our Galaxy. Gamma-rays are supposed to originate from annihilation of DM particles in the small scale clumps, in which annihilation rate is supposed to be enhanced, besides higher density, due to smaller relative velocitiesvof DM particles. For possible cross sections, mass of annihilating particles, masses of clumps, and the contribution of annihilating particles in the total DM density we constrain the strength of new dark long range forces from comparison of predicted gamma-ray signal with Fermi/LAT data on unidentified point-like gamma-ray sources (PGS) as well as on diffuseγ-radiation. Both data on diffuse radiation and data on PGS put lower constraints on annihilation cross section at any dark interaction constant, where diffuse radiation provides stronger constraint at smaller clump mass. Density of annihilating DM particles is conventionally supposed to be defined by the frozen annihilation processes in early Universe.
Comparison of Some Estimators under the Pitman’s Closeness Criterion in Linear Regression Model
Authors: Wu Jibo
Published: April 2014

Batah et al. (2009) combined the unbiased ridge estimator and principal components regression estimator and introduced the modifiedr-kclass estimator. They also showed that the modifiedr-kclass estimator is superior to the ordinary least squares estimator and principal components regression estimator in the mean squared error matrix. In this paper, firstly, we will give a new method to obtain the modifiedr-kclass estimator; secondly, we will discuss its properties in some detail, comparing the modifiedr-kclass estimator to the ordinary least squares estimator and principal components regression estimator under the Pitman closeness criterion. A numerical example and a simulation study are given to illustrate our findings.
Exploring Drug Targets in Isoprenoid Biosynthetic Pathway forPlasmodium falciparum
Authors: Qidwai Tabish , Jamal Farrukh , Khan Mohd Y. , Sharma Bechan
Published: April 2014

Emergence of rapid drug resistance to existing antimalarial drugs inPlasmodium falciparumhas created the need for prediction of novel targets as well as leads derived from original molecules with improved activity against a validated drug target. The malaria parasite has a plant plastid-like apicoplast. To overcome the problem of falciparum malaria, the metabolic pathways in parasite apicoplast have been used as antimalarial drug targets. Among several pathways in apicoplast, isoprenoid biosynthesis is one of the important pathways for parasite as its multiplication in human erythrocytes requires isoprenoids. Therefore targeting this pathway and exploring leads with improved activity is a highly attractive approach. This report has explored progress towards the study of proteins and inhibitors of isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway. For more comprehensive analysis, antimalarial drug-protein interaction has been covered.
Oscillation Criteria for Functional Dynamic Equations with Nonlinearities Given by Riemann-Stieltjes Integral
Authors: Sun Yuangong , Hassan Taher S.
Published: April 2014

We present new oscillation criteria for the second order nonlinear dynamic equation[r(t)ϕγ(xΔ(t))]Δ+q0(t)ϕγ(x(g0(t)))+∫ab‍q(t,s)ϕα(s)(x(g(t,s)))Δζ(s)=0under mild assumptions. Our results generalize and improve some known results for oscillation of second order nonlinear dynamic equations. Several examples are worked out to illustrate the main results.
Progress and Regress of Time Dependent Data and Application in Bank Branch
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Lotfi F. , Taeb Z. , Abbasbandy S.
Published: April 2014

To evaluate each decision making unit having time dependent inputs and outputs data, a new method has been developed and reported here. This method uses the Malmquist productivity index, and is a very simple function based on Cubic Spline function to determine the progress and regress of that unit. To show the capability of this developed method, the data of 9 branches of a commercial bank has been used, evaluated, and reported.
Decision Support Model for Introduction of Gamification Solution Using AHP
Authors: Kim Sangkyun
Published: April 2014

Gamification means the use of various elements of game design in nongame contexts including workplace collaboration, marketing, education, military, and medical services. Gamification is effective for both improving workplace productivity and motivating employees. However, introduction of gamification is not easy because the planning and implementation processes of gamification are very complicated and it needs interdisciplinary knowledge such as information systems, organization behavior, and human psychology. Providing a systematic decision making method for gamification process is the purpose of this paper. This paper suggests the decision criteria for selection of gamification platform to support a systematic decision making process for managements. The criteria are derived from previous works on gamification, introduction of information systems, and analytic hierarchy process. The weights of decision criteria are calculated through a survey by the professionals on game, information systems, and business administration. The analytic hierarchy process is used to derive the weights. The decision criteria and weights provided in this paper could support the managements to make a systematic decision for selection of gamification platform.
Light Absorption Enhancement in Organic Solar Cell by Embedding Ag Nanoparticles and Nanochains within the Active Layer
Authors: Zhu Sheng-Qing , Zhang Tong , Guo Xin-Li , Shan Feng , Zhang Xiao-Yang
Published: April 2014

We numerically investigate the light absorption enhancement of organic photovoltaic cells by embedding Ag nanoparticles and nanochains within the active layer using a finite element method. We analyze the enhancement mechanism of light absorption and systematically study the influence of factors such as the size and the period of silver nanoparticles. The result shows the localized surface plasmon resonance of the particles has a significant influence on the light absorption. Under AM1.5 illumination condition, a relative enhancement with a factor of 107.1% is observed for nanoparticles with a diameter of 30 nm and a period of 200 nm. In addition, different types of nanochain structures have been studied, and we find that, comparing to monodisperse nanoparticles, nanochain structures can further enhance the light absorption because of the stronger light harvesting in the long wavelength range of 600–800 nm.
A ROM-Less Direct Digital Frequency Synthesizer Based on Hybrid Polynomial Approximation
Authors: Omran Qahtan Khalaf , Islam Mohammad Tariqul , Misran Norbahiah , Faruque Mohammad Rashed Iqbal
Published: April 2014

In this paper, a novel design approach for a phase to sinusoid amplitude converter (PSAC) has been investigated. Two segments have been used to approximate the first sine quadrant. A first linear segment is used to fit the region near the zero point, while a second fourth-order parabolic segment is used to approximate the rest of the sine curve. The phase sample, where the polynomial changed, was chosen in such a way as to achieve the maximum spurious free dynamic range (SFDR). The invented direct digital frequency synthesizer (DDFS) has been encoded in VHDL and post simulation was carried out. The synthesized architecture exhibits a promising result of 90 dBc SFDR. The targeted structure is expected to show advantages for perceptible reduction of hardware resources and power consumption as well as high clock speeds.
Gender Differences in Behçet’s Disease Associated Uveitis
Authors: Ucar-Comlekoglu Didar , Fox Austin , Sen H. Nida
Published: April 2014

Behçet’s disease is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology, characterized by oral and genital ulceration, skin lesions, and uveitis as well as vascular, central nervous system, and gastrointestinal system involvement. It is prevalent in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Eastern Asia. The aim of this review is to evaluate the gender differences in clinical manifestations of Behçet’s disease, treatment responses, mortality, and morbidity. Behçet’s disease has been reported to be more prevalent in males from certain geographic regions and particular ethnic groups; however, recent reports indicate more even gender distribution across the world. There are gender differences in clinical manifestations and severity of the disease. Ocular manifestations, vascular involvement, and neurologic symptoms are more frequently reported in male patients whereas oral and genital ulcers, skin lesions, and arthritis occur more frequently in female patients. The disease can have a more severe course in males, and overall mortality rate is significantly higher among young male patients.
Development and Validation of a Rapid Chemometrics Assisted RP-HPLC with PDA Detection Method for the Simultaneous Estimation of Pyridoxine HCl and Doxylamine Succinate in Bulk and Pharmaceutical Dosage Form
Authors: Giriraj P. , Sivakkumar T.
Published: April 2014

Simple, rapid, precise, and accurate RP-HPLC method was developed and optimized with the help of chemometric tool for the simultaneous estimation of pyridoxine HCl and doxylamine succinate in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage form. Optimization was done by central composite design in response surface methodology. Based on the trial and error, percentage of organic phase (methanol) in mobile phase, flow rate, and molarity of the buffer were selected as factors. Resolution and retention time were used for the estimation of system response during the optimization procedure. The optimized condition was used and the separation was carried out on phenomenex C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm; i.d, 5 μ particle size) using the mobile phase containing 49.37% of methanol and 50.63% of phosphate buffer (45.14 mM) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Retention time was found to be 1.884 minutes for pyridoxine HCl and 3.959 minutes for doxylamine succinate. The calibration curves were found to be linear from 10 to 70 μg/mL and 10 to 90 μg/mL for pyridoxine HCl and doxylamine succinate with their correlation coefficient values 0.9995 and 0.9997. LOD and LOQ were found to be 23.5 ng/mL and 71.1 ng/mL for pyridoxine HCl and 99.9 ng/mL and 302.6 ng/mL for doxylamine succinate.
Pilot Program to Improve Self-Management of Patients with Heart Failure by Redesigning Care Coordination
Authors: Shaw Jessica D. , O’Neal Daniel J. , Siddharthan Kris , Neugaard Britta I.
Published: April 2014

Objectives. We tested both an educational and a care coordination element of health care to examine if better disease-specific knowledge leads to successful self-management of heart failure (HF).Background. The high utilization of health care resources and poor patient outcomes associated with HF justify tests of change to improve self-management of HF.Methods. This prospective study tested two components of the Chronic Care Model (clinical information systems and self-management support) to improve outcomes in the self-management of HF among patients who received intensive education and care coordination during their acute care stay. A postdischarge follow-up phone call assessed their knowledge of HF self-management compared to usual care patients.Results. There were 20 patients each in the intervention and usual care groups. Intervention patients were more likely to have a scale at home, write down their weight, and practice new or different health behaviors.Conclusion. Patients receiving more intensive education knew more about their disease and were better able to self-manage their weight compared to patients receiving standard care.
Coordination of Supply Chain with a Dominant Retailer under Demand Disruptions
Authors: Li Jian , Liu Xiaofang , Wu Jun , Yang Fengmei
Published: April 2014

We develop a coordination model of a one‐manufacturer multi‐retailers supply chain with a dominant retailer. We consider the impact of a dominant retailer on the market retail price and his sales promotion opportunity and examine how the manufacturer can coordinate such a supply chain by revenue‐sharing contract after demand disruptions. We address the following important research questions in this paper. (i) How do we design an appropriate revenue‐sharing contract to coordinate the supply chain with a dominant retailer without demand disruptions? (ii) When demand is disrupted with variations in market scale and price sensitive coefficient, can the original contract still be valid? (iii) How do the demand disruptions affect the coordination mechanism under different disruption scenarios and how should the new contract change? Finally, we generate important insights by both analytical and numerical examples.
Kinematic Metrics Based on the Virtual Reality System Toyra as an Assessment of the Upper Limb Rehabilitation in People with Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Trincado-Alonso Fernando , Dimbwadyo-Terrer Iris , de los Reyes-Guzmán Ana , López-Monteagudo Patricia , Bernal-Sahún Alberto , Gil-Agudo Ángel
Published: April 2014

The aim of this study was to develop new strategies based on virtual reality that can provide additional information to clinicians for the rehabilitation assessment. Virtual reality system Toyra has been used to record kinematic information of 15 patients with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) while performing evaluation sessions using the mentioned system. Positive correlation, with a moderate and very strong association, has been found between clinical scales and kinematic data, considering only the subscales more closely related to the upper limb function. A set of metrics was defined combining these kinematic data to obtain parameters of reaching amplitude, joint amplitude, agility, accuracy, and repeatability during the evaluation sessions of the virtual reality system Toyra. Strong and moderate correlations have been also found between the metrics reaching and joint amplitude and the clinical scales.
FTIR Spectra of n‐Octanol in Liquid and Solid States
Authors: Vasileva A. , Golub P. , Doroshenko I. , Pogorelov V. , Sablinskas V. , Balevicius V. , Ceponkus J.
Published: April 2014

The investigation of the temperature dependence of FTIR spectrum of n‐octanol in the temperature range from −150°C to 50°C is presented. The observed changes in the registered spectra during gradual heating of the sample were analysed. The structure transformation at the phase transition from solid to liquid phase is detected.
Multiplicity of Periodic Solutions for a Higher Order Difference Equation
Authors: Hu Ronghui
Published: April 2014

We study a higher order difference equation. By Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction methods and computations of critical groups, we prove that the equation has fourM-periodic solutions.
Recent Concepts of Ovarian Carcinogenesis: Type I and Type II
Authors: Koshiyama Masafumi , Matsumura Noriomi , Konishi Ikuo
Published: April 2014

Type I ovarian tumors, where precursor lesions in the ovary have clearly been described, include endometrioid, clear cell, mucinous, low grade serous, and transitional cell carcinomas, while type II tumors, where such lesions have not been described clearly and tumors may developde novofrom the tubal and/or ovarian surface epithelium, comprise high grade serous carcinomas, undifferentiated carcinomas, and carcinosarcomas. The carcinogenesis of endometrioid and clear cell carcinoma (CCC) arising from endometriotic cysts is significantly influenced by the free iron concentration, which is associated with cancer development through the induction of persistent oxidative stress. A subset of mucinous carcinomas develop in association with ovarian teratomas; however, the majority of these tumors do not harbor any teratomatous component. Other theories of their origin include mucinous metaplasia of surface epithelial inclusions, endometriosis, and Brenner tumors. Low grade serous carcinomas are thought to evolve in a stepwise fashion from benign serous cystadenoma to a serous borderline tumor (SBT). With regard to high grade serous carcinoma, the serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STICs) of the junction of the fallopian tube epithelium with the mesothelium of the tubal serosa, termed the “tubal peritoneal junction” (TPJ), undergo malignant transformation due to their location, and metastasize to the nearby ovary and surrounding pelvic peritoneum. Other theories of their origin include the ovarian hilum cells.