bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intra-Articular Synovial Sarcomas: Incidence and Differentiating Features from Localized Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis
Authors: Nordemar D. , Öberg J. , Brosjö O. , Skorpil M.
Published: December 2015

Purpose.To determine the incidence of intra-articular synovial sarcomas and investigate if any radiological variables can differentiate them from localized (unifocal) pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) and if multivariate data analysis could be used as a complementary clinical tool.Methods.Magnetic resonance images and radiographs of 7 cases of intra-articular synovial sarcomas and 14 cases of localized PVNS were blindedly reviewed. Variables analyzed were size, extra-articular growth, tumor border, blooming, calcification, contrast media enhancement, effusion, bowl of grapes sign, triple signal intensity sign, synovial low signal intensity, synovitis, age, and gender. Univariate and multivariate data analysis, the method of partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), were used. Register data on all synovial sarcomas were extracted for comparison.Results.The incidence of intra-articular synovial sarcomas was 3%. PLS-DA showed that age, effusion, size, and gender were the most important factors for discrimination between sarcomas and localized PVNS. No sarcomas were misclassified as PVNS with PLS-DA, while some PVNS were misclassified as sarcomas.Conclusions.The most important variables in differentiating intra-articular sarcomas from localized PVNS were age, effusion, size, and gender. Multivariate data analysis can be helpful as additive information to avoid a biopsy, if the tumor is classified as most likely being PVNS.
Aharonov-Bohm Effect for Bound States on the Confinement of a Relativistic Scalar Particle to a Coulomb-Type Potential in Kaluza-Klein Theory
Authors: Leite E. V. B. , Belich H. , Bakke K.
Published: December 2015

Based on the Kaluza-Klein theory, we study the Aharonov-Bohm effect for bound states for a relativistic scalar particle subject to a Coulomb-type potential. We introduce this scalar potential as a modification of the mass term of the Klein-Gordon equation, and a magnetic flux through the line element of the Minkowski spacetime in five dimensions. Then, we obtain the relativistic bound states solutions and calculate the persistent currents.
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Misdiagnosed as Hereditary Angioedema
Authors: Andersen Michelle Fog , Bygum Anette
Published: December 2015

Hereditary angioedema is a rare, but potentially life-threatening genetic disorder that results from an autosomal dominant trait. It is characterized by acute, recurrent attacks of severe local edema, most commonly affecting the skin and mucosa. Swelling in hereditary angioedema patients does however not always have to be caused by angioedema but can relate to other concomitant disorders. In this report we are focusing on misdiagnosis in a patient with known hereditary angioedema, whose bleeding episode caused by idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura was mistaken for an acute attack of hereditary angioedema. The case illustrates how clinicians can have difficulties in handling patients with rare diseases, especially in the emergency care setting.
Endobronchial Enigma: A Clinically Rare Presentation ofNocardia beijingensisin an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Abdel-Rahman Nader , Izhakain Shimon , Wasser Walter G. , Fruchter Oren , Kramer Mordechai R.
Published: December 2015

Nocardiosis is an opportunistic infection caused by the Gram-positive weakly acid-fast, filamentous aerobic Actinomycetes. The lungs are the primary site of infection mainly affecting immunocompromised patients. In rare circumstances even immunocompetent hosts may also develop infection. Diagnosis of pulmonary nocardiosis is usually delayed due to nonspecific clinical and radiological presentations which mimic fungal, tuberculous, or neoplastic processes. The present report describes a rare bronchoscopic presentation of an endobronchial nocardial mass in a 55-year-old immunocompetent woman without underlying lung disease. The patient exhibited signs and symptoms of unresolving community-acquired pneumonia with a computed tomography (CT) scan that showed a space-occupying lesion and enlarged paratracheal lymph node. This patient represents the unusual presentation of pulmonaryNocardia beijingensisas an endobronchial mass. Pathology obtained during bronchoscopy demonstrated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmation of nocardiosis. Symptoms and clinical findings improved with antibiotic treatment. This patient emphasizes the challenge in making the diagnosis of pulmonary nocardiosis, especially in a low risk host. A literature review presents the difficulties and pitfalls in the clinical assessment of such an individual.
A Case of Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis with Ascites
Authors: Caglar Erkan , Sezgin Caglar Aslı , Gokturk Suut , Dobrucali Ahmet
Published: December 2015

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare disorder of unknown cause characterized by focal or diffuse eosinophilic infiltration of gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach and duodenum. Its clinical presentation depends on which segment of gastrointestinal tract is affected and on the depth of eosinophilic infiltration in the affected segment. We present a case of a 35-year-old male with abdominal distention for six months. Laboratory testing revealed elevated eosinophil count and serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. In abdominal tomography, ascites was observed, and eosinophilic infiltration was detected in duodenum biopsy samples, collected during endoscopic examination of upper gastrointestinal system. Clinical and pathologic findings of the patient responded to steroid dramatically. Even though their comorbidity is rare, eosinophilic gastroenteritis should be considered in differential diagnosis of patients with unspecified ascites.
Supplier Evaluation Process by Pairwise Comparisons
Authors: Kawa Arkadiusz , Koczkodaj Waldemar W.
Published: December 2015

We propose to assess suppliers by using consistency-driven pairwise comparisons for tangible and intangible criteria. The tangible criteria are simpler to compare (e.g., the price of a service is lower than that of another service with identical characteristics). Intangible criteria are more difficult to assess. The proposed model combines assessments of both types of criteria. The main contribution of this paper is the presentation of an extension framework for the selection of suppliers in a procurement process. The final weights are computed from relative pairwise comparisons. For the needs of the paper, surveys were conducted among Polish managers dealing with cooperation with suppliers in their enterprises. The Polish practice and restricted bidding are discussed, too.
Three-Dimensional Elasticity Solutions for Sound Radiation of Functionally Graded Materials Plates considering State Space Method
Authors: Yang Tieliang , Huang Qibai , Li Shande
Published: December 2015

This paper presents an analytical study for sound radiation of functionally graded materials (FGM) plate based on the three-dimensional theory of elasticity. The FGM plate is a mixture of metal and ceramic, and its material properties are assumed to have smooth and continuous variation in the thickness direction according to a power-law distribution in terms of volume fractions of the constituents. Based on the three-dimensional theory of elasticity and state space method, the governing equations with variable coefficients of the FGM plate are derived. The sound radiation of the vibration plate is calculated with Rayleigh integral. Comparisons of the present results with those of solutions in the available literature are made and good agreements are achieved. Finally, some parametric studies are carried out to investigate the sound radiation properties of FGM plates.
A Semianalytical Model Using MODIS Data to Estimate Cell Density of Red Tide Algae (Aureococcus anophagefferens)
Authors: Jiang Lingling , Wang Lin , Zhang Xinyu , Chen Yanlong , Xiong Deqi
Published: December 2015

A multiband and a single-band semianalytical model were developed to predict algae cell density distribution. The models were based on cell density (N) dependent parameterizations of the spectral backscattering coefficients,bb(λ), obtained fromin situmeasurements. There was a strong relationship betweenbb(λ) andN, with a minimum regression coefficient of 0.97 at 488 nm and a maximum value of 0.98 at other bands. The cell density calculated by the multiband inversion model was similar to the field measurements of the coastal waters (the average relative error was only 8.9%), but it could not accurately discern the red tide from mixed pixels, and this led to overestimation of the area affected by the red tide. While the single-band inversion model is less precise than the former model in the high chlorophyll water, it could eliminate the impact of the suspended sediments and make more accurate estimates of the red tide area. We concluded that the two models both have advantages and disadvantages; these methods lay the foundation for developing a remote sensing forecasting system for red tides.
Holocene Vegetation Succession and Response to Climate Change on the South Bank of the Heilongjiang-Amur River, Mohe County, Northeast China
Authors: Zhao Chao , Li Xiaoqiang , Zhou Xinying , Zhao Keliang , Yang Qing
Published: December 2015

Pollen samples from peat sediments on the south bank of the Heilongjiang River in northern Northeast China (NE China) were analyzed to reconstruct the historical response of vegetation to climate change since 7800 cal yr BP. Vegetation was found to have experienced five successions from cold-temperate mixed coniferous and broadleaved forest to forest-steppe, steppe-woodland, steppe, and finally meadow-woodland. From 7800 to 7300 cal yr BP, the study area was warmer than present, andBetula, Larix, andPicea-dominated mixed coniferous and broadleaved forests thrived. Two cooling events at 7300 cal yr BP and 4500 cal yr BP led to a decrease inBetulaand other broadleaved forests, whereas herbs of Poaceae expanded, leading to forest-steppe and then steppe-woodland environments. After 2500 cal yr BP, reduced temperatures and a decrease in evaporation rates are likely to have resulted in permafrost expansion and surface ponding, with meadow and isolated coniferous forests developing a resistance to the cold-wet environment. The Holocene warm period in NE China (7800–7300 cal yr BP) could have resulted in a strengthening of precipitation in northernmost NE China and encouraged the development of broadleaved forests.
Universal Power Law for Relationship between Rainfall Kinetic Energy and Rainfall Intensity
Authors: Shin Seung Sook , Park Sang Deog , Choi Byoung Koo
Published: December 2015

Rainfall kinetic energy has been linked to linear, exponential, logarithmic, and power-law functions using rainfall intensity as an independent variable. The power law is the most suitable mathematical expression used to relate rainfall kinetic energy and rainfall intensity. In evaluating the rainfall kinetic energy, the empirical power laws have shown a larger deviation than other functions. In this study, universal power law between rainfall kinetic energy and rainfall intensity was proposed based on the rainfall power theory under an ideal assumption that drop-size is uniformly distributed in constant rainfall intensity. An exponent of the proposed power law was 11/9 and coefficient was estimated at 10.3 from the empirical equations of the existing power-law relation. The rainfall kinetic energy calculated by universal power law showed >95% concordance rate in comparison to the average values calculated from exponential and logarithmic functions used in soil erosion model such as USLE, RUSLE, EUROSEM, and SEMMA and <5% relative difference as compared to the average rainfall kinetic energies calculated by other empirical functions. Therefore, it is expected that power law of ideal assumption may be utilized as a universal power law in evaluating rainfall kinetic energy.
Adhesions to Mesh after Ventral Hernia Mesh Repair Are Detected by MRI but Are Not a Cause of Long Term Chronic Abdominal Pain
Authors: Langbach Odd , Holmedal Stein Harald , Grandal Ole Jacob , Røkke Ola
Published: December 2015

Aim. The aim of the present study was to perform MRI in patients after ventral hernia mesh repair, in order to evaluate MRI’s ability to detect intra-abdominal adhesions.Materials and Methods. Single-center long term follow-up study of 155 patients operated for ventral hernia with laparoscopic (LVHR) or open mesh repair (OVHR), including analyzing medical records, clinical investigation with patient-reported pain (VAS-scale), and MRI. MRI was performed in 124 patients: 114 patients (74%) after follow-up, and 10 patients referred for late complaints after ventral mesh repair. To verify the MRI-diagnosis of adhesions, laparoscopy was performed after MRI in a cohort of 20 patients.Results. MRI detected adhesions between bowel and abdominal wall/mesh in 60% of the patients and mesh shrinkage in 20–50%. Adhesions were demonstrated to all types of meshes after both LVHR and OVHR with a sensitivity of 70%, specificity of 75%, positive predictive value of 78%, and negative predictive value of 67%. Independent predictors for formation of adhesions were mesh area as determined by MRI and Charlson index. The presence of adhesions was not associated with more pain.Conclusion. MRI can detect adhesions between bowel and abdominal wall in a fair reliable way. Adhesions are formed both after open and laparoscopic hernia mesh repair and are not associated with chronic pain.
Molecular Analyses of Aspirated Cystic Fluid for the Differential Diagnosis of Cystic Lesions of the Pancreas: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Guo Xiaorong , Zhan Xianbao , Li Zhaoshen
Published: December 2015

Background. Researchers have evaluated various molecular tests for improving the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the pancreas.Methods. Six electronic databases were searched for articles on molecular tests for the diagnosis of pancreatic cysts. Measures of accuracy were extracted from selected articles and pooled by the random-effects model. Summary receiver operating characteristic curves were used to analyze the overall accuracy of the molecular tests. Pooled sensitivity and specificity values [95% confidence intervals] are reported.Results. The systematic review included eight studies of 428 patients in total. We determined the sensitivities and specificities of tests forKRASmutations (0.47 [0.39–0.54], 0.98 [0.93–0.99]) and loss of heterozygosity (0.63 [0.54–0.71], 0.76 [0.63–0.87]) for distinguishing mucinous from nonmucinous cysts, as well as the sensitivities and specificities of tests forKRASmutations (0.59 [0.46–0.71], 0.78 [0.71–0.85]) and loss of heterozygosity (0.89 [0.78–0.96], 0.69 [0.60–0.76]) for differentiating malignant from benign cysts.Conclusion. Tests ofKRASmutations could confirm but not exclude a diagnosis of a mucinous or malignant pancreatic cyst.
Supercritical Nonlinear Vibration of a Fluid-Conveying Pipe Subjected to a Strong External Excitation
Authors: Zhang Yan-Lei , Feng Hui-Rong , Chen Li-Qun
Published: December 2015

Nonlinear vibration of a fluid-conveying pipe subjected to a transverse external harmonic excitation is investigated in the case with two-to-one internal resonance. The excitation amplitude is in the same magnitude of the transverse displacement. The fluid in the pipes flows in the speed larger than the critical speed so that the straight configuration becomes an unstable equilibrium and two curved configurations bifurcate as stable equilibriums. The motion measured from each of curved equilibrium configurations is governed by a nonlinear integro-partial-differential equation with variable coefficients. The Galerkin method is employed to discretize the governing equation into a gyroscopic system consisting of a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The method of multiple scales is applied to analyze approximately the gyroscopic system. A set of first-order ordinary differential equations governing the modulations of the amplitude and the phase are derived via the method. In the supercritical regime, the subharmonic, superharmonic, and combination resonances are examined in the presence of the 2 : 1 internal resonance. The steady-state responses and their stabilities are determined. The various jump phenomena in the amplitude-frequency response curves are demonstrated. The effects of the viscosity, the excitation amplitude, the nonlinearity, and the flow speed are observed. The analytical results are supported by the numerical integration.
Spatiotemporal Pattern Networks of Heavy Rain among Automatic Weather Stations and Very-Short-Term Heavy-Rain Prediction
Authors: Kim Yong-Hyuk , Yoon Yourim
Published: December 2015

Spatiotemporal pattern networks of heavy rain among automatic weather stations, which reflect the mobility of heavy rain, were constructed and analyzed based on the hourly precipitation data over the last ten years (from 2003 to 2012) in South Korea. Moreover, a new algorithm applying the constructed heavy-rain pattern networks to very-short-term heavy-rain prediction was developed, and significant prediction results could be obtained.
Determination of the Effect of Water Depth and Flow Velocity on the Quality of an In-Stream Habitat in Terms of Climate Change
Authors: Macura V. , Štefunková Z. , Škrinár A.
Published: December 2015

The study is focused on the objectification of an assessment of the quality of an in-stream habitat in mountain and piedmont streams by the decision-making Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) due to climate change. The quality of the habitat was assessed on the basis of a bioindication, represented by ichthyofauna. Sixty-four reaches of 47 watercourses in five river basins in Slovakia, in which ichthyologic, topographic, and hydraulic measurements were performed, were evaluated. The effect of the physical characteristics of the stream channel on the quality of the in-stream habitat has been verified on a number of reference reaches in which the measurements were performed at different water levels. From the set of the data measured, an analysis aimed at determining the impact of individual characteristics on the quality of an in-stream habitat has been carried out. The results show the optimum ratio of the weights of the flow velocity and water depth for an assessment of the quality of an in-stream habitat due to climate change.
Spatial and Temporal Soil Moisture Variations over China from Simulations and Observations
Authors: Lai Xin , Wen Jun , Cen Sixian , Huang Xi , Tian Hui , Shi Xiaokang
Published: December 2015

The Community Land Model version 4.0 (CLM4.0) driven by the forcing data of Princeton University was used to simulate soil moisture (SM) from 1961 to 2010 over China. The simulated SM was compared to the in situ SM measurements from International Soil Moisture Network over China, National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Reanalysis data, a new microwave based multiple-satellite surface SM dataset (SM-MW), and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Interim Reanalysis (ERA Interim/Land) SM data. The results showed that CLM4.0 simulation is capable of capturing characteristics of the spatial and temporal variations of SM. The simulated, NCEP, SM-MW, and ERA Interim/Land SM products are reasonably consistent with each other; based on the simulated SM of summer, it can be concluded that the spatial distribution in every layer was characterized by a gradually increasing pattern from the northwest to southeast. The SM increased from surface layer to deeper layer in general. The variation trends basically showed consistencies at all depths. The simulated SM of summer demonstrated different responses to the precipitation variation. The variation distribution of SM and measured precipitation had consistencies. The humid region significantly responded to precipitation, while the semiarid and arid regions were ranked second.
Mechanical Behavior of Unsaturated Soils Subjected to Impact Loading
Authors: Xie Xianqi , Yao Yingkang , Liu Jun , Li Peining , Yang Gui
Published: December 2015

This paper presents an experimental study on unsaturated soils. A designed test setup was used and the impact loading was applied with a drop hammer. The experimental results show that the soil properties, including water content, density, void ratio, and saturation, changed because of impact loading, and these variations of the soil properties affected the matrix suctions of the unsaturated soils. The impact hole depth increased with the increasing impact energy and gradually reached a critical value. The dynamic stress in soil increased with the increased impact loading. The results obtained in this work can be applied to optimize the effective reinforcement region of soils in the dynamic compaction construction.
Analysis of Long-Term Meteorological Observation for Weather and Climate Fundamental Data over the Northern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Huang Fangfang , Ma Weiqiang
Published: December 2015

Meteorological observation plays a critical role in climatic study, and in situ measurements are the foundation of meteorological observation, especially in the Tibetan Plateau, the surface of which is fairly complex. Several field stations in the Northern Tibetan Plateau, which features relatively homogeneous surface, were selected as the study area. A detailed description on the significance of site observation for climate prediction was given in this paper. Data from weather stations can be used to verify satellite data and provide parameters for initial mode field in the study of weather and climate changes. The field observation data in the Northern Tibetan Plateau from 2001 to 2013 is analyzed. The results show that in El Nino year, values of land surface temperature (Ts), air temperature (Ta) and wind speed are all greater than their mean values and that soil moisture values are lower than the averaged, while the opposite is the case in La Nina year. The warming rate in the Northern Tibetan Plateau is greater than that in global areas. The diurnal variations ofTsandTaare various in different seasons and underlying surfaces, with the diurnal variations greater in spring, and less in summer and autumn. Furthermore, the diurnal variation in the area with drier underlying surface is more obvious than that in area with moist surface.
Closely Spaced MEG Source Localization and Functional Connectivity Analysis Using a New Prewhitening Invariance of Noise Space Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Junpeng , Cui Yuan , Deng Lihua , He Ling , Zhang Junran , Zhang Jing , Zhou Qun , Liu Qi , Zhang Zhiguo
Published: December 2015

This paper proposed a prewhitening invariance of noise space (PW-INN) as a new magnetoencephalography (MEG) source analysis method, which is particularly suitable for localizing closely spaced and highly correlated cortical sources under real MEG noise. Conventional source localization methods, such as sLORETA and beamformer, cannot distinguish closely spaced cortical sources, especially under strong intersource correlation. Our previous work proposed an invariance of noise space (INN) method to resolve closely spaced sources, but its performance is seriously degraded under correlated noise between MEG sensors. The proposed PW-INN method largely mitigates the adverse influence of correlated MEG noise by projecting MEG data to a new space defined by the orthogonal complement of dominant eigenvectors of correlated MEG noise. Simulation results showed that PW-INN is superior to INN, sLORETA, and beamformer in terms of localization accuracy for closely spaced and highly correlated sources. Lastly, source connectivity between closely spaced sources can be satisfactorily constructed from source time courses estimated by PW-INN but not from results of other conventional methods. Therefore, the proposed PW-INN method is a promising MEG source analysis to provide a high spatial-temporal characterization of cortical activity and connectivity, which is crucial for basic and clinical research of neural plasticity.
Dynamic Response Analysis of an Asymmetric Coupled Vehicle-Track System Generated by Voided Elastic Two-Block Sleeper
Authors: He Zhenxing , Yang Xinwen
Published: December 2015

Based on vehicle-track coupled dynamic theory, a three-dimensional asymmetric vehicle-track coupling vibration model is developed to investigate the effect of voided elastic two-block sleepers on vehicle and track system dynamic responses. For the vehicle system, one car body, two frames, and four wheel sets are assumed to be rigid, with 35 degrees of freedom (DOF). For the track system, the rails and the concrete two-block sleepers are the main vibration components. The rails are modelled as Timoshenko beams, and the concrete two-block sleepers are assumed to be rigid mass with vertical and lateral movement. The pads under the rails and the rubber boots under the sleepers provide greater vertical and lateral elasticity for the track. The Hertz nonlinear elastic contact theory is used to calculate the normal wheel/rail force. The wheel/rail tangent creep force is first calculated using Kalker’s linear creep theory and then modified by the Shen-Hedrick-Elkins theory. The results show that the asymmetric voided elastic two-block sleepers have greater effects on the dynamic responses for fasteners and sleepers than on the car body and the wheel/rail forces under measured geometric irregularity and random irregularity. Two or more voided sleepers will greatly affect the vehicle running safety.
A Critical Evaluation of the Nonparametric Approach to Estimate Terrestrial Evaporation
Authors: Yang Yongmin , Su Hongbo , Qi Jianwei
Published: December 2015

Evapotranspiration (ET) estimation has been one of the most challenging problems in recent decades for hydrometeorologists. In this study, a nonparametric approach to estimate terrestrial evaporation was evaluated using both model simulation and measurements from three sites. Both the model simulation and the in situ evaluation at the Tiger Bush Site revealed that this approach would greatly overestimate ET under dry conditions (evaporative fraction smaller than 0.4). For the evaluation at the Tiger Bush Site, the difference between ET estimates and site observations could be as large as 130 W/m2. However, this approach provided good estimates over the two crop sites. The Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (E) was 0.9 and 0.94, respectively, for WC06 and Yingke. A further theoretical analysis indicates the nonparametric approach is very close to the equilibrium evaporation equation under wet conditions, and this can explain the good performance of this approach at the two crop sites in this study. The evaluation indicates that this approach needs more careful appraisal and that its application in dry conditions should be avoided.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Biliary Fistulas in the Laparoscopic Era
Authors: Crespi M. , Montecamozzo G. , Foschi D.
Published: December 2015

Biliary fistulas are rare complications of gallstone. They can affect either the biliary or the gastrointestinal tract and are usually classified as primary or secondary. The primary fistulas are related to the biliary lithiasis, while the secondary ones are related to surgical complications. Laparoscopic surgery is a therapeutic option for the treatment of primary biliary fistulas. However, it could be the first responsible for the development of secondary biliary fistulas. An accurate preoperative diagnosis together with an experienced surgeon on the hepatobiliary surgery is necessary to deal with biliary fistulas. Cholecystectomy with a choledocoplasty is the most frequent treatment of primary fistulas, whereas the bile duct drainage or the endoscopic stenting is the best choice in case of minor iatrogenic bile duct injuries. Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy is the extreme therapeutic option for both conditions. The sepsis, the level of the bile duct damage, and the involvement of the gastrointestinal tract increase the complexity of the operation and affect early and late results.
The Impact of Storm Tracks on Warm-Season Precipitation in the Midwest: Contrasting the 1988 Drought and 1993 Flood
Authors: Eichler Timothy Paul , Pan Zaitao
Published: December 2015

To assess the role of cyclone tracks in contributing to floods and droughts, we highlight the role of midlatitude cyclones played in the 1988 drought and the 1993 flood. Our results demonstrate that the 1988 drought featured a poleward-displaced cyclone track with a reduced role for cyclone-induced precipitation, especially in the spring of 1988. The 1993 flood featured a cyclone track from Mexico northeast to Missouri in the spring, while the summer featured two cyclone tracks: one in the southwestern US and the other across Canada linked to the right-entrance and left-exit regions of a strong 200 hPa Jetstream across the upper Midwest. Enhanced 850 hPa inflow from the Caribbean northeast to the Midwest with high precipitable water values occurred in conjunction with the right entrance portion of the 200 hPa Jetstream. Linking storm tracks and the 200 hPa Jetstream to a storm-rain index for the Midwest showed that these extreme events conformed to features of the general circulation normally associated with wet/dry episodes in the warm half of the year. Although El Niño did not play a role in the 1993 flood, the 1988 drought was associated with a poleward displacement of cyclone tracks in response to La Niña.
Application of Reassigned Wavelet Scalogram in Wind Turbine Planetary Gearbox Fault Diagnosis under Nonstationary Conditions
Authors: Chen Xiaowang , Feng Zhipeng
Published: December 2015

Wind turbine planetary gearboxes often run under nonstationary conditions due to volatile wind conditions, thus resulting in nonstationary vibration signals. Time-frequency analysis gives insight into the structure of an arbitrary nonstationary signal in joint time-frequency domain, but conventional time-frequency representations suffer from either time-frequency smearing or cross-term interferences. Reassigned wavelet scalogram has merits of fine time-frequency resolution and cross-term free nature but has very limited applications in machinery fault diagnosis. In this paper, we use reassigned wavelet scalogram to extract fault feature from wind turbine planetary gearbox vibration signals. Both experimental and in situ vibration signals are used to evaluate the effectiveness of reassigned wavelet scalogram in fault diagnosis of wind turbine planetary gearbox. For experimental evaluation, the gear characteristic instantaneous frequency curves on time-frequency plane are clearly pinpointed in both local and distributed sun gear fault cases. For in situ evaluation, the periodical impulses due to planet gear fault are also clearly identified. The results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of reassigned wavelet scalogram in planetary gearbox fault diagnosis under nonstationary conditions.
Nonparametric Facial Feature Localization Using Segment-Based Eigenfeatures
Authors: Choi Hyun-Chul , Sibbing Dominik , Kobbelt Leif
Published: December 2015

We present a nonparametric facial feature localization method using relative directional information between regularly sampled image segments and facial feature points. Instead of using any iterative parameter optimization technique or search algorithm, our method finds the location of facial feature points by using a weighted concentration of the directional vectors originating from the image segments pointing to the expected facial feature positions. Each directional vector is calculated by linear combination of eigendirectional vectors which are obtained by a principal component analysis of training facial segments in feature space of histogram of oriented gradient (HOG). Our method finds facial feature points very fast and accurately, since it utilizes statistical reasoning from all the training data without need to extract local patterns at the estimated positions of facial features, any iterative parameter optimization algorithm, and any search algorithm. In addition, we can reduce the storage size for the trained model by controlling the energy preserving level of HOG pattern space.
Influence of Genetic Variants of the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor on Emotion and Social Behavior in Adolescents
Authors: Lee Li-Ching , Cho Ying-Chun , Lin Pei-Jung , Yeh Ting-Chi , Chang Chun-Yen , Yeh Ting-Kuang
Published: December 2015

Considerable evidence has suggested that the epigenetic regulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors plays a crucial role in neuropsychiatric disorders. Previous exploratory studies have been primarily based on evidence from patients and have rarely sampled the general population. This exploratory study examined the relationship of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variations in the genes encoding the NMDA receptor (i.e.,GRIN1, GRIN2A, GRIN2B, GRIN2C, andGRIN2D) with emotion and social behavior in adolescents. For this study, 832 tenth-grade Taiwanese volunteers were recruited, and their scores from the Beck Youth Inventories were used to evaluate their emotional and social impairments. Based on these scores,GRIN1(rs4880213) was significantly associated with depression and disruptive behavior. In addition,GRIN2B(rs7301328) was significantly associated with disruptive behavior. Because emotional and social impairment greatly influence learning ability, the findings of this study provide important information for clinical treatment and the development of promising prevention and treatment strategies, especially in the area of psychological adjustment.
Numerical Modeling of Topography-Modulated Dust Aerosol Distribution and Its Influence on the Onset of East Asian Summer Monsoon
Authors: Sun Hui , Liu Xiaodong
Published: December 2015

A regional climate model coupled with a dust module was used to simulate dust aerosol distribution and its effects on the atmospheric heat source over the TP, East Asian summer monsoon onset, and precipitation in East Asia modulated by the uplift of the northern TP. We carried out four experiments, including a modern (i.e., high-mountain) experiment with (HMD) and without (HM) the major deserts in Northwest China and a low-mountain experiment with (LMD) and without (LM) the deserts. The results show that dust greatly increases in the Taklamakan Desert accompanied with the uplift of the northern TP, and the increase exceeds 150 µg kg−1in spring. A strong cyclone in the Tarim Basin produced by the uplifted northern TP enhances dust emissions in the Taklamakan Desert in summer. Meanwhile, the dust loading over the TP also increases induced by the uplift of the northern TP, causing the heat source over the TP decreased. Under the condition of the northern TP uplift to present altitude, dust delays the East Asia summer monsoon onset by two pentads and one pentad, respectively, in the southern and northern monsoon regions and greatly suppresses precipitation in East Asia compared with results in the low terrain experiments.
Analysis of Nonstationary Change of Annual Maximum Level Records in the Yangtze River Estuary
Authors: Li Guofang , Xiang Xinyi , Guo Caixiu
Published: December 2015

Under the impact of climate change and human activities, the stationarity of hydrometeorological extreme value series has been losing in many regions, which makes occurrence rules of hydrometeorological extreme events more complicated. In this study, the efficiencies of trend test methods such as Spearman rank correlation test and Mann-Kendall test, as well as the efficiencies of change-point test methods such as moving T test, moving rank sum test, Pettitt test, and sequential Mann-Kendall test were analyzed quantitatively through Monte Carlo simulation. Five representative level stations in the Yangtze River estuary were selected, and the methods listed above were used in the trend and change-point detection of the annual maximum tidal level records in the period of 1950–2008. It was found that obvious rising tendency existed in the annual maximum tidal level series for all these 5 stations, and year 1980 (for 3 stations) and year 1979 (for 2 stations) were statistically significant change-points. Two subseries were divided with the change-point as the dividing point for all these actual series in the stations. Frequency analyses were carried out, respectively, for all of the subseries, and the impact of nonstationary changes in annual maximum tidal levels on probability distribution was evaluated quantitatively.
A High-Fat Diet Causes Impairment in Hippocampal Memory and Sex-Dependent Alterations in Peripheral Metabolism
Authors: Underwood Erica L. , Thompson Lucien T.
Published: December 2015

While high-fat diets are associated with rising incidence of obesity/type-2 diabetes and can induce metabolic and cognitive deficits, sex-dependent comparisons are rarely systematically made. Effects of exclusive consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) on systemic metabolism and on behavioral measures of hippocampal-dependent memory were compared in young male and female LE rats. Littermates were fed from weaning either a HFD or a control diet (CD) for 12 wk prior to testing. Sex-different effects of the HFD were observed in classic metabolic signs associated with type-2 diabetes. Males fed the HFD became obese, and had elevated fasted blood glucose levels, elevated corticosterone, and impaired glucose-tolerance, while females on the HFD exhibited only elevated corticosterone. Regardless of peripheral metabolism alteration, rats of both sexes fed the HFD were equally impaired in a spatial object recognition memory task associated with impaired hippocampal function. While the metabolic changes reported here have been characterized previously in males, the set of diet-induced effects observed here in females are novel. Impaired memory can have significant cognitive consequences, over the short-term and over the lifespan. A significant need exists for comparative research into sex-dependent differences underlying obesity and metabolic syndromes relating systemic, cognitive, and neural plasticity mechanisms.
Experimental Study on Progressive Collapse Performance of Frame with Specially Shaped Columns Subjected to Middle Column Removal
Authors: Wang Tiecheng , Chen Qingwei , Zhao Hailong , Zhang Lei
Published: December 2015

A static collapse experiment was carried out to study the progressive collapse resistance and failure mechanisms and modes of a 1/3-scale,2×3-bay, and 2-story reinforced concrete frame with specially shaped columns subjected to middle column removal. A vertical concentrated load was applied to the top of the middle column to simulate the gravity load of the upper floors and the applied load was statically transmitted to the adjacent columns through the frame beams and slabs during the collapse process. The frame collapsed when the vertical displacement of the joint on the top of the failed column reached 170 mm due to the failure of beam-column joints. Based on the experimental phenomena and results, the progressive collapse-resistant behavior of the model frame is analyzed and the redistribution and transition of the load resisting mechanisms are discussed. It is concluded that the redistribution of internal force was mainly realized via the beam resisting mechanism and the compressive arch action in beams played an important role to improve the collapse-resistant capacity.
An Enhanced Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm with Solution Acceptance Rule and Probabilistic Multisearch
Authors: Yurtkuran Alkın , Emel Erdal
Published: December 2015

The artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is a popular swarm based technique, which is inspired from the intelligent foraging behavior of honeybee swarms. This paper proposes a new variant of ABC algorithm, namely, enhanced ABC with solution acceptance rule and probabilistic multisearch (ABC-SA) to address global optimization problems. A new solution acceptance rule is proposed where, instead of greedy selection between old solution and new candidate solution, worse candidate solutions have a probability to be accepted. Additionally, the acceptance probability of worse candidates is nonlinearly decreased throughout the search process adaptively. Moreover, in order to improve the performance of the ABC and balance the intensification and diversification, a probabilistic multisearch strategy is presented. Three different search equations with distinctive characters are employed using predetermined search probabilities. By implementing a new solution acceptance rule and a probabilistic multisearch approach, the intensification and diversification performance of the ABC algorithm is improved. The proposed algorithm has been tested on well-known benchmark functions of varying dimensions by comparing against novel ABC variants, as well as several recent state-of-the-art algorithms. Computational results show that the proposed ABC-SA outperforms other ABC variants and is superior to state-of-the-art algorithms proposed in the literature.
A Novel Design of Magnetorheological Damper with Annular Radial Channel
Authors: Zhu Shisha , Tang Libo , Liu Jingang , Tang Xinzi , Liu Xiongwei
Published: December 2015

With the development of automotive vibration technology, the semiactive suspension system with adjustable damping force and high reliability is taken seriously. The magnetorheological damper (MRD) that applies intelligent material (magnetorheological fluid) is the key element of this system. It can achieve a continuous and adjustable damping and then reaches the purpose of comfort. In order to improve the damping effect of MRD, this paper presents a MRD, which has magnetorheological (MR) effect along annular radial channel. The paper completely designs the structure and magnetic circuit of MRD. Based on the theory of electromagnetism and MR fluid dynamics, the paper analyzes and tests the external characteristics of the MRD by the MATLAB/Simulink and the vibration experiment. The results compared with ordinary MRD reveal that the damping force obviously increases and has wide adjustable range, thus verifying the reasonableness of the damper design.
A Novel Method for Adaptive Multiresonance Bands Detection Based on VMD and Using MTEO to Enhance Rolling Element Bearing Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Jiang Xingxing , Li Shunming , Cheng Chun
Published: December 2015

Vibration signals of the defect rolling element bearings are usually immersed in strong background noise, which make it difficult to detect the incipient bearing defect. In our paper, the adaptive detection of the multiresonance bands in vibration signal is firstly considered based on variational mode decomposition (VMD). As a consequence, the novel method for enhancing rolling element bearing fault diagnosis is proposed. Specifically, the method is conducted by the following three steps. First, the VMD is introduced to decompose the raw vibration signal. Second, the one or more modes with the information of fault-related impulses are selected through the kurtosis index. Third, Multiresolution Teager Energy Operator (MTEO) is employed to extract the fault-related impulses hidden in the vibration signal and avoid the negative value phenomenon of Teager Energy Operator (TEO). Meanwhile, the physical meaning of MTEO is also discovered in this paper. In addition, an idea of combining the multiresonance bands is constructed to further enhance the fault-related impulses. The simulation studies and experimental verifications confirm that the proposed method is effective for identifying the multiresonance bands and enhancing rolling element bearing fault diagnosis by comparing with Hilbert transform, EMD-based demodulation, and fast Kurtogram analysis.
Severe Weather Caused by Heat Island and Sea Breeze Effects in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Vemado Felipe , Pereira Filho Augusto José
Published: December 2015

The Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP) is one of the most populated regions of the planet with one of the largest impervious regions as well. This research work aims to characterize MASP heat island (HI) effect and its interaction with the local sea breeze (SB) inflow in rainfall amounts and deep convection. The combined SB-HI produces direct circulation over the MASP and produces severe weather and socioeconomic impacts. All SB-HI episodes between 2005 and 2008 are identified and analyzed with surface and upper air measurements, weather radar, and satellite data. The current work indicates that intense SB-HI episodes are related to air and dew point temperatures above 30°C and 20°C, respectively, right after the passage of the SB front over MASP. Results indicate that the precipitation related to SB-HI episodes is up to 600 mm or about four times higher than that in rural or less urbanized areas in its surroundings. Measurements indicate that 74% of SB-HI episodes are related to NW winds in earlier afternoon hours. Moving cold fronts in southern Brazil tend to intensify the SB-HI circulation in MASP. A conceptual model of these patterns is presented in this paper.
A System for True and False Memory Prediction Based on 2D and 3D Educational Contents and EEG Brain Signals
Authors: Bamatraf Saeed , Hussain Muhammad , Aboalsamh Hatim , Qazi Emad-Ul-Haq , Malik Amir Saeed , Amin Hafeez Ullah , Mathkour Hassan , Muhammad Ghulam , Imran Hafiz Muhammad
Published: December 2015

We studied the impact of 2D and 3D educational contents on learning and memory recall using electroencephalography (EEG) brain signals. For this purpose, we adopted a classification approach that predicts true and false memories in case of both short term memory (STM) and long term memory (LTM) and helps to decide whether there is a difference between the impact of 2D and 3D educational contents. In this approach, EEG brain signals are converted into topomaps and then discriminative features are extracted from them and finally support vector machine (SVM) which is employed to predict brain states. For data collection, half of sixty-eight healthy individuals watched the learning material in 2D format whereas the rest watched the same material in 3D format. After learning task, memory recall tasks were performed after 30 minutes (STM) and two months (LTM), and EEG signals were recorded. In case of STM, 97.5% prediction accuracy was achieved for 3D and 96.6% for 2D and, in case of LTM, it was 100% for both 2D and 3D. The statistical analysis of the results suggested that for learning and memory recall both 2D and 3D materials do not have much difference in case of STM and LTM.
Assessing Urban Landscape Variables’ Contributions to Microclimates
Authors: Parece Tammy E. , Li Jie , Campbell James B. , Carroll David
Published: December 2015

The well-known urban heat island (UHI) effect recognizes prevailing patterns of warmer urban temperatures relative to surrounding rural landscapes. Although UHIs are often visualized as single features, internal variations within urban landscapes create distinctive microclimates. Evaluating intraurban microclimate variability presents an opportunity to assess spatial dimensions of urban environments and identify locations that heat or cool faster than other locales. Our study employs mobile weather units and fixed weather stations to collect air temperatures across Roanoke, Virginia, USA, on selected dates over a two-year interval. Using this temperature data, together with six landscape variables, we interpolated (using Kriging and Random Forest) air temperatures across the city for each collection period. Our results estimated temperatures with small mean square errors (ranging from 0.03 to 0.14); landscape metrics explained between 60 and 91% of temperature variations (higher when the previous day’s average temperatures were included as a variable). For all days, similar spatial patterns appeared for cooler and warmer areas in mornings, with distinctive patterns as landscapes warmed during the day and over successive days. Our results revealed that the most potent landscape variables vary according to season and time of day. Our analysis contributes new dimensions and new levels of spatial and temporal detail to urban microclimate research.