bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theoretical studies of the crystal–field energy levels and EPR g factors for CeFeAsO1−xFx
Authors: Dong Hui-Ning , Zhou Hong-Fei , Yang Guo-Ren
Published: September 2015

The ion-based superconductor [Formula: see text] has received much attention because this rare earth oxypnictide belongs to a new class [Formula: see text] of high-[Formula: see text] superconductors with critical temperatures surpassed by high-[Formula: see text] copper oxides. Since the [Formula: see text] is situated near the superconducting FeAs plane, it can be used as a probe to study the influence of superconductivity on spin dynamic properties of the FeAs layer. It is important to determine the optical and magnetic properties of rare earth ion in oxypnictides. Here, based on the crystal–field theory, the crystal–field (CF) energy levels and electron paramagnetic resonance parameters [Formula: see text] factors of [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] are studied by diagonalizing the full energy matrix. In the calculations, the contributions of various admixtures and interactions are all considered. The results are discussed.
A magnetic origin of cuprate superconductivity? A MaxEnt-μSR view
Authors: Boekema C. , Owens F. , Love A. , Li Z. , Sakkaris P. , Dawson W. K.
Published: September 2015

The fundamental physics of cuprate superconductivity is still much deliberated after three decades of research. In contrast to phononic or polaronic roots, some major theories promote a magnetic origin. In this perspective, we review cuprate magnetism, as probed by muon-spin-rotation [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] (RBCO), [Formula: see text] (Bi2212) and [Formula: see text] (Tl2223). Site-search RBCO studies show that muons localize and probe in locations away from the superconducting CuO2 planes. Maximum entropy (MaxEnt, ME) analysis of transverse field [Formula: see text] data of [Formula: see text] (GdBCO) indicates that the muon probes in an undisturbed insulating environment, allowing [Formula: see text] to detect (weak) magnetic features in these cuprates. Concerning Varma’s predicted loop currents, MaxEnt has shown weak [Formula: see text] signals for GdBCO in zero field above and below the critical temperature, [Formula: see text]; these are near the predicted [Formula: see text] Oe. Concerning Zhang’s predicted antiferromagnetism (AF) connected to the vortex cores, we have observed Lorentzian relaxation of cuprate vortex signals below half [Formula: see text], consistent with AF-broadening effects. For both Bi2212 and Tl2223, Lorentzians describe the [Formula: see text] vortex signals much better below [Formula: see text] than Gaussians, indicating that extra AF fields occur near and in the vortex cores. In sum, both our MaxEnt-[Formula: see text] (ME-[Formula: see text]) studies point toward magnetic roots of cuprate superconductivity.
On the quantitative determination of hole-concentration in high-temperature cuprate superconductors
Authors: Honma Tatsuya , Hor Pei-Herng
Published: September 2015

We compared four hole-scales that have been used to determine the hole-concentration in high-temperature cuprate superconductors. We show that the hole-scale, [Formula: see text]-scale, based on the thermoelectric power [T. Honma et al., Phys. Rev. B 70, (2004) 214517.] is quantitatively consistent with spectroscopic probes for many different cuprate materials, while the other hole-scales, based on a well-known dome-shaped [Formula: see text]-curve [M. R. Presland et al., Physica C 176, 95 (1991)], the [Formula: see text]-axis lattice parameter [R. Liang et al., Phys. Rev. B 73, (2006) 180505(R).] and Hall coefficient [Y. Ando et al., Phys. Rev. B 61, (2000) 14956(R).], are not. We show that the quantitatively different hole-scales resulted in opposite conclusion of the same experimental observations. It can also lead to different interpretations of the electronic phase diagram when comparing different physical properties in different high-[Formula: see text] systems. We suggest that the [Formula: see text]-scale is the correct universal scale that works for all high-[Formula: see text] cuprates and it should be used for all quantitative doping dependence studies of cuprates.
Time-resolved polarimetry for photoexcited QP dynamics in Bi2212
Authors: Watanabe K. , Tsuchiya S. , Toda Y. , Kurosawa T. , Oda M. , Mertelj T. , Madan I. , Kabanov V. V. , Mihailovic D.
Published: September 2015

The dynamics of quasi-particle (QP) excitations with different symmetry is investigated in the superconducting (SC) and pseudogap (PG) states of the high-temperature superconductor [Formula: see text] (Bi2212) using a polarization-sensitive optical pump-probe measurement. The observation of distinct anisotropies for SC excitations and for PG excitations by the probe beam polarization and absence of any dependence on the pump beam polarization evidence the existence of a spontaneous spatial symmetry breaking in the PG state.
Band functions in the presence of magnetic steps
Authors: Hislop P. D. , Popoff N. , Raymond N. , Sundqvist M. P.
Published: September 2015

We complete the analysis of the band functions for two-dimensional magnetic Schrödinger operators with piecewise constant magnetic fields. The discontinuity of the magnetic field can create edge currents that flow along the discontinuity, which have been described by physicists. Properties of these edge currents are directly related to the behavior of the band functions. The effective potential of the fiber operator is an asymmetric double well (eventually degenerated) and the analysis of the splitting of the bands incorporates the asymmetry. If the magnetic field vanishes, the reduced operator has essential spectrum and we provide an explicit description of the band functions located below the essential spectrum. For non-degenerate magnetic steps, we provide an asymptotic expansion of the band functions at infinity. We prove that when the ratio of the two magnetic fields is rational, a splitting of the band functions occurs and has a natural order, predicted by numerical computations.
SYNTHESIS OF HIGHLY STABLE SILVER-LOADED VERTICAL ZnO NANOWIRES ARRAY AND ITS ACETYLENE SENSING PROPERTIES
Authors: UDDIN ABU SADAT MOHAMMAD IFTEKHAR , CHUNG GWIY-SANG
Published: September 2015

A silver-loaded one-dimensional (1D) vertical ZnO nanowires (NWs) array synthesized by a facile seed mediated hydrothermal-RF magnetron sputtering method has been investigated for the fabrication of a highly stable and reproducible acetylene (C2H2) gas sensor. Successful immobilization of silver nanoparticles (NPs) as a sensitizer on the ZnO NWs array significantly enhanced the C2H2sensing properties and showed a stable sensing performance. The grown structure exhibited high response magnitude (30.8 at 1000[Formula: see text]ppm), short response time (43[Formula: see text]s) and excellent selectivity at 220[Formula: see text]C. The enhanced performance can probably be accounted for the effect of combining the highly orientated ZnO NWs and catalytically active silver-based network. The superior sensing features toward C2H2along with broad detection range (1–1000[Formula: see text]ppm), outstanding stability and excellent reproducibility indicate that the sensor is a promising candidate for practical applications.
LATERAL OPENING WEDGE DISTAL FEMORAL V-OSTEOTOMY: BIOMECHANICS COMPARISON BETWEEN ANGLES OF 60∘ AND 90∘ IN SHEEP
Authors: Muller Luiz , Caputo Guilherme , Zago Marcelo Kemel , Gomes João L. Ellera
Published: September 2015

Objective: To evaluate whether 60[Formula: see text] and 90[Formula: see text] V-shaped osteotomies in sheep femurs have statistically significant differences when submitted to compressive strength tests. Material and Methods: A total of 30 left femurs of recently slaughtered sheep were removed, the proximal segment was discarded, and the bones were randomly divided into two groups of 15 specimens each. The bones underwent distal osteotomy at the supracondylar region at a 90[Formula: see text] angle between cuts, in group 1, and at a 60[Formula: see text] angle in group 2. The osteotomy was V-shaped and the distal apex started in the lateral face of the femur; medial cortical bone remained intact. Compressive tests were conducted, and four points of the deformation curve were collected for the calculation of the deformation rate using an interpolation scheme. Deformation patterns were evaluated according to two groups: intercondylar fracture and medial cortical fracture. Results: Group 1 had a mean resistance to failure to compressive load of 232[Formula: see text]kgf (SD 59.551; 150-400), whereas in group 2, mean resistance to failure to compressive load was 157.13[Formula: see text]kgf (SD 67.4; 70-346); this difference was statistically significant ([Formula: see text], Kruskal–Wallis). Conclusions: Osteotomy at a 90[Formula: see text] angle had a greater resistance to compression and resulted in less weakening of the distal area of the femur after osteotomy. There were no differences in the pattern of fracture generated by compression according to osteotomy angle.
Structural, Dielectric and Magnetic Properties of Bi2Fe4O9 Thin Film by RF Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: Santhiya M. , Pugazhvadivu K. S. , Tamilarasan K.
Published: September 2015

This paper presents the growth of bismuth ferrite ( Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9) thin film by radio frequency magnetron reactive sputtering on p- Si (100) substrate and the characterization of the grown thin film. The deposited thin film is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron micrograph (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), dielectric measurements and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis. The XRD study reveals the orthorhombic structure of the crystallites and the particle size is calculated as 45 nm. The FESEM result confirms that the film has smooth surface and uniform distribution of nanoclusters. The percentage of chemical compositions of the film is confirmed by EDAX measurement. The dielectric behavior of the film is examined in terms of the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss as a function of frequency. The magnetic behavior of the film is measured using VSM with the applied magnetic field of about 1 Tesla and the result shows the ferromagnetic behavior of the sample at room temperature.
Effects of Microwave Absorption on Long and Short Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes at 10-6 Torr
Authors: Ferguson S. , Bhatnagar P. , Wright I. , Sestric G. , Williams S.
Published: September 2015

Carbon nanotubes have been observed to emit ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation when exposed to microwaves. We have performed experiments in which both short (0.5 μm–2 μm) and long (5 μm–30 μm) single and double-walled carbon nanotubes were exposed to 2.46 GHz microwaves at a pressure of ~ 10-6 Torr. Structural modifications of the carbon nanotubes due to microwave absorption have been studied using the Raman spectroscopy G-band and D-band intensities, which suggest that microwave irradiation at relatively low pressure results in an increase in nanotube defects, especially in the case of the long nanotubes. Furthermore, a comparison of the spectra of the radiation emitted from the nanotubes suggests that the longer nanotubes emitted radiation of much greater intensity than the shorter nanotubes. Based on the results of the experiments and results described in previous reports, the ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation emitted as the result of microwave absorption by carbon nanotubes seems to be primarily blackbody radiation emitted due to Joule heating. However, the presence of several broad photopeaks in the spectra of the emitted radiation (which do not seem to be related to gases absorbed by the nanotubes or the presence of catalyst particles) suggest that emissions are not the result of Joule heating alone.
Nanoscale Biosensor Based on Silicon Photonic Cavity for Home Healthcare Diagnostic Application
Authors: Ebrahimy Mehdi N. , Moghaddam Aydin B. , Andalib Alireza , Naziri Mohammad , Ronagh Nazli
Published: September 2015

In this paper, a new ultra-compact optical biosensor based on photonic crystal (phc) resonant cavity is proposed. This sensor has ability to work in chemical optical processes for the determination and analysis of liquid material. Here, we used an optical filter based on two-dimensional phc resonant cavity on a silicon layer and an active area is created in center of cavity. According to results, with increasing the refractive index of cavity, resonant wavelengths shift so that this phenomenon provides the ability to measure the properties of materials. This novel designed biosensor has more advantage to operate in the biochemical process for example sensing protein and DNA molecule refractive index. This nanoscale biosensor has quality factor higher than 1.5 × 104 and it is suitable to be used in the home healthcare diagnostic applications.
Bound entanglement and distillability of multipartite quantum systems
Authors: Zhao Hui , Yu Xin-Yu , Jing Naihuan
Published: September 2015

We construct a class of entangled states in ℋ = ℋA ⊗ ℋB ⊗ ℋC quantum systems with dim ℋA = dim ℋB = dim ℋC = 2 and classify those states with respect to their distillability properties. The states are bound entanglement for the bipartite split (AB) - C. The states are non-positive partial transpose (NPT) entanglement and 1-copy undistillable for the bipartite splits A - (BC) and B - (AC). Moreover, we generalize the results of 2 ⊗ 2 ⊗ 2 systems to the case of 2n ⊗ 2n ⊗ 2n systems.
Continuous quantum measurement in spin environments
Authors: Xie Dong , Wang An Min
Published: September 2015

We derive a stochastic master equation (SME) which describes the decoherence dynamics of a system in spin environments conditioned on the measurement record. Markovian and non-Markovian nature of environment can be revealed by a spectroscopy method based on weak continuous quantum measurement. On account of that correlated environments can lead to a non-local open system which exhibits strong non-Markovian effects although the local dynamics are Markovian, the spectroscopy method can be used to demonstrate that there is correlation between two environments.
EVALUATION OF AMOXICILLIN WITHDRAWAL PERIOD TIME IN POMPANO LIVER AND KIDNEY
Authors: Wang Chia-Yih , Sheu Shi-Yuan , Lei Yi-Chih , Wang Jiann-Hsiung , Chang Ming-Huang , Chen Pay-Heng , Chang Tong-Hsuan , Kuo Tzong-Fu
Published: September 2015

Amoxicillin is an antibiotic which belongs to the group of penicillins. It is approved in Taiwan for treating bacterial infections caused by Streptococcus sp. and Photobacterium sp. in anguilliformes, perciformes and salmoniformes. The pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin were determined in pompano following oral administration of a single dose of 40 mg/kg. Residue studies were performed to determine residues in liver and kidney tissues of healthy fish after oral gavage of amoxicillin at a daily dose of 40 mg/kg for five consecutive days. Amoxicillin residues were analyzed by HPLC using Hypersil-100 C18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.) and mobile phase consists of 10 mM K2HPO4(pH 8.5) with acetonitrile (80:20, v/v), at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The effluent was monitored using a fluorescence detector set as 358 and 440 nm as excitation and emission wavelengths. Following a single oral dose, amoxicillin residues in 0.5 h post-dosing pompano were at a maximum of 6.17 μg/g in liver and 4.27 μg/g in kidney; the concentration of amoxicillin in liver and kidney declined with half-lives of 18.3 and 12.0 h. Amoxicillin residues in pompano liver and kidney tissues were proved to be under the MRL, 0.5 ug/g (liver and kidney) after a withdrawal period of five days.
A dynamic delivery strategy for material handling in mixed-model assembly lines using decentralized supermarkets
Authors: Dong Jietao , Zhang Linxuan , Xiao Tianyuan , Li Hui
Published: September 2015

Material handling has become one of the major challenges in modern production management. Consequently, this paper intends to investigate the part delivery of mixed-model assembly lines with decentralized supermarkets and tow trains. Besides, uncertain exception disturbances, including tow train failures and adjustments of the production sequence, are also considered. To solve this problem, a heuristic-based dynamic delivery strategy is proposed, which dynamically schedules the route, departure time, quantities and types of loaded parts for each tour. To evaluate the performance of this strategy, it is used to solve an instance in comparison with the periodic delivery strategy, experimental results are reported and their performances are compared under different metrics. Moreover, a multi-scenario analysis is employed to determinate the long-term decisions, including the number of tow trains and the route layout. Finally, the critical storage is suggested to be set for each station to avoid part starvation resulting from disturbances, and its effect on the delivery performance is investigated.
Exploring the Subexponential Complexity of Completion Problems
Authors: Drange Pål Grønås , Fomin Fedor V. , Pilipczuk Michał , Villanger Yngve
Published: September 2015

Let
F
be a family of graphs. In the
F
-C
ompletion
problem, we are given an
n
-vertex graph
G
and an integer
k
as input, and asked whether at most
k
edges can be added to
G
so that the resulting graph does not contain a graph from
F
as an induced subgraph. It was shown recently that two special cases of
F
-C
ompletion
, namely, (i) the problem of completing into a chordal graph known as M
inimum
F
ill-in
(SIAM J. Comput. 2013), which corresponds to the case of
F
={
C
4
,
C
5
,
C
6
, …}, and (ii) the problem of completing into a split graph (Algorithmica 2015), that is, the case of
F
={
C
4
, 2
K
2
,
C
5
}, are solvable in parameterized subexponential time 2

O
(√
k
log
k
)

n

O
(1)

. The exploration of this phenomenon is the main motivation for our research on
F
-C
ompletion
.

In this article, we prove that completions into several well-studied classes of graphs without long induced cycles and paths also admit parameterized subexponential time algorithms by showing that:

—The problem T
rivially
P
erfect
C
ompletion
, which is
F
-
C
ompletion
for
F
={
C
4
,
P
4
}, a cycle and a path on four vertices, is solvable in parameterized subexponential time 2

O
(√
k
log
k
)

n

O
(1)

.

—The problems known in the literature as P
seudosplit
C
ompletion
, the case in which F{2
K
2
,
C
4
}, and T
hreshold
C
ompletion
, in which
F
=2
K
2
,
P
4
,
C
4
}, are also solvable in time 2

O
(√
k
log
k
)

n

O
}(1)

.

We complement our algorithms for
F
-C
ompletion
with the following lower bounds:

—For
F
={2
K
2
},
F
= {
C
4
},
F
={
P
o
4
}, and
F
={2
K
2
,
P
4
},
F
-C
ompletion
cannot be solved in time 2

o(k)

n

O
(1)

unless the Exponential Time Hypothesis (ETH) fails.

Our upper and lower bounds provide a complete picture of the subexponential parameterized complexity of
F
-C
ompletion
problems for any
F
⊆ {2
K
2
,
C
4
,
P
4
}.
Sustainability in an imaginary world
Authors: Bendor Roy , Anacleto Junia , Facey Drew , Fels Sid , Herron Tim , Maggs David , Peake Rachel , Robinson John , Robinson Michael , Salter Jon , Sheppard Stephen , Vattanawong Obi , Wang Austin , Williams Steve
Published: September 2015

In this forum we highlight innovative thought, design, and research in the area of interaction design and sustainability, illustrating the diversity of approaches across HCI communities.
--- Lisa Nathan and Samuel Mann, Editors
The RAMCloud Storage System
Authors: Ousterhout John , Gopalan Arjun , Gupta Ashish , Kejriwal Ankita , Lee Collin , Montazeri Behnam , Ongaro Diego , Park Seo Jin , Qin Henry , Rosenblum Mendel , Rumble Stephen , Stutsman Ryan , Yang Stephen
Published: September 2015

RAMCloud is a storage system that provides low-latency access to large-scale datasets. To achieve low latency, RAMCloud stores all data in DRAM at all times. To support large capacities (1PB or more), it aggregates the memories of thousands of servers into a single coherent key-value store. RAMCloud ensures the durability of DRAM-based data by keeping backup copies on secondary storage. It uses a uniform log-structured mechanism to manage both DRAM and secondary storage, which results in high performance and efficient memory usage. RAMCloud uses a polling-based approach to communication, bypassing the kernel to communicate directly with NICs; with this approach, client applications can read small objects from any RAMCloud storage server in less than 5μs, durable writes of small objects take about 13.5μs. RAMCloud does not keep multiple copies of data online; instead, it provides high availability by recovering from crashes very quickly (1 to 2 seconds). RAMCloud’s crash recovery mechanism harnesses the resources of the entire cluster working concurrently so that recovery performance scales with cluster size.
CAFFEINE
Authors: Panda Biswabandan , Balachandran Shankar
Published: September 2015

Aggressive prefetching improves system performance by hiding and tolerating off-chip memory latency. However, on a multicore system, prefetchers of different cores contend for shared resources and aggressive prefetching can degrade the overall system performance. The role of a prefetcher aggressiveness engine is to select appropriate aggressiveness levels for each prefetcher such that shared resource contention caused by prefetchers is reduced, thereby improving system performance. State-of-the-art prefetcher aggressiveness engines monitor metrics such as prefetch accuracy, bandwidth consumption, and last-level cache pollution. They use carefully tuned thresholds for these metrics, and when the thresholds are crossed, they trigger aggressiveness control measures. These engines have three major shortcomings: (1) thresholds are dependent on the system configuration (cache size, DRAM scheduling policy, and cache replacement policy) and have to be tuned appropriately, (2) there is no single threshold that works well across all the workloads, and (3) thresholds are oblivious to the phase change of applications.

To overcome these shortcomings, we propose CAFFEINE, a model-based approach that analyzes the effectiveness of a prefetcher and uses a metric called net utility to control the aggressiveness. Our metric provides net processor cycles saved because of prefetching by approximating the cycles saved across the memory subsystem, from last-level cache to DRAM.

We evaluate CAFFEINE across a wide range of workloads and compare it with the state-of-the-art prefetcher aggressiveness engine. Experimental results demonstrate that, on average (geomean), CAFFEINE achieves 9.5% (as much as 38.29%) and 11% (as much as 20.7%) better performance than the best-performing aggressiveness engine for four-core and eight-core systems, respectively.
Public policy and HCI
Authors: Lazar Jonathan
Published: September 2015

Public policy plays an influential role in the work we do as HCI researchers, interaction designers, and practitioners.
Public policy
, a broad term, includes both government policy and policy within non-governmental organizations. This forum focuses on topics at the intersection of human-computer interaction and public policy.
--- Jonathan Lazar, Editor
A constructivist approach to e-text design for use in undergraduate physiology courses
Authors: Rhodes Ashley E. , Rozell Timothy G.
Published: September 2015

Electronic textbooks, or e-texts, will have an increasingly important role in college science courses within the next few years due to the rising costs of traditional texts and the increasing availability of software allowing instructors to create their own e-text. However, few guidelines exist in the literature to aid instructors in the development and design specifically of e-texts using sound learning theories; this is especially true for undergraduate physiology e-texts. In this article, we describe why constructivism is a very important educational theory for e-text design and how it may be applied in e-text development by instructors. We also provide examples of two undergraduate physiology e-texts that were designed in accordance with this educational theory but for learners of quite different backgrounds and prior knowledge levels.
The ins and outs of breath holding: simple demonstrations of complex respiratory physiology
Authors: Skow Rachel J. , Day Trevor A. , Fuller Jonathan E. , Bruce Christina D. , Steinback Craig D.
Published: September 2015

The physiology of breath holding is complex, and voluntary breath-hold duration is affected by many factors, including practice, psychology, respiratory chemoreflexes, and lung stretch. In this activity, we outline a number of simple laboratory activities or classroom demonstrations that illustrate the complexity of the integrative physiology behind breath-hold duration. These activities require minimal equipment and are easily adapted to small-group demonstrations or a larger-group inquiry format where students can design a protocol and collect and analyze data from their classmates. Specifically, breath-hold duration is measured during a number of maneuvers, including after end expiration, end inspiration, voluntary prior hyperventilation, and inspired hyperoxia. Further activities illustrate the potential contribution of chemoreflexes through rebreathing and repeated rebreathing after a maximum breath hold. The outcome measures resulting from each intervention are easily visualized and plotted and can comprise a comprehensive data set to illustrate and discuss complex and integrated cardiorespiratory physiology.
Hands-on experiments on glycemia regulation and type 1 diabetes
Authors: Mingueneau M. , Chaix A. , Scotti N. , Chaix J. , Reynders A. , Hammond C. , Thimonier J.
Published: September 2015

In the present article, we describe a 3-day experimental workshop on glycemia regulation and type 1 diabetes that engages students in open-ended investigations and guided experiments leading to results that are not already known to them. After an initial questioning phase during which students observe PowerPoint slides depicting the glycemia (blood glucose levels) of individuals in various situations, students design, execute, and interpret experiments to address one of the following questions: 1) Which criteria must an animal model of diabetes fulfill? 2) How do pancreatic cells maintain glycemia constant? and 3) Is there a way to produce an insulin protein similar to the one released by human pancreatic cells? Students then 1) measure glycemia and glycosuria in control mice and in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes (Alloxan-treated mice), 2) measure the release of insulin by pancreatic β-cells (INS-1 cell line) in response to different concentrations of glucose in the extracellular medium, and 3) transfect Chinese hamster ovary cells with a plasmid coding for green fluorescent protein, observe green fluorescent protein fluorescence of some of the transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells under the microscope, and observe the characteristics of human insulin protein and its three-dimensional conformation using RASMOL software. At the end of the experimental session, students make posters and present their work to researchers. Back at school, they may also present their work to their colleagues.
MBBS student perceptions about physiology subject teaching and objective structured practical examination based formative assessment for improving competencies
Authors: Lakshmipathy K.
Published: September 2015

The objectives of the present study were to 1) assess student attitudes to physiology, 2) evaluate student opinions about the influence of an objective structured practical examination (OSPE) on competence, and 3) assess the validity and reliability of an indigenously designed feedback questionnaire. A structured questionnaire containing 16 item statements, 8 items on an Osgood's 5-point semantic differential scale and 8 items on a Likert's 5-point scale, was used. Options were assigned scores of 1–5 according to weightage. For Osgood's semantic differential scale items, a χ2-test was done to analyze student attitudes toward the subject. For Likert scale items, mean score and SD were calculated to analyze student opinions of the OSPE. Item validity was assessed by item analysis, and reliability was assessed by calculating Crohnbach's α. The subject as a whole was interesting to 82% of the students ( n = 135). The theory was interesting to 75% of the students ( n = 132) but complex to 42% ( n = 118). The practical was interesting to 93% of the students ( n = 134); 76% of the students ( n = 104) felt that the practical was simple, whereas 4% felt it was complex. The OSPE was interesting to 79% of the students ( n = 131); 57% of the students ( n = 116) felt it was simple, whereas 24% found it complex. Components of the subject, intricateness, and student interests were strongly associated. Students chose options on a higher weight scale, favoring the OSPE. Items were found to be valid and reliable. In conclusion, the subject of physiology was interesting but not simple to understand. Student interests varied with the components of the subject, and the components of the subject had varied intricateness. Students were in favor of the OSPE for assessment. The questionnaire used for the study was valid and reliable.
Motor System Reorganization After Stroke: Stimulating and Training Toward Perfection
Authors: Jones Theresa A. , Adkins DeAnna L.
Published: September 2015

Stroke instigates regenerative responses that reorganize connectivity patterns among surviving neurons. The new connectivity patterns can be suboptimal for behavioral function. This review summarizes current knowledge on post-stroke motor system reorganization and emerging strategies for shaping it with manipulations of behavior and cortical activity to improve functional outcome.
Ion Homeostasis in Rhythmogenesis: The Interplay Between Neurons and Astroglia
Authors: Kadala Aklesso , Verdier Dorly , Morquette Philippe , Kolta Arlette
Published: September 2015

Proper function of all excitable cells depends on ion homeostasis. Nowhere is this more critical than in the brain where the extracellular concentration of some ions determines neurons' firing pattern and ability to encode information. Several neuronal functions depend on the ability of neurons to change their firing pattern to a rhythmic bursting pattern, whereas, in some circuits, rhythmic firing is, on the contrary, associated to pathologies like epilepsy or Parkinson's disease. In this review, we focus on the four main ions known to fluctuate during rhythmic firing: calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride. We discuss the synergistic interactions between these elements to promote an oscillatory activity. We also review evidence supporting an important role for astrocytes in the homeostasis of each of these ions and describe mechanisms by which astrocytes may regulate neuronal firing by altering their extracellular concentrations. A particular emphasis is put on the mechanisms underlying rhythmogenesis in the circuit forming the central pattern generator (CPG) for mastication and other CPG systems. Finally, we discuss how an impairment in the ability of glial cells to maintain such homeostasis may result in pathologies like epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.
The Physiology of Fear: Reconceptualizing the Role of the Central Amygdala in Fear Learning
Authors: Keifer Orion P. , Hurt Robert C. , Ressler Kerry J. , Marvar Paul J.
Published: September 2015

The historically understood role of the central amygdala (CeA) in fear learning is to serve as a passive output station for processing and plasticity that occurs elsewhere in the brain. However, recent research has suggested that the CeA may play a more dynamic role in fear learning. In particular, there is growing evidence that the CeA is a site of plasticity and memory formation, and that its activity is subject to tight regulation. The following review examines the evidence for these three main roles of the CeA as they relate to fear learning. The classical role of the CeA as a routing station to fear effector brain structures like the periaqueductal gray, the lateral hypothalamus, and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus will be briefly reviewed, but specific emphasis is placed on recent literature suggesting that the CeA 1) has an important role in the plasticity underlying fear learning, 2) is involved in regulation of other amygdala subnuclei, and 3) is itself regulated by intra- and extra-amygdalar input. Finally, we discuss the parallels of human and mouse CeA involvement in fear disorders and fear conditioning, respectively.
Identifying growth hormone-regulated enhancers in the Igf1 locus
Authors: Alzhanov Damir , Mukherjee Aditi , Rotwein Peter
Published: September 2015

Growth hormone (GH) plays a central role in regulating somatic growth and in controlling multiple physiological processes in humans and other vertebrates. A key agent in many GH actions is the secreted peptide, IGF-I. As established previously, GH stimulates IGF-I gene expression via the Stat5b transcription factor, leading to production of IGF-I mRNAs and proteins. However, the precise mechanisms by which GH-activated Stat5b promotes IGF-I gene transcription have not been defined. Unlike other GH-regulated genes, there are no Stat5b sites near either of the two IGF-I gene promoters. Although dispersed GH-activated Stat5b binding elements have been mapped in rodent Igf1 gene chromatin, it is unknown how these distal sites might function as potential transcriptional enhancers. Here we have addressed mechanisms of regulation of IGF-I gene transcription by GH by generating cell lines in which the rat Igf1 chromosomal locus has been incorporated into the mouse genome. Using these cells we find that physiological levels of GH rapidly and potently activate Igf1 gene transcription while stimulating physical interactions in chromatin between inducible Stat5b-binding elements and the Igf1 promoters. We have thus developed a robust experimental platform for elucidating how dispersed transcriptional enhancers control Igf1 gene expression under different biological conditions.
Systemic PPARγ deletion causes severe disturbance in fluid homeostasis in mice
Authors: Zhou Li , Panasiuk Alexandra , Downton Maicy , Zhao Daqiang , Yang Baoxue , Jia Zhanjun , Yang Tianxin
Published: September 2015

The pharmacological action of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ in promoting sodium and water retention is well documented as highlighted by the major side-effect of body weight gain and edema associated with thiazolidinedione use. However, a possible physiological role of PPARγ in regulation of fluid metabolism has not been reported by previous studies. Here we analyzed fluid metabolism in inducible whole-body PPARγ knockout mice. The null mice developed severe polydipsia and polyuria, reduced urine osmolality, and modest hyperphagia. The phenomenon persisted during 3 days of pair feeding and pair drinking, accompanied by progressive weight loss. After 24 h water deprivation, the null mice had a lower urine osmolality, a higher urine volume, a greater weight loss, and a greater rise in hematocrit than the floxed control. Urinary vasopressin (AVP) excretion was not different between the genotypes under basal condition or after WD. The response of urine osmolality to acute and chronic 1-desamino-8-d-arginine vasopressin treatment was attenuated in the null mice, but the total abundance or phosphorylation of aquaporin 2 (AQP2) in the kidney or AVP-induced cAMP production in inner medullary collecting duct suspensions was unaffected. Overall, PPARγ participates in physiological control of fluid homeostasis through an unknown mechanism involving cAMP/AQP2-independent enhancement of AVP response.
To Compare Time-Weighted Graphs to Evaluate the Inclination of the Acetabular Component of Patients Who Had Total Hip Replacement Surgery
Authors: Tomak Leman , Bek Yuksel , Tomak Yılmaz
Published: August 2015

Time-weighted graphs are used to detect small shifts in statistical process control. The aim of this study is to evaluate the inclination of the acetabular component with CUmulative SUM (CUSUM) chart, Moving Average (MA) chart, and Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) chart. The data were obtained directly from thirty patients who had undergone total hip replacement surgery at Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Medicine. The inclination of the acetabular component of these people, after total hip replacement, was evaluated. CUSUM chart, Moving Average chart, and Exponentially Weighted Moving Average were used to evaluate the quality control process of acetabular component inclination. MINITAB Statistical Software 15.0 was used to generate these control charts. The assessment done with time-weighted charts revealed that the acetabular inclination angles were settled within control limits and the process was under control. It was determined that the change within the control limits had a random pattern. As a result of this study it has been obtained that time-weighted quality control charts which are used mostly in the field of industry can also be used in the field of medicine. It has provided us with a faster visual decision.
Modification of Urushiol Derivatives by Liquid Crystal Epoxy Resin
Authors: Tang Gongwen , Yan Zhishan , Ma Linrong , Huang Xin
Published: August 2015

Urushiol derivatives have vast potentials for using as coating materials. However, the cured coatings are quite brittle, limiting their applications. In this study, urushiol-furfural (UFUR) was chosen as an example of urushiol derivatives and a liquid crystal (LC) epoxy resin, tetramethylbiphenyl diglycidyl ether (TMBPDE), was for the first time utilized to modify UFUR. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and solid-state13C nuclear magnetic resonance showed the reactions between TMBPDE and UFUR after the UFUR/TMBPDE composite resin was cured. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed that theTgsignificantly increased after the addition of TMBPDE. Thermogravimetry analysis indicated that the cured UFUR/TMBPDE composite resin exhibited increasing thermodecomposition temperature as the TMBPDE concentration increased, indicating its great potential for high temperature applications. Moreover, the presence of TMBPDE enhanced the toughness of UFUR as observed by impact test and reflected in the morphologies observed from SEM images of fracture surfaces. It would also be novel and effective to modify urushiol derivatives by the LC polymer.
Pull-In Analysis of the Flat Circular CMUT Cell Featuring Sealed Cavity
Authors: Zhang Wen , Zhang Hui , Du Fei , Shi Jianchao , Jin Shijiu , Zeng Zhoumo
Published: September 2015

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) are one of the appealing MEMS devices. Most studies treat CMUTs as rigid plates vibrating in open air, ignoring the mechanical boundary conditions for simplification and resulting in cumulative errors in coupled fields. This paper presents a new analytical model for the pull-in characteristics of the flat circular CMUT cell featuring sealed cavity. Utilizing the plate theory coupled with Boyle’s law, the paper establishes a strong relation between the pressures inside the sealed cavity and the pull-in characteristics for the first time. Not only did we point out that the existence of the pressure inside the sealed cavity cannot be omitted, but we also quantified the direct effect of the pressure ratios on the pull-in phenomenon. The pull-in voltages increase while the pull-in ratios decrease with the pressure ratios of the pressure inside the sealed cavity to the ambient pressure. The proposed calculation process delivers a good approximation of the pull-in voltages and displacements, which are consistent with COMSOL simulation results. Particularly, the percentage error of our calculation process is 6.986% for the worst case. Therefore, our proposed analytical model accurately and efficiently predicts the pull-in characteristics and this paper offers new perspectives and reference value in designing and modeling the CMUTs.
Plasticity of GABAA Receptors during Pregnancy and Postpartum Period: From Gene to Function
Authors: Licheri Valentina , Talani Giuseppe , Gorule Ashish A. , Mostallino Maria Cristina , Biggio Giovanni , Sanna Enrico
Published: August 2015

Pregnancy needs complex pathways that together play a role in proper growth and protection of the fetus preventing its premature loss. Changes during pregnancy and postpartum period include the manifold machinery of neuroactive steroids that plays a crucial role in neuronal excitability by local modulation of specific inhibitory receptors: the GABAA receptors. Marked fluctuations in both blood and brain concentration of neuroactive steroids strongly contribute to GABAA receptor function and plasticity. In this review, we listed several interesting results regarding the regulation and plasticity of GABAA receptor function during pregnancy and postpartum period in rats. The increase in brain levels of neuroactive steroids during pregnancy and their sudden decrease immediately before delivery are causally related to changes in the expression/function of specific GABAA receptor subunits in the hippocampus. These data suggest that alterations in GABAA receptor expression and function may be related to neurological and psychiatric disorders associated with crucial periods in women. These findings could help to provide potential new treatments for these women’s disabling syndromes.
Benign Lymphoid Hyperplasia Presenting as Bilateral Scleral Nodules
Authors: Cumba Ricardo J. , Vazquez-Botet Rene
Published: September 2015

Purpose. To report a case of transient lymphoid hyperplasia presenting as bilateral nodular scleral mass in a young male patient.Design. Observational case report.Methods. Chart review. Causes of scleritis were considered and excluded based on detailed history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations.Results. Excisional biopsy of scleral lesions indicated lymphoid tissue. Immunohistochemical studies revealed a polyclonal population of T and B cells consistent with a benign reactive process.Conclusions. Chronic exposure of the ocular adnexa to many allergens and irritants may lead to activation of the inflammatory cascade. In severely allergic patients activation may be exponential and elicit an immune-mediated response resulting in a transient lymphoid reactive process.
Family Planning Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Married Men and Women in Rural Areas of Pakistan: Findings from a Qualitative Need Assessment Study
Authors: Mustafa Ghulam , Azmat Syed Khurram , Hameed Waqas , Ali Safdar , Ishaque Muhammad , Hussain Wajahat , Ahmed Aftab , Munroe Erik
Published: September 2015

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative assessment aimed at exploring knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding family planning and factors that influence the need for and use of modern contraceptives. A descriptive exploratory study was conducted with married women and men aged between 15 and 40. Overall, 24 focus group discussions were conducted with male and female participants in three provinces of Pakistan. The findings reveal that the majority knew about some modern contraceptive methods, but the overall contraceptive use was very low. Knowledge and use of any contraceptive method were particularly low. Reasons for not using family planning and modern contraception included incomplete family size, negative perceptions, in-laws’ disapproval, religious concerns, side-effects, and lack of access to quality services. The majority preferred private facilities over the government health facilities as the later were cited as derided. The study concluded the need for qualified female healthcare providers, especially for long term family planning services at health facilities instead of camps arranged occasionally. Addressing issues around access, affordability, availability, and sociocultural barriers about modern contraception as well as involving men will help to meet the needs and ensure that the women and couples fulfill their childbearing and reproductive health goals.
Enhanced Asymmetric Bilinear Model for Face Recognition
Authors: Gong Wenjuan , Zhang Weishan , Gonzàlez Jordi , Ren Yan , Li Zhen
Published: August 2015

Bilinear models have been successfully applied to separate two factors, for example, pose variances and different identities in face recognition problems. Asymmetric model is a type of bilinear model which models a system in the most concise way. But seldom there are works exploring the applications of asymmetric bilinear model on face recognition problem with illumination changes. In this work, we propose enhanced asymmetric model for illumination-robust face recognition. Instead of initializing the factor probabilities randomly, we initialize them with nearest neighbor method and optimize them for the test data. Above that, we update the factor model to be identified. We validate the proposed method on a designed data sample and extended Yale B dataset. The experiment results show that the enhanced asymmetric models give promising results and good recognition accuracies.
Rhabdomyosarcoma: Advances in Molecular and Cellular Biology
Authors: Sun Xin , Guo Wei , Shen Jacson K. , Mankin Henry J. , Hornicek Francis J. , Duan Zhenfeng
Published: September 2015

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue malignancy in childhood and adolescence. The two major histological subtypes of RMS are alveolar RMS, driven by the fusion protein PAX3-FKHR or PAX7-FKHR, and embryonic RMS, which is usually genetically heterogeneous. The prognosis of RMS has improved in the past several decades due to multidisciplinary care. However, in recent years, the treatment of patients with metastatic or refractory RMS has reached a plateau. Thus, to improve the survival rate of RMS patients and their overall well-being, further understanding of the molecular and cellular biology of RMS and identification of novel therapeutic targets are imperative. In this review, we describe the most recent discoveries in the molecular and cellular biology of RMS, including alterations in oncogenic pathways, miRNA (miR),in vivomodels, stem cells, and important signal transduction cascades implicated in the development and progression of RMS. Furthermore, we discuss novel potential targeted therapies that may improve the current treatment of RMS.
Deadline Aware Retransmission Threshold Setting Protocol in Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Bi Ran , Li Jianzhong , Gao Hong , Chen Quan
Published: September 2015

Many time-sensitive applications impose high requirement on real-time response. There exist many algorithms and routing protocols for efficient data packet delivery. However, previous works set the same retransmission threshold for all the relay nodes along a delivery path. The method decreases the probability of a packet being transmitted through the delivery path within given deadline. In this paper, we focus on finding the optimal retransmission thresholds for the relay nodes, such that the summation of the probability of a packet being transmitted to the next relay node or destination node within the specified deadline is maximized. A distributed greedy algorithm that can be run on sensor node is proposed, which enables the sensor node to adaptively set the optimal retransmission threshold. To avoid dropping the packet forwarded to the destination within given deadline with high probability, we develop a packet dropped protocol based on probabilistic delay bound. Experimental results show that the proposed protocols have better performance.