bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Host Metabolic Factors on Treatment Outcome in Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: Savvoula Savvidou , Dimitrios Chrysagis , George Papatheodoridis , Spilios Manolakopoulos , Christos Triantos , John Goulis
Published: April 2012

Background. Recent data suggest that chronic hepatitis C has to be considered a metabolic disease further to a viral infection. The aim of this study was to elaborate on the complex interactions between hepatitis C virus, host metabolic factors, and treatment response.Methods. Demographic, virological, and histological data from 356 consecutive patients were analyzed retrospectively. Hepatic steatosis, obesity, and insulin resistance were examined in relation to their impact on treatment outcome. Comparison between genotype 1 and 3 patients was performed to identify differences in the determinants of hepatic steatosis.Results. Histological evidence of hepatic steatosis was found in 113 patients, distributed in 20.3%, 9.0%, and 2.5% for grades I, II, and III, respectively. Hepatic steatosis was associated with past alcohol abuse (P=0.003) and histological evidence of advanced fibrosis (P<0.001). Older age (OR 2.51,P=0.002), genotype (OR 3.28,P<0.001), cirrhosis (OR 4.23,P=0.005), and hepatic steatosis (OR 2.48,P=0.001) were independent predictors for nonresponse. Correlations of hepatic steatosis with alcohol, insulin resistance, and fibrosis stage were found similar for both genotypes 1 and 3.Conclusions. Host metabolic factors may predict treatment outcome, and this impact remains significant even in genotype 3, where steatosis has been believed to be exclusively virus related.
Dementia in Parkinson's Disease Correlates withα-Synuclein Pathology but Not with Cortical Astrogliosis
Authors: van den Berge Simone A. , Kevenaar Josta T. , Sluijs Jacqueline A. , Hol Elly M.
Published: April 2012

Dementia is a common feature in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and is considered to be the result of limbic and cortical Lewy bodies and/or Alzheimer changes. Astrogliosis may also affect the development of dementia, since it correlates well with declining cognition in Alzheimer patients. Thus, we determined whether cortical astrogliosis occurs in PD, whether it is related to dementia, and whether this is reflected by the presence of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We have examined these proteins by immunohistochemistry in the frontal cortex and by Western blot in CSF of cases with PD, PD with dementia (PDD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and nondemented controls. We were neither able to detect an increase in cortical astrogliosis in PD, PDD, or DLB nor could we observe a correlation between the extent of astrogliosis and the degree of dementia. The levels of GFAP and vimentin in CSF did not correlate to the extent of astrogliosis or dementia. We did confirm the previously identified positive correlation between the presence of cortical Lewy bodies and dementia in PD. In conclusion, we have shown that cortical astrogliosis is not associated with the cognitive decline in Lewy body-related dementia.
Epitaxial Piezoelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 Thin Films on Silicon for Energy Harvesting Devices
Authors: Sambri A. , Isarakorn D. , Torres-Pardo A. , Gariglio S. , Janphuang Pattanaphong , Briand D. , Stéphan O. , Reiner J. W. , Triscone J.-M. , de Rooij Nico F. , Ahn C. H.
Published: April 2012

We report on the properties of ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 (PZT) thin films grown epitaxially on (001) silicon and on the performance of such heterostructures for microfabricated piezoelectric energy harvesters. In the first part of the paper, we investigate the epitaxial stacks through transmission electron microscopy and piezoelectric force microscopy studies to characterize in detail their crystalline structure. In the second part of the paper, we present the electrical characteristics of piezoelectric cantilevers based on these epitaxial PZT films. The performance of such cantilevers as vibration energy transducers is compared with other piezoelectric harvesters and indicates the potential of the epitaxial approach in the field of energy harvesting devices.
Flow-Based Systems for Rapid and High-Precision Enzyme Kinetics Studies
Authors: Hartwell Supaporn Kradtap , Grudpan Kate
Published: April 2012

Enzyme kinetics studies normally focus on the initial rate of enzymatic reaction. However, the manual operation of steps of the conventional enzyme kinetics method has some drawbacks. Errors can result from the imprecise time control and time necessary for manual changing the reaction cuvettes into and out of the detector. By using the automatic flow-based analytical systems, enzyme kinetics studies can be carried out at real-time initial rate avoiding the potential errors inherent in manual operation. Flow-based systems have been developed to provide rapid, low-volume, and high-precision analyses that effectively replace the many tedious and high volume requirements of conventional wet chemistry analyses. This article presents various arrangements of flow-based techniques and their potential use in future enzyme kinetics applications.
Networked Electronic Equipments Using the IEEE 1451 Standard—VisioWay: A Case Study in the ITS Area
Authors: Barrero F. , Toral S. L. , Vargas M. , Becerra J.
Published: April 2012

The concept of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) has been recently introduced to define modern embedded systems with enhanced digital connectivity, combining people, vehicles, and public infrastructure. The smart transducer concept, on the other hand, has been established by the IEEE 1451 standard to simplify the scalability of networked electronic equipments. The synergy of both concepts will establish a new paradigm in the near future of the ITS area. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the integration of electronic equipments into intelligent road-traffic management systems by using the smart transducer concept. An automated video processing sensor for road-traffic monitoring applications is integrated into an ITS network as a case study. The impact of the IEEE 1451 standard in the development and performance of ITS equipments is analyzed through its application to this video-based system, commercialized under the name VisioWay.
Progress in Root Cause and Fault Propagation Analysis of Large-Scale Industrial Processes
Authors: Yang Fan , Xiao Deyun
Published: April 2012

In large-scale industrial processes, a fault can easily propagate between process units due to the interconnections of material and information flows. Thus the problem of fault detection and isolation for these processes is more concerned about the root cause and fault propagation before applying quantitative methods in local models. Process topology and causality, as the key features of the process description, need to be captured from process knowledge and process data. The modelling methods from these two aspects are overviewed in this paper. From process knowledge, structural equation modelling, various causal graphs, rule-based models, and ontological models are summarized. From process data, cross-correlation analysis, Granger causality and its extensions, frequency domain methods, information-theoretical methods, and Bayesian nets are introduced. Based on these models, inference methods are discussed to find root causes and fault propagation paths under abnormal situations. Some future work is proposed in the end.
Insulin Resistance, Ceramide Accumulation, and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Human Chronic Alcohol-Related Liver Disease
Authors: Longato Lisa , Ripp Kelsey , Setshedi Mashiko , Dostalek Miroslav , Akhlaghi Fatemeh , Branda Mark , Wands Jack R. , de la Monte Suzanne M.
Published: April 2012

Background. Chronic alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is mediated by insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. Recent studies suggest that dysregulated lipid metabolism with accumulation of ceramides, together with ER stress potentiate hepatic insulin resistance and may cause steatohepatitis to progress.Objective. We examined the degree to which hepatic insulin resistance in advanced human ALD is correlated with ER stress, dysregulated lipid metabolism, and ceramide accumulation.Methods. We assessed the integrity of insulin signaling through the Akt pathway and measured proceramide and ER stress gene expression, ER stress signaling proteins, and ceramide profiles in liver tissue.Results. Chronic ALD was associated with increased expression of insulin, IGF-1, and IGF-2 receptors, impaired signaling through IGF-1R and IRS1, increased expression of multiple proceramide and ER stress genes and proteins, and higher levels of the C14, C16, C18, and C20 ceramide species relative to control.Conclusions. In human chronic ALD, persistent hepatic insulin resistance is associated with dysregulated lipid metabolism, ceramide accumulation, and striking upregulation of multiple ER stress signaling molecules. Given the role of ceramides as mediators of ER stress and insulin resistance, treatment with ceramide enzyme inhibitors may help reverse or halt progression of chronic ALD.
Learning to Translate: A Statistical and Computational Analysis
Authors: Turchi Marco , De Bie Tijl , Goutte Cyril , Cristianini Nello
Published: April 2012

We present an extensive experimental study of Phrase-based Statistical Machine Translation, from the point of view of its learning capabilities. Very accurate Learning Curves are obtained, using high-performance computing, and extrapolations of the projected performance of the system under different conditions are provided. Our experiments confirm existing and mostly unpublished beliefs about the learning capabilities of statistical machine translation systems. We also provide insight into the way statistical machine translation learns from data, including the respective influence of translation and language models, the impact of phrase length on performance, and various unlearning and perturbation analyses. Our results support and illustrate the fact that performance improves by a constant amount for each doubling of the data, across different language pairs, and different systems. This fundamental limitation seems to be a direct consequence of Zipf law governing textual data. Although the rate of improvement may depend on both the data and the estimation method, it is unlikely that the general shape of the learning curve will change without major changes in the modeling and inference phases. Possible research directions that address this issue include the integration of linguistic rules or the development of active learning procedures.
The Biological Behaviors of Rat Dermal Fibroblasts Can Be Inhibited by High Levels of MMP9
Authors: Xue Sheng-Neng , Lei Juan , Yang Chuan , Lin Diao-Zhu , Yan Li
Published: April 2012

Aims. To explore the effects of the high expression of MMP9 on biological behaviors of fibroblasts.Methods. High glucose and hyperhomocysteine were used to induce MMP9 expression in skin fibroblasts. Cell proliferation was detected by flow cytometry and cell viability by CCK-8. ELISA assay was used to detect collagen (hydroxyproline) secretion. Scratch test was employed to evaluate horizontal migration of cells and transwell method to evaluate vertical migration of cells.Results. The mRNA and protein expressions of MMP9 and its protease activity were significantly higher in cells treated with high glucose and hyperhomocysteine than those in control group. At the same time, the S-phase cell ratio, proliferation index, cell viability, collagen (hydroxyproline) secretion, horizontal migration rate, and the number of vertical migration cells decreased in high-glucose and hyperhomocysteine-treated group. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1), which inhibits the activity of MMP9, recovered the above biological behaviors.Conclusions. High expression of MMP9 in skin fibroblasts could be induced by cultureing in high glucose and hyperhomocysteine medium, which inhibited cell biological behaviors. Inhibitions could be reversed by TIMP1. The findings suggested that MMP9 deters the healing of diabetic foot ulcers by inhibiting the biological behaviors of fibroblasts.
Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating a Program to Address the Oral Health Needs of Aboriginal Children in Port Augusta, Australia
Authors: Parker E. J. , Misan G. , Shearer M. , Richards L. , Russell A. , Mills H. , Jamieson L. M.
Published: April 2012

Aboriginal Australian children experience profound oral health disparities relative to their non-Aboriginal counterparts. In response to community concerns regarding Aboriginal child oral health in the regional town of Port Augusta, South Australia, a child dental health service was established within a Community Controlled Aboriginal Health Service. A partnership approach was employed with the key aims of (1) quantifying rates of dental service utilisation, (2) identifying factors influencing participation, and (3) planning and establishing a program for delivery of Aboriginal children’s dental services that would increase participation and adapt to community needs. In planning the program, levels of participation were quantified and key issues identified through semistructured interviews. After 3.5 years, the participation rate for dental care among the target population increased from 53 to 70 percent. Key areas were identified to encourage further improvements and ensure sustainability in Aboriginal child oral health in this regional location.
Lysophosphatidic Acid Disrupts Junctional Integrity and Epithelial Cohesion in Ovarian Cancer Cells
Authors: Liu Yueying , Burkhalter Rebecca , Symowicz Jaime , Chaffin Kim , Ellerbroek Shawn , Stack M. Sharon
Published: April 2012

Ovarian cancer metastasizes via exfoliation of free-floating cells and multicellular aggregates from the primary tumor to the peritoneal cavity. A key event in EOC metastasis is disruption of cell-cell contacts via modulation of intercellular junctional components including cadherins. Ascites is rich in lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a bioactive lipid that may promote early events in ovarian cancer dissemination. The objective of this paper was to assess the effect of LPA on E-cadherin junctional integrity. We report a loss of junctional E-cadherin in OVCAR3, OVCA429, and OVCA433 cells exposed to LPA. LPA-induced loss of E-cadherin was concentration and time dependent. LPA increased MMP-9 expression and promoted MMP-9-catalyzed E-cadherin ectodomain shedding. Blocking LPA receptor signaling inhibited MMP-9 expression and restored junctional E-cadherin staining. LPA-treated cells demonstrated a significant decrease in epithelial cohesion. Together these data support a model wherein LPA induces MMP-9 expression and MMP-9-catalyzed E-cadherin ectodomain shedding, resulting in loss of E-cadherin junctional integrity and epithelial cohesion, facilitating metastatic dissemination of ovarian cancer cells.
Motor Imagery Experiences and Use: Asking Patients after Stroke Where, When, What, Why, and How They Use Imagery: A Qualitative Investigation
Authors: Schuster Corina , Glässel Andrea , Scheidhauer Anne , Ettlin Thierry , Butler Jenny
Published: April 2012

Background. A framework on where, when, what, why, and how to use imagery from sports psychology was explored whether it can be applied in patients after stroke in their chronic stage.Methods. Eleven patients (ages 31–85, 3 females, 1.3–6.4 years after stroke) were interviewed. Semistructured interviews were conducted before and after a two-week MI intervention period with six MI sessions. Information was obtained regarding experiences and knowledge of MI, and the evaluation of an MI practical example. The coding scheme was based on the framework and a hierarchical categorisation.Results. Information regarding domains where, when, what, why, and how to use imagery was addressed. Patients imagined themselves as healthy individuals, did not focus on surroundings during MI practice,and reported to use positive imagery only. After MI training, patients became more flexible regarding their location and position during MI practice.Conclusions. MI became an automatic process, and patients did not need specific concentration and quietness as mentioned in the first interview. Patients recommended daily MI training and began to transfer MI to practice movements that were affected by the stroke. In contrast to sports, patients did not talk about how MI was triggered rather than how MI was designed.
Modeling and Design of a Nano Scale CMOS Inverter for Symmetric Switching Characteristics
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Joyjit , Pandit Soumya
Published: April 2012

This paper presents a technique for the modeling and design of a nano scale CMOS inverter circuit using artificial neural network and particle swarm optimization algorithm such that the switching characteristics of the circuit is symmetric, that is, has nearly equal rise and fall time and equal output high‐to‐low and low‐to‐high propagation delay. The channel width of the transistors and the load capacitor value are taken as design parameters. The designed circuit has been implemented at the transistor‐level and simulated using TSPICE for 45 nm process technology. The PSO‐generated results have been compared with SPICE results. A very good accuracy has been achieved. In addition, the advantage of the present approach over an existing approach for the same purpose has been demonstrated through simulation results.
A Real-Time Embedded Blind Spot Safety Assistance System
Authors: Wu Bing-Fei , Kao Chih-Chung , Li Ying-Feng , Tsai Min-Yu
Published: April 2012

This paper presents an effective vehicle and motorcycle detection system in the blind spot area in the daytime and nighttime scenes. The proposed method identifies vehicle and motorcycle by detecting the shadow and the edge features in the daytime, and the vehicle and motorcycle could be detected through locating the headlights at nighttime. First, shadow segmentation is performed to briefly locate the position of the vehicle. Then, the vertical and horizontal edges are utilized to verify the existence of the vehicle. After that, tracking procedure is operated to track the same vehicle in the consecutive frames. Finally, the driving behavior is judged by the trajectory. Second, the lamps in the nighttime are extracted based on automatic histogram thresholding, and are verified by spatial and temporal features to against the reflection of the pavement. The proposed real-time vision-based Blind Spot Safety-Assistance System has implemented and evaluated on a TI DM6437 platform to perform the vehicle detection on real highway, expressways, and urban roadways, and works well on sunny, cloudy, and rainy conditions in daytime and night time. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed vehicle detection approach is effective and feasible in various environments.
Finite Element Analysis and Vibration Control of a Deep Composite Cylindrical Shell Using MFC Actuators
Authors: Vijay Kumar Gangolu , Raja Samikkannu , Prasanna Karavadappa Basavarajappa , Sudha Valliappan
Published: April 2012

A four-node composite facet-shell element is developed, accounting for electromechanical coupling of Macrofiber Composite (MFC) and conventional PZT patches. Further a warping correction is included in order to capture correctly the induced strain of conformable MFC, surface bonded on a cylindrical shell. The element performance to model the relations between in-plane electric field to normal strains is examined with the help of experiment and ANSYS analysis. In ANSYS, a simple modeling scheme is proposed for MFC using a parallel capacitors concept. The independent modal space control technique has been revisited to address the control of combination resonances through a selective modal space control scheme, where two or more modes can be combined to form the vibrating system or plant in modal domain. The developed control schemes are implemented in a digital processor using DS1104 and the closed-loop vibration control experiments are conducted on a CFRP shell structure. The influence of directionally induced actuation of MFC actuators on elastic couplings of composite shell is studied theoretically and is subsequently demonstrated in experiments. MFC actuators provide the much needed optimization domain for achieving the vibration control of combination resonances of elastically coupled deep-shell structure.
Reversed-Phase Column Extractive Separation of Gd(III) with Poly[dibenzo-18-crown-6]
Authors: Mahanwar K. R. , Sabale S. R. , Kadam R. B. , Mohite B. S.
Published: April 2012

A poly[dibenzo-18-crown-6] exhibits good chemical stability, reusability, and faster rate equilibrium for the separation of Gd(III). Both uptake and stripping of metal ions were rapid, indicating a better accessibility of the complexing sites. The proposed method has been applied for chromatographic separation of Gd(III) by using picric acid as medium and poly[dibenzo-18-crown-6] as stationary phase. The influences of picric acid concentration, different eluting agents, and so forth, were discussed and the optimum conditions were established. The breakthrough capacity of poly[dibenzo-18-crown-6] for Gd(III) was 0.572±0.01 mmolg-1 of crown polymer. The proposed method has been applied to sequential chromatographic separation of their binary and multicomponent mixtures. Gd(III) has been determined from real samples with good analytical reliability.
A Simple Matter of Life and Death—The Trials of Postnatal Beta-Cell Mass Regulation
Authors: Tarabra Elena , Pelengaris Stella , Khan Michael
Published: April 2012

Pancreatic beta-cells, which secrete the hormone insulin, are the key arbiters of glucose homeostasis. Defective beta-cell numbers and/or function underlie essentially all major forms of diabetes and must be restored if diabetes is to be cured. Thus, the identification of the molecular regulators of beta-cell mass and a better understanding of the processes of beta-cell differentiation and proliferation may provide further insight for the development of new therapeutic targets for diabetes. This review will focus on the principal hormones and nutrients, as well as downstream signalling pathways regulating beta-cell mass in the adult. Furthermore, we will also address more recently appreciated regulators of beta-cell mass, such as microRNAs.
Solution of (3 + 1)‐Dimensional Nonlinear Cubic Schrodinger Equation by Differential Transform Method
Authors: Zedan Hassan A. , Alghamdi M. Ali
Published: April 2012

Four‐dimensional differential transform method has been introduced and fundamental theorems have been defined for the first time. Moreover, as an application of four‐dimensional differential transform, exact solutions of nonlinear system of partial differential equations have been investigated. The results of the present method are compared very well with analytical solution of the system. Differential transform method can easily be applied to linear or nonlinear problems and reduces the size of computational work. With this method, exact solutions may be obtained without any need of cumbersome work, and it is a useful tool for analytical and numerical solutions.
On the GenusParagoniastesComellini, 1979, with Description of a New Species from Ilhéus, Brazil (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae)
Authors: Cuccodoro Giulio , Kurbatov Sergey A. , Pereira de Oliveira Luciano , Santana Fonseca Mytalle
Published: April 2012

The types of the species of theGoniacerinegenus of PselaphinaeParagoniastesComellini are revised.Paragoniastes parkiComellini, 1979, is synonymized withP. besuchetiComellini, 1979 (P. besucheti=P. parkisyn. nov.), andP. uesciCuccodoro & Kurbatov sp. nov. is described from the Brazilian state of Bahia. These taxa are described, illustrated, and keyed. Additional characters pertaining to the genus are given.
Autoantibody with Cross-Reactivity between Insulin and Ductal Cells May Cause Diabetic Mastopathy: A Case Study
Authors: Miura Katsutoshi , Teruya Chikako , Hatsuko Nasu , Ogura Hiroyuki
Published: April 2012

Lymphocytic mastopathy or diabetic mastopathy is a benign breast disease characterized by dense fibrosis, lobular atrophy, and aggregates of lymphocytes in a periductal and perilobular distribution. The condition usually affects women with a long history of diabetes mellitus (DM) and also those with autoimmune disorders. While the pathogenesis is unknown, a particular type of class II human leukocyte antigen has been associated with this disease. Herein, we report a case of diabetic mastopathy which clinically and radiologically mimicked primary breast neoplasms. The patient was a 74-year-old woman with a 31-year history of DM type II who presented with multiple firm lumps in bilateral breasts. Findings from mammography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging of the breasts revealed an abnormal appearance which suspiciously resembled malignancy. An aspiration cytology specimen showed atypical accumulation of lymphoid cells, leading us to suspect lymphoma. Histology of an excisional biopsy showed the characteristic appearance of lymphocytic mastopathy, which predominantly consisted of B-lymphocytes. Autoantibodies in her serum reacted positively against her ductal epithelium as well as other diabetic and nondiabetic breast ductal cells. An antigen absorption test with insulin revealed attenuating intensity according to insulin concentration. These anti-insulin antibodies produced in the DM patient may cause ductitis because of antigen cross-reactivity.
Algorithms for a System of General Variational Inequalities in Banach Spaces
Authors: Zhu Jin-Hua , Chang Shih-Sen , Liu Min
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this paper is using Korpelevich′s extragradient method to study the existence problem of solutions and approximation solvability problem for a class of systems of finite family of general nonlinear variational inequality in Banach spaces, which includes many kinds of variational inequality problems as special cases. Under suitable conditions, some existence theorems and approximation solvability theorems are proved. The results presented in the paper improve and extend some recent results.
Review of Available Products of Leaf Area Index and Their Suitability over the Formerly Soviet Central Asia
Authors: Kappas M. W. , Propastin P. A.
Published: April 2012

Leaf area index (LAI) is a key biophysical variable for environmental process modelling. Remotely sensed data have become the primary source for estimation of LAI at the scales from local to global. A summary of existing LAI data sets and a discussion of their appropriateness for the formerly Soviet Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, which is known for its huge grassland area (about 2 million km2), are valuable for environmental modelling in this region. The paper gives a brief review of existing global LAI products, such as AVHRR LAI, MODIS LAI, and SPOT-VEGETATION LAI, and shows that validation of these products in Kazakhstan as well as in other countries of the formerly Soviet Central Asia has not been carried out yet. Apart from the global LAI products, there are just a few data sets retrieved by remote sensing methods at subregional and regional scales in Kazakhstan. More research activities are needed to focus on the validation of the available global LAI products over the formerly Soviet Central Asia and developing new LAI data sets suitable for application in environmental modelling at different scales in this region.
The Effectiveness of GECB Pastille in Reducing Complications of Dry Socket Syndrome
Authors: Haghighat Abbas , Bahri Najafi Rahim , Bazvand Mostafa , Badrian Hamid , Khalighinejad Navid , Goroohi Hossein
Published: April 2012

Background and Purpose. Dry socket syndrome is one of the most irritating complications after tooth extraction. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of pastille GECB compared to ZOE.Materials and Methods. 30 patients with dry socket syndrome were selected and divided into two groups. GECB pastille was produced with 3% Guaiacol, 3% Eugenol 1.6% Chlorobutanol, sized  mm. GECB was applied in one group, and ZOE was used for the other group. Duration of pain after treatment and painkiller intake values were recorded within 20 days. The data were analyzed with independent samplest-test, Mann-Whitney, and Chi-Square tests.Results. Pain persisted for minutes in patients treated with ZOE and minutes in those treated with GECB (). Patients in the ZOE group reported more painkiller intake within 20 days ().Conclusion. GECB showed more significant efficacy in reducing complications after tooth extraction.
Ground-Penetrating Radar Investigations along Hajipur Fault: Himalayan Frontal Thrust—Attempt to Identify Near Subsurface Displacement, NW Himalaya, India
Authors: Malik Javed N. , Kumar Ashutosh , Satuluri Sravanthi , Puhan Bishuddhakshya , Mohanty Asmita
Published: April 2012

The study area falls in the mesoseismal zone of 1905 Kangra earthquake (Mw 7.8). To identify appropriate trenching site for paleoseismic investigation and to understand the faulting geometry, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey was conducted across a Hajipur Fault (HF2) scarp, a branching out fault of Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) in a foot hill zone of NW Himalaya. Several 2D and 3D profiles were collected using 200 MHz antenna with SIR 3000 unit. A 2D GPR profile collected across the HF2 scarp revealed prominent hyperbolas and discontinuous-warped reflections, suggesting a metal pipe and a zone of deformation along a low-angle thrust fault, respectively. The 3D profile revealed remarkable variation in dip of the fault plane and pattern of deformation along the strike of the fault.
Apoptotic Cells Contribute to Melanoma Progression and This Effect is Partially Mediated by the Platelet-Activating Factor Receptor
Authors: Bachi André Luis Lacerda , dos Santos Lívia Caires , Nonogaki Suely , Jancar Sônia , Jasiulionis Miriam Galvonas
Published: April 2012

There is evidence that the platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) is involved in the clearance of apoptotic cells by macrophages, and that this is associated with anti-inflammatory phenotype. Our group has previously shown that coinjection of a large number of apoptotic cells can promote tumor growth from a subtumorigenic dose of melanoma cells. Here, we studied the involvement of the PAFR in the tumor growth promoting effect of apoptotic cells. A sub-tumorigenic dose of melanoma cells (Tm1) was coinjected with apoptotic Tm1 cells, subcutaneously in the flank of C57Bl/6 mice, and the volume was monitored for 30 days. Animals received the PAFR antagonists, WEB2170 or PCA4248 (5 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle, by peritumoral daily injection for 5 days. Results showed that PAFR antagonists significantly inhibited the tumor growth induced by the coinjection of a sub-tumorigenic dose of melanoma cells together with apoptotic cells. This was accompanied by inhibition of early neutrophil and macrophage infiltration. Addition of (platelet-activating factor) to this system has no significant effect. PAFR antagonists did not affect the promoting effect of carrageenan. We suggest that the recognition of apoptotic cells by phagocytes leads to activation of PAFR pathways, resulting in a microenvironment response favorable to melanoma growth.
A Perishable Inventory System with Postponed Demands and Multiple Server Vacations
Authors: Jayaraman R. , Sivakumar B. , Arivarignan G.
Published: April 2012

A mathematical modelling of a continuous review stochastic inventory system with a single server is carried out in this work. We assume that demand time points form a Poisson process. The life time of each item is assumed to have exponential distribution. We assume(s,S)ordering policy to replenish stock with random lead time. The server goes for a vacation of an exponentially distributed duration at the time of stock depletion and may take subsequent vacation depending on the stock position. The customer who arrives during the stock-out period or during the server vacation is offered a choice of joining a pool which is of finite capacity or leaving the system. The demands in the pool are selected one by one by the server only when the inventory level is aboves, with interval time between any two successive selections distributed as exponential with parameter depending on the number of customers in the pool. The joint probability distribution of the inventory level and the number of customers in the pool is obtained in the steady-state case. Various system performance measures in the steady state are derived, and the long-run total expected cost rate is calculated.
Markers of Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Metabolic Syndrome in a Multiethnic Sample of US Adults: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2008
Authors: Sabanayagam Charumathi , Zhang Ruoxin , Shankar Anoop
Published: April 2012

Previous studies have documented an association between markers of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and metabolic syndrome. However, it is not clear if there are gender or ethnic differences in this association. We examined 6,122 participants aged ≥20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–08. Metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of ≥3 of the following components: (1) abdominal obesity, (2) elevated blood triglycerides, (3) low HDL cholesterol, (4) high BP, and (5) hyperglycemia. SDB severity was defined based on an additive summary score including sleep duration, snoring, snorting, and daytime sleepiness. We found that short sleep duration, snoring, snorting, daytime sleepiness and the summary SDB score were significantly associated with metabolic syndrome independent of potential confounders. Compared to those without any sleep disturbance, the multivariable odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of metabolic syndrome among those with three or more sleep disturbances was 3.92 (2.98–5.16). In subgroup analyses, this association was consistently present among men and women and all race-ethnic groups. In summary, SDB was independently associated with metabolic syndrome in a nationally representative sample of US adults.
The Role of Mesh Generation, Adaptation, and Refinement on the Computation of Flows Featuring Strong Shocks
Authors: Bonfiglioli Aldo , Paciorri Renato , Di Mascio Andrea
Published: April 2012

Within a continuum framework, flows featuring shock waves can be modelled by means of either shock capturing or shock fitting. Shock-capturing codes are algorithmically simple, but are plagued by a number of numerical troubles, particularly evident when shocks are strong and the grids unstructured. On the other hand, shock-fitting algorithms on structured grids allow to accurately compute solutions on coarse meshes, but tend to be algorithmically complex. We show how recent advances in computational mesh generation allow to relieve some of the difficulties encountered by shock capturing and contribute towards making shock fitting on unstructured meshes a versatile technique.
Shear Strengthening of RC Beams Using Sprayed Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer
Authors: Soleimani Sayed Mohamad , Banthia Nemkumar
Published: April 2012

The effectiveness of externally bonded sprayed glass fiber reinforced polymer (Sprayed GFRP) in shear strengthening of RC beams under quasi-static loading is investigated. Different techniques were utilized to enhance the bond between concrete and Sprayed GFRP, involving the use of through bolts and nuts paired with concrete surface preparation through sandblasting and through the use of a pneumatic chisel prior to Sprayed GFRP application. It was found that roughening the concrete surface using a pneumatic chisel and using through bolts and nuts were the most effective techniques. Also, Sprayed GFRP applied on 3 sides (U-shaped) was found to be more effective than 2-sided Sprayed GFRP in shear strengthening. Sprayed GFRP increased the shear load-carrying capacity and energy absorption capacities of RC beams. It was found that the load-carrying capacity of strengthened RC beams was related to an effective strain of applied Sprayed GFRP. This strain was related to Sprayed GFRP configuration and the technique used to enhance the concrete-FRP bond. Finally, an equation was proposed to calculate the contribution of Sprayed GFRP in the shear strength of an RC beam.
Influence of the Sol-Gel pH Process and Compact Film on the Efficiency of -Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Patrocinio A. O. T. , El-Bachá A. S. , Paniago E. B. , Paniago R. M. , Murakami Iha N. Y.
Published: April 2012

The influence of pH during hydrolysis of titanium(IV) isopropoxide on the morphological and electronic properties of TiO2nanoparticles prepared by the sol-gel method is investigated and correlated to the photoelectrochemical parameters of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) based on TiO2films. Nanoparticles prepared under acid pH exhibit smaller particle size and higher surface area, which result in higher dye loadings and better short-circuit current densities than DSCs based on alkaline TiO2-processed films. On the other hand, the product of charge collection and separation quantum yields in films with TiO2obtained by alkaline hydrolysis is c.a. 27% higher than for the acid TiO2films. The combination of acid and alkaline TiO2nanoparticles as mesoporous layer in DSCs results in a synergic effect with overall efficiencies up to 6.3%, which is better than the results found for devices employing one of the nanoparticles separately. These distinct nanoparticles can be also combined by using the layer-by-layer technique (LbL) to prepare compact TiO2films applied before the mesoporous layer. DSCs employing photoanodes with 30 TiO2bilayers have shown efficiencies up to 12% higher than the nontreated photoanode ones. These results can be conveniently used to develop optimized synthetic procedures of TiO2nanoparticles for several dye-sensitized solar cell applications.
Enhancing Sink-Location Privacy in Wireless Sensor Networks through k-Anonymity
Authors: Chai Guofei , Xu Miao , Xu Wenyuan , Lin Zhiyun
Published: April 2012

Due to the shared nature of wireless communication media, a powerful adversary can eavesdrop on the entire radio communication in the network and obtain the contextual communication statistics, for example, traffic volumes, transmitter locations, and so forth. Such information can reveal the location of the sink around which the data traffic exhibits distinctive patterns. To protect the sink-location privacy from a powerful adversary with a global view, we propose to achieve k-anonymity in the network so that at least k entities in the network are indistinguishable to the nodes around the sink with regard to communication statistics. Arranging the location of k entities is complex as it affects two conflicting goals: the routing energy cost and the achievable privacy level, and both goals are determined by a nonanalytic function. We model such a positioning problem as a nonlinearly constrained nonlinear optimization problem. To tackle it, we design a generic-algorithm-based quasi-optimal (GAQO) method that obtains quasi-optimal solutions at quadratic time. The obtained solutions closely approximate the optima with increasing privacy requirements. Furthermore, to solve k-anonymity sink-location problems more efficiently, we develop an artificial potential-based quasi-optimal (APQO) method that is of linear time complexity. Our extensive simulation results show that both algorithms can effectively find solutions hiding the sink among a large number of network nodes.
A Fuzzy Logic-Based Video Subtitle and Caption Coloring System
Authors: Davoudi Mohsen , Menhaj M. B. , Seif Naraghi Nima , Aref Ali , Davoodi Majid , Davoudi Mehdi
Published: April 2012

An approach has been proposed for automatic adaptive subtitle coloring using fuzzy logic-based algorithm. This system changes the color of the video subtitle/caption to “pleasant” color according to color harmony and the visual perception of the image background colors. In the fuzzy analyzer unit, using RGB histograms of background image, the R, G, and B values for the color of the subtitle/caption are computed using fixed fuzzy IF-THEN rules fully driven from the color harmony theories to satisfy complementary color and subtitle-background color harmony conditions. A real-time hardware structure has been proposed for implementation of the front-end processing unit as well as the fuzzy analyzer unit.
HEB in the Spotlight: Transcriptional Regulation of T-Cell Specification, Commitment, and Developmental Plasticity
Authors: Braunstein Marsela , Anderson Michele K.
Published: April 2012

The development of T cells from multipotent progenitors in the thymus occurs by cascades of interactions between signaling molecules and transcription factors, resulting in the loss of alternative lineage potential and the acquisition of the T-cell functional identity. These processes require Notch signaling and the activity of GATA3, TCF1, Bcl11b, and the E-proteins HEB and E2A. We have shown that HEB factors are required to inhibit the thymic NK cell fate and that HEBAlt allows the passage of T-cell precursors from the DN to DP stage but is insufficient for suppression of the NK cell lineage choice. HEB factors are also required to enforce the death of cells that have not rearranged their TCR genes. The synergistic interactions between Notch1, HEBAlt, HEBCan, GATA3, and TCF1 are presented in a gene network model, and the influence of thymic stromal architecture on lineage choice in the thymus is discussed.
A New Direct Method for Solving Nonlinear Volterra‐Fredholm‐Hammerstein Integral Equations via Optimal Control Problem
Authors: El-Ameen M. A. , El-Kady M.
Published: April 2012

A new method for solving nonlinear Volterra‐Fredholm‐Hammerstein (VFH) integral equations is presented. This method is based on reformulation of VFH to the simple form of Fredholm integral equations and hence converts it to optimal control problem. The existence and uniqueness of proposed method are achieved. Numerical results are given at the end of this paper.
Multiobjective Coverage Control Strategy for Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Zhou Hui , Liang Tian , Xu Chen , Xie Jing
Published: April 2012

A multiobjective optimization coverage control strategy is proposed for solving the contradictory problem among energy consumption, equilibrium of energy, and network coverage in wireless sensor networks. A new evolutionary algorithm named Multiobjective free search algorithm (MOFS) is designed for WSN optimization problem based on fitness functions and binary coding schemes. The proposed strategy is used to estimate the number of active nodes because individual nodes cannot have their working state information readily. Simulation shows that MOFS is effective to solve the typical combinatorial optimization problem, and the coverage control strategy can obtain high network coverage and reduce energy consumption effectively by the reasonable selecting parameters, while equilibrium of energy consumption is also considered.
DNA Typing ofMycobacterium bovisIsolates from Badgers (Meles meles) Culled from Areas in Ireland with Different Levels of Tuberculosis Prevalence
Authors: Furphy Claire , Costello Eamon , Murphy Denise , Corner Leigh A. L. , Gormley Eamonn
Published: April 2012

Badgers (Meles meles) have been implicated in the transmission ofMycobacterium bovisinfection to cattle in Ireland and UK. Recent studies in Ireland have shown that although the disease is endemic in badgers, the prevalence of disease is not uniform throughout the country and can vary among subpopulations. The extent to which the prevalence levels in badgers impact on the prevalence in cattle is not known. Previously, DNA fingerprinting has shown thatM. bovisstrain types are shared between badgers and cattle, and that there are a large number of strain types circulating in the two species. In this study we have carried out spoligotyping and variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis ofM. bovisisolates from two groups of badgers, representing a wide geographic area, with different tuberculosis prevalence levels. The results of the typing show that there is no geographic clustering of strain types associated with prevalence. However, two VNTR profiles were identified that appear to be associated with high- and low-prevalenceM. bovisinfection levels, respectively. In addition, spoligotyping and VNTR analysis has provided evidence, for the first time, of multiple infections of individual badgers with differentM. bovisstrains.
Thermal and Optical Characterization of Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals
Authors: Shanks Robert A. , Staszczyk Daniel
Published: April 2012

Liquid crystals are compounds that display order in the liquid state above the melting temperature and below the mesogenic isotropic temperature. Polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) are composite materials in which liquid crystalline material is dispersed within a polymer matrix to form micron-sized droplets. The aim was to prepare several cholesteryl esters or alkoxybenzoic acid PDLCs and characterise thermal and optical properties. Differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy were employed. The matrix polymer was a one-component UV-curable epoxy-acrylate resin. PDLCs were formed through entropy controlled phase separation resulting from UV-initiated crosslinking. The liquid crystals, both as mesogenic moieties and as dispersed droplets, exhibited various textures according to their molecular order and orientation. These textures formed in constrained regions separated by phase boundaries that occurred at temperatures characteristic of each liquid crystal used. The PDLC phase transitions occurred at temperatures lower than those exhibited by the mesogenic components in the neat state.
Discovery of Characteristic Patterns from Transactions with Their Classes
Authors: Sakurai Shigeaki
Published: April 2012

This paper deals with transactions with their classes. The classes represent the difference of conditions in the data collection. This paper redefines two kinds of supports: characteristic support and possible support. The former one is based on specific classes assigned to specific patterns. The latter one is based on the minimum class in the classes. This paper proposes a new method that efficiently discovers patterns whose characteristic supports are larger than or equal to the predefined minimum support by using their possible supports. Also, this paper verifies the effect of the method through numerical experiments based on the data registered in the UCI machine learning repository and the RFID (radio frequency identification) data collected from two apparel shops.
On Optimal Antijamming Strategies in Sensor Networks
Authors: Zhu Yanmin , Jiang Yuan
Published: April 2012

Physical layer radio jamming is a serious security threat to a wireless sensor network since the network relies on open wireless radio channels. A radio jammer is typically strategic and chooses its jamming strategy in response to the possible defense strategy taken by the sensor network. In this paper we model the interaction between the sensor network and the attacker as a noncooperative nonzero-sum static game. In such a game, the sensor network has a set of strategies of controlling its probability of wireless channel access and the attacker manipulates its jamming by controlling its jamming probability after sensing a transmission activity. We propose an algorithm for computing the optimal strategies for jamming attack and network defense. A critical issue is that there may exist a number of possible strategy profiles of Nash equilibria. To address this issue, we further propose to choose realistic Nash equilibria by applying the Pareto dominance and risk dominance. Our numerical results demonstrate that the strategies chosen by the Pareto dominance and risk dominance achieve the expected performance. Our results presented in the paper provide valuable defense guidance for wireless sensor networks against jamming attacks.