bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical–biological coupling and the challenge of understanding fish recruitment in freshwater lakes
Authors: Ludsin Stuart A. , DeVanna Kristen M. , Smith Ralph E.H.
Published: February 2014

Marine fisheries recruitment research has emphasized approaches that explore physical–biological interactions during early life stages (ELS). Herein, we review evidence that such approaches would benefit our understanding of fish recruitment in large freshwater lakes, which exhibit similar physical processes and contain fishes with comparable life-history characteristics as marine ecosystems. A review of the primary literature (1965–2008) for freshwater and marine ecosystems revealed that coupled biophysical research on fish ELS (i) has benefited our ability to understand and predict fish recruitment in marine ecosystems; (ii) has been virtually absent from small lake ecosystems but has been growing in the Laurentian Great Lakes; and (iii) has shown that similar to marine ecosystems, physical processes can control fish recruitment in large lakes through direct and indirect pathways, often involving interactions between biological processes and physicochemical conditions. In addition to identifying specific research gaps and opportunities, this perspective points to the need for increased research on physical–biological coupling in large lake ecosystems, as well as the continued erosion of barriers between marine and freshwater fisheries recruitment science.
Electrically charged droplet: case study of a simple generator
Authors: Brandenbourger Martin , Dorbolo Stéphane
Published: February 2014

We studied the behavior of a simple apparatus that allows charging droplets by induction. We imposed the following constraints: (i) any liquid should be charged (more precisely whatever its surface tension and therefore whatever its wettability, capillary length, etc.); and (ii) the system is to remain as simple as possible. The design of the device results of a compromise regarding both constraints. The device developed is based on a planar capacitor in which the droplets are generated. The influence of the nature of the liquid (i.e., presence of ions in solution, polarity, surface tension, and conductivity) on the charge induced was measured and was found to be independent of the liquid properties (except for the silicone oil). We deduced that, in the considered configuration, fluids behave like a “perfect conductor” as soon as conductive relaxation time is smaller than the droplet ejection time. Under this condition, the charge has the time to move in the droplet to reach the electrostatic regime.
Characterization of mechanically synthesized AgInSe2 nanostructures
Authors: Pathak Dinesh , Wagner Tomas , Šubrt J. , Kupcik Jaroslav
Published: February 2014

A quantum dot (QD) solar cell is an emerging field in solar cell research that uses QDs as the photovoltaic material. QDs have band gaps that are tunable across a wide range of energy levels by changing the QD size. Embedding different sized dots within the absorbing layer encourages harnessing the maximum spectrum energy. Also, other effects like a very high surface to volume ratio and quantum transport make them attractive for future devices. AgInSe2 (AIS) nanoparticles with tetragonally distorted phase have been prepared by mechanically alloying the synthesized bulk AIS powder at room temperature in a planetary ball mill under Ar in an attempt to create QDs. Nanoparticles are formed of ∼10 nm in size. These ball-milled nanoparticles contain different shapes and the Rietveld analysis of X-ray powder diffraction data reveals their detailed structural features. High resolution transmission electron microscope images also detect the presence of the tetragonal phase in ball-milled samples. Peak broadening (full width at half maximum), the main characteristic of a decrease in size, is observed. X-ray diffraction data reveals the downscaling of crystallite from 103 to 7 nm, and the tetragonally distorted structure of the system was not disturbed by milling. Differential scanning calorimetric study also reveals the phase evolution and crystallization kinetics. Bulk samples show endo melting peak at 134 and 220 °C. The cooling–crystallization complexity of the peaks signifies that crystallization from melt was heterogeneous nucleation and crystallization from multiple types of centers. Unlike this milled samples show two crystallization effects at approximately 135 and 380 °C. Optical properties investigated to find band edges suggest that it is around 1.3 eV, which is encouraging for photovoltaic applications.
Bifacial microcrystalline silicon solar cells with improved performance due to μc-SiOx:H doped layers
Authors: Smirnov V. , Lambertz A. , Finger F.
Published: February 2014

We present the development and application of n-type hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (μc-SiOx:H) in semitransparent bifacial microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) solar cells. Semitransparent bifacial solar cells are of interest for a number of technical applications like building integration or concentrator devices, but also can offer new insight into solar cell properties due to the possibility to illuminate the cell from both sides. Appropriately selected μc-SiOx:H n-layers with low refractive index and high optical band gap allow the reduction of the reflection of the cells and improve short circuit current density (JSC) and conversion efficiencies. The quality of n-type μc-SiOx:H window layers is demonstrated in solar cells with highly reflective ZnO/Ag contacts. High JSC values of 24.8 mA/cm2 and efficiencies of 9.5% are obtained for 1 μm thick solar cells.
Relaxation of two coupled quantum oscillators to quasi-equilibrium states based on path integrals
Authors: Dorofeyev Illarion
Published: February 2014

This paper addresses the problem of relaxation of open quantum systems. Using the path integral methods, we found an analytical expression for the time-dependent density matrix of two coupled quantum oscillators interacting with different baths of oscillators. The expression for density matrix was found in the linear regime with respect to the coupling constant between selected oscillators. Time dependent spatial variances and covariances were investigated analytically and numerically. It was shown that asymptotic variances in the long-time limit are always in accordance with the fluctuation dissipation theorem despite their initial values. In the weak coupling approach there is good reason to believe that subsystems are asymptotically in equilibrium at their own temperatures despite the arbitrary difference in temperatures within the whole system.
WHY DO MIGRANTS DO BETTER THAN NON-MIGRANTS AT DESTINATION? MIGRATION, CLASS AND INEQUALITY DYNAMICS IN INDIA
Authors: VAKULABHARANAM VAMSI , THAKURATA SASWATA GUHA
Published: February 2014

The puzzle that we address in this paper is why migrants at their destination fare better than non-migrants, across different socio-economic classes in India, while the general perception of migrants is that they are less endowed than the locally residing population. We explain this by the relatively high elite presence among migrants, dualism of Indian migration (between long-term and circular ones), but mainly by the differences in the levels of education. In India, migration has taken an overall color of increasing the nation-wide inequalities (mainly by heightening the rural–urban gap and urban disparities).
Charged exotic charmonium states
Authors: Nielsen Marina , Navarra Fernando S.
Published: February 2014

In this review, we present and discuss all the experimental information about the charged exotic charmonium states, which have been observed over the last five years. We try to understand their properties such as masses and decay widths with QCD sum rules. We describe this method, show the results and compare them with the experimental data and with other theoretical approaches.
Covariant phase space, constraints, gauge and the Peierls formula
Authors: Khavkine Igor
Published: February 2014

It is well known that both the symplectic structure and the Poisson brackets of classical field theory can be constructed directly from the Lagrangian in a covariant way, without passing through the noncovariant canonical Hamiltonian formalism. This is true even in the presence of constraints and gauge symmetries. These constructions go under the names of the covariant phase space formalism and the Peierls bracket. We review both of them, paying more careful attention, than usual, to the precise mathematical hypotheses that they require, illustrating them in examples. Also an extensive historical overview of the development of these constructions is provided. The novel aspect of our presentation is a significant expansion and generalization of an elegant and quite recent argument by Forger and Romero showing the equivalence between the resulting symplectic and Poisson structures without passing through the canonical Hamiltonian formalism as an intermediary. We generalize it to cover theories with constraints and gauge symmetries and formulate precise sufficient conditions under which the argument holds. These conditions include a local condition on the equations of motion that we call hyperbolizability, and some global conditions of cohomological nature. The details of our presentation may shed some light on subtle questions related to the Poisson structure of gauge theories and their quantization.
Statistics of piezonuclear emissions: early results
Authors: Albertini G. , Calbucci V. , Cardone F.
Published: February 2014

Measurements of ionizing and nonionizing particles are performed during the rupture tests of steel rods having different diameter. A ZnS ( Ag ) alpha detector, a Geiger counter and a 3 He proportional counter for neutrons are used. From the distributions of the recorded intensity maxima, different particles emissions are suggested to occur in broken and nonbroken samples. A hint for the emission of neutrons at rupture is also obtained. Such neutron emissions are predicted in the framework of the piezonuclear theory.
Moderated online social therapy
Authors: Lederman Reeva , Wadley Greg , Gleeson John , Bendall Sarah , Álvarez-Jiménez Mario
Published: February 2014

Although the use and prevalence of Web-based mental health applications have grown over the past decade, many of these services suffer high rates of attrition. This is problematic, as face-to-face support for mental health is limited. To determine appropriate design guidelines for increasing engagement, we conducted a study of First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) patients and reviewed theories on the use of existing online services. We produced a set of design goals, developed an online application that combined social networking and online therapy within a clinician-moderated site, and conducted a 6-week trial with a group of young FEP patients. The design goals, based on existing theory including Supportive Accountability and Positive Psychology, are operationlised through a model we call Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST). The trial results indicate that our implementation achieved the design goals and that the MOST model can inform the development of more effective and engaging online therapies.
An in-depth study of the potentially confounding effect of class size in fault prediction
Authors: Zhou Yuming , Xu Baowen , Leung Hareton , Chen Lin
Published: February 2014

Background. The extent of the potentially confounding effect of class size in the fault prediction context is not clear, nor is the method to remove the potentially confounding effect, or the influence of this removal on the performance of fault-proneness prediction models.Objective. We aim to provide an in-depth understanding of the effect of class size on the true associations between object-oriented metrics and fault-proneness.Method. We first employ statistical methods to examine the extent of the potentially confounding effect of class size in the fault prediction context. After that, we propose a linear regression-based method to remove the potentially confounding effect. Finally, we empirically investigate whether this removal could improve the prediction performance of fault-proneness prediction models.Results. Based on open-source software systems, we found: (a) the confounding effect of class size on the associations between object-oriented metrics and fault-proneness in general exists; (b) the proposed linear regression-based method can effectively remove the confounding effect; and (c) after removing the confounding effect, the prediction performance of fault prediction models with respect to both ranking and classification can in general be significantly improved.Conclusion. We should remove the confounding effect of class size when building fault prediction models.
PREDICTION & WARNING
Authors: Arora Yojna , Singhal Abhishek , Bansal Abhay
Published: February 2014

Educational data mining is a new discipline, which aims at extracting useful information and thus knowledge from huge data sets present at Educational Institutions. The main aim for such a discipline is to improve the quality of education by analyzing every parameter that is related to it. This is a Non-Linear Problem. Machine Learning provides various algorithms and approaches to deal with problems related to determining education quality. For the present study, a prediction model based on the Radial Basis Function (RBF) is proposed and its aim is to predict marks obtained by students in a subject that is related to subjects taken during previous semesters. Based on the results of predicted performance thus obtained, students are categorized into groups and the students likely to fail are warned beforehand for improvement.
Empirical investigation into static and dynamic coupling metrics
Authors: Geetika Rani , Singh Paramvir
Published: February 2014

Recent research in the field of object-oriented software engineering has been focusing on the usage of software metrics for the assessment of a product's quality. Software design coupling metrics include some of the most widely applicable metrics used in the modern software industry. Although static coupling metrics are used for analyzing the structural aspects of the object-oriented software systems, their inability to capture the behavioral aspects is well known and hence has given way to the evolution of their runtime counterparts i.e. the dynamic coupling metrics. Most of the dynamic coupling metrics proposed until now have not yet been empirically validated due to the high evaluation cost involved in the runtime metric data collection, hence limiting their practical application. This paper, as a part of our ongoing research on empirical validation of the dynamic coupling metrics, presents an empirical investigation into the static and dynamic CBO (Coupling Between Objects) metrics using some open source real world java applications. A set of criteria for the selection of sample benchmark applications required for the dynamic metrics validation has also been devised. A scenario based approach in combination with the appropriate statistical techniques has been used in an attempt to correlate the static and dynamic coupling metrics.
CMS tool
Authors: Malhotra Ruchika , Agrawal Anushree
Published: February 2014

Defect and change prediction is a very important activity in software development. Predicting erroneous classes of the system early in the software development life cycle will enable early identification of risky classes in the initial phases. This will assist software practitioners in designing and developing software systems of better quality with focused resources and hence take necessary corrective design actions. In this work we describe a framework to develop and calculate the defect fixes and changes made during various versions of a software system. We develop a tool, Configuration Management System (CMS), which uses log files obtained from a Concurrent Versioning System (CVS) repository in order to collect the number of defects from each class. The tool also calculates the number of changes made during each version of the software. This tool will also assist software practitioners and researchers in collecting defect and change data for software systems.
Deriving reliable compositions using cancelable web services
Authors: Rajaram Kanchana , Babu Chitra
Published: February 2014

Reliability is one of the main challenges while composing web services. Due to the inherent heterogeneity of web services, it is important to predict the behaviour of the overall composite service. Existing works that deal with reliable web service composition consider only three basic transactional properties such as pivot, retriable, and compensatable. When a service fails, its results can be ignored if it is pivot; it can be retried until it succeeds if it is retriable; or the previously completed services must be rolled back if they are compensatable, in order to achieve reliable execution. In general, business applications involve long running services. Service execution must be interrupted to adapt to dynamically changing user preferences since execution of the service to completion with the older requirements is no longer meaningful. Hence, service composition requires additional transactional support beyond the three transactional properties. To address this need, we introduce cancelable services and investigate the transactional properties of composite services that involve cancelable component services. The valid compositions, which result in a reliable execution are identified and formally verified.
Report from the 3rd International Workshop on Replication in Empirical Software Engineering Research (RESER 2013)
Authors: Krein Jonathan L. , Knutson Charles D. , Bird Christian
Published: February 2014

The RESER workshop provides a venue in which empirical software engineering researchers can discuss the theoretical foundations and methods of replication, as well as present the results of specific replicated studies. In 2013, the workshop co-located with the International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM) in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to several outstanding paper sessions, highlights of the 2013 workshop included a keynote address by Dr. Mel Conway, in which he presented a "45-Year Retrospective on Conway's Law and the Sociology of System Design." The workshop also featured a joint replication session exploring the results and methodologies of four research teams, who each studied some aspect of Conway's Law.
Leveraging "energy efficiency to software users"
Authors: Lago Patricia , Meyer Niklaus , Morisio Maurizio , Müller Hausi A. , Scanniello Giuseppe
Published: February 2014

The Focus of the GREENS workshop is the engineering of green and sustainable software. Our goal is to bring together academics and practitioners to discuss research initiatives, challenges, ideas, and results in this critically important area of the software industry. This second edition of the workshop was held at ICSE 2013 in San Francisco, CA, USA. The theme of GREENS 2013 is Leveraging "Energy Efficiency to Software Users." It featured a keynote talk, ten research papers and three breakout sessions that discussed topics that ranged from qualities vs. energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, to green models and views for (software) products/process and to stakeholders, relevant metrics and measurements. In this report, we present the themes of the workshop, and summarize the results of the discussions held in the breakout sessions, as well as the identified research challenges for future investigation.
Towards a lazier symbolic pathfinder
Authors: Hillery Benjamin , Mercer Eric , Rungta Neha , Person Suzette
Published: February 2014

To explore the state space of programs with complex user-defined data structures, most symbolic execution engines use the lazy initialization algorithm. Symbolic Pathfinder (SPF) is the symbolic execution engine for the Java PathFinder (JPF) model checker; SPF too contains an implementation of the lazy initialization algorithm. A number of extensions to the original lazy initialization algorithm have since been published. One such extension is the lazier# algorithm which demonstrated dramatic performance gains over the other algorithms. There is, however, no open-source implementation of the lazier# algorithm available. This work is an implementation of the the lazier# algorithm within the Symbolic PathFinder framework. In addition, this work describes the implementation of two heap bounding techniques in SPF, namely k-bounding and n-bounding. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the nature of the improvements, implementation details, usage and performance test results.
Leveraging machine learning and information retrieval techniques in software evolution tasks
Authors: Lucia  , Lo David , Scanniello Giuseppe , Marchetto Alessandro , Ali Nasir , McMillan Collin
Published: February 2014

The first International Workshop on MAchine Learning and Information Retrieval for Software Evolution (MALIR-SE) was held on the 11th of November 2013. The workshop was held in conjunction with the 28th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering (ASE) in Silicon Valley, California, USA. The workshop brought researchers and practitioners that were interested in leveraging machine learning and information retrieval techniques to automate various software evolution tasks. During the workshop, papers on the application of machine learning and information retrieval techniques to bug fix time prediction and anti-pattern detection were presented. There were also discussions on the presented papers and on future direction of research in the area.
Prevalence of coincidental correctness and mitigation of its impact on fault localization
Authors: Masri Wes , Assi Rawad Abou
Published: February 2014

Researchers have argued that for failure to be observed the following three conditions must be met:
C

R

= the defect was reached;
C

I

= the program has transitioned into an infectious state; and
C

P

= the infection has propagated to the output.
Coincidental Correctness
(CC) arises when the program produces the correct output while condition C
R
is met but not C
P
. We recognize two forms of coincidental correctness, weak and strong. In
weak CC
, C
R
is met, whereas C
I
might or might not be met, whereas in
strong
CC
, both C
R
and C
I
are met. In this work we first show that CC is prevalent in both of its forms and demonstrate that it is a safety reducing factor for
Coverage-Based Fault Localization
(CBFL). We then propose two techniques for cleansing test suites from coincidental correctness to enhance CBFL, given that the test cases have already been classified as failing or passing. We evaluated the effectiveness of our techniques by empirically quantifying their accuracy in identifying weak CC tests. The results were promising, for example, the better performing technique, using 105 test suites and statement coverage, exhibited 9% false negatives, 30% false positives, and no false negatives nor false positives in 14.3% of the test suites. Also using 73 test suites and more complex coverage, the numbers were 12%, 19%, and 15%, respectively.
Improving software modularization via automated analysis of latent topics and dependencies
Authors: Bavota Gabriele , Gethers Malcom , Oliveto Rocco , Poshyvanyk Denys , Lucia Andrea de
Published: February 2014

Oftentimes, during software maintenance the original program modularization decays, thus reducing its quality. One of the main reasons for such architectural erosion is suboptimal placement of source-code classes in software packages. To alleviate this issue, we propose an automated approach to help developers improve the quality of software modularization. Our approach analyzes underlying latent topics in source code as well as structural dependencies to recommend (and explain) refactoring operations aiming at moving a class to a more suitable package. The topics are acquired via Relational Topic Models (RTM), a probabilistic topic modeling technique. The resulting tool, coined as
R
3 (Rational Refactoring via RTM), has been evaluated in two empirical studies. The results of the first study conducted on nine software systems indicate that
R
3 provides a coupling reduction from 10% to 30% among the software modules. The second study with 62 developers confirms that
R
3 is able to provide meaningful recommendations (and explanations) for move class refactoring. Specifically, more than 70% of the recommendations were considered meaningful from a functional point of view.
Automated cookie collection testing
Authors: Tappenden Andrew F. , Miller James
Published: February 2014

Cookies are used by over 80% of Web applications utilizing dynamic Web application frameworks. Applications deploying cookies must be rigorously verified to ensure that the application is robust and secure. Given the intense time-to-market pressures faced by modern Web applications, testing strategies that are low cost and automatable are required. Automated Cookie Collection Testing (CCT) is presented, and is empirically demonstrated to be a low-cost and highly effective automated testing solution for modern Web applications. Automatable test oracles and evaluation metrics specifically designed for Web applications are presented, and are shown to be significant diagnostic tests. Automated CCT is shown to detect faults within five real-world Web applications. A case study of over 580 test results for a single application is presented demonstrating that automated CCT is an effective testing strategy. Moreover, CCT is found to detect security bugs in a Web application released into full production.
Architecture-centric support for adaptive service collaborations
Authors: Haesevoets Robrecht , Weyns Danny , Holvoet Tom
Published: February 2014

In today's volatile business environments, collaboration between information systems, both within and across company borders, has become essential to success. An efficient supply chain, for example, requires the collaboration of distributed and heterogeneous systems of multiple companies. Developing such collaborative applications and building the supporting information systems poses several engineering challenges. A key challenge is to manage the ever-growing design complexity. In this article, we argue that software architecture should play a more prominent role in the development of collaborative applications. This can help to better manage design complexity by modularizing collaborations and separating concerns. State-of-the-art solutions, however, often lack proper abstractions for modeling collaborations at architectural level or do not reify these abstractions at detailed design and implementation level. Developers, on the other hand, rely on middleware, business process management, and Web services, techniques that mainly focus on low-level infrastructure.

To address the problem of managing the design complexity of collaborative applications, we present Macodo. Macodo consists of three complementary parts: (1) a set of abstractions for modeling adaptive collaborations, (2) a set of architectural views, the main contribution of this article, that reify these abstractions at architectural level, and (3) a proof-of-concept middleware infrastructure that supports the architectural abstractions at design and implementation level. We evaluate the architectural views in a controlled experiment. Results show that the use of Macodo can reduce fault density and design complexity, and improve reuse and productivity. The main contributions of this article are illustrated in a supply chain management case.
Hyper3D
Authors: Kim Min H. , Rushmeier Holly , Ffrench John , Passeri Irma , Tidmarsh David
Published: February 2014

Art conservators now have access to a wide variety of digital imaging techniques to assist in examining and documenting physical works of art. Commonly used techniques include hyperspectral imaging, 3D scanning, and medical computed tomography imaging. However, viewing most of this digital image data frequently requires both specialized software, which is often associated with a particular type of acquisition device, and professional knowledge of and experience with each type of data. In addition, many of these software packages are focused on particular applications (such as medicine or remote sensing) and do not permit users to access and fully exploit all the information contained in the data. In this paper, we address two practical barriers to using high-tech digital data in art conservation. First, users must deal with a wide variety of interfaces specialized for applications besides conservation. We provide an open-source software tool with a single intuitive interface consistent with conservators' needs that handles various types of 2D and 3D image data and preserves user-generated metadata and annotations. Second, previous software has largely allowed visualizing a single type or only a few types of data. The software we present is designed and structured to accommodate multiple types of digital imaging data, including as yet unspecified or unimplemented formats, in an integrated environment. This allows conservators to access different forms of information and to view a variety of image types simultaneously.
Amino Acid Nutrition in Animals: Protein Synthesis and Beyond
Authors: Wu Guoyao , Bazer Fuller W. , Dai Zhaolai , Li Defa , Wang Junjun , Wu Zhenlong
Published: February 2014

Amino acids (AA) have enormous physiological importance, serving as building blocks for proteins and substrates for synthesis of low-molecular-weight substances. Based on growth or nitrogen balance, AA were traditionally classified as nutritionally essential or nonessential for animals. Although those AA that are not synthesized in eukaryotes (nutritionally essential AA, EAA) must be present in animal diets, nutritionally nonessential AA (NEAA) have long been ignored for all species. Emerging evidence shows that nonruminants cannot adequately synthesize NEAA or conditionally essential AA (CEAA) to realize their growth or anti-infection potential. Likewise, all preformed AA are needed for high-producing cows and rapidly growing ruminants. Many NEAA and CEAA (e.g., arginine, glutamine, glutamate, glycine, and proline) and certain EAA (e.g., leucine and tryptophan) participate in cell signaling, gene expression, and metabolic regulation. Thus, functions of AA beyond protein synthesis must be considered in dietary formulations to improve efficiency of nutrient use, growth, development, reproduction, lactation, and well-being in animals.
The Modern Feedlot for Finishing Cattle
Authors: Wagner John J. , Archibeque Shawn L. , Feuz Dillon M.
Published: February 2014

The modern beef feedlot has evolved into a complex system that is very dependent upon technology. Modern feedlots are organized into departments, often including the office, cattle, yard, feed milling, and feed departments, that allow for improvements in production efficiency through the specialization of management and labor. Regardless of size, feedlots must succeed at the following tasks: cattle procurement, cattle receiving, cattle processing, daily cattle observations, health treatments, cattle marketing, feed procurement, feed commodity receiving, feed commodity storage, diet formulation, diet delivery, bunk management, and environmental management. Apart from cattle ownership, feedlots create most of their gross income from feed sales, yardage, inventory gain on flaked grain, and combinations of these sources. The future of the industry is filled with economic and political challenges, including high grain prices owing to competition from the ethanol industry, environmental regulations, excess feedlot capacity, and a diminishing labor pool owing to declining rural populations.
Clinical Outcomes of Colonic Stent in a Tertiary Care Center
Authors: Gajendran Mahesh , Umapathy Chandraprakash , Nasr John , Gelrud Andres
Published: February 2014

Introduction. Colonic obstruction is one of the manifestations of colon cancer for which self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) have been effectively used, to restore the luminal patency either for palliative care or as a bridge to resective surgery. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of large diameter SEMS in patients with malignant colorectal obstruction.Methods and Results. A four-year retrospective review of the Medical Archival System was performed and identified 16 patients. The average age was 70.8 years, of which 56% were females. The most common cause of obstruction was colon cancer (9/16, 56%). Rectosigmoid was the main site of obstruction (9/16) and complete obstruction occurred in 31% of cases. The overall technical and clinical success rates were 100% and 87%, respectively. There were no immediate complications (<24 hours), but stent stenosis due to kinking occurred within one week of stent placement in 2 patients. Stent migration occurred in 2 patients at 34 and 91 days, respectively. There were no perforations or bleeding complications.Conclusion. Large diameter SEMS provide a safe method for palliation or as a bridge to therapy in patients with malignant colonic obstruction with high technical success and very low complication rates.
Determination of Concentration Profile for Flowing Solid Particles in Pipeline Using Electric Charge Tomography System
Authors: Thuku Iliya Tizhe , Rahmat Mohd Fua’ad , Abdul Wahab Norhaliza , Tajdari Teimor
Published: February 2014

Tomography aims to present an image of a cross‐sectional distribution of materials in some regions of interest such as cross‐section of a pipeline or process vessel. This paper presents the concentration profiles of solid particles across a conveying pipeline obtained using tomographic imaging. In the paper, 16 electrodynamic sensors were installed around the circumference of a pipeline to capture electric charges carried by the particles moving through the pipeline under gravity. The Cartesian coordinate system used to derive the system equation gave an accurate charge distribution while the meshing technique of the finite element method applied miniaturized the pixel sizes within the sensing zone. The problem of unstable matrix and weak signal response around the center of the pipe cross‐section, normally associated with the electric charge tomography system, was addressed using matrix compression through transposition and filtering. The pro rata distribution method mostly applied in the financial accounting analysis was used in the final stage. An algorithm for realization of the concepts was developed using MATLAB. The qualities of the resulting images for four different flow regimes provide good quality images representing the distribution of the particles across the pipeline cross‐section.
Continuous-TimeΣΔADC with Implicit Variable Gain Amplifier for CMOS Image Sensor
Authors: Tang Fang , Bermak Amine , Abbes Amira , Amor Benammar Mohieddine
Published: February 2014

This paper presents a column-parallel continuous-time sigma delta (CTSD) ADC for mega-pixel resolution CMOS image sensor (CIS). The sigma delta modulator is implemented with a 2nd order resistor/capacitor-based loop filter. The first integrator uses a conventional operational transconductance amplifier (OTA), for the concern of a high power noise rejection. The second integrator is realized with a single-ended inverter-based amplifier, instead of a standard OTA. As a result, the power consumption is reduced, without sacrificing the noise performance. Moreover, the variable gain amplifier in the traditional column-parallel read-out circuit is merged into the front-end of the CTSD modulator. By programming the input resistance, the amplitude range of the input current can be tuned with 8 scales, which is equivalent to a traditional 2-bit preamplification function without consuming extra power and chip area. The test chip prototype is fabricated using 0.18 μm CMOS process and the measurement result shows an ADC power consumption lower than 63.5 μW under 1.4 V power supply and 50 MHz clock frequency.
Adipokines and the Female Reproductive Tract
Authors: Reverchon Maxime , Ramé Christelle , Bertoldo Michael , Dupont Joëlle
Published: February 2014

It is well known that adipose tissue can influence puberty, sexual maturation, and fertility in different species. Adipose tissue secretes molecules called adipokines which most likely have an endocrine effect on reproductive function. It has been revealed over the last few years that adipokines are functionally implicated at all levels of the reproductive axis including the gonad and hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Many studies have shown the presence and the role of the adipokines and their receptors in the female reproductive tract of different species. These adipokines regulate ovarian steroidogenesis, oocyte maturation, and embryo development. They are also present in the uterus and placenta where they could create a favorable environment for embryonic implantation and play a key role in maternal-fetal metabolism communication and gestation. Reproductive functions are strongly dependent on energy balance, and thereby metabolic abnormalities can lead to the development of some pathophysiologies such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Adipokines could be a link between reproduction and energy metabolism and could partly explain some infertility related to obesity or PCOS.
An ENSO-Forecast Independent Statistical Model for the Prediction of Annual Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Frequency in April
Authors: Xie Kenny , Liu Bin
Published: February 2014

Statistical models for preseason prediction of annual Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) and hurricane counts generally include El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forecasts as a predictor. As a result, the predictions from such models are often contaminated by the errors in ENSO forecasts. In this study, it is found that the latent heat flux (LHF) over Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP, defined as the region 0°–5°N, 115°–125°W) in spring is negatively correlated with the annual Atlantic TC and hurricane counts. By using stepwise backward elimination regression, it is further shown that the March value of ETP LHF is a better predictor than the spring or summer ENSO index for Atlantic TC counts. Leave-one-out cross validation indicates that the annual Atlantic TC counts predicted by this ENSO-independent statistical model show a remarkable correlation with the actual TC counts (R=0.72;Pvalue<0.01). For Atlantic hurricanes, the predictions using March ETP LHF and summer (July–September) ENSO indices show only minor differences except in moderate to strong El Niño years. Thus, March ETP LHF is an excellent predictor for seasonal Atlantic TC prediction and a viable alternative to using ENSO index for Atlantic hurricane prediction.
Oscillation Criteria of Second-Order Nonlinear Differential Equations with Variable Coefficients
Authors: Salhin Ambarka A. , Din Ummul Khair Salma , Ahmad Rokiah Rozita , Noorani Mohd Salmi Md
Published: February 2014

Some new oscillation criteria are given for second-order nonlinear differential equations with variable coefficients. Our results generalize and extend some of the well-known results in the literatures. Some examples are considered to illustrate the main results.
Anthocyanin Incorporated Dental Copolymer: Bacterial Growth Inhibition, Mechanical Properties, and Compound Release Rates and Stability by1H NMR
Authors: Hrynash Halyna , Pilly Vinay Kumar , Mankovskaia Alexandra , Xiong Yaoyang , Nogueira Filho Getulio , Bresciani Eduardo , Lévesque Céline Marie , Prakki Anuradha
Published: February 2014

Objective.To evaluate bacterial growth inhibition, mechanical properties, and compound release rate and stability of copolymers incorporated with anthocyanin (ACY;Vaccinium macrocarpon).Methods.Resin samples were prepared (Bis-GMA/TEGDMA at 70/30 mol%) and incorporated with 2 w/w% of either ACY or chlorhexidine (CHX), except for the control group. Samples were individually immersed in a bacterial culture (Streptococcus mutans) for 24 h. Cell viability (n=3) was assessed by counting the number of colony forming units on replica agar plates. Flexural strength (FS) and elastic modulus (E) were tested on a universal testing machine (n=8). Compound release and chemical stability were evaluated by UV spectrophotometry and1H NMR (n=3). Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (α= 0.05).Results.Both compounds inhibited S. mutans growth, with CHX being most effective (P<0.05). Control resin had the lowest FS and E values, followed by ACY and CHX, with statistical difference between control and CHX groups for both mechanical properties (P<0.05). The 24 h compound release rates were ACY: 1.33 μg/mL and CHX: 1.92 μg/mL.1H NMR spectra suggests that both compounds remained stable after being released in water.Conclusion.The present findings indicate that anthocyanins might be used as a natural antibacterial agent in resin based materials.
Research and Application of the Beijing Road Traffic Prediction System
Authors: Li Ruimin , Ma Hongliang , Lu Huapu , Guo Min
Published: February 2014

As an important part of the urban Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) and Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS), short-term road traffic prediction system has received special attention in recent decades. The success of ATMS and ATIS technology deployment is heavily dependent on the availability of timely and accurate estimation or prediction of prevailing and emerging traffic conditions. We studied a real-time road traffic prediction system developed for Beijing based on various traffic detection systems. The logical architecture of the system was presented, including raw data level, data processing and calculation level, and application level. Four key function servers were introduced, namely, the database server, calculation server, Geographic Information System (GIS) server, and web application server. The functions, function modules, and the data flow of the proposed traffic prediction system were analyzed, and subsequently prediction models used in this system are described. Finally, the prediction performance of the system in practice was analyzed. The application of the system in Beijing indicated that the proposed and developed system was feasible, robust, and reliable in practice.
Elemental Spatiotemporal Variations of Total Suspended Particles in Jeddah City
Authors: Kadi Mohammad W.
Published: February 2014

Elements associated with total suspended particulate matter (TSP) in Jeddah city were determined. Using high-volume samplers, TSP samples were simultaneously collected over a one-year period from seven sampling sites. Samples were analyzed for Al, Ba, Ca, Cu, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, As, and Sr. Results revealed great dependence of element contents on spatial and temporal variations. Two sites characterized by busy roads, workshops, heavy population, and heavy trucking have high levels of all measured elements. Concentrations of most elements at the two sites exhibit strong spatial gradients and concentrations of elements at these sites are higher than other locations. The highest concentrations of elements were observed during June–August because of dust storms, significant increase in energy consumption, and active surface winds. Enrichment factors of elements at the high-level sites have values in the range >10~60 while for Cu and Zn the enrichment factors are much higher (~0–>700) indicating that greater percentage of TSP composition for these three elements in air comes from anthropogenic activities.
Rosiglitazone Attenuated Endothelin-1-Induced Vasoconstriction of Pulmonary Arteries in the Rat Model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension via Differential Regulation of ET-1 Receptors
Authors: Liu Yahan , Tian Xiao Yu , Huang Yu , Wang Nanping
Published: February 2014

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a fatal disease characterized by a progressive increase in pulmonary arterial pressure leading to right ventricular failure and death. Activation of the endothelin (ET)-1 system has been demonstrated in plasma and lung tissue of PAH patients as well as in animal models of PAH. Recently, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ(PPARγ) agonists have been shown to ameliorate PAH. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism for the antivasoconstrictive effects of rosiglitazone in response to ET-1 in PAH. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to chronic hypoxia (10% oxygen) for 3 weeks. Pulmonary arteries from PAH rats showed an enhanced vasoconstriction in response to ET-1. Treatment with PPARγagonist rosiglitazone (20 mg/kg per day) with oral gavage for 3 days attenuated the vasocontractive effect of ET-1. The effect of rosiglitazone was lost in the presence ofL-NAME, indicating a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism. Western blotting revealed that rosiglitazone increasedETBRbut decreasedETARlevel in pulmonary arteries from PAH rats.ETBRantagonist A192621 diminished the effect of rosiglitazone on ET-1-induced contraction. These results demonstrated that rosiglitazone attenuated ET-1-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction in PAH through differential regulation of the subtypes of ET-1 receptors and, thus, provided a new mechanism for the therapeutic use of PPARγagonists in PAH.
Body Mass Index and Retinopathy in Type 1 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Kaštelan Snježana , Salopek Rabatić Jasminka , Tomić Martina , Gverović Antunica Antonela , Ljubić Spomenka , Kaštelan Helena , Novak Branko , Orešković Darko
Published: February 2014

Aim. To investigate whether body mass index (BMI) independently or in correlation with other risk factors is associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) progression.Methods.The study included 176 patients with type 1 diabetes divided into three groups according to DR status: group 1 (no retinopathy;n=86), group 2 (mild/moderate nonproliferative DR;n=33), and group 3 (severe/very severe NPDR or proliferative DR;n=57).Results. A significant deterioration of HbA1c, an increase in total cholesterol, systolic, diastolic blood pressure, and diabetic nephropathy with the progression of retinopathy were found. DR progression was correlated with diabetes duration, HbA1c, hypertension, total cholesterol, and the presence of nephropathy. In patients without nephropathy, statistical analyses showed that progression of retinopathy increased significantly with higher BMI (gr. 1: 24.03 ± 3.52, gr. 2: 25.36 ± 3.44, gr. 3: 26.93 ± 3.24;P<0.01). A positive correlation between BMI and a significant deterioration of HbA1c, an increase in cholesterol, triglycerides, and hypertension was observed.Conclusion. BMI in correlation with HbA1c, cholesterol, and hypertension appears to be associated with the progression of DR in type 1 diabetic patients without nephropathy. However, additional studies are required to investigate the pathogenic role of obesity and weight loss in retinal diabetic complications particularly relating to nephropathy.
Effect of the PB2 and M Genes on the Replication of H6 Influenza Virus in Chickens
Authors: Ozaki Hiroichi , Guan Yi , Peiris Malik , Webster Robert , Takada Ayato , Webby Richard
Published: February 2014

H6 subtype influenza viruses are commonly isolated from wild aquatic birds. However, limited information is available regarding H6 influenza virus isolated from chickens. We compared the viral genome segment between A/chicken/Hong Kong/W312/97 (H6N1), which was able to grow in chicken trachea, and A/duck/Shantou/5540/01 (H6N2), which was isolated from wild aquatic duck, to explore the factors for effective replication in chicken. When chickens were inoculated with 7+1 reassortants (W312 background), the replication of viruses with PB2 and M genes derived from the duck strain was significantly reduced. Chimeras of PB2 and M proteins, encoding the C-terminal region of the PB2 protein and the M2 protein from W312, were required for efficient replication in canine-derived (MDCK) cells and in chicken trachea. These results indicate that host range may be determined by some types of internal proteins such as PB2 and M2, as well as by surface glycoprotein like hemagglutinin.