bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Scoping Study for Hypersonic Transport Propulsion Systems
Authors: Kuo Simion C. , Doernbach Jay D. , Champagne George , Tatara A. , Futamura H. , Watanabe Y. , Aoki T.
Published: March 2015

Hypersonic aircraft and their propulsion systems are exposed to severe aerothermal environments which require a system approach to create innovative designs able to respond to the environmental challenges. This paper describes a preliminary study used to scope the technical challenges and identify the necessary development plans for the aircraft propulsion system. Presented here are the interim results of this scoping study for a turboramjet conceptual design conducted by UTC, Pratt & Whitney. This study is the first of four phases in a 6 year program on Hypersonic Transport Ramjet (HYTRAM) system R&D sponsored by NEDO, as an integral part of the Japanese National Project on “Super/Hypersonic Transport Propulsion Systems (HYPR)”.

Various turboramjet configurations were evaluated and two attractive candidates, a co-axial and a split flow configuration, were selected. Performance analyses were conducted for these two by incorporating the subsystem performance data provided by the Japanese companies (IHI on the turbofan and MHI on the inlet and nozzle). Pre–conceptual mechanical design sketches were prepared to provide some elementary definitions of the co–axial and the split flow turboramjet to assist in selecting a baseline configuration. Candidate materials including composites for the major subsystems were selected, using metals for near–term applications and including ceramics for far–term applications. Using the above results from this scoping study, the co–axial configuration was selected as the baseline because of its higher Figure of Merit estimated from its performance, mechanical design characteristics and the technical challenge it presented.
Tomahawk Engine/Air-Frame Compatibility Testing
Authors: Lowry R. C. , Eckmann J. B.
Published: March 2015

Tomahawk engine/air-frame compatibility tests at the Naval Air Propulsion Center (NAPC), Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), and in captive carry flight tests are discussed. A chronological history of these tests examines the test objectives, test configurations, and results. An emphasis on the two most recent ground tests at NAPC and AEDC is given with the tests compared in terms of repeatability of results. In the process, the major parameters effecting engine surge in the Tomahawk Cruise Missile are identified and quantified.
Combustion Study on Methane-Fuel Laboratory Scaled Ram Combustor
Authors: Kinoshita Y. , Kitajima J. , Shiraha M. , Tatara A.
Published: March 2015

Fundamental flameholding and combustion tests using simple V-gutters for the flame holders were investigated in order to obtain basic design data of a natural gas fueled ram combustor. Then Laboratory Scaled Ram Combustor (LSRC) was designed and fabricated in the first phase of the HYPR project using the fundamental flameholding and combustion tests results. Various tests were conducted to study combustion performance, such as flame stabilization, combustion efficiency, pressure loss and so on, of the LSRC at the simulated conditions of flight Mach number 3. The results indicate that high combustion efficiency is attainable with controlling the concentration of methane air mixture flowed into a flame holder even at a low equivalence ratio.
Unsteady Aerodynamics and Gust Response in Compressors and Turbines
Authors: Manwaring S. R. , Wisler D. C.
Published: March 2015

A comprehensive series of experiments and analyses were performed on compressor and turbine blading to evaluate the ability of current, practical, engineering/analysis models to predict unsteady aerodynamic loading of modern gas turbine blading. This is part of an on-going effort to improve methods for preventing blading failure. The experiments were conducted in low-speed research facilities capable of simulating the relevant aerodynamic features of turbomachinery. Unsteady loading on compressor and turbine blading was generated by upstream wakes and, additionally for compressors, by a rotating inlet distortion. Fast-response hot-wire anemometry and pressure transducers embedded in the airfoil surfaces were used to determine the aerodynamic gusts and resulting unsteady pressure responses acting on the airfoils. This is the first time that gust response measurements for turbines have been reported in the literature. Several different analyses were used to predict the gust response of the blading: (1) a classical flat-plate analysis, (2) a 2-D linearized flow analysis with a “frozen gust” model, (3) a 2-D linearized flow analysis with a “distorted gust” model, (4) a 2-D linearized Euler analysis, and (5) a 2-D non-linear Euler analysis. Also for the first time, a detailed comparison of these analyses methods is made and the importance of properly accounting for both vortical and potential disturbances is demonstrated. The predictions are compared with experiment and their abilities assessed to help guide designers in using these prediction schemes.
High Temperature Oxidation and Corrosion of Engineering Ceramics
Authors: Nickel Klaus G. , Fu Zhe , Quirmbach Peter
Published: March 2015

The problems of high temperature oxidation and corrosion of Si3N4 and SiC are discussed, other ceramics usually do not meet the requirements of structural applications at high temperatures.

If the application has to meet very defined limits of size change it is necessary to specify the exact material composition as well as the atmosphere composition and physical environment to be able to specify the limits. This is in any case true for extremely reducing conditions or very high temperatures.

Under oxidising conditions the region between ≈ 850–1100°C should be avoided when salty, sulfurous and wet fuel conditions are expected.

High temperature limits for long-time applications of Si3N4 in oxidising environments are between 1200–1400°C, corresponding to eutectic temperatures of the glass phase.

The ultimate temperature limit for long-time use of SiC is likely to be between 1700–1800°C, where bubble formation and spallation may become inevitable.
Microstructural Control and the Properties of C/C Composites
Authors: Yasuda Eiichi , Tanabe Yasuhiro , Kimura Shiushichi
Published: March 2015

A Carbon/Carbon composite (C/C composite) consists of reinforced fibers, matrices and interfaces. Each of them plays an important role to dominate the properties of the C/C composite. Matrix microstructure of a C/C composite can be changed during its preparation, i.e., by its preparation condition. In this paper, we discuss methods for changing matrix microstructure of a C/C composite and the dependency on its properties: Young’s modulus, strength and thermal conductivity. The matrix microstructure depends primarily on the initial raw material (precursor) of the matrix. Secondary, it depends on the heat-treatment temperature. It also can be controlled by addition of fine powders and surface-treatment on fibers. All the properties measured strongly depend on the matrix microstructure of the C/C composite. To make a tailored C/C composite, it is necessary to control the matrix microstructure precisely.
Textron Lycoming AGT1500 Engine: Transitioning for Future Applications
Authors: Horan Richard
Published: March 2015

The AGT1500 engine was specifically designed as a propulsion unit for U.S. Army main battle tanks. This application required a gas turbine unique in configuration with features, capabilities and attributes different from conventional aircraft gas turbine engines. The engine is a very compact, rugged, modular design with overhead access for maintenance and good part power fuel consumption achieved through a unique compact recuperator. These features, along with a cycle and control system optimized for sea level operation, low smoke and low thermal and noise signature, also provide a low cost gas turbine engine which readily meets requirements for other ground based commercial and military applications. The commercial marine industrial derivative of the AGT1500 is designated the TF15. TF15 applications currently under active consideration and development by Textron Lycoming and potential users include (1) railroad locomotives, (2) stationary continuous duty cogenerative power units, (3) standby emergency and peaking power generators, and (4) natural gas and liquid pumping and (5) marine propulsion and shipboard electrical generation systems.

This paper considers the operational and design characteristics for these applications and shows how the AGT1500/TF15 engine will accommodate these requirements with little or no modifications to the basic automotive engine.
Air-Breathing Hypersonic Cruise: Prospects for Mach 4-7 Waverider Aircraft
Authors: Blankson Isaiah M.
Published: March 2015

There is currently a renewal of world-wide interest in hypersonic flight. Vehicle concepts being considered range from cruise missiles to SSTO and TSTO vehicles. The new characteristics of these vehicles are that they will be powered by air-breathing engines and have long residence times in the air-breathing corridor. In the Mach 4-7 regime, waverider aircraft are being considered as candidates for both long-range and short-range cruise missions, as hypersonic missiles, and as high L/D highly maneuverable vehicles. This paper will discuss the potential for near-term and far-term application of air-breathing engines to the above waverider vehicle concepts and missions. In particular, the cruise mission is discussed in detail and attempts are made to compare and contrast it with the accelerator mission. Past criticisms levied against waveriders alleged low volumetric efficiency, lack of engine/airframe integration studies, poor off-design performance, poor take-off and landing capability, have been shown by on-going research to be unfounded. A discussion is presented of some of the technical challenges and on-going research aimed at realizing such vehicles: from turboramjet and scramjet technology development, propulsion-airframe integration effects on vehicle performance, aeroservothermoelastic systems analysis, hypersonic stability and control with aeroservothermoelastic and propulsion effects, etc. A unique and very strong aspect of hypersonic vehicle design is the integration and interaction of the propulsion system, aerodynamics, aerodynamic heating, stability and control, and materials and structures. This first-order multidisciplinary situation demands the ability to integrate highly-coupled and interacting elements in a fundamental and optimal fashion to achieve the desired performance. Some crucial technology needs are found in propulsion-airframe integration and its role in configuration definition, hypersonic boundary-layer transition and its impact on vehicle gross-weight and mission success, scramjet combustor mixing length and its impact on engine weight and, CFD (turbulence modeling, transition modeling, etc) as a principal tool for the design of hypersonic vehicles. Key technology implications in thermal management, structures, materials, and flight control systems will also be briefly discussed. It is concluded that most of the technology requirements in the Mach 4-7 regime are relatively conventional making cited applications near-term, yet offering very significant advancements in aircraft technology.
Reliability and Validity of Instrumented Soccer Equipment
Authors: Akins Jonathan S. , Heebner Nicholas R. , Lovalekar Mita , Sell Timothy C.
Published: March 2015

Ankle ligament sprains are the most common injury in soccer. The high rate of these injuries demonstrates a need for novel data collection methodologies. Therefore, soccer shoes and shin guards were instrumented with inertial sensors to measure ankle joint kinematics in the field. The purpose of this study was to assess test-retest reliability and concurrent criterion validity of a kinematic assessment using the instrumented soccer equipment. Twelve soccer athletes performed athletic maneuvers in the laboratory and field during 2 sessions. In the laboratory, ankle joint kinematics were simultaneously measured with the instrumented equipment and a conventional motion analysis system. Reliability was assessed using ICC and validity was assessed using correlation coefficients and RMSE. While our design criteria of good test-retest reliability was not supported (ICC > .80), sagittal plane ICCs were mostly fair to good and similar to motion analysis results; and sagittal plane data were valid (r = .90−.98; RMSE < 5°). Frontal and transverse plane data were not valid (r < .562; RMSE > 3°). Our results indicate that the instrumented soccer equipment can be used to measure sagittal plane ankle joint kinematics. Biomechanical studies support the utility of sagittal plane measures for lower extremity injury prevention.
Ca
2+
signals regulate mitochondrial metabolism by stimulating CREB-mediated expression of the mitochondrial Ca
2+
uniporter gene
MCU
Authors: Shanmughapriya Santhanam , Rajan Sudarsan , Hoffman Nicholas E. , Zhang Xueqian , Guo Shuchi , Kolesar Jill E. , Hines Kevin J. , Ragheb Jonathan , Jog Neelakshi R. , Caricchio Roberto , Baba Yoshihiro , Zhou Yandong , Kaufman Brett A. , Cheung Joseph Y. , Kurosaki Tomohiro , Gill Donald L. , Madesh Muniswamy
Published: March 2015

Calcium signaling stimulates the accumulation of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter to regulate mitochondrial metabolism.
Clinically and Microbiologically Derived Azithromycin Susceptibility Breakpoints for Salmonella enterica Serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A
Authors: Parry Christopher M. , Thieu Nga Tran Vu , Dolecek Christiane , Karkey Abhilasha , Gupta Ruchi , Turner Paul , Dance David , Maude Rapeephan R. , Ha Vinh , Tran Chinh Nguyen , Thi Phuong Le , Be Bay Pham Van , Phi La Tran Thi , Ngoc Rang Nguyen , Ghose Aniruddha , Dongol Sabina , Campbell James I. , Thanh Duy Pham , Thanh Tuyen Ha , Moore Catrin E. , Sona Soeng , Gaind Rajni , Deb Monorama , Anh Ho Van , Van Sach Nguyen , Tinh Hien Tran , Day Nicholas P. J. , Dondorp Arjen , Thwaites Guy , Faiz Mohamed Abul , Phetsouvanh Rattanaphone , Newton Paul , Basnyat Buddha , Farrar Jeremy J. , Baker Stephen
Published: March 2015

Azithromycin is an effective treatment for uncomplicated infections with
Salmonella enterica
serovar Typhi and serovar Paratyphi A (enteric fever), but there are no clinically validated MIC and disk zone size interpretative guidelines. We studied individual patient data from three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of antimicrobial treatment in enteric fever in Vietnam, with azithromycin used in one treatment arm, to determine the relationship between azithromycin treatment response and the azithromycin MIC of the infecting isolate. We additionally compared the azithromycin MIC and the disk susceptibility zone sizes of 1,640
S
. Typhi and
S
. Paratyphi A clinical isolates collected from seven Asian countries. In the RCTs, 214 patients who were treated with azithromycin at a dose of 10 to 20 mg/ml for 5 to 7 days were analyzed. Treatment was successful in 195 of 214 (91%) patients, with no significant difference in response (cure rate, fever clearance time) with MICs ranging from 4 to 16 μg/ml. The proportion of Asian enteric fever isolates with an MIC of ≤16 μg/ml was 1,452/1,460 (99.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 98.9 to 99.7) for
S
. Typhi and 207/240 (86.3%; 95% CI, 81.2 to 90.3) (
P
< 0.001) for
S
. Paratyphi A. A zone size of ≥13 mm to a 5-μg azithromycin disk identified
S
. Typhi isolates with an MIC of ≤16 μg/ml with a sensitivity of 99.7%. An azithromycin MIC of ≤16 μg/ml or disk inhibition zone size of ≥13 mm enabled the detection of susceptible
S
. Typhi isolates that respond to azithromycin treatment. Further work is needed to define the response to treatment in
S
. Typhi isolates with an azithromycin MIC of >16 μg/ml and to determine MIC and disk breakpoints for
S
. Paratyphi A.
The Collagen Binding Protein Cnm Contributes to Oral Colonization and Cariogenicity of Streptococcus mutans OMZ175
Authors: Miller James H. , Avilés-Reyes Alejandro , Scott-Anne Kathy , Gregoire Stacy , Watson Gene E. , Sampson Edith , Progulske-Fox Ann , Koo Hyun , Bowen William H. , Lemos José A. , Abranches Jacqueline
Published: March 2015

Streptococcus mutansis the etiological agent of dental caries and one of the many bacterial species implicated in infective endocarditis. The expression of the collagen-binding protein Cnm byS. mutanshas been associated with extraoral infections, but its relevance for dental caries has only been theorized to date. Due to the collagenous composition of dentinal and root tissues, we hypothesized that Cnm may facilitate the colonization of these surfaces, thereby enhancing the pathogenic potential ofS. mutansin advancing carious lesions. As shown for extraoral endothelial cell lines, Cnm mediates the invasion of oral keratinocytes and fibroblasts byS. mutans. In this study, we show that in the Cnm+native strain, OMZ175, Cnm mediates stringent adhesion to dentinal and root tissues as well as collagen-coated surfaces and promotes both cariogenicity and carriagein vivo. In vitro,ex vivo, andin vivoexperiments revealed that while Cnm is not universally required forS. mutanscariogenicity, it contributes to (i) the invasion of the oral epithelium, (ii) enhanced binding on collagenous surfaces, (iii) implantation of oral biofilms, and (IV) the severity of caries due to a native Cnm+isolate. Taken together, our findings reveal that Cnm is a colonization factor that contributes to the pathogenicity of certainS. mutansstrains in their native habitat, the oral cavity.
Identification and Characterization of Mutations Conferring Resistance to d-Amino Acids in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Leiman Sara A. , Richardson Charles , Foulston Lucy , Elsholz Alexander K. W. , First Eric A. , Losick Richard
Published: March 2015

Bacteria produced-amino acids for incorporation into the peptidoglycan and certain nonribosomally produced peptides. However,d-amino acids are toxic if mischarged on tRNAs or misincorporated into protein. Common strains of the Gram-positive bacteriumBacillus subtilisare particularly sensitive to the growth-inhibitory effects ofd-tyrosine due to the absence ofd-aminoacyl-tRNA deacylase, an enzyme that prevents misincorporation ofd-tyrosine and otherd-amino acids into nascent proteins. We isolated spontaneous mutants ofB. subtilisthat survive in the presence of a mixture ofd-leucine,d-methionine,d-tryptophan, andd-tyrosine. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that these strains harbored mutations affecting tRNATyrcharging. Three of the most potent mutations enhanced the expression of the gene (tyrS) for tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase. In particular, resistance was conferred by mutations that destabilized the terminator hairpin of thetyrSriboswitch, as well as by a mutation that transformed a tRNAPheinto atyrSriboswitch ligand. The most potent mutation, a substitution near the tyrosine recognition site of tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, improved enzyme stereoselectivity. We conclude that these mutations promote the proper charging of tRNATyr, thus facilitating the exclusion ofd-tyrosine from protein biosynthesis in cells that lackd-aminoacyl-tRNA deacylase.

IMPORTANCEProteins are composed ofl-amino acids. Mischarging of tRNAs withd-amino acids or the misincorporation ofd-amino acids into proteins causes toxicity. This work reports on mutations that confer resistance tod-amino acids and their mechanisms of action.
Identification of the Linkage between A-Polysaccharide and the Core in the A-Lipopolysaccharide of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50
Authors: Paramonov Nikolay , Aduse-Opoku Joseph , Hashim Ahmed , Rangarajan Minnie , Curtis Michael A.
Published: March 2015

Porphyromonas gingivalis
synthesizes two lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), O-LPS and A-LPS. The structure of the core oligosaccharide (OS) of O-LPS and the attachment site of the O-polysaccharide (O-PS) repeating unit [→3)-α-
d
-Gal
p
-(1→6)-α-
d
-Glc
p
-(1→4)-α-
l
-Rha
p
-(1→3)-β-
d
-GalNAc
p
-(1→] to the core have been elucidated using the ΔPG1051 (WaaL, O-antigen ligase) and ΔPG1142 (Wzy, O-antigen polymerase) mutant strains, respectively. The core OS occurs as an “uncapped” glycoform devoid of O-PS and a “capped” glycoform that contains the attachment site of O-PS via β-
d
-GalNAc at position O-3 of the terminal α-(1→3)-linked mannose (Man) residue. In this study, the attachment site of A-PS to the core OS was determined based on structural analysis of SR-type LPS (O-LPS and A-LPS) isolated from a
P. gingivalis
ΔPG1142 mutant strain by extraction with aqueous hot phenol to minimize the destruction of A-LPS. Application of one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in combination with methylation analysis showed that the A-PS repeating unit is linked to a nonterminal α-(1→3)-linked Man of the “capped core” glycoform of outer core OS at position O-4 via a →6)-[α-
d
-Man-α-(1→2)-α-
d
-Man-1-phosphate→2]-α-
d
-Man-(1→ motif. In order to verify that O-PS and A-PS are attached to almost identical core glycoforms, we identified a putative α-mannosyltransferase (PG0129) in
P. gingivalis
W50 that may be involved in the formation of core OS. Inactivation of PG0129 led to the synthesis of deep-R-type LPS with a truncated core that lacks α-(1→3)-linked mannoses and is devoid of either O-PS or A-PS. This indicated that PG0129 is an α-1,3-mannosyltransferase required for synthesis of the outer core regions of both O-LPS and A-LPS in
P. gingivalis
.

IMPORTANCE
Porphyromonas gingivalis
, a Gram-negative anaerobe, is considered to be an important etiologic agent in periodontal disease, and among the virulence factors produced by the organism are two lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), O-LPS and A-LPS. The structures of the O-PS and A-PS repeating units, the core oligosaccharide (OS), and the linkage of the O-PS repeating unit to the core OS in O-LPS have been elucidated by our group. It is important to establish whether the attachment site of the A-PS repeating unit to the core OS in A-LPS is similar to or differs from that of the O-PS repeating unit in O-LPS. As part of understanding the biosynthetic pathway of the two LPSs in
P. gingivalis
, PG0129 was identified as an α-mannosyltransferase that is involved in the synthesis of the outer core regions of both O-LPS and A-LPS.
Receptor for hyaluronic acid-mediated motility (RHAMM, CD168) expression is prognostically important in both nodal negative and nodal positive large cell lung cancer
Authors: Augustin Florian , Fiegl Michael , Schmid Thomas , Pomme Geoffrey , Sterlacci William , Tzankov Alexandar
Published: March 2015

Objective

Despite advances in therapy, lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. Further prognostic tools are warranted for risk-adapted therapeutic decisions. We analysed a cohort of primary surgically treated non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) to determine the prognostic role of CD44 and associated molecules (receptor for hyaluronic acid-mediated motility (RHAMM), CD95, osteopontin (OPN), P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and caspase 3 (Casp3)). CD44 is a cell adhesion molecule. While the standard form (CD44s) is ubiquitously expressed, its variant isoforms are claimed to play an important role in invasion and metastasis in various cancers.

Methods

Three-hundred and eighty-three primary surgically resected NSCLC specimens were brought into a standardised tissue microarray platform. Immunohistochemistry for CD44, CD95, RHAMM, OPN, P-gp and Casp3 was performed. The clinical correlation was made with known histopathological, phenotypical and genotypical variables; clinical data were available for a postoperative follow-up period of up to 15 years.

Results

RHAMM expression in the subgroup of large cell carcinomas (LCC) was associated with inferior survival (p=0.000223). Median overall survival was 92 versus 18 months for RHAMM-negative and positive patients, respectively. This survival difference remained significant in both nodal negative and positive patients (pN0: p=0.013 and pN≥1: p=0.007, respectively). P-gp expression was associated with inferior survival in adenocarcinomas (ACA; p=0.013) and appeared to be a postsurgical Union International Contre le Cancer (pUICC)- stage and gender-independent prognostic factor, irrespective of adjuvant chemotherapy, in the multivariable analysis; considering nodal status, this survival difference applied to pN0 cancers (p=0.026).

Conclusions

Analysis of RHAMM expression is a valuable predictor of survival in LCC. RHAMM-positive patients may benefit from a targeted therapy even in early nodal negative stages. Expression of P-gp identifies a subset of pN0 ACA patients with poor outcome independent of stage, gender and adjuvant chemotherapy.
Development of a sandwich hybridization assay for the identification and quantification of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) eggs: a novel tool for fishery research and management
Authors: Mortensen Rebecca A. , Arnott Stephen A. , Jones William J. , Greenfield Dianne I.
Published: March 2015

Egg identification and quantification are crucial to understanding the spawning and recruitment dynamics of economically important fish species. This study describes the development of a novel molecular method for finfish egg identification that eliminates the need for time-consuming microscopy. Sandwich hybridization assay (SHA) uses two ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-targeted oligonucleotides to directly detect unpurified and unamplified rRNA. Probes were designed to complement the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), an important recreational game fish for which spawning and reproductive information is sparse. Sample homogenization procedures were modified to disrupt egg chorion, and the resultant assay detected S. ocellatus eggs and tissues without cross-reactivity. Standard curves were linear (y450 = 0.001x + 0.054; R2 = 0.999), showing potential for quantitative uses, and the lower limit of detection was 5 eggs·mL−1 homogenate. Ontogenetic stage had a significant effect (ANOVA, p < 0.05) on optical density. The assay successfully detected S.ocellatus eggs in field samples from Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, and could be incorporated into current management practices or adapted to other species.
Effect of using different types of animal dung for feeding and nesting by the dung beetleOnthophagus lecontei(Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae)
Authors: Arellano L. , Castillo-Guevara C. , Huerta C. , Germán-García A. , Lara C.
Published: March 2015

Onthophagus lecontei Harold, 1871 is an American dung beetle that feeds on the dungs of a variety of species, perhaps owing to hitherto unknown differences in their effect on its development and survival. We tested whether using different types of dung (exotic and native) for feeding and nesting affects O. lecontei’s progeny. Adult beetles from the field were randomly paired and assigned to horse (Equus ferus Boddaert, 1785), goat (Capra hircus aegagrus Erxleben, 1777; domestic), or wild rabbit (Sylvilagus cunicularius (Waterhouse, 1848); native, endemic) dung under laboratory conditions. The number, mass, and volume of their brood masses, the number of emerged beetles, adult size, and duration of preimaginal stages (egg, larva, and pupa) were evaluated. There were differences for all variables: O. lecontei reared in wild rabbit dung produced more progeny, more brood masses, and larger adult beetles, and offspring remained in each preimaginal stage for a shorter period of time. Onthophagus lecontei is able to feed and nest using all three types of dung, but wild rabbit dung is the most favorable for its development. This suggests the existence of a long-standing association between O. lecontei and this native rabbit and the optional relationships with introduced herbivores; plasticity in reproductive behavior that may be useful when the optimal resource is not available.
Determining average path length and average trapping time on generalized dual dendrimer
Authors: Li Ling , Guan Jihong
Published: March 2015

Dendrimer has wide number of important applications in various fields. In some cases during transport or diffusion process, it transforms into its dual structure named Husimi cactus. In this paper, we study the structure properties and trapping problem on a family of generalized dual dendrimer with arbitrary coordination numbers. We first calculate exactly the average path length (APL) of the networks. The APL increases logarithmically with the network size, indicating that the networks exhibit a small-world effect. Then we determine the average trapping time (ATT) of the trapping process in two cases, i.e., the trap placed on a central node and the trap is uniformly distributed in all the nodes of the network. In both case, we obtain explicit solutions of ATT and show how they vary with the networks size. Besides, we also discuss the influence of the coordination number on trapping efficiency.
Numerical Analysis of Acoustic Barriers with a Diffusive Surface Using a 2.5D Boundary Element Model
Authors: Prieto Gajardo C. , Godinho L. , Amado-Mendes P. , Barrigon Morillas J. M.
Published: March 2015

Acoustic barriers are a well-known environmental noise mitigation solution, which is widely used nowadays. In this work, it is expected to contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the physical and technical behavior of those barriers by developing and implementing a set of models that allow an accurate analysis of noise barriers with new configuration types. A 2.5D boundary-only numerical model is developed and implemented, and computational analyses are performed in order to compare different surface profiles of the acoustic barriers. The particular case in which two acoustic barriers are used, one at each side of the road, is addressed.
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATION OF THE SIZE EFFECT ON THE ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF THEB2-NiAlNANOFILM
Authors: YANG XIYUAN , WU YURONG , LIU FUSHENG
Published: March 2015

In the paper, molecular dynamics simulation with the modified analytical embedded atom method (MAEAM) is applied to study the size effect on the elastic properties of the B 2- NiAl nanofilm. The simulation results indicate that there is a critical thickness, which is about 5.38 nm, to distinguish the size dependence of the elastic properties of the nanofilm. On the one hand, these properties, such as the averaged cohesive energy and the bulk modulus, change evidently as the size is smaller than the critical thickness and the change tendency is tightly controlled by the surface atom composition. On the other hand, as the nanofilm size exceeds the critical one, the calculated values of the elastic properties are almost independent of the film thickness. Relatively, the bulk modulus magnitude of the nanofilm is apparently larger than that of the corresponding bulk material. Finally, the inherent mechanisms of the size impacting on the elastic properties of the B 2- NiAl nanofilm have been discussed in more detail. The strengthening effect of the bulk modulus results from the smaller multilayer relaxation of the interlayer distance as compared to those of the bulk materials.
Hans Sicat and the Transformation at the Philippine Stock Exchange
Authors: Dioquino Manuel C.
Published: March 2015

The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE) was suffering a credibility problem in 2011. Just like the Philippine economy, the PSE was not performing well and the integrity of its leadership and decisions they made was being questioned by the public at large and the business community in particular.

Hans Sicat, a retired investment banker, was invited to join the Board of Directors with a tacit agreement that he would be elected Chairman. Events thereafter led to Mr. Sicat's appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer of the bourse.

Hans Sicat turns around the stock exchange successfully. How he makes it look seemingly simple is the subject of this case. Hans places all transformative efforts into two “bucket lists”. All of his efforts to increase the volume of trade in the exchange are classified under Liquidity, while all efforts to restore the integrity within the bourse and its listed firms, he refers to as Governance issues. The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. transformation does not go unnoticed by domestic and foreign investors, and other stakeholders as well. It breaks the 5,000 point barrier.
Rényi entanglement entropy in fermionic chains
Authors: Ares Filiberto , Esteve José G. , Falceto Fernando
Published: March 2015

In this paper we discuss the asymptotic behavior of the entanglement entropy for a fragment of a fermionic chain in an excited state. We first study the case in which the subsystem consists of a single interval. We review the analytical tools that make the computation feasible, derived from the asymptotics of the determinant of Toeplitz matrices, we also compare with the numerical results and give a physical interpretation of them. Next we move to the case in which the fragment is made of several disjoint intervals. We compute numerically the entropy and, based on these results, we establish a conjecture on the determinant of a submatrix of a Toeplitz matrix that leads to a general expression for the entropy in the multi-interval case. We check that our results agree with those derived from conformal field theory when the latter are available.
Stability and convergence of the variable directions difference scheme for one nonlinear two-dimensional model
Authors: Jangveladze Temur , Kiguradze Zurab , Gagoshidze Mikheil , Nikolishvili Maia
Published: March 2015

The system of two-dimensional nonlinear partial differential equations is considered. This system describes the vein formation in meristematic tissues of young leaves. Variable directions difference scheme is constructed and investigated. Absolute stability regarding space and time steps of scheme is shown. The convergence statement for the constructed scheme is proved. Rate of convergence is given. Various numerical experiments are carried out and results of some of them are considered in this paper. Comparison of numerical experiments with the results of the theoretical investigation is given too.
Health Aware Planning Under Uncertainty for Collaborating Heterogeneous Teams of Mobile Agents
Authors: Ure N. Kemal , Chowdhary Girish , How Jonathan P. , Vian John
Published: March 2015

We consider the problem of solving hybrid discrete-continuous Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) that are often encountered in computing optimal policies for complex multi-agent missions with both continuous vehicle dynamics and discrete mission-state transition models, in the presence of potential health degradations and failures of individual agents. A comprehensive Health Aware Planning (HAP) framework is proposed that establishes a feedback between mission planning and vehicle-level learning-focused adaptive controllers through online learned own models of agent health and capabilities. The HAP framework accounts for predicted likelihood of vehicle health degradations captured through probabilistic state-dependent models that are integrated into the MDP formulation. This proactive ability to anticipate health degradation and plan accordingly enables the HAP approach to consistently outperform planners that change the policies only after failures have occurred (reactive planners). The approach is tested on a large-scale (≈ 1010 state–action pairs) long-duration (persistent) target tracking scenario using a novel on-trajectory planning algorithm, and demonstrated to sustain higher mission performance by reducing the number of failures and re-assessing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capabilities.
Chapter 3 The Archaean and Proterozoic history of Peninsular India: tectonic framework for Precambrian sedimentary basins in India
Authors: Meert Joseph G. , Pandit Manoj K.
Published: March 2015

The Precambrian geological history of Peninsular India covers nearly 3.0 Ga. The Peninsula is an assembly of five different cratonic nuclei known as the Aravalli–Bundelkhand, Eastern Dharwar, Western Dharwar, Bastar and Singhbhum cratons along with the Southern Granulite Province. Final amalgamation of these elements occurred either by the end of the Archaean (2.5 Ga) or by the end of the Palaeoproterozoic (
c.
1.6 Ga). Each of these nuclei contains one or more sedimentary basins (or metasedimentary basins) of Proterozoic age. This chapter provides an overview of each of the cratons and a brief description of the Precambrian sedimentary basins in India that form the focus of the remainder of this book. In our view, it appears that basin formation and subsequent closure can be grossly constrained to three separate intervals that also broadly correspond to the assembly and disaggregation of the supercontinents Columbia, Rodinia and Gondwana. The oldest Purana-I basins developed during the 2.5–1.6 Ga interval, Purana-II basins formed during the 1.6–1.0 Ga interval and the Purana-III basins formed during the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian interval.
Chapter 7 A review of the current status of the Older Metamorphic Group and Older Metamorphic Tonalite Gneiss: insights into the Palaeoarchaean history of the Singhbhum craton, India
Authors: Hofmann Axel , Mazumder Rajat
Published: March 2015

The Older Metamorphic Group and the Older Metamorphic Tonalite Gneiss are classic examples of Palaeaoarchaean high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Singhbhum Craton of India. The Older Metamorphic Group is a supracrustal assemblage that was probably deposited as a greenstone belt-type succession before
c.
3.32 Ga, the low-grade equivalents of which are found in parts of the Iron Ore Group. The Older Metamorphic Tonalite Gneiss represents a suite of granitoids that are tectonically interleaved with the supracrustal gneisses and that formed over an extended period of time, 3.53–3.45 Ga and possibly later, by processes of Archaean crustal growth.
Approximate Verification of the Symbolic Dynamics of Markov Chains
Authors: Agrawal Manindra , Akshay S. , Genest Blaise , Thiagarajan P. S.
Published: March 2015

A finite-state Markov chain
M
can be regarded as a linear transform operating on the set of probability distributions over its node set. The iterative applications of
M
to an initial probability distribution μ
0
will generate a trajectory of probability distributions. Thus, a set of initial distributions will induce a set of trajectories. It is an interesting and useful task to analyze the dynamics of
M
as defined by this set of trajectories. The novel idea here is to carry out this task in a
symbolic
framework. Specifically, we discretize the probability value space [0,1] into a finite set of intervals
I
= {
I
1
,

I
2

,...,

I
m

}. A concrete probability distribution μ over the node set {1, 2,...,
n
} of
M
is then symbolically represented as
D
, a tuple of intervals drawn from
I
where the
i
th component of
D
will be the interval in which μ(
i
) falls. The set of discretized distributions
D
is a finite alphabet. Hence, the trajectory, generated by repeated applications of
M
to an initial distribution, will induce an infinite string over this alphabet. Given a set of initial distributions, the symbolic dynamics of
M
will then consist of a language of infinite strings
L
over the alphabet
D
.

Our main goal is to verify whether
L
meets a specification given as a linear-time temporal logic formula φ. In our logic, an atomic proposition will assert that the current probability of a node falls in the interval
I
from
I
. If
L
is an ω-regular language, one can hope to solve our model-checking problem (whether
L
⊧ φ?) using standard techniques. However, we show that, in general, this is not the case. Consequently, we develop the notion of an ϵ-approximation, based on the transient and long-term behaviors of the Markov chain
M
. Briefly, the symbolic trajectory ξ' is an ϵ-approximation of the symbolic trajectory ξ iff (1) ξ' agrees with ξ during its transient phase; and (2) both ξ and ξ' are within an ϵ-neighborhood at all times after the transient phase. Our main results are that one can effectively check whether (i) for each infinite word in
L
, at least one of its ϵ-approximations satisfies the given specification; (ii) for each infinite word in
L
, all its ϵ-approximations satisfy the specification. These verification results are strong in that they apply to all finite state Markov chains.
Enhancing Design Space Exploration by Extending CPU/GPU Specifications onto FPGAs
Authors: Owaida Muhsen , Falcao Gabriel , Andrade Joao , Antonopoulos Christos , Bellas Nikolaos , Purnaprajna Madhura , Novo David , Karakonstantis Georgios , Burg Andreas , Ienne Paolo
Published: March 2015

The design cycle for complex special-purpose computing systems is extremely costly and time-consuming. It involves a multiparametric design space exploration for optimization, followed by design verification. Designers of special purpose VLSI implementations often need to explore parameters, such as optimal bitwidth and data representation, through time-consuming Monte Carlo simulations. A prominent example of this simulation-based exploration process is the design of decoders for error correcting systems, such as the Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes adopted by modern communication standards, which involves thousands of Monte Carlo runs for each design point. Currently, high-performance computing offers a wide set of acceleration options that range from multicore CPUs to Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The exploitation of diverse target architectures is typically associated with developing multiple code versions, often using distinct programming paradigms. In this context, we evaluate the concept of retargeting a single OpenCL program to multiple platforms, thereby significantly reducing design time. A single OpenCL-based parallel kernel is used without modifications or code tuning on multicore CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs. We use SOpenCL (Silicon to OpenCL), a tool that automatically converts OpenCL kernels to RTL in order to introduce FPGAs as a potential platform to efficiently execute simulations coded in OpenCL. We use LDPC decoding simulations as a case study. Experimental results were obtained by testing a variety of regular and irregular LDPC codes that range from short/medium (e.g., 8,000 bit) to long length (e.g., 64,800 bit) DVB-S2 codes. We observe that, depending on the design parameters to be simulated, on the dimension and phase of the design, the GPU or FPGA may suit different purposes more conveniently, thus providing different acceleration factors over conventional multicore CPUs.
Linear Volumetric Focus for Light Field Cameras
Authors: Dansereau Donald G. , Pizarro Oscar , Williams Stefan B.
Published: March 2015

We demonstrate that the redundant information in light field imagery allows volumetric focus, an improvement of signal quality that maintains focus over a controllable range of depths. To do this, we derive the frequency-domain region of support of the light field, finding it to be the 4D hyperfan at the intersection of a dual fan and a hypercone, and design a filter with correspondingly shaped passband. Drawing examples from the Stanford Light Field Archive and images captured using a commercially available lenslet-based plenoptic camera, we demonstrate that the hyperfan outperforms competing methods including planar focus, fan-shaped antialiasing, and nonlinear image and video denoising techniques. We show the hyperfan preserves depth of field, making it a single-step all-in-focus denoising filter suitable for general-purpose light field rendering. We include results for different noise types and levels, through murky water and particulate matter, in real-world scenarios, and evaluated using a variety of metrics. We show that the hyperfan's performance scales with aperture count, and demonstrate the inclusion of aliased components for high-quality rendering.
Self-Identifying Data for Fair Use
Authors: Chong Stephen , Skalka Christian , Vaughan Jeffrey A.
Published: March 2015

Public-use earth science datasets are a useful resource with the unfortunate feature that their provenance is easily disconnected from their content. “Fair-use policies” typically associated with these datasets require appropriate attribution of providers by users, but sound and complete attribution is difficult if provenance information is lost. To address this, we introduce a technique to directly associate provenance information with sensor datasets. Our technique is similar to traditional watermarking but is intended for application to unstructured time-series datasets. Our approach is potentially imperceptible given sufficient margins of error in datasets and is robust to a number of benign but likely transformations including truncation, rounding, bit-flipping, sampling, and reordering. We provide algorithms for both one-bit and blind mark checking and show how our system can be adapted to various data representation types. Our algorithms are probabilistic in nature and are characterized by both combinatorial and empirical analyses. Mark embedding can be applied at any point in the data life cycle, allowing adaptation of our scheme to social or scientific concerns.
On the Complexity of Universal Leader Election
Authors: Kutten Shay , Pandurangan Gopal , Peleg David , Robinson Peter , Trehan Amitabh
Published: March 2015

Electing a leader is a fundamental task in distributed computing. In its
implicit
version, only the leader must know who is the elected leader. This article focuses on studying the message and time complexity of
randomized
implicit leader election in synchronous distributed networks. Surprisingly, the most “obvious” complexity bounds have not been proven for randomized algorithms. In particular, the seemingly obvious lower bounds of Ω(
m
) messages, where
m
is the number of edges in the network, and Ω(
D
) time, where
D
is the network diameter, are nontrivial to show for randomized (Monte Carlo) algorithms. (Recent results, showing that even Ω(
n
), where
n
is the number of nodes in the network, is not a lower bound on the messages in complete networks, make the above bounds somewhat less obvious). To the best of our knowledge, these basic lower bounds have not been established even for deterministic algorithms, except for the restricted case of comparison algorithms, where it was also required that nodes may not wake up spontaneously and that
D
and
n
were not known. We establish these fundamental lower bounds in this article for the general case, even for randomized Monte Carlo algorithms. Our lower bounds are universal in the sense that they hold for all universal algorithms (namely, algorithms that work for all graphs), apply to every
D
,
m
, and
n
, and hold even if
D
,
m
, and
n
are known, all the nodes wake up simultaneously, and the algorithms can make any use of node's identities. To show that these bounds are tight, we present an
O
(
m
) messages algorithm. An
O
(
D
) time leader election algorithm is known. A slight adaptation of our lower bound technique gives rise to an Ω(
m
) message lower bound for randomized broadcast algorithms.

An interesting fundamental problem is whether both upper bounds (messages and time) can be reached simultaneously in the randomized setting for all graphs. The answer is known to be negative in the deterministic setting. We answer this problem partially by presenting a randomized algorithm that matches both complexities in some cases. This already separates (for some cases) randomized algorithms from deterministic ones. As first steps towards the general case, we present several universal leader election algorithms with bounds that tradeoff messages versus time. We view our results as a step towards understanding the complexity of universal leader election in distributed networks.