bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE RISK OF PROPERTY BUBBLES IN HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE: ANOTHER AFTERSHOCK CRISIS OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL TSUNAMI?
Authors: YIP PAUL S. L.
Published: June 2014

This paper first provides a brief review of the global financial tsunami. It then explains why the quantitative easing in the US and the unique characteristics of the Asian property markets have contributed to the formation of property bubbles in some Asian economies. Thereafter, it discusses the possibility of a bursting of property bubbles in Hong Kong, Singapore or another Asian economy a few years from now, and highlights that the bursting of the property bubble in that economy could trigger severe corrections of property prices in this region through the contagion effect. After pointing out that the implied crisis could be more severe than that during the Asian Financial Crisis, it (i) discusses policies that could mitigate the damages of the potential crisis and (ii) draws important lessons and conclusions that could pre-empt similar disasters in the future.
The LHC Higgs boson discovery: Implications for Finite Unified Theories
Authors: Heinemeyer S. , Mondragón M. , Zoupanos G.
Published: June 2014

Finite Unified Theories (FUTs) are N = 1 supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) which can be made finite to all-loop orders, based on the principle of reduction of couplings, and therefore are provided with a large predictive power. We confront the predictions of an SU(5) FUT with the top and bottom quark masses and other low-energy experimental constraints, resulting in a relatively heavy SUSY spectrum, naturally consistent with the nonobservation of those particles at the LHC. The light Higgs boson mass is automatically predicted in the range compatible with the Higgs discovery at the LHC. Requiring a light Higgs boson mass in the precise range of Mh= 125.6 ±2.1 GeV favors the lower part of the allowed spectrum, resulting in clear predictions for the discovery potential at current and future pp, as well as future e+e-colliders.
Lectures on dynamical models for quantum measurements
Authors: Nieuwenhuizen Theo M. , Perarnau-Llobet Marti , Balian Roger
Published: June 2014

In textbooks, ideal quantum measurements are described in terms of the tested system only by the collapse postulate and Born's rule. This level of description offers a rather flexible position for the interpretation of quantum mechanics. Here we analyse an ideal measurement as a process of interaction between the tested system S and an apparatus A, so as to derive the properties postulated in textbooks. We thus consider within standard quantum mechanics the measurement of a quantum spin component ŝz by an apparatus A, being a magnet coupled to a bath. We first consider the evolution of the density operator of S + A describing a large set of runs of the measurement process. The approach describes the disappearance of the off-diagonal terms ("truncation") of the density matrix as a physical effect due to A, while the registration of the outcome has classical features due to the large size of the pointer variable, the magnetization. A quantum ambiguity implies that the density matrix at the final time can be decomposed on many bases, not only the one of the measurement. This quantum oddity prevents to connect individual outcomes to measurements, a difficulty known as the "measurement problem". It is shown that it is circumvented by the apparatus as well, since the evolution in a small time interval erases all decompositions, except the one on the measurement basis. Once one can derive the outcome of individual events from quantum theory, the so-called collapse of the wavefunction or the reduction of the state appears as the result of a selection of runs among the original large set. Hence nothing more than standard quantum mechanics is needed to explain features of measurements. The employed statistical formulation is advocated for the teaching of quantum theory.
Remote quantum state preparation and transfer with the interactions of photons and quantum-dot spins
Authors: Yuan Xiao-Jie , Dong Ping , Wang Min , Yang Ming , Cao Zhuo-Liang
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we propose a scheme of remote quantum state preparation and transfer that use a double-sided cavity system, in which a singly charged quantum dot is embedded in a double-sided optical microcavity with partially reflective top and bottom mirrors. The implementation of the scheme mainly depends on the interaction between the input single-photon pulse and the spins of electrons in the coupling system. Discussions about the effect of the cavity loss, side leakage and exciton–cavity coupling strength for the fidelity of generated states show that the fidelity can remain high enough by controlling these parameters. Therefore, the current scheme is feasible in the experiment.
Observation of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film prepared by RF magnetron sputtering for heterojunction applications
Authors: He Bo , Xu Jing , Wang Hong Zhi , Li Yao Gang , Xing Huai Zhong , Wang Chun Rui , Zhang Qing Hong , Ma Zhong Quan
Published: June 2014

In this paper, copper-zinc-tin-sulfide ( Cu 2 ZnSnS 4) thin film was successfully fabricated by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering on glass substrate. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the film were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), laser micro-Raman spectrometer, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), UV-VIS spectrophotometer and Hall effect measurement, respectively. The results show that Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 film is of good quality. A good nonlinear rectifying behavior is obtained for the GZO / Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 heterojunction. Under reverse bias, high photocurrent is obtained.
AN INFORMATION-THEORETIC FILTER METHOD FOR FEATURE WEIGHTING IN NAIVE BAYES
Authors: LEE CHANG-HWAN
Published: June 2014

In spite of its simplicity, naive Bayesian learning has been widely used in many data mining applications. However, the unrealistic assumption that all features are equally important negatively impacts the performance of naive Bayesian learning. In this paper, we propose a new method that uses a Kullback–Leibler measure to calculate the weights of the features analyzed in naive Bayesian learning. Its performance is compared to that of other state-of-the-art methods over a number of datasets.
PREPARATION OF HYDROXYAPATITE COATING ON THE SURFACE OF HOLLOW GLASS MICROSPHERES USING A BIOMIMETIC PROCESS
Authors: JIAO YAN , YANG HAI-YING , ZHANG YING-LONG , DUAN RONG-SHUAI , LU YU-PENG
Published: June 2014

Microcarrier culture technology has attached more attention, especially for scale-up cell culture in the filed of tissue engineering. The present work introduces a microcarrier with hydroxyapatite (HA) on hollow glass microsphere. Hollow glass microspheres with a main composition of SiO 2 (55–65 wt.%), Al 2 O 3 (26–35 wt.%), were pretreated by NaOH , on which hydroxyapatite coating was deposited by biomimetic process. The phase composition and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscope, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), respectively. The results showed that after immersion for 15 days in 1.5 SBF, the uniform and dense HA coating was formed and it has porous surface and low crystallinity.
ACCURACY OF SPECT IMAGING FOR ARTHROSCOPICALLY CONFIRMED MENISCAL TEARS IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE KNEE PAIN AND NO RADIOGRAPHIC ARTHRITIS
Authors: Haviv Barak , Bronak Shlomo , Thein Rafael
Published: June 2014

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) compared with arthroscopy in the diagnosis of acute knee pain due to meniscal tear. Methods: Patients with knee pain that persisted for less than six months with normal plain radiographs that had arthroscopic surgery following SPECT scan were included. The main scintigraphic criterion for diagnosing a tear of the meniscus was tibial plateau activity on the planar image with at least a half crescent of peripheral tibial plateau uptake. The accuracy of SPECT in detecting meniscal tears was calculated according to the arthroscopic findings as the gold standard. Results: There were 68 patients in the study (46 males and 22 females). The mean age was 45.3 (17–72) years and the mean time between SPECT scan and surgery was 3.5 (1–6) months. The overall sensitivity of SPECT was 90%, specificity 70%, NPV 54%, PPV 95% and accuracy 87%. Conclusion: SPECT was found to be an accurate imaging technique in the diagnosis of symptomatic meniscal tears in patients with acute knee pain and unremarkable plain radiographs. Thus, SPECT may be helpful in selecting candidates for arthroscopy.
Strict independence
Authors: Kaplan Itay , Usvyatsov Alexander
Published: June 2014

We investigate the notions of strict independence and strict non-forking, and establish basic properties and connections between the two. In particular, it follows from our investigation that in resilient theories strict non-forking is symmetric. Based on this study, we develop notions of weight which characterize NTP2, dependence and strong dependence. Many of our proofs rely on careful analysis of sequences that witness dividing. We prove simple characterizations of such sequences in resilient theories, as well as of Morley sequences which are witnesses. As a by-product we obtain information on types co-dominated by generically stable types in dependent theories. For example, we prove that every Morley sequence in such a type is a witness.
Tautomeric transformations and reactivity of isoindole and sila-indole: A computational study
Authors: Ghiasi Reza , Fashami Morteza Zaman
Published: June 2014

In this work, the tautomeric transformations and reactivity of isoindole and sila-isoindole molecules has been explored using the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory in gas and solution phases. These calculations show that isoindole isomer has more stability rather than 1-h-isoindole. There is identical trend in silated species. The frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) and band gap energy calculations were performed at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level in gas and various solvent. Solvent effects have been analyzed by using the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) method based on polarizable continuum model (PCM) in chloroform, chlorobenzene, dichloromethane and tetrahydrofurane. Thermodynamic parameters calculated at room temperature have been analyzed. Also, electron affinities were computed. Local reactivity descriptors as Fukui functions [Formula: see text] local softness [Formula: see text] and electrophilicity indices [Formula: see text] analyses are performed to find out the reactive sites within molecule. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to compute nitrogen-14 nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy parameters.
Two-spinor geometry and gauge freedom
Authors: Canarutto Daniel
Published: June 2014

Gauge freedom in quantum particle physics is shown to arise in a natural way from the geometry of two-spinors (Weyl spinors). Various related mathematical notions are reviewed, and a special ansatz of the kind "the system defines the geometry" is discussed in connection with the stated results.
PIPELINE INSPECTION USING A TORSIONAL GUIDED-WAVES INSPECTION SYSTEM. PART 2: DEFECT SIZING BY THE WAVE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
Authors: KHARRAT M. , ICHCHOU M. N. , BAREILLE O. , ZHOU W.
Published: June 2014

This paper represents the second part of the work that considers the identification and sizing of machined defects in a pipeline. This study deals with the torsional-mode reflection from defects and structural singularities in an industrial pipeline in order to perform the defect sizing. The wave finite element method (WFEM) is used to construct a numerical database of reflection coefficients from rectangular defects by varying thickness, axial and circumferential extents. Calculation is made depending on the frequency. The approximation of defects' sizes is carried out by sweeping the numerical database to find the suitable combination of dimensions for a given defect. The axial and circumferential extents are evaluated by fixed intervals for each possible thickness. Reflections from structural singularities (elbows, concrete blocks, clamps and welds) are also treated by comparing reflection coefficients obtained by the WFEM to those evaluated experimentally. Results show a good agreement for most of the structural singularities but not for the others.
A MECHANICAL MODEL FOR SELF-ASSEMBLED GRAPHENE AROUND NANOTUBE
Authors: MENG XIANHONG , LI MING , XING YILIN , BAI ZHAOYU
Published: June 2014

In this paper, a theoretical model based on the finite deformation beam theory is established to study the self-assembled behavior of graphene around a nanotube due to the van der Waals interactions. The morphology of graphene, governed by the nanotube diameter, is quantitatively determined by using the energy minimization approach in the theoretical model. From present results, it is demonstrated that the morphology of graphene predicted by the theoretical model agrees well with those obtained in molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, the influence of nanotube diameter, the binding energy and bending rigidity on the morphology of graphene has been investigated. It is found that the nanotube diameter has remarkable effect on the morphology of graphene while the morphology has tiny change with the change of binding energy. We hope that the present results offer the guideline in design of nanoelectronics based on graphene.
EFFECTS OF MATERIAL GRADIENTS ON ONSET OF YIELD IN FGM ROTATING THICK CYLINDRICAL SHELLS
Authors: FATEHI PARISA , NEJAD MOHAMMAD ZAMANI
Published: June 2014

In this paper, a closed-form solution to determine location of yield in rotating thick-walled cylindrical shells made of functionally graded materials (FGMs) using both Tresca's and von Mises yield criteria is presented. The cylindrical shell is subjected to uniform internal and external pressure. The material properties are assumed to vary according to power law functions and the Poisson's ratio is assumed to be constant. Moreover, the plane strain condition is used to drive expressions for distributions of stresses and radial displacement. In the present work, rotation, internal and external pressure and variation of material properties are considered simultaneously. To the best of authors' knowledge, in previous researches in which onset of yield is investigated, variation of material density is ignored, while density is not constant in FGM rotating thick cylindrical shells. Our results show that the density variation has a significant effect on the stress distributions. Our research has also tried to explain the effect of different Poisson's ratio on the value of the critical material parameter.
ISOLATION OF SURFACE WAVE-INDUCED VIBRATION USING PERIODICALLY MODULATED PILES
Authors: CHEN YANYU , WANG LIFENG
Published: June 2014

The isolation of surface wave-induced vibration using periodically modulated piles in soil is investigated. We demonstrate through simulations the dependence of complete bandgaps on the lattice symmetries, geometric parameters of the piles and material properties of the soil. The simulated results suggest that the piles modulated with square and hexagonal lattices are much more favorable for the formation of complete bandgaps than those modulated with honeycomb lattice. The height of the piles also plays a significant role in governing the evolution of complete bandgaps. Besides, complete bandgaps can be tuned by tailoring the volume fraction of the piles and the geometries of the pile cross section. Our results indicate that the contrast in the Young's modulus and the density is vital for the evolution of complete bandgaps and the viscosity of the soil should be considered as well. The analysis of surface wave propagation in a finite number of piles confirms the simulated complete bandgaps and also reveals that the complete bandgaps stem from Bragg interferences. This paper not only demonstrates the promising application of periodically modulated piles as wave barriers but also provides design guidelines for civil engineers.
ELASTIC-PLASTIC FRACTURE BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS ON A GRIFFITH CRACK IN THE CYLINDRICAL THREE-PHASE COMPOSITES WITH GENERALIZED IRWIN MODEL
Authors: FAN M. , YI D. K. , XIAO Z. M.
Published: June 2014

Elastic-plastic stress analysis on a matrix crack interacting with near-by circular inclusions (the fibers) in fiber-reinforced composites has been carried out. The crack is initiated near one of the inclusions, while the effect of other inclusions in the composite is considered through simulating the composite material by the cylindrical three-phase model. To more accurately study the fracture behavior of the crack, plastic zone correction is introduced first time for such a crack-inclusion interaction problem. To determine the plastic zone sizes (PZSs) at the crack tips, a generalized Irwin model is proposed for the current mixed-mode problem where the von Mises stress yielding criterion is employed. With the aid of distributed dislocation method, the physical problem is formulated into a set of singular integral equations and solved through a numerical schism. The effective stress intensity factor (SIF), the PZS, crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) are evaluated accordingly. In the numerical examples, the influence of the crack orientation angle, the fiber/matrix shear modulus ratio, and fiber volume fraction on the fracture behavior of the crack is discussed in detail. It is found that the crack orientation angle has great effect on the normalized values of PZS, CTOD, and effective SIF, while the effects of shear modulus ratio and fiber volume fraction depend highly on the conditions of the inclusion (the fiber) and matrix.
Multi-layered tissue head phantoms for noninvasive optical diagnostics
Authors: Wróbel M. S. , Popov A. P. , Bykov A. V. , Kinnunen M. , Jędrzejewska-Szczerska M. , Tuchin V. V.
Published: June 2014

Extensive research in the area of optical sensing for medical diagnostics requires development of tissue phantoms with optical properties similar to those of living human tissues. Development and improvement of in vivo optical measurement systems requires the use of stable tissue phantoms with known characteristics, which are mainly used for calibration of such systems and testing their performance over time. Optical and mechanical properties of phantoms depend on their purpose. Nevertheless, they must accurately simulate specific tissues they are supposed to mimic. Many tissues and organs including head possess a multi-layered structure, with specific optical properties of each layer. However, such a structure is not always addressed in the present-day phantoms. In this paper, we focus on the development of a plain-parallel multi-layered phantom with optical properties (reduced scattering coefficient [Formula: see text] and absorption coefficient μa) corresponding to the human head layers, such as skin, skull, and gray and white matter of the brain tissue. The phantom is intended for use in noninvasive diffuse near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of human brain. Optical parameters of the fabricated phantoms are reconstructed using spectrophotometry and inverse adding-doubling calculation method. The results show that polyvinyl chloride-plastisol (PVCP) and zinc oxide ( ZnO ) nanoparticles are suitable materials for fabrication of tissue mimicking phantoms with controlled scattering properties. Good matching was found between optical properties of phantoms and the corresponding values found in the literature.
Coupled coincidence point results for compatible mappings in partially ordered probabilistic metric spaces
Authors: Choudhury Binayak S. , Das Pradyut
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we establish coupled coincidence point results in probabilistic metric spaces with a partial order. The main theorem has several corollaries and is supported with an example. The corollaries are shown to be properly contained in the main theorem. By an application of a corollary we obtained a corresponding result in metric spaces which is also supported with an example. Some results in [Nonlinear Anal. 74 (2011) 6451–6458] and [Nonlinear Anal. 71 (2009) 1833–1843] are extended in this paper. The extensions are shown to be actual with the help of an example. We use Hadžić type t-norm in this paper. The methodology of the proofs in this work is a blending of analytic and order theoretic approaches.
A multinuclear NMR study of some cyclic phosphonic diamides
Authors: Bocian Wojciech , Stefaniak Lech , Webb Graham A.
Published: June 2014

1H,13C, 15N and 31p NMR data are presented for four cyclic phosphonic diamides. In tenns of useful structural infonnation it is found that the 31p chemical shifts and 1J(31P_15N) couplings are the most sensitive parameters to variations in molecular structure.
A Hybrid Neural Network and H‐P Filter Model for Short‐Term Vegetable Price Forecasting
Authors: Li Youzhu , Li Chongguang , Zheng Mingyang
Published: June 2014

This paper is concerned with time series data for vegetable prices, which have a great impact on human’s life. An accurate forecasting method for prices and an early‐warning system in the vegetable market are an urgent need in people’s daily lives. The time series price data contain both linear and nonlinear patterns. Therefore, neither a current linear forecasting nor a neural network can be adequate for modeling and predicting the time series data. The linear forecasting model cannot deal with nonlinear relationships, while the neural network model alone is not able to handle both linear and nonlinear patterns at the same time. The linear Hodrick‐Prescott (H‐P) filter can extract the trend and cyclical components from time series data. We predict the linear and nonlinear patterns and then combine the two parts linearly to produce a forecast from the original data. This study proposes a structure of a hybrid neural network based on an H‐P filter that learns the trend and seasonal patterns separately. The experiment uses vegetable prices data to evaluate the model. Comparisons with the autoregressive integrated moving average method and back propagation artificial neural network methods show that our method has higher accuracy than the others.
Ideal Theory in Semigroups Based on Intersectional Soft Sets
Authors: Song Seok Zun , Kim Hee Sik , Jun Young Bae
Published: June 2014

The notions of int-soft semigroups and int-soft left (resp., right) ideals are introduced, and several properties are investigated. Using these notions and the notion of inclusive set, characterizations of subsemigroups and left (resp., right) ideals are considered. Using the notion of int-soft products, characterizations of int-soft semigroups and int-soft left (resp., right) ideals are discussed. We prove that the soft intersection of int-soft left (resp., right) ideals (resp., int-soft semigroups) is also int-soft left (resp., right) ideals (resp., int-soft semigroups). The concept of int-soft quasi-ideals is also introduced, and characterization of a regular semigroup is discussed.
In SilicoInvestigation of Potential mTOR Inhibitors from Traditional Chinese Medicine for Treatment of Leigh Syndrome
Authors: Chen Kuan-Chung , Lee Wen-Yuan , Chen Hsin-Yi , Chen Calvin Yu-Chian
Published: June 2014

A recent research demonstrates that the inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) improves survival and health for patients with Leigh syndrome. mTOR proteins can be treated as drug target proteins against Leigh syndrome and other mitochondrial disorders. In this study, we aim to identify potent TCM compounds from the TCM Database@Taiwan as lead compounds of mTOR inhibitors. PONDR-Fit protocol was employed to predict the disordered disposition in mTOR protein before virtual screening. After virtual screening, the MD simulation was employed to validate the stability of interactions between each ligand and mTOR protein in the docking poses from docking simulation. The top TCM compounds, picrasidine M and acerosin, have higher binding affinities with target protein in docking simulation than control. There have H-bonds with residues Val2240 andπinteractions with common residue Trp2239. After MD simulation, the top TCM compounds maintain similar docking poses under dynamic conditions. The top two TCM compounds, picrasidine M and acerosin, were extracted fromPicrasma quassioides(D. Don) Benn. andVitex negundoL. Hence, we propose the TCM compounds, picrasidine M and acerosin, as potential candidates as lead compounds for further study in drug development process with the mTOR protein against Leigh syndrome and other mitochondrial disorders.
Exact Solutions of the Space-Time Fractional Bidirectional Wave Equations Using the(G′/G)-Expansion Method
Authors: Li Wei , Yang Huizhang , He Bin
Published: June 2014

Based on Jumarie’s modified Riemann-Liouville derivative, the fractional complex transformation is used to transform fractional differential equations to ordinary differential equations. Exact solutions including the hyperbolic functions, the trigonometric functions, and the rational functions for the space-time fractional bidirectional wave equations are obtained using the(G′/G)-expansion method. The method provides a promising tool for solving nonlinear fractional differential equations.
Sinefungin, a Natural Nucleoside Analogue of S-Adenosylmethionine, InhibitsStreptococcus pneumoniaeBiofilm Growth
Authors: Yadav Mukesh Kumar , Park Seok-Won , Chae Sung-Won , Song Jae-Jun
Published: June 2014

Pneumococcal colonization and disease is often associated with biofilm formation, in which the bacteria exhibit elevated resistance both to antibiotics and to host defense systems, often resulting in infections that are persistent and difficult to treat. We evaluated the effect of sinefungin, a nucleoside analogue of S-adenosylmethionine, on pneumococcalin vitrobiofilm formation andin vivocolonization. Sinefungin is bacteriostatic to pneumococci and significantly decreased biofilm growth and inhibited proliferation and structure of actively growing biofilms but did not alter growth or the matrix structure of established biofilms. Sinefungin significantly reduced pneumococcal colonization in rat middle ear. The quorum sensing molecule (autoinducer-2) production was significantly reduced by 92% in sinefungin treated samples. TheluxS, pfs, andspeEgenes were downregulated in biofilms grown in the presence of sinefungin. This study shows that sinefungin inhibits pneumococcal biofilm growthin vitroand colonizationin vivo, decreases AI-2 production, and downregulatesluxS,pfs, andspeEgene expressions. Therefore, the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) inhibitors could be used as lead compounds for the development of novel antibiofilm agents against pneumococci.
Testing of Visual Field with Virtual Reality Goggles in Manual and Visual Grasp Modes
Authors: Wroblewski Dariusz , Francis Brian A. , Sadun Alfredo , Vakili Ghazal , Chopra Vikas
Published: June 2014

Automated perimetry is used for the assessment of visual function in a variety of ophthalmic and neurologic diseases. We report development and clinical testing of a compact, head-mounted, and eye-tracking perimeter (VirtualEye) that provides a more comfortable test environment than the standard instrumentation. VirtualEye performs the equivalent of a full threshold 24-2 visual field in two modes: (1) manual, with patient response registered with a mouse click, and (2) visual grasp, where the eye tracker senses change in gaze direction as evidence of target acquisition. 59 patients successfully completed the test in manual mode and 40 in visual grasp mode, with 59 undergoing the standard Humphrey field analyzer (HFA) testing. Large visual field defects were reliably detected by VirtualEye. Point-by-point comparison between the results obtained with the different modalities indicates: (1) minimal systematic differences between measurements taken in visual grasp and manual modes, (2) the average standard deviation of the difference distributions of about 5 dB, and (3) a systematic shift (of 4–6 dB) to lower sensitivities for VirtualEye device, observed mostly in high dB range. The usability survey suggested patients’ acceptance of the head-mounted device. The study appears to validate the concepts of a head-mounted perimeter and the visual grasp mode.
Changes in Osteoblastic Activity in Patient Who Received Bortezomib as Second Line Treatment for Plasma Cell Myeloma: A Prospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Eom Ki-Seong , Kim Seok Jin , Lee Je-Jung , Suh Cheolwon , Kim Jin Seok , Yoon Sung-Soo , Kim Byung Soo , Kang Hye Jin , Choi Young Jin , Kim Chul Soo , Kim Yang Soo , Kwak Jae-Yong , Kim Yoo Jin , Joo Young Don , Mun Yeung-Chul , Jo Deog Yeon , Park Joon Seong , Park Chi-Young , Kim Sung-Hyun , Min Chang-Ki
Published: June 2014

We conducted a prospective multicenter study identifying the role of bortezomib in patients with relapsed or refractory plasma cell myeloma (PCM) in bone resorption and formation via bone turnover markers. A total of 104 patients received at least 1 cycle of bortezomib. Most of them had advanced disease (n=89). Among them, 75 patients completed 4 cycles of treatment. Most of the patients (81.7%) were treated in combination with steroid. After the 4th cycle treatment, 47 of 75 patients achieved CR, nCR, VGPR, and PR (64.4%), while 26 patients achieved less than PR (35.6%). The proportion of patients who achieved ≥ PR increased as patients received more treatment cycles, reaching 90% after the 8th cycle. DKK-1 levels decreased significantly posttreatment. Bone formation markers (bALP and OC) and osteoclast regulator such as sRANKL also decreased significantly. These findings were observed primarily in patients who received steroid and who had a longer disease duration. While sRANKL demonstrated significant reduction posttreatment, osteoprotegerin (OPG) level did not significantly change posttreatment, resulting in a decreased sRANKL/OPG ratio (P=0.037). In conclusion, our clinical data suggest that treatment with bortezomib and steroid may rearrange the metabolic balance between osteoblast and osteoclast activities in PCM.
Lie Groupoids and Generalized Contact Manifolds
Authors: Şahin Fulya
Published: June 2014

We investigate relationships between Lie groupoids and generalized almost contact manifolds. We first relate the notions of integrable Jacobi pairs and contact groupoids on generalized contact manifolds, and then we show that there is a one to one correspondence between linear operators and multiplicative forms satisfying Hitchin pair. Finally, we find equivalent conditions among the integrability conditions of generalized almost contact manifolds, the condition of compatibility of source, and target maps of contact groupoids with contact form and generalized contact maps.
Dynamic Analysis and Control of the Clutch Filling Process in Clutch‐to‐Clutch Transmissions
Authors: Guo Wei , Liu Yanfang , Zhang Jing , Xu Xiangyang
Published: June 2014

Clutch fill control in clutch‐to‐clutch transmissions influences shift quality considerably. An oncoming clutch should be applied synchronously with the release of an offgoing clutch to shift gear smoothly; therefore, the gap between the piston and clutch plates should be eliminated when the torque capacity is near zero at the end of the clutch fill phase. Open‐loop control is typically implemented for the clutch fill because of the cost of pressure sensor. Low control precision causes underfill or overfill to occur, deteriorating shift quality. In this paper, a mathematical model of an electrohydraulic clutch shift control system is presented. Special dynamic characteristic parameters for optimal clutch fill control are subsequently proposed. An automatic method for predicting initial fill control parameters is proposed to eliminate distinct discrepancies among transmissions caused by manufacturing or assembling errors. To prevent underfill and overfill, a fuzzy adaptive control method is proposed, in which clutch fill control parameters are adjusted self‐adaptively and continually. Road vehicle test results proved that applying the fuzzy adaptive method ensures the consistency of shift quality even after the transmission’s status is changed.
Synthesis and the Structural Transformation of fcc to hcp in Ni-Graphene Nanocomposite by Simple Chemical Route via Sonication
Authors: Mahale N. K. , Ladhe R. D. , Attarde S. B. , Ingle S. T.
Published: June 2014

We report the synthesis and structural transformation of fcc to hcp in Ni-graphene (Ni-Gr) composite by simple chemical route via sonication. The syntheses of Ni-Gr composite by simultaneous reduction method, and the effect of different composition ratio on morphology and crystal structure were examined in our present study. The results indicated that the graphene ratio played an important role in crystal structure and d-spacing in nickel crystals. Different compositions have shown different behavior. The nanonickel clusters of various shapes with coated graphene and decorated as nickel on graphene sheets are observed. The synthesized composites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The XRD patterns indicated crystal lattice modifications in some composites while composites with a higher graphene ratio produced very small crystals with uniform lattice parameter and d-spacing. FE-SEM images indicated the growth of Datura fruit like shapes of nickel clusters in higher composition of nickel while the composites with least concentration of nickel were composed of cubical nanoparticles grown on graphene sheets. TEM analysis revealed many Ni nanoparticles surrounding the smooth petals like surface of graphene, with average diameters of spiky nickel nanoparticles being about 50 nm and 124 nm, respectively, on 200 nm of scale.
The Effects of Intravenous Fosaprepitant and Ondansetron for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Neurosurgery Patients: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blinded Study
Authors: Tsutsumi Yasuo M. , Kakuta Nami , Soga Tomohiro , Kume Katsuyoshi , Hamaguchi Eisuke , Tsutsumi Rie , Tanaka Katsuya
Published: June 2014

The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is 30–50% after surgery. PONV occurs frequently, especially after craniotomy. In this study, we investigated the preventive effects on PONV in a randomized study by comparing patients who had been administered fosaprepitant, a neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor antagonist, or ondansetron intravenously. Sixty-four patients undergoing craniotomy were randomly allocated to receive fosaprepitant 150 mg i.v. (NK1 group,n= 32) or ondansetron 4 mg i.v. (ONS group,n= 32) before anesthesia. The incidence of vomiting was significantly less in the NK1 group, where 2 of 32 (6%) patients experienced vomiting compared to 16 of 32 (50%) patients in the ONS group during the first 24 and 48 hours following surgery. Additionally, the incidence of complete response (no vomiting and no rescue antiemetic use) was significantly higher in the NK1 group than in the ONS group, and was 66% versus 41%, respectively, during the first 24 hours, and 63% versus 38%, respectively, during the first 48 hours. In patients undergoing craniotomy, fosaprepitant is more effective than ondansetron in increasing the rate of complete response and decreasing the incidence of vomiting at 24 and 48 hours postoperatively.
Certificateless Proxy Signature from RSA
Authors: Deng Lunzhi , Zeng Jiwen , Qu Yunyun
Published: June 2014

Although some good results were achieved in speeding up the computation of pairing function in recent years, it is still interesting to design efficient cryptosystems with less bilinear pairing operation. A proxy signature scheme allows a proxy signer to sign messages on behalf of an original signer within a given context. We propose a certificateless proxy signature (CLPS) scheme from RSA and prove its security under the strongest security model where the Type I/II adversary is a super Type I/II adversary.
5-Aminosalicylic Acid Inhibits AcuteClostridium difficileToxin A-Induced Colitis in Rats
Authors: Vigna Steven R.
Published: June 2014

We tested the hypothesis that 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) inhibits toxin A-induced generation of colonic leukotriene B4(LTB4) and toxin A colitis in rats. Isolated colonic segments in anesthetized rats were treated intraluminally with toxin A for 3 hours with or without 30 minutes of pretreatment with either 5-ASA or sulfapyridine and then colonic tissue levels of LTB4were measured and inflammation was assessed. Separately, sulfasalazine was administered to rats in their drinking water for 5 days, isolated colonic segments were then prepared, toxin A was administered, and inflammation was assessed as before. Pretreatment with 5-ASA inhibited toxin A-induced increased tissue LTB4concentration in the colon. Sulfasalazine and 5-ASA but not sulfapyridine significantly inhibited toxin A colitis. However, pretreatment with 5-ASA did not protect against direct TRPV1-mediated colitis caused by capsaicin. Toxin A stimulated the release of substance P (SP), and this effect was also inhibited by sulfasalazine and 5-ASA but not by sulfapyridine. Thus, toxin A stimulates colonic LTB4resulting in activation of TRPV1, release of SP, and colitis. Inhibition of 5-LO by 5-ASA disrupts this pathway and supports the concept that LTB4activation of TRPV1 plays a role in toxin A colitis.
Platelet-Rich Plasma in Bone Regeneration: Engineering the Delivery for Improved Clinical Efficacy
Authors: Rodriguez Isaac A. , Growney Kalaf Emily A. , Bowlin Gary L. , Sell Scott A.
Published: June 2014

Human bone is a tissue with a fairly remarkable inherent capacity for regeneration; however, this regenerative capacity has its limitations, and defects larger than a critical size lack the ability to spontaneously heal. As such, the development and clinical translation of effective bone regeneration modalities are paramount. One regenerative medicine approach that is beginning to gain momentum in the clinical setting is the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). PRP therapy is essentially a method for concentrating platelets and their intrinsic growth factors to stimulate and accelerate a healing response. While PRP has shown some efficacy in bothin vitroandin vivoscenarios, to date its use and delivery have not been optimized for bone regeneration. Issues remain with the effective delivery of the platelet-derived growth factors to a localized site of injury, the activation and temporal release of the growth factors, and the rate of growth factor clearance. This review will briefly describe the physiological principles behind PRP use and then discuss how engineering its method of delivery may ultimately impact its ability to successfully translate to widespread clinical use.
Measuring Semantic and Structural Information for Data Oriented Workflow Retrieval with Cost Constraints
Authors: Ma Yinglong , Zhang Liying , Shi Moyi
Published: June 2014

The reuse of data oriented workflows (DOWs) can reduce the cost of workflow system development and control the risk of project failure and therefore is crucial for accelerating the automation of business processes. Reusing workflows can be achieved by measuring the similarity among candidate workflows and selecting the workflow satisfying requirements of users from them. However, due to DOWs being often developed based on an open, distributed, and heterogeneous environment, different users often can impose diverse cost constraints on data oriented workflows. This makes the reuse of DOWs challenging. There is no clear solution for retrieving DOWs with cost constraints. In this paper, we present a novel graph based model of DOWs with cost constraints, called constrained data oriented workflow (CDW), which can express cost constraints that users are often concerned about. An approach is proposed for retrieving CDWs, which seamlessly combines semantic and structural information of CDWs. A distance measure based on matrix theory is adopted to seamlessly combine semantic and structural similarities of CDWs for selecting and reusing them. Finally, the related experiments are made to show the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach.
Synthetic Effect of Vivid Shark Skin and Polymer Additive on Drag Reduction Reinforcement
Authors: Chen Huawei , Zhang Xin , Che Da , Zhang Deyuan , Li Xiang , Li Yuanyue
Published: June 2014

Natural shark skin has a well-demonstrated drag reduction function, which is mainly owing to its microscopic structure and mucus on the body surface. In order to improve drag reduction, it is necessary to integrate microscopic drag reduction structure and drag reduction agent. In this study, two hybrid approaches to synthetically combine vivid shark skin and polymer additive, namely, long-chain grafting and controllable polymer diffusion, were proposed and attempted to mimic such hierarchical topography of shark skin without waste of polymer additive. Grafting mechanism and optimization of diffusion port were investigated to improve the efficiency of the polymer additive. Superior drag reduction effects were validated, and the combined effect was also clarified through comparison between drag reduction experiments.
A Novel Interdigital Capacitor Pressure Sensor Based on LTCC Technology
Authors: Tan Qiulin , Yang Mingliang , Luo Tao , Liu Wei , Li Chao , Xue Chenyang , Liu Jun , Zhang Wendong , Xiong Jijun
Published: June 2014

A novel passive wireless pressure sensor is proposed based on LTCC (low temperature cofired ceramic) technology. The sensor employs a passive LC circuit, which is composed of a variable interdigital capacitor and a constant inductor. The inductor and capacitor were fabricated by screen-printing. Pressure measurement is tested using a wireless mutual inductance coupling method. The experimental sensitivity of the sensor is about 273.95 kHz/bar below 2 bar. Experimental results show that the sensor can be read out wirelessly by external antenna at 600°C. The max readout distance is 3 cm at room temperature. The sensors described can be applied for monitoring of gas pressure in harsh environments, such as environment with high temperature and chemical corrosion.
Migration Routes of the Aptian to Turonian Ostracod Assemblages from North Africa and the Middle East
Authors: Elewa Ashraf M. T. , Mohamed Omar
Published: June 2014

Quantitative paleobiogeography is a powerful tool for detecting the migration routes of microfossils. This is factual and applicable when we select appropriate analyses for proper problems in the following manner. The quantitative study of 43 selected ostracod species (total of 136 species) from 11 countries of North Africa and the Middle East led to the detection of two migration routes in the late Early to early Late Cretaceous times. The first route of migration was from east to west during the intervals of Aptian-Albian to Cenomanian. While in the Turonian time, reduced oxygen conditions prevailed and minimized the east-west migration. The second route was from north to south for the duration of Aptian-Albian to Cenomanian. On the other hand, four ostracod biofacies, each with its distinctive environmental conditions, have been identified in the studied countries ranging in age from Aptian to Turonian.
Oil Palm Frond Juice as Future Fermentation Substrate: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Che Maail Che Mohd Hakiman , Ariffin Hidayah , Hassan Mohd Ali , Shah Umi Kalsom Md , Shirai Yoshihito
Published: June 2014

Oil palm frond (OPF) juice is a potential industrial fermentation substrate as it has high sugars content and the OPF are readily available daily. However, maximum sugars yield and storage stability of the OPF juice are yet to be determined. This study was conducted to determine the effect of physical pretreatment and storage duration of OPF petiole on sugars yield. Storage stability of OPF juice at different storing conditions was also investigated. It was found that OPF petiole squeezed by hydraulic pressing machine gave the highest sugars recovery at almost 40 g/kg, accounting for a recovery yield of 88%. Storage of OPF petiole up to 72 hrs prior to squeezing reduced the free sugars by 11 g/kg. Concentrated OPF juice with 95% water removal had the best storage stability at both 4 and30°C, when it was stored for 10 days. Moreover, concentrated OPF syrup prepared by thermal processing did not give any Maillard effect on microbial growth. Based on our results, OPF juice meets all the criteria as a good fermentation substrate as it is renewable, consistently available, and easy to be obtained, it does not inhibit microbial growth and product formation, and it contains no impurities.
Strongly Lacunary Ward Continuity in 2-Normed Spaces
Authors: Çakalli Hüseyin , Ersan Sibel
Published: June 2014

A functionfdefined on a subsetEof a 2-normed spaceXis strongly lacunary ward continuous if it preserves strongly lacunary quasi-Cauchy sequences of points inE; that is,(f(xk))is a strongly lacunary quasi-Cauchy sequence whenever (xk) is strongly lacunary quasi-Cauchy. In this paper, not only strongly lacunary ward continuity, but also some other kinds of continuities are investigated in 2-normed spaces.
Robust H∞ Control for Linear Stochastic Partial Differential Systems with Time Delay
Authors: Dai Xisheng , Deng Feiqi , Zhang Jianxiang
Published: June 2014

This paper investigates the problems of robust stochastic mean square exponential
stabilization and robust H∞ for stochastic partial differential time delay systems. Sufficient
conditions for the existence of state feedback controllers are proposed, which ensure mean square
exponential stability of the resulting closed‐loop system and reduce the effect of the
disturbance input on the controlled output to a prescribed level of H∞ performance. A linear
matrix inequality approach is employed to design the desired state feedback controllers. An
illustrative example is provided to show the usefulness of the proposed technique.
Production of Biologically Activated Carbon from Orange Peel and Landfill Leachate Subsequent Treatment Technology
Authors: Xie Zhigang , Guan Wei , Ji Fangying , Song Zhongrong , Zhao Yanling
Published: June 2014

In order to improve adsorption of macromolecular contaminants and promote the growth of microorganisms, active carbon for biological wastewater treatment or follow-up processing requires abundant mesopore and good biophile ability. In this experiment, biophile mesopore active carbon is produced in one-step activation with orange peel as raw material, and zinc chloride as activator, and the adsorption characteristics of orange peel active carbon is studied by static adsorption method. BET specific surface area and pore volume reached 1477 m2/g and 2.090 m3/g, respectively. The surface functional groups were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The surface of the as-prepared activated carbon contained hydroxyl group, carbonyl group, and methoxy group. The analysis based on X-ray diffraction spectrogram (XRD) and three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum indicated that the as-prepared activated carbon, with smaller microcrystalline diameter and microcrystalline thickness and enhanced reactivity, exhibited enhanced adsorption performance. This research has a deep influence in effectively controlling water pollution, improving area water quality, easing orange peel waste pollution, and promoting coordinated development among society, economy, and environment.
Hsp74, a Potential Bladder Cancer Marker, Has Direct Interaction with Keratin 1
Authors: Chen Ling , Wang YaRong , Zhao Le , Chen Wei , Dong Chunhui , Zhao Xinhan , Li Xu
Published: June 2014

Early diagnosis and prognosis monitoring are very important for the survival of patients with bladder cancer. To identify candidate biomarkers of bladder cancer, we used a combination of techniques including 2-DE, co-IP, western blot, LC-MS/MS, and immunohistochemistry. Hsp74 was identified with high expression in bladder cancer. The cellular location of expression products of gene Hsp74 showed that they were distributed into cytoplasm and keratin 1 was found to be associated with Hsp74. The results provide a new idea to understand the molecular basis of bladder cancer progression and pinpoint new potential molecular target for early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of bladder cancer.