bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relative Distance Based Forwarding Protocol for Underwater Wireless Networks
Authors: Li Zonglin , Yao Nianmin , Gao Qin
Published: February 2014

Underwater wireless sensor network (UWSN) features many unique characteristics, including slow propagation speed, high end-to-end delay, low available bandwidth, variable link quality, and energy constraint. All these problems pose a big challenge to devise a transmission efficient, energy-saving, and low delay routing protocol for UWSNs. In this paper we devise a relative distance based forwarding (RDBF) routing protocol, which aims to provide transmission efficient, energy-saving, and low delay routing. We utilize a fitness factor to measure and judge the degree of appropriateness for a node to forward the packets. Under the limitations of the fitness factor, RDBF can confine the scope of the candidate forwarders and find the beneficial relays to forward packets. In this way, only a small fraction of nodes are involved in forwarding process, which can distinctly reduce the energy consumption. Moreover, using only the selected beneficial nodes as forwarders can both enhance the transmission efficiency and reduce the end-to-end delay. This is because the distances of these nodes to the sink are the shortest and the hop counts of routing paths consisted by these nodes are minimum. We use the ns-2 based simulator to conduct our experiment; the results show that RDBF performs better in terms of packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, and energy efficiency.
Characterization of Ten Heterotetrameric NDP-Dependent Acyl-CoA Synthetases of the Hyperthermophilic ArchaeonPyrococcus furiosus
Authors: Scott Joseph W. , Poole Farris L. , Adams Michael W. W.
Published: February 2014

The hyperthermophilic archaeonPyrococcus furiosusgrows by fermenting peptides and carbohydrates to organic acids. In the terminal step, acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) isoenzymes convert acyl-CoA derivatives to the corresponding acid and conserve energy in the form of ATP. ACS1 and ACS2 were previously purified fromP. furiosusand haveα2β2structures but the genome contains genes encoding three additionalα-subunits. The ten possible combinations ofαandβgenes were expressed inE. coliand each resulted in stable and activeα2β2isoenzymes. Theα-subunit of each isoenzyme determined CoA-based substrate specificity and between them they accounted for the CoA derivatives of fourteen amino acids. Theβ-subunit determined preference for adenine or guanine nucleotides. The GTP-generating isoenzymes are proposed to play a role in gluconeogenesis by producing GTP for GTP-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and for other GTP-dependent processes. Transcriptional and proteomic data showed that all ten isoenzymes are constitutively expressed indicating that both ATP and GTP are generated from the metabolism of most of the amino acids. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the ACSs ofP. furiosusand other members of the Thermococcales are evolutionarily distinct from those found throughout the rest of biology, including those of other hyperthermophilic archaea.
Structural and Magnetic Properties of Ni DopedSnO2
Authors: Kuppan M. , Kaleemulla S. , Rao N. Madhusudhana , Sai Krishna N. , Begam M. Rigana , Shobana M.
Published: February 2014

Nickel (Ni) doped SnO2powder samples were prepared using solid-state reaction with dopant concentrations in the range of 3 at.% to 15 at.%. The influence of Ni doping on structural, optical, and magnetic properties of the powder samples has been investigated. All the Ni doped powder samples exhibited tetragonal structure of SnO2. A decrease in optical band gap was observed with increase of Ni doping levels. The vibrating sample magnetometer measurements revealed that the Ni doped SnO2powder samples were ferromagnetic at room temperature.
Expression of the Matrix Metalloproteases 2, 14, 24, and 25 and Tissue Inhibitor 3 as Potential Molecular Markers in Advanced Human Gastric Cancer
Authors: de la Peña Sol , Sampieri Clara Luz , Ochoa-Lara Mariana , León-Córdoba Kenneth , Remes-Troche José María
Published: February 2014

Background. During progression of gastric cancer (GC), degradation of the extracellular matrix is mediated by the matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs): changes in the expression of these have been related to unfavorable prognosis in GC.Objective. To analyze the expression of certain MMPs and TIMPs in chronic superficial gastritis (SG) and GC.Methods. The expression of MMPs and TIMPs was determined using qRT-PCR; the expression was classified, using threshold cycle (CT) values, as very high (CT≤25), high (CT=26–30), moderate (CT=31–35), low (CT=36–39), or not detected (CT=40). Strength of association was estimated between the proteins, which were detected by Western blot, and the risk of developing GC.Results. We found a high expression ofMMP1,MMP2,MMP14,TIMP1,andTIMP3; moderate one ofMMP9andMMP25,and low one ofMMP13andMMP24in both tissues. In absolute mRNA levels, significant differences were found in expression ofMMP2,MMP24,andMMP25, which are overexpressed in GC compared with SG. The presence of the proteins MMP-14 and TIMP-3 was associated with the risk of developing GC.Conclusions. We consider thatMMP2,MMP24,andMMP25and the proteins MMP-14 and TIMP-3 could be candidates for prognostic molecular markers in GC.
The Relationship between the 24 h Blood Pressure Variability and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: A Compared Study
Authors: Xiong Huahua , Wu Dan , Tian Xiaohong , Lin Wan-Hua , Li Chunyue , Zhang Heye , Cai Yunpeng , Zhang Yuan-Ting
Published: February 2014

Large blood pressure variability (BPV) will not only harm the target organ but also increase the possibility of the cardiovascular events. Since the damage of vascular system always leads to the alteration of the carotid wall, the structure and function of the carotid artery have been extensively examined in previous studies. In this work we conduct a study (60 subjects, aged 33–79) to evaluate the relationship between BPV and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in Shenzhen, which is one large city in the southern area of China. In our study, the blood pressure (BP) was collected using the 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring, and the BPV was evaluated using standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and average real variability (ARV) during 24 h, daytime and nighttime. All the IMT measurements are collected by ultrasound. The results show that both the daytime, and 24 h systolic BPV evaluated by three indices are positively associated with IMT. Among them, daytime systolic BPV evaluated with ARV is the best variable to represent the increasing of carotid IMT. In addition, after adjusting by age, sex, smoking, hypertension, and mean BP and PP values, 24 h diastolic BPV evaluated with SD also presents the favorable performance.
Applying the Analog Configurability Test Approach in a Wireless Sensor Network Application
Authors: Laprovitta Agustín , Peretti Gabriela , Romero Eduardo
Published: February 2014

This work addresses the application of the analog configurability test (ACT) approach for an embedded analog configurable circuit (EACC), composed of operational amplifiers and interconnection resources that are embedded in the MSP430xG461x microcontrollers family. This test strategy is particularly useful for in-field application requiring reliability, safe operation, or fault tolerance characteristics. Our test proposal consists of programming a reduced set of available configurations for the EACC and testing its functionality by measuring only a few key parameters. The processor executes an embedded test routine that sequentially programs selected configurations, sets the test stimulus, acquires data from the internal ADC, and performs required calculations. The test approach is experimentally evaluated using an embedded system-based real application board. Our experimental results show very good repeatability, with very low errors. These results show that the ACT proposed here is useful for testing the functionality of the circuit under test in a real application context by using a simple strategy at a very low cost.
Design of Information Acquisition and Control System for the Exoskeleton Robot
Authors: Gou Huan , Wang Jialiu , Wu Hongfang , Wang Chao , Yan Lei , Xiao Jiang
Published: February 2014

This paper puts forward an information acquisition and control system for the exoskeleton robot, which can collect movement and location information of the robot timely through a variety of sensors. The information is preprocessed by the microcontroller firstly and then transmitted to the host computer for data analysis and processing by ZigBee wireless transmission module to analyze the movement intention of human by virtue of the monitoring software on the host computer. To achieve assistance, the motor drive will be controlled by the robot through CAN bus, and the robot can effectively analyze human’s intention and monitor the operation status of the assisted robot in practical applications, finally enhancing the body's walking ability.
An Analytical Model for Predicting the Stress Distributions within Single-Lap Adhesively Bonded Beams
Authors: He Xiaocong , Wang Yuqi
Published: February 2014

An analytical model for predicting the stress distributions within single-lap adhesively bonded beams under tension is presented in this paper. By combining the governing equations of each adherend with the joint kinematics, the overall system of governing equations can be obtained. Both the adherends and the adhesive are assumed to be under plane strain condition. With suitable boundary conditions, the stress distribution of the adhesive in the longitudinal direction is determined.
Multiobjective Robust Design of the Double Wishbone Suspension System Based on Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Cheng Xianfu , Lin Yuqun
Published: February 2014

The performance of the suspension system is one of the most important factors in the vehicle design. For the double wishbone suspension system, the conventional deterministic optimization does not consider any deviations of design parameters, so design sensitivity analysis and robust optimization design are proposed. In this study, the design parameters of the robust optimization are the positions of the key points, and the random factors are the uncertainties in manufacturing. A simplified model of the double wishbone suspension is established by software ADAMS. The sensitivity analysis is utilized to determine main design variables. Then, the simulation experiment is arranged and the Latin hypercube design is adopted to find the initial points. The Kriging model is employed for fitting the mean and variance of the quality characteristics according to the simulation results. Further, a particle swarm optimization method based on simple PSO is applied and the tradeoff between the mean and deviation of performance is made to solve the robust optimization problem of the double wishbone suspension system.
Sparse Representation for Tumor Classification Based on Feature Extraction Using Latent Low-Rank Representation
Authors: Gan Bin , Zheng Chun-Hou , Zhang Jun , Wang Hong-Qiang
Published: February 2014

Accurate tumor classification is crucial to the proper treatment of cancer. To now, sparse representation (SR) has shown its great performance for tumor classification. This paper conceives a new SR-based method for tumor classification by using gene expression data. In the proposed method, we firstly use latent low-rank representation for extracting salient features and removing noise from the original samples data. Then we use sparse representation classifier (SRC) to build tumor classification model. The experimental results on several real-world data sets show that our method is more efficient and more effective than the previous classification methods including SVM, SRC, and LASSO.
Silicone Oil Reinjection without Macular Buckling for Treatment of Recurrent Myopic Macular Hole Retinal Detachment after Silicone Oil Removal
Authors: Ghoraba Hammouda Hamdy , Elgouhary Sameh Mohamed , Mansour Hosam Osman
Published: February 2014

Purpose. To evaluate the efficacy of silicone oil (S.O) reinjection without macular buckling for treatment of recurrent myopic macular hole retinal detachment (MHRD) after silicone oil removal.Methods. A retrospective consecutive interventional study from medical reports on cases of myopic MHRD. Fifty-three eyes of 51 patients underwent silicone oil removal after successful repair of MHRD were reviewed. The main outcomes were the retinal status after silicone oil removal and management of recurrent cases.Results. The rate of recurrent RD (Re RD) after silicone oil removal was 11.3% (6 out of 53 eyes). One case refused any other interference. In the remaining 5 eyes, 4 eyes (80%) could be reattached by S.O re-injection and one eye (20%) developed Re RD after S.O re-injection. Range of followup after management of recurrence was 5–53 months (mean 18.7 months).Conclusions. This case series concluded that the risk factors for recurrent RD after silicone oil removal from cases of myopic MHRD were high myopia, open flat MH, and large posterior staphyloma. Revision of vitrectomy and S.O re-injection can reattach most of recurrent cases.
Thrombosed Large Distal Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysm Mimicking an Infratentorial Ependymoma
Authors: Woo Peter Yat Ming , Ko Natalie Man Wai , Chan Kwong Yau
Published: February 2014

Large or giant intracranial aneurysms can simulate brain tumors clinically and radiologically by virtue of their progressive mass effect. Unlike aneurysms from alternative locations, those arising from the distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) are uncommon. We report a patient who experienced progressive hemiparesis with magnetic resonance imaging findings suggestive of an infratentorial ependymoma. Intraoperatively, a thrombosed large aneurysm of the distal PICA was unexpectedly encountered. The aneurysm was clipped and the patient did not develop any permanent neurological deficit. This case illustrates the radiological nuances of large aneurysms and infratentorial ependymomas. Three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography can be falsely negative and the importance of the “target” sign is emphasized. One should be cognizant of this possible diagnosis for patients with midline fourth ventricular lesions in order to reduce surgical risk.
Hot Corrosion Behaviour of Detonation Gun Sprayed
Al2O3-40TiO2 Coating on Nickel Based Superalloys at 900°C
Authors: Mishra N. K. , Kumar Naveen , Mishra S. B.
Published: February 2014

Hot corrosion is the major degradation mechanism of failure of boiler and gas turbine components. These failures occur because of the usage of wide range of fuels such as, coal and oil at the elevated temperatures. Nickel based superalloys having excellent mechanical strength and creep resistance at elevated temperature are used under such environment but they lack resistance to hot corrosion at high temperature. To overcome these problems hot corrosion resistant coatings are deposited on these materials. In the current investigation Al2O3-40%TiO2 powder has been deposited on Superni 718 and AE 435 superalloys by Detonation Gun method. The hot corrosion performance of Al2O3-40%TiO2 coated as well as uncoated Superni 718 and AE 435 alloys has been evaluated in aggressive environment Na2SO4-82%Fe2(SO4)3 under cyclic conditions at an elevated temperature of 900°C. The kinetics of the corrosion is approximated by weight change measurements made after each cycle for total duration of 50 cycles. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the hot corrosion products. The coated samples imparted better hot corrosion resistance than the uncoated ones. The AE 435 superalloy performed better than Superni 718 for hot corrosion in a given environment.
Do We Need to Clamp the Renal Hilum Liberally during the Initial Phase of the Learning Curve of Robot-Assisted Nephron-Sparing Surgery?
Authors: Acar Ömer , Esen Tarık , Musaoğlu Ahmet , Vural Metin
Published: February 2014

Objective. We aimed to compare the results of our initial robot-assisted nephron-sparing surgeries (RANSS) performed with or without hilar clamping.Material and Method. Charts of the initial RANSSs (n=44), which were performed by a single surgeon, were retrospectively reviewed. R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry system, modified Clavien classification, and M.D.R.D. equation were used to record tumoral complexity, complications, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), respectively. Outcomes of the clamped (group 1,n=14) versus off-clamp (group 2,n=30) RANSSs were compared.Results. The difference between the two groups was insignificant regarding mean patient age, mean tumor size, and mean R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score. Mean operative time, mean estimated blood loss amount, and mean length of hospitalization were similar between groups. A total of 4 patients in each group suffered 11 Clavien grade ≥2 complications early postoperatively. Open conversion rates were similar. The difference between the 2 groups in terms of the mean postoperative change in eGFR was insignificant. We did not encounter any local recurrence after a mean follow-up of 18.9 months.Conclusions. Creating warm-ischemic conditions during RANSS should not be a liberal decision, even in the initial phases of the learning curve for a highly experienced open surgeon.
Fabrication of ZnS-Bi-TiO2Composites and Investigation of Their Sunlight Photocatalytic Performance
Authors: Dong Xuewei , Zhang Fan , Rong Chuan , Ma Hongchao
Published: February 2014

The ZnS-Bi-TiO2composites were prepared by the sol-gel method and were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS). It is found that the doped Bi as Bi4+/Bi3+species existed in composites, and the introducing of ZnS enhanced further the light absorption ability of TiO2in visible region and reduced the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. As compared to pure TiO2, the ZnS-Bi-TiO2exhibited enhanced photodegradation efficiency under xenon lamp irradiation, and the kinetic constant of methyl orange removal with ZnS-Bi-Ti-0.005 (0.0141 min−1) was 3.9 times greater than that of pure TiO2(0.0029 min−1), which could be attributed to the existence of Bi4+/Bi3+species, the ZnS/TiO2heterostructure.
Adaptive Terminal Sliding Mode Control of Electromagnetic Spacecraft Formation Flying in Near-Earth Orbits
Authors: Zhang Jingrui , Yuan Changqin , Jiang Dongmei , Jin Dawei
Published: February 2014

An adaptive terminal sliding mode control for six-degree-of-freedom electromagnetic spacecraft formation flying (EMFF) in near-Earth orbits is presented. By using terminal sliding mode (TSM) technique, the output tracking error can converge to zero in finite time, and strong robustness with respect to disturbance forces can be guaranteed. Based on a rotated frame F r and the adaptive TSM controller, the special magnetic moment of the steerable magnetic dipole is computed. The angular momentum management strategy (AMM) is implemented in a periodically switching fashion, by which the angular momentum buildup was limited. Illustrative simulations of EMFF are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Hawking Radiation-Quasi-Normal Modes Correspondence and Effective States for Nonextremal Reissner-Nordström Black Holes
Authors: Corda C. , Hendi S. H. , Katebi R. , Schmidt N. O.
Published: February 2014

It is known that the nonstrictly thermal character of the Hawking radiation spectrum harmonizes Hawking radiation with black hole (BH) quasi-normal modes (QNM). This paramount issue has been recently analyzed in the framework of both Schwarzschild BHs (SBH) and Kerr BHs (KBH). In this assignment, we generalize the analysis to the framework ofnonextremalReissner-Nordström BHs (RNBH). Such a generalization is important because in both Schwarzschild and Kerr BHs an absorbed (emitted) particle has only mass. Instead, in RNBH the particle has charge as well as mass. In doing so, we expose that, for the RNBH, QNMs can be naturally interpreted in terms of quantum levels for both particle emission and absorption. Conjointly, we generalize some concepts concerning the RNBH's “effective states.”
Disseminated Tumor Cells in Bone Marrow of Gastric Cancer Patients: Correlation with Tumor Hypoxia and Clinical Relevance
Authors: Bubnovskaya Larissa , Kovelskaya Antonina , Gumenyuk Lilya , Ganusevich Irina , Mamontova Lesya , Mikhailenko Victor , Osinsky Dmitry , Merentsev Sergej , Osinsky Sergej
Published: February 2014

Aim.The evaluation of the clinical relevance of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow (BM) of patients with gastric cancer (GC) and their association with primary tumor hypoxia.Patients and Methods.89 resected specimens were used. DTCs were detected using immunocytochemistry, the level of tumor hypoxia using NMR spectroscopy, CD68, CD34, VEGF, and VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) expression using immunohistochemistry, and MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity using zymography.Results.DTCs were detected in 51.4% of GC patients with M0. There was significant correlation between frequency of DTCs in BM and level of tumor hypoxia (P<0.024). DTCs presence was accompanied with Flt-1 positivity of BM. The correlation between DTCs and tumor VEGF expression in patients with M0was shown (P<0.0248). Activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in BM was linked with DTCs in patients with M0(P<0.05). Overall survival (OS) of patients with M0and DTCs was shorter than that of patients without DTCs (patients in both groups were operated only) (P=0.0497).Conclusion.Appearance of DTCs correlates with hypoxia level in primary tumors. Detection of DTCs in GC patients may be relevant indicator for adjuvant chemotherapy using.
Identification of Human Tissue Kallikrein 6 as a Potential Marker of Laryngeal Cancer Based on the Relevant Secretory/Releasing Protein Database
Authors: Zhang Ying , Zhang Zaixing , Yang Lei , Xu Bin , Li Weihua , Tang Pingzhang , Zhang Zongmin , Han Naijun , Gao Yanning , Cheng Shujun , Xiao Ting
Published: February 2014

Objective. This study was aimed to create a large-scale laryngeal cancer relevant secretory/releasing protein database and further discover candidate biomarkers.Methods. Primary tissue cultures were established using tumor tissues and matched normal mucosal tissues collected from four laryngeal cancer patients. Serum-free conditioned medium (CM) samples were collected. These samples were then sequentially processed by SDS-PAGE separation, trypsin digestion, and LC-MS/MS analysis. The candidates in the database were validated by ELISA using plasma samples from laryngeal cancer patients, benign patients, and healthy individuals.Results. Combining MS data from the tumor tissues and normal tissues, 982 proteins were identified in total; extracellular proteins and cell surface proteins accounted for 15.0% and 4.3%, respectively. According to stringent criteria, 49 proteins were selected as candidates worthy of further validation. Of these, human tissue kallikrein 6 (KLK6) was verified. The level of KLK6 was significantly increased in the plasma samples from the cancer cohort compared to the benign and healthy cohorts and moreover showed a slight decrease in the postoperative plasma samples in comparison to the preoperative plasma samples.Conclusions. This laryngeal cancer-derived protein database provides a promising repository of candidate blood biomarkers for laryngeal cancer. The diagnostic potential of KLK6 deserves further investigation.
Influence of Spacer Grid Outer Strap on Fuel Assembly Thermal Hydraulic Performance
Authors: Yan Jingwen , Zhang Yuxiang , Yang Baowen , Li Weicai , Zhou Yuemin
Published: February 2014

The outer strap as a typical structure of a spacer grid enhances the mechanical strength, decreases hang-up susceptibility, and also influences thermal hydraulic performance, for example, pressure loss, mixing performance, and flow distribution. In the present study, a typical grid spacer with different outer strap designs is adopted to investigate the influence of outer strap design on fuel assembly thermal hydraulic performance by using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, ANSYS CFX, and a subchannel analysis code, FLICA. To simulate the outer straps’ influence between fuel assemblies downstream, four quarter-bundles from neighboring fuel assemblies are constructed to form the computational domain. The results show that the outer strap design has a major impact on cross-flow between fuel assemblies and temperature distribution within the fuel assembly.
Predicting the Times of Retweeting in Microblogs
Authors: Kuang Li , Tang Xiang , Guo Kehua
Published: February 2014

Recently, microblog services accelerate the information propagation among peoples, leaving the traditional media like newspaper, TV, forum, blogs, and web portals far behind. Various messages are spread quickly and widely by retweeting in microblogs. In this paper, we take Sina microblog as an example, aiming to predict the possible number of retweets of an original tweet in one month according to the time series distribution of its top n retweets. In order to address the problem, we propose the concept of a tweet’s lifecycle, which is mainly decided by three factors, namely, the response time, the importance of content, and the interval time distribution, and then the given time series distribution curve of its top n retweets is fitted by a two‐phase function, so as to predict the number of its retweets in one month. The phases in the function are divided by the lifecycle of the original tweet and different functions are used in the two phases. Experiment results show that our solution can address the problem of predicting the times of retweeting in microblogs with a satisfying precision.
Minimally Invasive Local Treatments for Bone and Pulmonary Metastases
Authors: Bedi Meena , King David M. , Tutton Sean
Published: February 2014

Surgery and chemotherapy have historically been the mainstay of treatment in patients with metastatic disease. However there are many alternative therapies available to relieve the symptoms and morbidity of metastases. In this paper, we review the role and highlight the advantages of minimally invasive techniques employed in patients with pulmonary and bone metastases.
The Anatomy of a Weight Recidivism and Revision Bariatric Surgical Clinic
Authors: de Gara C. J. , Karmali S.
Published: February 2014

Abstract. Weight recidivism in bariatric surgery failure is multifactorial. It ranges from inappropriate patient selection for primary surgery to technical/anatomic issues related to the original surgery. Most bariatric surgeons and centers focus on primary bariatric surgery while weight recidivism and its complications are very much secondary concerns.Methods. We report on our initial experience having established a dedicated weight recidivism and revisional bariatric surgery clinic. A single surgeon, dedicated nursing, dieticians, and psychologist developed care maps, goals of care, nonsurgical candidate rules, and discharge planning strategies.Results. A single year audit (2012) of clinical activity revealed 137 patients, with a mean age 49 ± 10.1 years (6 years older on average than in our primary clinic), 75% of whom were women with BMI 47 ± 11.5. Over three quarters had undergone a vertical band gastroplasty while 15% had had a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band. Only 27% of those attending clinic required further surgery. As for primary surgery, the role of the obesity expert clinical psychologist was a key component to achieving successful revision outcomes.Conclusion. With an exponential rise in obesity and a concomitant major increase in bariatric surgery, an inevitable increase in revisional surgery is becoming a reality. Anticipating this increase in activity, Alberta Health Services, Alberta, Canada, has established a unique and dedicated clinic whose early results are promising.
Mixed Convective Heat Transfer for MHD Viscoelastic Fluid Flow over a Porous Wedge with Thermal Radiation
Authors: Rashidi M. M. , Ali M. , Freidoonimehr N. , Rostami B. , Hossain M. Anwar
Published: February 2014

The main concern of the present paper is to study the MHD mixed convective heat transfer for an incompressible, laminar, and electrically conducting viscoelastic fluid flow past a permeable wedge with thermal radiation via a semianalytical/numerical method, called Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM). The boundary-layer governing partial differential equations (PDEs) are transformed into highly nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations (ODEs) consisting of the momentum and energy equations using similarity solution. The current HAM solution demonstrates very good agreement with previously published studies for some special cases. The effects of different physical flow parameters such as wedge angle (β), magnetic field ( M), viscoelastic ( k1), suction/injection ( fw), thermal radiation ( Nr), and Prandtl number (Pr) on the fluid velocity component ( f′( η)) and temperature distribution ( θ( η)) are illustrated graphically and discussed in detail.
Distribution of Glyphosate- and Thifensulfuron-Resistant Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) in North Carolina
Authors: Poirier Amy H. , York Alan C. , Jordan David L. , Chandi Aman , Everman Wesley J. , Whitaker Jared R.
Published: February 2014

Glyphosate resistance in Palmer amaranth was first confirmed in North Carolina in 2005. A survey that year indicated 17 and 18% of 290 populations sampled were resistant to glyphosate and thifensulfuron, respectively. During the fall of 2010, 274 predetermined sites in North Carolina were surveyed to determine distribution of Palmer amaranth and to determine if and where resistance to fomesafen, glufosinate, glyphosate, and thifensulfuron occurred. Palmer amaranth was present at 134 sites. When mortality for each biotype was compared to a known susceptible biotype for each herbicide within a rate, 93 and 36% of biotypes were controlled less by glyphosate (840 g ae ha−1) and thifensulfuron (70 g ai ha−1), respectively. This approach may have underestimated resistance for segregating populations due to lack of homogeneity of the herbicide resistance trait and its contribution to error variance. When mortality and visible control were combined, 98% and 97% of the populations were resistant to glyphosate and the ALS inhibitor thifensulfuron, respectively, and 95% of the populations expressed multiple resistance to both herbicides. This study confirms that Palmer amaranth is commonly found across the major row crop production regions of North Carolina and that resistance to glyphosate and ALS-inhibiting herbicides is nearly universal. No resistance to fomesafen or glufosinate was observed.
Integration and Analysis of Neighbor Discovery and Link Quality Estimation in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Radi Marjan , Dezfouli Behnam , Abu Bakar Kamalrulnizam , Abd Razak Shukor
Published: February 2014

Network connectivity and link quality information are the fundamental requirements of wireless sensor network protocols to perform their desired functionality. Most of the existing discovery protocols have only focused on the neighbor discovery problem, while a few number of them provide an integrated neighbor search and link estimation. As these protocols require a careful parameter adjustment before network deployment, they cannot provide scalable and accurate network initialization in large-scale dense wireless sensor networks with random topology. Furthermore, performance of these protocols has not entirely been evaluated yet. In this paper, we perform a comprehensive simulation study on the efficiency of employing adaptive protocols compared to the existing nonadaptive protocols for initializing sensor networks with random topology. In this regard, we propose adaptive network initialization protocols which integrate the initial neighbor discovery with link quality estimation process to initialize large-scale dense wireless sensor networks without requiring any parameter adjustment before network deployment. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first attempt to provide a detailed simulation study on the performance of integrated neighbor discovery and link quality estimation protocols for initializing sensor networks. This study can help system designers to determine the most appropriate approach for different applications.
Structural, Linear, and Nonlinear Optical and Mechanical Properties of New Organic L-Serine Crystal
Authors: Rajesh K. , Kumar P. Praveen
Published: February 2014

Nonlinear optical single crystal of organic amino acid L-Serine (LS) was grown by slow evaporation technique. Solubility study of the compound was measured and metastable zone width was found. Single crystal X-ray diffraction study was carried out for the grown crystal. The linear and nonlinear optical properties of the crystal were confirmed by UV-Vis analysis and powder SHG tester. FT-IR spectrum was recorded and functional groups were analyzed. Vickers’ microhardness studies showed the mechanical strength of the grown crystal. Laser damage threshold value of the crystal was calculated. Photoconductivity studies reveal the conductivity of the crystal.
Karyotype Patterns ofHypsolebias antenori(Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae): An Endangered Killifish of the Semiarid Region of Brazil
Authors: Nascimento Wallace Silva do , Bezerra Juliana Galvão , Lima-Filho Paulo Augusto , Yamamoto Maria Emília , Chellappa Sathyabama , Molina Wagner Franco
Published: February 2014

Annual fish which belong to the order Cyprinodontiformes constitute an excellent model for evolutionary studies. their short life cycle, distribution in ecologically dynamic environments, and low agility make them favorable for genetic analyses. The speciesHypsolebias antenori(Rivulidae), encountered in seasonal pools located in the semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil, has been the object of surveys with a view to study its ecological and behavioral aspects. This study reports on the karyotype patterns of this species, which represents the first contribution to the cytogenetics of this genus. The karyotype of this species is composed of 2n = 48 chromosomes (6m + 4sm + 36st; NF = 96); the heterochromatic regions are located in centromeric or pericentromeric position and are more pronounced in the nucleolar organizer regions. Two sites Ag-NORs/CMA+/DAPI were identified in the short arms of pairs 2 (metacentric) and 21 (subtelocentric). Unlike the other species of this family which show an evolution modulated by events of centric fusions,H. antenorishows the maintenance of a basal diploid number and the large number of bibrachial elements indicates karyotypic diversification derived by pericentric inversions. Cytogenetic analyzes in this species will provide new taxonomic markers capable of being utilized in conservation issues and systematics.
An Extended Analytical Approach to Evaluating Monotonic Functions of Fuzzy Numbers
Authors: Seibel Arthur , Schlattmann Josef
Published: February 2014

This paper presents an extended analytical approach to evaluating continuous, monotonic functions of independent fuzzy numbers. The approach is based on a parametricα-cut representation of fuzzy numbers and allows for the inclusion of parameter uncertainties into mathematical models.
A Mahalanobis Hyperellipsoidal Learning Machine Class Incremental Learning Algorithm
Authors: Qin Yuping , Karimi Hamid Reza , Li Dan , Lun Shuxian , Zhang Aihua
Published: February 2014

A Mahalanobis hyperellipsoidal learning machine class incremental learning algorithm is proposed. To each class sample, the hyperellipsoidal that encloses as many as possible and pushes the outlier samples away is trained in the feature space. In the process of incremental learning, only one subclassifier is trained with the new class samples. The old models of the classifier are not influenced and can be reused. In the process of classification, considering the information of sample’s distribution in the feature space, the Mahalanobis distances from the sample mapping to the center of each hyperellipsoidal are used to decide the classified sample class. The experimental results show that the proposed method has higher classification precision and classification speed.
Active Power Measurement Based on Multiwavelet Transforms
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Bing , Li Yun-Hui , Cui Xiao-Meng
Published: February 2014

This paper discusses a new method for calculating active power in the multiwavelet domain. When the voltage and current waveforms are analyzed using multiwavelet, the active power can be calculated by simply adding the products of the multiwavelet coefficients without having to reconstruct the signals back to the time domain first and then using the traditional integration. From the simulation result, we can see that the results using multiwavelet are better than the ones using wavelet and Fourier Transforms no matter which prefilter is used.
Empirical Mode Decomposition and Neural Networks on FPGA for Fault Diagnosis in Induction Motors
Authors: Camarena-Martinez David , Valtierra-Rodriguez Martin , Garcia-Perez Arturo , Osornio-Rios Roque Alfredo , Romero-Troncoso Rene de Jesus
Published: February 2014

Nowadays, many industrial applications require online systems that combine several processing techniques in order to offer solutions to complex problems as the case of detection and classification of multiple faults in induction motors. In this work, a novel digital structure to implement the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) for processing nonstationary and nonlinear signals using the full spline-cubic function is presented; besides, it is combined with an adaptive linear network (ADALINE)-based frequency estimator and a feed forward neural network (FFNN)-based classifier to provide an intelligent methodology for the automatic diagnosis during the startup transient of motor faults such as: one and two broken rotor bars, bearing defects, and unbalance. Moreover, the overall methodology implementation into a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) allows an online and real-time operation, thanks to its parallelism and high-performance capabilities as a system-on-a-chip (SoC) solution. The detection and classification results show the effectiveness of the proposed fused techniques; besides, the high precision and minimum resource usage of the developed digital structures make them a suitable and low-cost solution for this and many other industrial applications.
Myocardial Injury in Critically Ill Children: A Case Control Study
Authors: Hassan Basheir , Morsy Saed , Siam Ahmed , Ali Al Shaymaa , Abdo Mohamed , Al Shafie Mona , Hassaneen Ahmad
Published: February 2014

Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of myocardial injury in critically ill children through assessment of cardiac troponin T levels and whether levels are associated with disease severity and myocardial dysfunction measured by echocardiography. Methods. Over a 6-month period, this case control study included 50 patients admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Zagazig University Children’s Hospital. Twenty-five healthy children were included as a control group. Demographic and clinical data including the pediatric index of mortality II score were recorded. Echocardiographic examination was done and level of cardiac troponin T was measured using Elecsys Troponin T STAT Immunoassay. Results. Cardiac troponin T levels were significantly higher in critically ill in comparison to healthy children (median 22 (18–28) pg/mL versus 10 (10-10) pg/mL, P<0.05). Cardiac troponin T levels correlated positively with duration of ventilation as well as with disease severity and correlated negatively with left ventricular fractional shortening. Moreover, cardiac troponin T levels were significantly higher in nonsurvivors when compared to survivors (median 34.5 (27.5–41.5) pg/mL versus 20 (18–24) pg/mL, P<0.05). Conclusion. In critically ill children, cardiac troponin T levels were elevated and were associated with duration of ventilation and disease severity.
Distribution of Pressure Fluctuations in a Prototype Pump Turbine at Pump Mode
Authors: Sun Yuekun , Zuo Zhigang , Liu Shuhong , Liu Jintao , Wu Yulin
Published: February 2014

Pressure fluctuations are very important characteristics in pump turbine's operation. Many researches have focused on the characteristics (amplitude and frequencies) of pressure fluctuations at specific locations, but little researches mentioned the distribution of pressure fluctuations in a pump turbine. In this paper, 3D numerical simulations using SSTk − ω turbulence model were carried out to predict the pressure fluctuations distribution in a prototype pump turbine at pump mode. Three operating points with different mass flow rates and different guide vanes’ openings were simulated. The numerical results show how pressure fluctuations at blade passing frequency (BPF) and its harmonics vary along the whole flow path direction, as well as along the circumferential direction. BPF is the first dominant frequency in vaneless space. Pressure fluctuation component at this frequency rapidly decays towards upstream (to draft tube) and downstream (to spiral casing). In contrast, pressure fluctuations component at 3BPF spreads to upstream and downstream with almost constant amplitude. Amplitude and frequencies of pressure fluctuations also vary along different circumferential locations in vaneless space. When the mass flow and guide vanes’ opening are different, the distribution of pressure fluctuations along the two directions is different basically.
A Single Centre Experience of First “One Hundred Laparoscopic Liver Resections”
Authors: Rehman S. , John S. K. P. , French J. J. , Manas D. M. , White S. A.
Published: February 2014

Background. Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) has emerged as an alternative procedure to open liver resection in selected patients. The purpose of this study was to describe our initial experience of 100 patients undergoing LLR.
Methods. We analysed a prospectively maintained hepatobiliary database of 100 patients who underwent LLR between August 2007 and August 2012. Clinicopathological data were reviewed to evaluate surgical outcomes following LLR. Results. The median age was 64 and median BMI 27. Patients had a liver resection for either malignant lesions (n=74) or benign lesions (n=26). Commonly performed procedures were segmentectomy/metastectomy (n=55), left lateral sectionectomy (LLS) (n=26), or major hepatectomy (n=19). Complete LLR was performed in 84 patients, 9 were converted to open and 7 hand-assisted. The most common indications were CRLM (n=62), followed by hepatic adenoma (n=9) or hepatocellular carcinoma (n=7). The median operating time was 240 minutes and median blood loss was 250 mL. Major postoperative complications occurred in 9 patients. The median length of stay (LOS) was 5 days. One patient died within 30 days of liver resection. Conclusions. LLR is a safe and oncologically feasible procedure with comparable short-term perioperative outcomes to the open approach. However, further studies are necessary to determine long-term oncological outcomes.
Effects of Downregulation of MicroRNA-181a on H2O2-Induced H9c2 Cell Apoptosis via the Mitochondrial Apoptotic Pathway
Authors: Wang Lei , Huang He , Fan Yang , Kong Bin , Hu He , Hu Ke , Guo Jun , Mei Yang , Liu Wan-Li
Published: February 2014

Glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx1) is a pivotal intracellular antioxidant enzyme that enzymatically reduces hydrogen peroxide to water to limit its harmful effects. This study aims to identify a microRNA (miRNA) that targets GPx1 to maintain redox homeostasis. Dual luciferase assays combined with mutational analysis and immunoblotting were used to validate the bioinformatically predicted miRNAs. We sought to select miRNAs that were responsive to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the H9c2 rat cardiomyocyte cell line. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) demonstrated that the expression of miR-181a in H2O2-treated H9c2 cells was markedly upregulated. The downregulation of miR-181a significantly inhibited H2O2-induced cellular apoptosis, ROS production, the increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, the disruption of mitochondrial structure, and the activation of key signaling proteins in the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Our results suggest that miR-181a plays an important role in regulating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in cardiomyocytes challenged with oxidative stress. MiR-181a may represent a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of oxidative stress-associated cardiovascular diseases.
Combined Liver and Multivisceral Resections
Authors: de Santibañes Martin , Dietrich Agustin , de Santibañes Eduardo
Published: February 2014

Background. Combined liver and multivisceral resections are infrequent procedures, which demand extensive experience and considerable surgical skills. Methods. An electronic search of literature related to this topic published before June 2013 was performed. Results. There is limited scientific evidence of the feasibility and clinical outcomes of these complex procedures. The majority of these cases are simultaneous resections of colorectal tumors with liver metastases. Combined liver and multivisceral resections can be performed with acceptable postoperative morbidity and mortality rates only in carefully selected patients. Conclusion. Lack of experience in these aggressive surgeries justifies a careful selection of patients, considering their comorbidities.
Framework for NFC-Based Intelligent Agents: A Context-Awareness Enabler for Social Internet of Things
Authors: Lin Chih-Hao , Ho Pin-Han , Lin Hong-Chuan
Published: February 2014

Context-aware applications are required to be aware of user context and ambient intelligent to support nonintrusive human-computer interaction. However, the uncertain real-world environments make it difficult for a system to perceive enough environmental contexts and achieve user's goal. Therefore, this study proposes a framework for developing an NFC-enabled intelligent agent, which combines the NFC technique with context-acquisition, ontology-knowledgebase, and semantic-adaptation modules to be aware of location, time, device, and activity contexts with respect to personal and social profiles. To cope with the uncertain environment, a credit-based incentive scheme is also proposed to encourage social cooperation and thereby enlarge the value of personal perceptions. By developing a complete ontology knowledgebase, the proposed framework can incorporate with social-cooperation schemes to recommend relevant services for supporting reactive action, proactive achievement, and social cooperation. The resultant social-advertising system shows that this framework can support a wide-range of different functionalities and is indispensable to an NFC-based intelligent agent for social Internet of things.
High Prevalence of Infertility among Women with Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Authors: Quintino-Moro Alessandra , Zantut-Wittmann Denise E. , Tambascia Marcos , Machado Helymar da Costa , Fernandes Arlete
Published: February 2014

Objectives. To evaluate the prevalence of infertility in women with Graves’ disease (GD) or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and associated factors.Material and Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Endocrinology Clinic for Thyroid Autoimmune Diseases, with 193 women aged 18–50 years with GD and 66 women aged 18–60 years with HT. The women were interviewed to obtain data on their gynecological and obstetric history and family history of autoimmune diseases. Their medical records were reviewed to determine the characteristics of the disease and to confirm association with other autoimmune diseases. Infertility was defined as 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse without conception.Results. The prevalence of infertility was 52.3% in GD and 47.0% in HT. Mean age at diagnosis was 36.5 years and 39.2 years, in GD and HT, respectively. The mean number of pregnancies was lower in women who were 35 years old or younger at diagnosis and was always lower following diagnosis of the disease, irrespective of age. The only variable associated with infertility was a shorter time of the disease in HT.Conclusions. The prevalence of infertility was high in women with GD and HT and affected the number of pregnancies in young women.