bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of ZnO/CdS/BC Photocatalyst Hybrid Fiber and Research of Its Photocatalytic Properties
Authors: Dai Beibei , Chao Cheng , Lu Xiaoyu , Xia Qingcheng , Han Jing , Mao Fei , Yang Jiazhi , Sun Dongping
Published: October 2015

An environment-friendly biomaterial bacterial cellulose (BC) is introduced to substitute general organic polymers to assist the preparation of ZnO/CdS/BC photocatalyst hybrid nanofiber through coprecipitation method under the low-temperature condition. The XRD, XPS, and SEM results show that high load of ZnO/CdS/BC ternary hybrid fiber can be produced. TGA curves scan shows that ZnO/CdS/BC hybrid fiber has better thermal properties than bacterial cellulose. The UV-Vis spectra of the ZnO/CdS/BC hybrid nanofiber (0, 10, 20, and 50 wt%, resp.) show that photocatalytic activities of ZnO/CdS/BC are influenced by the added amount of CdS. The degradation curve of methyl shows that ZnO/CdS/BC nanohybrid fibers exhibit excellent photocatalytic efficiency.
A Novel Approach to Density Near-Zero Acoustic Metamaterials
Authors: Sečujski Milan , Cselyuszka Norbert , Crnojević-Bengin Vesna
Published: September 2015

The study demonstrates the possibility of achieving near-zero propagation of sound waves in acoustic metamaterials based on a membrane-based metamaterial unit cell which exhibits effective mass density of Lorentzian type. The unit cell, which represents the acoustic counterpart of the split ring resonator, was previously used as a building block of left-handed metamaterials, as it exhibits negative density at certain frequencies. In this study we show that its application can be extended to achieving propagation of sound waves at a frequency where its effective density equals zero. This effect can be exploited in a range of applications where extremely low phase variation over long physical distances is required, such as energy tunneling or tailoring the acoustic radiation phase pattern in arbitrary ways. After discussing the dependence of the frequency response of the unit cell on the properties of the host, we show that it can be used to design near-zero acoustic filters with low insertion loss and steep roll-off. Finally, we show that it can be used to achieve simultaneous near-zero propagation at multiple, independently chosen frequencies.
Silica Sol-Gel Entrapment of the Enzyme Chloroperoxidase
Authors: Le Tuan , Chan Selina , Ebaid Bassem , Sommerhalter Monika
Published: October 2015

The enzyme chloroperoxidase (CPO) was immobilized in silica sol-gel beads prepared from tetramethoxysilane. The average pore diameter of the silica host structure (~3 nm) was smaller than the globular CPO diameter (~6 nm) and the enzyme remained entrapped after sol-gel maturation. The catalytic performance of the entrapped enzyme was assessed via the pyrogallol peroxidation reaction. Sol-gel beads loaded with 4 μg CPO per mL sol solution reached 9–12% relative activity compared to free CPO in solution. Enzyme kinetic analysis revealed a decrease inkcatbut no changes inKMorKI. Product release or enzyme damage might thus limit catalytic performance. Yet circular dichroism and visible absorption spectra of transparent CPO sol-gel sheets did not indicate enzyme damage. Activity decline due to methanol exposure was shown to be reversible in solution. To improve catalytic performance the sol-gel protocol was modified. The incorporation of 5, 20, or 40% methyltrimethoxysilane resulted in more brittle sol-gel beads but the catalytic performance increased to 14% relative to free CPO in solution. The use of more acidic casting buffers (pH 4.5 or 5.5 instead of 6.5) resulted in a more porous silica host reaching up to 18% relative activity.
Shenqi Fuzheng Injection Combined with Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Lv Yanhong , Zhang Guijuan , Ma Yi , Ma Min , Liao Rui , Xiang Jingfang , Chen Ruixue , Yan Xianxin , Bie Fengjie , Huang Maojie , Liang Shijie
Published: October 2015

Purpose.To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of shenqi fuzheng injection (SFI) in the associated chemotherapy of breast cancer.Methods. 1247 subjects were included in this study for meta-analysis with RevMan 5.3.Results. The clinical curative effective rate (OR = 2.03, 95% Cl [1.44, 2.86],P<0.0001), grades of KPS (OR = 4.11, 95% Cl [2.74, 6.16],P<0.00001), CD3+cells (MD = 7.05, 95% Cl [0.45, 13.64],P=0.04) and CD4+cells (MD = 8.60, 95% Cl [2.67, 14.54],P=0.004) and CD4/CD8+cells (MD = 0.35, 95% Cl [0.14, 0.56],P=0.001), WBC (OR = 0.30, 95% Cl [0.20, 0.46],P≤0.0001), PLT (OR = 0.36, 95% Cl [0.20, 0.67],P=0.001), gastrointestinal reaction (OR = 0.21, 95% Cl [0.14, 0.32],P<0.00001), and ECG (OR = 0.26, 95% Cl [0.13, 0.51],P<0.0001) in the experimental group were superior to the control group. While there were no differences between two groups in CD8+(MD = 0.21, 95% Cl [−2.81, 3.23],P=0.89), NK+(MD = 1.06, 95% Cl [−9.40, 11.53],P=0.84), RBC (OR = 0.49, 95% Cl [0.14, 1.74],P=0.27), liver function (OR = 0.59, 95% Cl [0.28, 1.24],P=0.16), renal function (OR = 0.56, 95% Cl [0.13, 2.45],P=0.44), and bone marrow suppression (OR = 0.50, 95% Cl [0.25, 1.01],P=0.05).Conclusion. SFI combined with chemotherapy, to some extent, can improve the effectiveness and the security in the treatment of breast cancer; the mechanism may be related to the elevated immunity.
Growth Mechanisms of Nanostructured Titania in Turbulent Reacting Flows
Authors: Garrick Sean C.
Published: October 2015

Titanium dioxide (titania) is used in chemical sensors, pigments, and paints and holds promise as an antimicrobial agent. This is due to its photoinduced activity and, in nanostructured form, its high specific surface area. Particle size and surface area result from the interplay of fluid, chemical, and thermal dynamics as well as nucleation, condensation and coagulation. After nucleation, condensation, and coagulation are the dominant phenomena affecting the particle size distribution. Manufacture of nanostructured titania via gas-phase synthesis often occurs under turbulent flow conditions. This study examines the competition between coagulation and condensation in the growth of nanostructured titania. Direct numerical simulation is utilized in simulating the hydrolysis of titanium tetrachloride to produce titania in a turbulent, planar jet. The fluid, chemical, and particle fields are resolved as a function of space and time. As a result, knowledge of titania is available as a function of space, time, and phase (vapor or particle), facilitating the analysis of the particle dynamics by mechanism. Results show that in the proximal region of the jet nucleation and condensation are the dominant mechanisms. However once the jet potential core collapses and turbulent mixing begins, coagulation is the dominant mechanism. The data also shows that the coagulation growth-rate is as much as twice the condensation growth-rate.
Genetic and Cultural Reconstruction of the Migration of an Ancient Lineage
Authors: Mascarenhas Desmond D. , Raina Anupuma , Aston Christopher E. , Sanghera Dharambir K.
Published: September 2015

A rare R1a1 Y-haplogroup (Y-HG) L657 clade subtype designated as LPKSTR is found in most male members of a clan of “founder” families within the Goud Saraswat Brahmin community in Lotli town in Western India. TMRCA calculations using pairwise comparisons to control cohorts suggested a probable migration history distinct from the canonical narrative for medieval migration of orthodox Brahmin families to South India. Using Y-HG centroid analysis, chi-square analysis of TMRCA distributions and archeological find-spots, and discriminant function analysis we show that the parental Z93 L342.2 subclade in which LPKSTR occurs originated in West Asia and that LPKSTR individuals migrated toward the southeast by a Bolan Pass route distinct from the traditionally presumed route of Brahmin ingress into the Indian subcontinent. The proposed migration route is supported by archeological, toponymic, numismatic, linguistic, iconographic, and literary data. Lastly, we present cultural metrics demonstrating that these LPKSTR lineages retained distinct family practices with respect to literacy, religious practice, and emigration not shared with orthodox Brahmins of canonical geographic origin within the same community, despite centuries of intermarriage. Long-term transmission of differentiated family practices within a patrilineal endogamous community has rarely been documented.
Oxidative Stress Parameters in Saliva and Its Association with Periodontal Disease and Types of Bacteria
Authors: Almerich-Silla Jose Manuel , Montiel-Company Jose María , Pastor Sara , Serrano Felipe , Puig-Silla Miriam , Dasí Francisco
Published: October 2015

Objective. To determine the association between oxidative stress parameters with periodontal disease, bleeding, and the presence of different periodontal bacteria.Methods. A cross-sectional study in a sample of eighty-six patients, divided into three groups depending on their periodontal status. Thirty-three with chronic periodontitis, sixteen with gingivitis, and thirty-seven with periodontal healthy as control. Oxidative stress biomarkers (8-OHdG and MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), and the activity of two antioxidant enzymes (GPx and SOD) were determined in saliva. Subgingival plaque samples were obtained from the deepest periodontal pocket and PCR was used to determine the presence of the 6 fimA genotypes ofPorphyromonas gingivalis,Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans,Tannerella forsythia, andTreponema denticola.Results. Periodontal disease was found to be associated with increased oxidative stress parameter levels. These levels rose according to the number and type of different periodontal bacteria found in the periodontal pockets. The presence of different types of periodontal bacteria is predictive independent variables in linear regresion models of oxidative stress parameters as dependent variable, above all 8-OHdG.Conclusions. Oxidative stress parameter levels are correlated with the presence of different types of bacteria. Determination of these levels and periodontal bacteria could be a potent tool for controlling periodontal disease development.
Analysis of Chemical Properties of Edible and Medicinal Ginger by Metabolomics Approach
Authors: Tanaka Ken , Arita Masanori , Sakurai Hiroaki , Ono Naoaki , Tezuka Yasuhiro
Published: October 2015

In traditional herbal medicine, comprehensive understanding of bioactive constituent is important in order to analyze its true medicinal function. We investigated the chemical properties of medicinal and edible ginger cultivars using a liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach. Our PCA results indicate the importance of acetylated derivatives of gingerol, not gingerol or shogaol, as the medicinal indicator. A newly developed ginger cultivar,Z. officinalecv. Ogawa Umare or “Ogawa Umare” (OG), contains more active ingredients, showing properties as a new resource for the production of herbal medicines derived from ginger in terms of its chemical constituents and rhizome yield.
Lepton Flavor Violation beyond the MSSM
Authors: Vicente A.
Published: October 2015

Most extensions of the Standard Model lepton sector predict large lepton flavor violating rates. Given the promising experimental perspectives for lepton flavor violation in the next few years, this generic expectation might offer a powerful indirect probe to look for new physics. In this review we will cover several aspects of lepton flavor violation in supersymmetric models beyond the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. In particular, we will concentrate on three different scenarios: high-scale and low-scale seesaw models as well as models withR-parity violation. We will see that in some cases the LFV phenomenology can have characteristic features for specific scenarios, implying that dedicated studies must be performed in order to correctly understand the phenomenology in nonminimal supersymmetric models.
Influence of Biomedical Factors on the Five Viscera Score (FVS) on Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals: Application of Structural Equation Modeling
Authors: Tomura Taro , Yoshimasu Kouichi , Sakaguchi Shunji , Tsuno Kanami , Takemura Shigeki , Miyai Nobuyuki , Miyashita Kazuhisa
Published: October 2015

The five viscera score (FVS) is a diagnostic scale for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The purposes of current study are to elucidate the characteristics of FVS obtained from middle-aged to elderly individuals and to investigate the validity of FVS using biological medical data of middle-aged and elderly individuals. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to conduct assessments between FVS and medical data. Eighty men and 99 women participated in this study, whose mean ages (SD) were 58 ± 7 years in both genders showing no significant difference. FVS of women was significantly higher than that of men in the spleen of the 50s (P=0.019) and liver of the 60s age group (P=0.030). By SEM, the following biomedical factors were found to influence viscera: gender, diastolic blood pressure, and HDL-C for the liver; GLU, GOT, andγ-GTP for the spleen; age, BMI, and HCRP for the lungs; and HbA1c and creatinine clearance for the kidneys. These results provide objective evidence that FVS can be used for TCM diagnosis in middle-aged and elderly individuals.
FemaleLeuciscus lepidusMay Be a New Alternative for Fish Oil Supplements
Authors: Cakmak Ozlem , Altuntas Aynur , Ugurcu Veli , Erdemli Hacı Kemal , Akyol Sumeyya
Published: October 2015

The proximate composition of male and femaleLeuciscus lepidusin Beyşehir Lake was investigated. The fatty acid profiles of total lipid, phospholipid, and triacylglycerol in muscle and liver of male and femaleL. lepiduswere evaluated by gas chromatography. Proximate analyses showed that meat of male and femaleL. lepidushad 15.13 ± 0.04 and 18.75 ± 0.11% fat, 20.42 ± 0.45 and 22.21 ± 0.56% protein, 65.47 ± 1.37 and 61.28 ± 1.03% moisture, and 1.51 ± 0.05 and 1.50 ± 0.03% ash, respectively. The percentage of total saturated fatty acids was higher in liver than in muscle, whereas the total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content was the lowest in all fatty acid profiles. The phospholipids contained more PUFAs than triacylglycerol. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences (P<0.05) between male (47.51%) and female (49.98%) muscle PUFAs in total lipid. The proportion of omega 3 (ω3) to omega 6 (ω6) fatty acids of total lipid was 3.15 in male and 3.68 in female. The ratio is an important indicator for comparing the value of fish oil. Therefore, it was concluded thatL. lepiduswas considered to be a high quality product for healthy food choice. Additionally, femaleL. lepidusmay especially be used to produce fish oil supplements from freshwater fish combined with vegetable oils.
Quality of Service Routing in Manet Using a Hybrid Intelligent Algorithm Inspired by Cuckoo Search
Authors: Rajalakshmi S. , Maguteeswaran R.
Published: October 2015

A hybrid computational intelligent algorithm is proposed by integrating the salient features of two different heuristic techniques to solve a multiconstrained Quality of Service Routing (QoSR) problem in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) is presented. The QoSR is always a tricky problem to determine an optimum route that satisfies variety of necessary constraints in a MANET. The problem is also declared as NP‐hard due to the nature of constant topology variation of the MANETs. Thus a solution technique that embarks upon the challenges of the QoSR problem is needed to be underpinned. This paper proposes a hybrid algorithm by modifying the Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA) with the new position updating mechanism. This updating mechanism is derived from the differential evolution (DE) algorithm, where the candidates learn from diversified search regions. Thus the CSA will act as the main search procedure guided by the updating mechanism derived from DE, called tuned CSA (TCSA). Numerical simulations on MANETs are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed TCSA method by determining an optimum route that satisfies various Quality of Service (QoS) constraints. The results are compared with some of the existing techniques in the literature; therefore the superiority of the proposed method is established.
Quantized Feedback Control Design of Nonlinear Large-Scale Systems via Decentralized Adaptive Integral Sliding Mode Control
Authors: Xue Yan-Mei , Zheng Bo-Chao , Ye Dan
Published: October 2015

A novel decentralized adaptive integral sliding mode control law is proposed for a class of nonlinear uncertain large-scale systems subject to quantization mismatch between quantizer sensitivity parameters. Firstly, by applying linear matrix inequality techniques, integral-type sliding surface functions are derived for ensuring the stability of the whole sliding mode dynamics and obtaining the prescribed boundedL2gain performance. Secondly, the decentralized adaptive sliding mode control law is developed to ensure the reachability of the sliding manifolds in the presence of quantization mismatch, interconnected model uncertainties, and external disturbances. Finally, an example is shown to verify the validity of theoretical results.
The Influence of Moisture Content on the Time-Dependent Characteristics of Rock Material and Its Application to the Construction of a Tunnel Portal
Authors: Liu Xiaojun , Yang Chao , Yu Jing
Published: September 2015

Uniaxial compression creep experiments were carried out for low-grade metamorphic slate samples (located in the southeastern area of Guizhou province, China) with different moisture contents, using an Instron electric-fluid servo-compression machine. Based on the experimental results, a detailed analysis was made of the effect of moisture content on the strength and deformation behaviour of the slate specimens. The three-parameter generalised Kelvin model was identified to describe the creep behaviour of the low-grade metamorphic slate with different moisture contents. There is an approximately linear negative correlation between the elastic modulus and the saturation degree, and the viscoelastic modulus and viscosity coefficient show a negative exponent correlation with the saturation degree. The Kelvin creep model considering the moisture degradation effect was established and a three-dimensional finite difference model was developed with the softwareFLAC3Dto validate the creep model. A three-dimensional numerical analysis was then performed to simulate the tunnel excavation process. The results show that the influence of moisture and creep of the surrounding rocks is needed for estimating the deformation of complex tunnel portals.
Synthesis and Application of Magnetic Photocatalyst of Ni-Zn Ferrite/TiO2from IC Lead Frame Scraps
Authors: Liu Robert , Ou H. T.
Published: October 2015

IC lead frame scraps with about 18.01% tin, 34.33% nickel, and 47.66% iron in composition are industrial wastes of IC lead frame production. The amount of thousand tons of frame scraps in Taiwan each year is treated as scrap irons. Ni-Zn ferrites used in high frequent inductors and filters are produced from Ni-Zn ferrite powders by pressing and sintering. The amount of several ten thousand tons of ferrites ofNi1-XZnXFe2O4in compositions is consumed annually in the whole world. Therefore, these IC lead frame scraps will be used in this research as raw materials to fabricate magnetic ferrite powders and combined subsequently with titanium sulfate and urea to produce magnetic photocatalysts by coprecipitation for effective waste utilization. The prepared Ni-Zn ferrite powder and magnetic photocatalyst (Ni-Zn ferrite/TiO2) were characterized by ICP, XRF, XRD, EDX, SEM, SQUID, and BET. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized magnetic photocatalysts was tested by FBL dye wastewater degradation. TOC and ADMI measurement for degradation studies were carried out, respectively. Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model of the prepared magnetic TiO2proved available for the treatments. Wastes are transformed to valuable magnetic photocatalysts in this research to solve the separation problem of wastewater and TiO2photocatalysts by magnetic field.
Differential Evolution Based IDWNN Controller for Fault Ride‐Through of Grid‐Connected Doubly Fed Induction Wind Generators
Authors: Manonmani N. , Subbiah V. , Sivakumar L.
Published: October 2015

The key objective of wind turbine development is to ensure that output power is continuously increased. It is authenticated that wind turbines (WTs) supply the necessary reactive power to the grid at the time of fault and after fault to aid the flowing grid voltage. At this juncture, this paper introduces a novel heuristic based controller module employing differential evolution and neural network architecture to improve the low‐voltage ride‐through rate of grid‐connected wind turbines, which are connected along with doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs). The traditional crowbar‐based systems were basically applied to secure the rotor‐side converter during the occurrence of grid faults. This traditional controller is found not to satisfy the desired requirement, since DFIG during the connection of crowbar acts like a squirrel cage module and absorbs the reactive power from the grid. This limitation is taken care of in this paper by introducing heuristic controllers that remove the usage of crowbar and ensure that wind turbines supply necessary reactive power to the grid during faults. The controller is designed in this paper to enhance the DFIG converter during the grid fault and this controller takes care of the ride‐through fault without employing any other hardware modules. The paper introduces a double wavelet neural network controller which is appropriately tuned employing differential evolution. To validate the proposed controller module, a case study of wind farm with 1.5 MW wind turbines connected to a 25 kV distribution system exporting power to a 120 kV grid through a 30 km 25 kV feeder is carried out by simulation.
Effects of Kamishoyosan, a Traditional Japanese Kampo Medicine, on Pain Conditions in Patients with Intractable Persistent Dentoalveolar Pain Disorder
Authors: Arai Young-Chang P. , Makino Izumi , Aono Shuichi , Yasui Hiromichi , Isai Hideya , Nishihara Makoto , Hatakeyama Noboru , Kawai Takashi , Ikemoto Tatsunori , Inoue Shinsuke , Ushida Takahiro
Published: October 2015

There are patients who suffer from persistent dentoalveolar pain disorder (PDAP) which is a pain of the teeth, either dentoalveolar pain or nonodontogenic toothache, and its cause has not yet been identified. An effective intervention for PDAP has not yet been established. Interventions for patients with PDAP are generally pharmacological treatments such as antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and pregabalin. However, these medicines are not always effective for patients. The pain disorder in the orofacial region including temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and PDAP was effectively treated with our original exercise therapy. However, we did observe some intractable cases of PDAP even when our original exercise therapy was used. This paper presents our findings in which Kamishoyosan improved the pain intensity in 14 out of 15 PDAP patients refractory to our original exercise therapy.
Global Dynamics of a Virus Dynamical Model with Cell-to-Cell Transmission and Cure Rate
Authors: Zhang Tongqian , Meng Xinzhu , Zhang Tonghua
Published: October 2015

The cure effect of a virus model with both cell-to-cell transmission and cell-to-virus transmission is studied. By the method of next generation matrix, the basic reproduction number is obtained. The locally asymptotic stability of the virus-free equilibrium and the endemic equilibrium is considered by investigating the characteristic equation of the model. The globally asymptotic stability of the virus-free equilibrium is proved by constructing suitable Lyapunov function, and the sufficient condition for the globally asymptotic stability of the endemic equilibrium is obtained by constructing suitable Lyapunov function and using LaSalle invariance principal.
Existence of Multiple Positive Solutions for Choquard Equation with Perturbation
Authors: Xie Tao , Xiao Lu , Wang Jun
Published: September 2015

This paper is concerned with the following Choquard equation with perturbation:-Δu+V(x)u=(1/|x|α∗|u|p)|u|p-2u+g(x),u∈H1(RN), whereN≥3,α∈(0,N), and2-(α/N)<p<(2N-α)/(N-2). This kind of equations is well known as the Choquard or nonlinear Schrödinger-Newton equation. Under some assumptions for the functionsV(x), we prove the existence of multiple positive solutions of the equation. Moreover, we also show that these results still hold for more generalized Choquard equation with perturbation.
Two-Loop Correction to the Higgs Boson Mass in the MRSSM
Authors: Diessner Philip , Kalinowski Jan , Kotlarski Wojciech , Stöckinger Dominik
Published: October 2015

We present the impact of two-loop corrections on the mass of the lightest Higgs boson in the minimalR-symmetric supersymmetric standard model (MRSSM). These shift the Higgs boson mass up by typically 5 GeV or more. The dominant corrections arise from strong interactions, and from the gluon and itsN=2superpartners, the sgluon and Dirac gluino, and these corrections further increase with large Dirac gluino mass. The two-loop contributions governed purely by Yukawa couplings and the MRSSMλ,Λparameters are smaller. We also update our earlier analysis which showed that the MRSSM can accommodate the measured Higgs andWboson masses. Including the two-loop corrections increases the parameter space where the theory prediction agrees with the measurement.
Glycemic Control in Kenyan Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Ngwiri Thomas , Were Fred , Predieri Barbara , Ngugi Paul , Iughetti Lorenzo
Published: October 2015

Background. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is the most common endocrine disorder in children and adolescents worldwide. While data about prevalence, treatment, and complications are recorded in many countries, few data exist for Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of control in patients with T1DM aged 1–19 years over a 6-month period in 3 outpatient Kenyan clinics. It also sought to determine how control was influenced by parameters of patient and treatment.Methods. Eighty-two children and adolescents with T1DM were included in the study. Clinical history regarding duration of illness, type and dose of insulin, and recent symptoms of hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia were recorded. Glycaemia, HbA1c, and ketonuria were tested. HbA1c of 8.0% and below was defined as the cut-off for acceptable control.Results. The median HbA1c for the study population was 11.1% (range: 6.3–18.8). Overall, only 28% of patients had reasonable glycemic control as defined in this study. 72% therefore had poor control. It was also found that age above 12 years was significantly associated with poor control.Conclusions. African children and with T1DM are poorly controlled particularly in adolescents. Our data strongly support the necessity of Kenya children to receive more aggressive management and follow-up.
Synchronous Firefly Algorithm for Cluster Head Selection in WSN
Authors: Baskaran Madhusudhanan , Sadagopan Chitra
Published: October 2015

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consists of small low‐cost, low‐power multifunctional nodes interconnected to efficiently aggregate and transmit data to sink. Cluster‐based approaches use some nodes as Cluster Heads (CHs) and organize WSNs efficiently for aggregation of data and energy saving. A CH conveys information gathered by cluster nodes and aggregates/compresses data before transmitting it to a sink. However, this additional responsibility of the node results in a higher energy drain leading to uneven network degradation. Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) offsets this by probabilistically rotating cluster heads role among nodes with energy above a set threshold. CH selection in WSN is NP‐Hard as optimal data aggregation with efficient energy savings cannot be solved in polynomial time. In this work, a modified firefly heuristic, synchronous firefly algorithm, is proposed to improve the network performance. Extensive simulation shows the proposed technique to perform well compared to LEACH and energy‐efficient hierarchical clustering. Simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed method in decreasing the packet loss ratio by an average of 9.63% and improving the energy efficiency of the network when compared to LEACH and EEHC.
Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability to Detect Vascular Dysregulation in Glaucoma
Authors: Koch Eva Charlotte , Staab Johanna , Fuest Matthias , Witt Katharina , Voss Andreas , Plange Niklas
Published: October 2015

Purpose. To investigate blood pressure and heart rate variability in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) to detect disturbed blood pressure regulation.Methods. Thirty-one patients with POAG (mean age 68 ± 10 years) and 48 control subjects (mean age 66 ± 10 years) were included in a prospective study. Continuous blood pressure and heart rate were simultaneously and noninvasively recorded over 30 min (Glaucoscreen, aviant GmbH, Jena, Germany). Data were analyzed calculating univariate linear (time domain and frequency domain), nonlinear (Symbolic Dynamics, SD) and bivariate (Joint Symbolic Dynamics, JSD) indices.Results. Using nonlinear methods, glaucoma patients were separated with more parameters compared to linear methods. In POAG, nonlinear univariate indices (pW113 and pW120_Sys) were increased while the indices pTH10_Sys and pTH11_Sys reflect a reduction of dominant patterns. Bivariate indices (JSDdia29, JSDdia50, and JSDdia52; coupling between heart rate and diastolic blood pressure) were increased in POAG. The optimum set consisting of six parameters (JSDdia29, JSDdia58, pTH9_Sys, pW231, pW110_Sys and pW120_Sys) revealed a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 80.6%.Conclusions. Nonlinear uni- and bivariate indices of continuous recordings of blood pressure and heart rate are altered in glaucoma. Abnormal blood pressure variability suggests disturbed autonomic regulation in patients with glaucoma.
A Finite Element Study of the Dynamic Response of Brain Based on Two Parasagittal Slice Models
Authors: Song Xuewei , Wang Cong , Hu Hao , Huang Tianlun , Jin Jingxu
Published: October 2015

The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of gyri and sulci on the response of human head under transient loading. To this end, two detailed parasagittal slice models with and without gyri and sulci have been developed. The models comprised not only cerebrum and skull but also cerebellum, brain stem, CSF, and corpus callosum. In addition, white and gray matters were separated. The material properties were adopted from the literature and assigned to different parts of the models. Nahum’s and Trosseille’s experiments reported in relevant literature were simulated and the simulation results were compared with the test data. The results show that there is no evident difference in terms of intracranial pressure between the models with and without gyri and sulci under simulated conditions. The equivalent stress below gyri and sulci in the model with gyri and sulci is slightly higher than that in the counterpart model without gyri and sulci. The maximum principle strain in brain tissue is lower in the model with gyri and sulci. The stress and strain distributions are changed due to the existence of gyri and sulci. These findings highlight the necessity to include gyri and sulci in the finite element head modeling.
Effect of Japanese Herbal Kampo Medicine Goreisan on Reoperation Rates after Burr-Hole Surgery for Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Analysis of a National Inpatient Database
Authors: Yasunaga Hideo
Published: October 2015

Goreisan is a herbal Kampo medicine used for treating chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) in Japan. Experimental studies have suggested that Goreisan exerts a hydrogogue effect, but clinical evidence for the effectiveness of Goreisan in CSDH is currently lacking. Using a national Japanese inpatient database, we examined the association between Goreisan use and reoperation rates after burr-hole surgery for CSDH. We identified 36,020 patients, including 3,889 Goreisan users and 32,131 nonusers. Propensity scores of receiving Goreisan were calculated based on hospital characteristics and patient backgrounds (age, sex, body mass index, activities of daily living, consciousness level, comorbidities, antithrombotic agent use, mannitol infusion, and corticosteroid infusion). One-to-one propensity-score matching created 3,879 pairs of Goreisan users and nonusers. Propensity-matched analysis revealed that Goreisan use was significantly associated with a lower reoperation rate (4.8%) compared with nonuse (6.2%) (risk difference, −1.4%; 95% confidence interval (CI), −2.4% to −0.38%). The number needed to prevent one reoperation was 72 (95% CI, 41–265). Instrumental-variable analysis showed similar results to the propensity-matched analysis. These results suggest that Goreisan use reduced the need for reoperation after burr-hole surgery for CSDH.
Constraints on the Nonstandard Interaction in Propagation from Atmospheric Neutrinos
Authors: Fukasawa Shinya , Yasuda Osamu
Published: October 2015

The sensitivity of the atmospheric neutrino experiments to the nonstandard flavor-dependent interaction in neutrino propagation is studied under the assumption that only nonvanishing components of the nonstandard matter effect are the electron and tau neutrino componentsϵee, andϵeτ,ϵττand that the tau-tau component satisfies the constraintϵττ=|ϵeτ|2/(1+ϵee)which is suggested from the high energy behavior for atmospheric neutrino data. It is shown that the Super-Kamiokande (SK) data for 4438 days constrains|tanβ|≡|ϵeτ/(1+ϵee)|≲0.8at 2.5σ(98.8%) CL whereas the future Hyper-Kamiokande experiment for the same period of time as SK will constrain as|tanβ|≲0.3at 2.5σCL from the energy rate analysis and the energy spectrum analysis will give even tighter bounds onϵeeand|ϵeτ|.
The Regulation by Phenolic Compounds of Soil Organic Matter Dynamics under a Changing Environment
Authors: Min Kyungjin , Freeman Chris , Kang Hojeong , Choi Sung-Uk
Published: October 2015

Phenolics are the most abundant plant metabolites and are believed to decompose slowly in soils compared to other soil organic matter (SOM). Thus, they have often been considered as a slow carbon (C) pool in soil dynamics models. Here, however, we review changes in our concept about the turnover rate of phenolics and quantification of different types of phenolics in soils. Also, we synthesize current research on the degradation of phenolics and their regulatory effects on decomposition. Environmental changes, such as elevated CO2, warming, nitrogen (N) deposition, and drought, could influence the production and form of phenolics, leading to a change in SOM dynamics, and thus we also review the fate of phenolics under environmental disturbances. Finally, we propose the use of phenolics as a tool to control rates of SOM decomposition to stabilize organic carbon in ecosystems. Further studies to clarify the role of phenolics in SOM dynamics should include improving quantification methods, elucidating the relationship between phenolics and soil microorganisms, and determining the interactive effects of combinations of environmental changes on the phenolics production and degradation and subsequent impact on SOM processing.
Dynamic Response of the Skull with Sinuses under Blunt Frontal Impact: A Three-Dimensional Computational Study
Authors: Song Xuewei , Zhao Botao , Wang Cong , Wang Nan
Published: October 2015

The objective of this study is to analyze the biomechanical effects of sinuses in the skull on the facial impact response. Two models were built, where one had sinuses and the other had none. The models were verified using cadaver test data, including impacts to frontal bone, zygomatic bone, and maxillae. In the maxilla and zygoma impact, sinuses were found to have no significant effect on the global distribution of stress or stiffness of facial bones, and the influence was limited in local area. In forehead impact, the sinuses significantly affected the distribution of stress and strain in the skull due to its location in facial bones. The result shows that if the sinus is far away from the location of impact, its effect on the overall response of skull could be ignored. In addition, the distance between the region of interest and sinuses is another important parameter when studying the local effect of sinuses.
OpenCL Performance Evaluation on Modern Multicore CPUs
Authors: Lee Joo Hwan , Nigania Nimit , Kim Hyesoon , Patel Kaushik , Kim Hyojong
Published: October 2015

Utilizing heterogeneous platforms for computation has become a general trend, making the portability issue important. OpenCL (Open Computing Language) serves this purpose by enabling portable execution on heterogeneous architectures. However, unpredictable performance variation on different platforms has become a burden for programmers who write OpenCL applications. This is especially true for conventional multicore CPUs, since the performance of general OpenCL applications on CPUs lags behind the performance of their counterparts written in the conventional parallel programming model for CPUs. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of OpenCL applications on out-of-order multicore CPUs from the architectural perspective. We evaluate OpenCL applications on various aspects, including API overhead, scheduling overhead, instruction-level parallelism, address space, data location, data locality, and vectorization, comparing OpenCL to conventional parallel programming models for CPUs. Our evaluation indicates unique performance characteristics of OpenCL applications and also provides insight into the optimization metrics for better performance on CPUs.
Novel Miniaturized Octaband Antenna for LTE Smart Handset Applications
Authors: Liu Haixia , Lu Bo , Li Long
Published: October 2015

A novel octaband LTE mobile phone antenna is presented, which has a compact size with the overall dimension of 35 mm × 9 mm × 3 mm. The miniaturized octaband antenna is implemented by a simple prototype of three parts which include a folded monopole as feeding element, main radiator element, and parasitic radiator element. The main and parasitic radiator elements are excited by the folded monopole feeding element coupling and shorting to the handset ground plane. A wide bandwidth in low-frequency bands covering from 747 MHz to 960 MHz (LTE Band13/GSM850/GSM900) is contributed by both main and parasitic radiator elements. In addition, the folded monopole is designed to resonate at 2530 MHz, and the coupling between the feeding element and main radiator element is designed to resonate at 1840 MHz. Subsequently, the wide bandwidth in high-frequency bands covering from 1710 MHz to 2690 MHz (DCS1800/PCS1900/WCDMA2100/LTE2300/LTE2500) is contributed by both structures. The antenna has the total efficiency up to 30% in low bands and up to 75% in high bands, respectively. At the same time, the proposed miniaturized octaband LTE mobile phone antenna is fabricated and tested to verify the design.
A New Arbiter PUF for Enhancing Unpredictability on FPGA
Authors: Machida Takanori , Yamamoto Dai , Iwamoto Mitsugu , Sakiyama Kazuo
Published: September 2015

In general, conventional Arbiter‐based Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) generate responses with low unpredictability. The N‐XOR Arbiter PUF, proposed in 2007, is a well‐known technique for improving this unpredictability. In this paper, we propose a novel design for Arbiter PUF, called Double Arbiter PUF, to enhance the unpredictability on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and we compare our design to conventional N‐XOR Arbiter PUFs. One metric for judging the unpredictability of responses is to measure their tolerance to machine‐learning attacks. Although our previous work showed the superiority of Double Arbiter PUFs regarding unpredictability, its details were not clarified. We evaluate the dependency on the number of training samples for machine learning, and we discuss the reason why Double Arbiter PUFs are more tolerant than the N‐XOR Arbiter PUFs by evaluating intrachip variation. Further, the conventional Arbiter PUFs and proposed Double Arbiter PUFs are evaluated according to other metrics, namely, their uniqueness, randomness, and steadiness. We demonstrate that 3-1 Double Arbiter PUF archives the best performance overall.
Rice Husk Supported Catalysts for Degradation of Chlorobenzenes in Capillary Microreactor
Authors: Thabet Abdulelah , Basheer Chanbasha , Maung Than Htun , Al-Muallem Hasan Ali , Kalanthoden Abdul Nasar
Published: October 2015

Chlorinated organic pollutants are persistent, toxic, and ubiquitously distributed environmental contaminants. These compounds are highly bioaccumulative and adversely affect the ozone layer in the atmosphere. As such, their widespread usage is a major cause of environmental and health concern. Therefore, it is important to detoxify such compounds by environment friendly methods. In this work, rice husk supported platinum (RHA‐Pt) and titanium (RHA‐Ti) catalysts were used, for the first time, to investigate the detoxification of chlorobenzenes in a glass capillary microreactor. High potential (in kV range) was applied to a reaction mixture containing buffer solution in the presence of catalyst. Due to high potential, hydroxyl and hydrogen radicals were produced, and the reaction was monitored by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. The main advantage of this capillary reactor is the in situ generation of hydrogen for the detoxification of chlorobenzene. Various experimental conditions influencing detoxification were optimized. Reaction performance of capillary microreactor was compared with conventional catalysis. Only 20 min is sufficient to completely detoxify chlorobenzene in capillary microreactor compared to 24 h reaction time in conventional catalytic method. The capillary microreactor is simple, easy to use, and suitable for the detoxification of a wide range of chlorinated organic pollutants.
Anastomotic Repair versus Free Graft Urethroplasty for Bulbar Strictures: A Focus on the Impact on Sexual Function
Authors: Beysens Matthias , Palminteri Enzo , Oosterlinck Willem , Spinoit Anne-Françoise , Hoebeke Piet , François Philippe , Decaestecker Karel , Lumen Nicolaas
Published: October 2015

Objectives. To evaluate alterations in sexual function and genital sensitivity after anastomotic repair (AR) and free graft urethroplasty (FGU) for bulbar urethral strictures.Methods. Patients treated with AR (n=31) or FGU (n=16) were prospectively evaluated before, 6 weeks and 6 months after urethroplasty. Evaluation included International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), 5-Item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5), Ejaculation/Orgasm Score (EOS), and 3 questions on genital sensitivity.Results. At 6 weeks, there was a significant decline of IIEF-5 for AR (−4.8;p=0.005), whereas there was no significant change for FGU (+0.9;p=0.115). After 6 months, differences with baseline were not significant overall and among subgroups. At 6 weeks, there was a significant decline in EOS for AR (−1.4;p=0.022). In the FGU group there was no significant change (+0.6;p=0.12). Overall and among subgroups, EOS normalized at 6 months. After 6 weeks and 6 months, respectively, 62.2 and 52% of patients reported alterations in penile sensitivity with no significant differences among subgroups.Conclusions. AR is associated with a transient decline in erectile and ejaculatory function. This was not observed with FGU. Bulbar AR and FGU are likely to alter genital sensitivity.
Relevance of Blood Vessel Networks in Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Hua Yi , Lin Shengmao , Gu Linxia
Published: October 2015

Cerebral vasculature is a complex network that circulates blood through the brain. However, the role of this networking effect in brain dynamics has seldom been inspected. This work is to study the effects of blood vessel networks on dynamic responses of the brain under blast loading. Voronoi tessellations were implemented to represent the network of blood vessels in the brain. The brain dynamics in terms of maximum principal strain (MPS), shear strain (SS), and intracranial pressure (ICP) were monitored and compared. Results show that blood vessel networks significantly affected brain responses. The increased MPS and SS were observed within the brain embedded with vessel networks, which did not exist in the case without blood vessel networks. It is interesting to observe that the alternation of the ICP response was minimal. Moreover, the vessel diameter and density also affected brain dynamics in both MPS and SS measures. This work sheds light on the role of cerebral vasculature in blast-induced traumatic brain injury.
State FeedbackH∞Control of Power Units Based on an Improved Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Wu Zhongqiang , Xiao Xuefei
Published: October 2015

A new state feedbackH∞control scheme is presented used in the boiler-turbine power units based on an improved particle swarm optimizing algorithm. Firstly, the nonlinear system is transformed into a linear time-varying system; then theH∞control problem is transformed into the solution of a Riccati equation. The control effect ofH∞controller depends on the selection of matrixP, so an improved particle swarm optimizing (PSO) algorithm by introducing differential evolution algorithm is used to solve the Riccati equation. The main purpose is that mutation and crossover are introduced for a new population, and the population diversity is improved. It is beneficial to eliminate stagnation caused by premature convergence, and the algorithm convergence rate is improved. Finally, the real-time optimizing of the controller parameters is realized. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that a state feedbackH∞controller can be obtained, which can ensure asymptotic stability of the system, and the double objectives of stabilizing system and suppressing the disturbance are got. The system can work well over a large range working point.
A Novel Reference Plasmid for the Qualitative Detection of Genetically Modified Rice in Food and Feed
Authors: Li Liang , Dong Mei , An Na , Liang Lixia , Wan Yusong , Jin Wujun
Published: October 2015

Rice is one of the most important food crops in the world. Genetically modified (GM) technology has been used in rice to confer herbicide tolerance and pathogen or insect resistance. China invests heavily in research on GM rice. By the end of 2014, at least 250 transgenic rice lines had been developed in China. To monitor the presence of GM rice in food and feed, we collected information on foreign elements from 250 transgenic rice lines and found 5 elements, including theAgrobacterium tumefaciensnopaline synthase terminator (T-NOS), the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (CaMV35S), the ubiquitin gene (Ubi), the bar gene, and the hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (Hpt), that are commonly present in GM rice. Therefore, we constructed a novel plasmid (pBJGMM001) that contains fragments of these elements and two endogenous reference genes (the sucrose phosphate synthase gene, SPS, and the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase gene, PEPC). pBJGMM001 can serve as a standard for detecting 96% of GM rice lines in China. The primers, amplicons, reaction mixture, and PCR program were developed based on Chinese National Standards. The protocol was validated and determined to be suitable for practical use in monitoring and identifying GM rice.
A Low-Profile and Compact Split-Ring Antenna with Horizontally Polarized Omnidirectional Radiation
Authors: Lertsakwimarn Kittima , Phongcharoenpanich Chuwong , Fukusako Takeshi
Published: October 2015

This paper presents a low-profile and compact printed antenna having an omnidirectional radiation pattern with horizontal polarization to the ground. The proposed antenna consists of an inner small fed ring, an outer coupled split ring, and a ground plane. The overall dimension of the proposed antenna is 45 mm × 50.5 mm × 11.6 mm (0.138λ0 × 0.155λ0 × 0.036λ0). The −10-dBS11of the antenna covers the 920-MHz RFID band, and the gain is about 1.45 dBi in the parallel direction to the ground plane. The measured results show good agreements with the simulated results. Furthermore, the reasons for the low-profile structure and the omnidirectional radiation pattern are also discussed.