bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fuzzy Rule-Based System Approach to Combining Traffic Count Forecasts
Authors: Stathopoulos Antony , Karlaftis Matthew G. , Dimitriou Loukas
Published: January 2011

Current advances in artificial intelligence are providing new opportunities for utilizing the enormous amount of data available in contemporary urban road surveillance systems. Several approaches, methodologies, and techniques have been presented for analyzing and forecasting traffic counts because such information has been identified as vital for the deployment of advanced transportation management and information systems. In this paper, a meta-analysis framework is presented for improving forecasted information of traffic counts, based on an adaptive data processing scheme. In particular, a framework for combining traffic count forecasts within a Mamdani-type fuzzy adaptive optimal control scheme is presented and analyzed. The proposed methodology treats the uncertainty pertaining to such circumstances by augmenting qualitative information of future traffic flow states (and values) with a knowledge base and a heuristic optimization routine that provides dynamic training capabilities, resulting in an efficient real-time forecasting mechanism. Results from the application of the proposed framework on data acquired from realistic signalized urban network data (of Athens, Greece) and for a diversity of locations exhibit its potential.
Planning the Implementation of Three-Dimensional Technologies for Design and Construction
Authors: Vonderohe Alan , Zogg Jerry , Whited Gary , Brockman Kenneth
Published: January 2011

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) has developed a specification for highway subgrade construction by automated machine guidance (AMG). Wisconsin DOT is also deploying new design software, capable of providing three-dimensional (3-D) models required for AMG. During 2008, Wisconsin DOT, with assistance from the Construction and Materials Support Center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, undertook a study of benefits and impediments to wider use of 3-D information in design and construction. The primary finding of a stakeholder workshop was that 3-D design and AMG are among a larger group of technologies and processes that have interrelated dependencies, synergistic benefits, and shared implementation issues. Thus, the study's objective was expanded to development of a high-level implementation plan for 3-D technologies and methods, in general, for highway design and construction in Wisconsin. The plan presents a vision, a management strategy, and six initiatives, including descriptions of backgrounds, issues, stakeholders, recommendations, goals, timelines, levels of effort, priorities, benefits, relationships with other initiatives, and responsible parties. The initiatives address an ongoing height modernization and continuously operating reference station program; standards, procedures, and training for 3-D data collection; 3-D model content and format standards; additional specifications for AMG; field technology and inspection; and infrastructure life-cycle uses of 3-D data. The plan differentiates between priorities (importance) and precedence (dependencies) among initiatives and goals within them. This information should be beneficial to other state highway agencies considering implementation of 3-D technologies.
Effects of On-Street Bicycle Facility Configuration on Bicyclist and Motorist Behavior
Authors: Duthie Jennifer , Brady John F. , Mills Alison F. , Machemehl Randy B.
Published: January 2011

Growing awareness of environmental and public health problems associated with motorized transportation has led to a recent effort to promote nonmotorized modes of travel. Previous studies have shown that facility design plays a large role in encouraging bicycling. With the aim of defining the roadway configurations that lead to safe motorist and bicyclist behavior, this research examines the impact of design elements, including the type and width of the bicycle facility, the presence of adjacent motor vehicle traffic, parking turnover rate, land use, and the type of motorist-bicyclist interaction. Observational studies conducted at 48 sites in three large Texas cities characterize bicyclist and motorist behavior through lateral position measurements and instances of motorist encroachment on an adjacent lane. These observations were used to build two multivariate regression models and allowed for direct site-to-site comparisons. Notable results include the observation that bicycle lanes create a safer and more predictable riding environment relative to wide outside lanes, and that the provision of a buffer between parked cars and bicycle lanes is the only reliable method for ensuring that bicyclists do not put themselves at risk of being hit by opening car doors.
Parking Lane Width and Bicycle Operating Space
Authors: Furth Peter G. , Dulaski Daniel M. , Buessing Mapolo , Tavakolian Parham
Published: January 2011

This study tests the hypothesis that marking narrower parking lanes can create additional operating space for bicyclists by inducing motorists to park closer to the curb. Parking offset (i.e., distance between the curb and a parallel parked car) was measured along two multilane urban arterials just outside Boston, Massachusetts, with parking lanes ranging from 6 to 9 ft wide. As parking lane width grew in progression from 6 to 7 to 8 to 9 ft, the fraction of cars parked more than 12 in. from the curb, the legal limit, increased in a corresponding progression from 1% to 13% to 44% to 60%. The authors argue that 95 percentile parking offset is a better measure of impact on bicyclist operating space than is mean parking offset, because when riding next to a parking lane, cyclists tend to choose a path that envelopes most parked cars, such that they need to deliberately maneuver around only about one parked car out of 20. With each additional foot of parking lane width, 95 percentile offset increased by about 5 in., for a response of 0.44 ft/ft or m/m. Multivariate regression indicates that wide vehicles (e.g., vans, large sport–utility vehicles) partially compensate by parking about 1 in. closer to the curb. Effects of adjacent lane width, whether there is an adjacent bike lane, and parking regulation type (meter or not) were found to have no significant impact on parking offset. These results imply that in cities that display this level of response to parking lane width, additional operating space for bicycling can be gained by marking narrower parking lanes.
Osteoma of mastoid part of temporal bone - a rare clinical entity
Authors: Yasmeen Naseem , Chowdhury M Alamgir , Rabbani SM Golam , Malakar Mousumi
Published: January 2011

Here a case of osteoma is described situated in right mastoid part of temporal bone (post auricular region) in a 35-year-old female. The swelling was slow-growing, oval in shape, stony hard in consistency, 3cm x 5cm in size with normal & free overlying skin but fixed to the bone & non-tender. FNAC revealed no malignant cells. X-ray Mastoids Towne's view showed right mastoiditis. CT scan findings were in favour of angular dermoid without bony erosion. Surgical excision was done under general anaesthesia. Histopathological report was osteoma. Postoperative period was uneventful and follow up after 10 days was fine. Key words: Osteoma; Temporal bone.DOI: 10.3329/bjo.v16i2.6851Bangladesh J Otorhinolaryngol 2010; 16(2): 136-138
Preliminary Remarks on the Historiography of tafsīr in Arabic: A History of the Book Approach
Authors: Saleh Walid A.
Published: January 2011

Since all the extensive histories of the tafsīr genre published so far are in Arabic, a close analysis of the historiography of these works is a desideratum. In this article I will argue that there are three major categories of historiography, the traditional Ashʿarī, the Salafī, and the modernist. Identifying these camps is essential if we desire to understand the manner in which tafsīr studies has been approached so far, since the proponents of all three have produced, and continue to produce, the editions of tafsīr works that are the basis of most histories in Western academia. It will also allow us to investigate the history of the all-present term ‘al-tafsīr bi'l-maʾthūr’ which has come to play a key role in the categorisation of tafāsīr. Charting the historiography of tafsīr, moreover, is here undertaken in conjunction with discussion of the history of publications of editions of tafsīr in the Arab world. In other words, a history of the editions themselves as eventful milestones in a historiography of tafsīr is the primary means through which I attempt to understand this selfsame historiography.
Tradition, Authority and Innovation in Contemporary Sunnī tafsīr: Towards a Typology of Qur'an Commentaries from the Arab World, Indonesia and Turkey
Authors: Pink Johanna
Published: January 2011

This paper discusses a sample of eleven extensive works of tafsīr – in the narrow sense of the word, i.e. tafsīr musalsal – written by Sunnī authors from Egypt, Syria, Indonesia and Turkey between 1967 and 2004. For the purpose of analysis, it proposes a basic typology based on the author(s) and style of the respective commentaries, differentiating between ‘scholars’ commentaries', ‘institutional commentaries’ and ‘popularising commentaries’. It goes on to examine the way in which they make use of exegetical authorities and traditions in their discussion of two particular exegetical problems found in Q 9:111–12. The results allow for the introduction of additional analytic categories based on the authors' aims and underlying attitudes. Building on these, the paper points to regional tendencies within contemporary Qur'anic exegesis and argues that regional differences can, to a large extent, be explained by differences in the structure and curricula of academic theology within the Islamic World. In general, it concludes that the genre of tafsīr tends to be a domain of male academic theologians and a relatively conservative field; boldly innovative approaches to the interpretation of the Qur'an are more frequently found in other exegetical genres.
Fāṭimid Legal Exegesis of the Qur'an: The Interpretive Strategies Used by al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān (d. 363/974) in His Daʿāʾim al-Islām
Authors: Qutbuddin Husain K.B.
Published: January 2011

This paper presents a survey of the interpretive strategies used in explaining Qur'anic verses by the eminent Fāṭimid missionary and judge al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān b. Muḥammad, in his Daʿāʾim al-Islām, and ascertains the role played by these strategies in the Fāṭimid system of belief. In the Sunnī arena, interpretive strategies evolved into a formalised system of uṣūl al-fiqh to act as the chief legitimisers of interpretation. In the Fāṭimid tradition, no comparable system of uṣūl took shape and, as the survey will illustrate, the Daʿāʾim uses no uṣūl terminology. The reasons for this will be explored primarily by studying al-Nuʿmān's Ikhtilāf uṣūl al-madhāhib, where he argued that interpretive strategies could not act as legitimisers on their own because they could not produce unambiguous interpretations of the Qur'an and Sunna. It was the living Imām, believed to be the designated heir of the Prophet physically and knowledge-wise, and therefore the definitive source of interpretation, who was, according to him, the absolute legitimiser. An analysis of the function of the Daʿāʾim's interpretive strategies will follow, examining the Fāṭimid epistemological and educational system, where students were first taught the rituals and rules of the Sharīʿa, and then, in higher grades, the comprehensive rationales behind these ‘physical’ requirements.
‘Dhikr’ in Hebrew Translations of the Qur'an
Authors: Haykal Aḥmad al-Shaḥḥāt
Published: January 2011

The term dhikr occurs frequently in the Qur'an and has various meanings in different contexts, including al-thanāʾ (‘praise’), al-sharaf (‘honour’), al-ʿayb (‘imperfection’), al-ʿiẓa (‘admonition’), al-ṣalawāt al-khams (‘the five prescribed prayers’), al-waḥy (‘revelation’), al-lawḥ al-maḥfūẓ (‘the preserved tablet’), al-Qurʾān, etc. Accordingly, dhikr has attracted the attention of Muslim scholars concerned with collecting and classifying Qur'anic words in al-wujūh wa'l-naẓāʾir works.

This study will survey the ways in which translators of the Qur'an into Hebrew have dealt with the word dhikr, aiming to suggest alternatives as necessary, according to context, and focusing on two particular angles. First, we will undertake a critical survey of some of the Qur'anic contexts of dhikr in order to clarify the various meanings of the term based on tafāsīr, al-wujūh wa'l-naẓāʾir and asbab al-nuzul works, as well as Arabic lexicons, so as to eliminate ambiguities in understanding a particular Qur'anic usage. Secondly, we will provide the Hebrew equivalent of the word dhikr as it occurs in modern Hebrew translations and suggest some alterntive translations that agree with the significations of the word within the Qur'anic context.
A ‘Jurist-linguistic’ Reading of the wuḍūʾ Verse (Q. 5:6)
Authors: Mūsā ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz
Published: January 2011

This article sheds light on the role of grammar in understanding legislative texts, with reference to the wuḍūʾ verse (Q. 5:6). The first section deals with the issue of washing the elbows along with the feet as part of ritual ablution, and lists the various interpretations of the preposition ilā in the aya, and discusses the grammatical theory used by different fuqahāʾ to support their arguments. The second section tackles how much of the head should be rubbed in ritual ablution, with regard to the use of the preposition bi- in the phrase bi-ruʾūsikum, while the third focuses on the two readings of the phrase arjulakum/arjulikum (‘your feet’) and on passing legislative judgement on whether the feet be washed or just rubbed. The study concludes that lugha and fiqh theory are of mutual importance and together help to clarify legislative judgements, and, on this basis, that jurists should not pass any legislative judgement without referring to language.
From “Animal Machines” to “Happy Meat”? Foucault’s Ideas of Disciplinary and Pastoral Power Applied to ‘Animal-Centred’ Welfare Discourse
Authors: Cole Matthew
Published: January 2011

Michel Foucault’s work traces shifting techniques in the governance of humans, from the production of ‘docile bodies’ subjected to the knowledge formations of the human sciences (disciplinary power), to the facilitation of self-governing agents directed towards specified forms of self-knowledge by quasi-therapeutic authorities (pastoral power). While mindful of the important differences between the governance of human subjects and the oppression of nonhuman animals, exemplified in nonhuman animals’ legal status as property, this paper explores parallel shifts from disciplinary to pastoral regimes of human-‘farmed’ animal relations. Recent innovations in ‘animal-centred’ welfare science represent a trend away from the ‘disciplinary’ techniques of confinement and torture associated with ‘factory farms’ and towards quasi-therapeutic ways of claiming to know ‘farmed’ animals, in which the animals themselves are co-opted into the processes by which knowledge about them is generated. The new pastoral turn in ‘animal-centred’ welfare finds popular expression in ‘happy meat’ discourses that invite ‘consumers’ to adopt a position of vicarious carer for the ‘farmed’ animals who they eat. The paper concludes that while ‘animal-centred’ welfare reform and ‘happy meat’ discourses promise a possibility of a somewhat less degraded life for some ‘farmed’ animals, they do so by perpetuating exploitation and oppression and entrenching speciesist privilege by making it less vulnerable to critical scrutiny.
The Hemostasis Apparatus in Pancreatic Cancer and Its Importance beyond Thrombosis
Authors: Echrish Hussein , Madden Leigh A. , Greenman John , Maraveyas Anthony
Published: January 2011

Laboratory evidence of aberrant coagulation is found in the majority of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and a clinical consequence of this is the high incidence and prevalence of vascular thromboembolic events. Other sequelae are hypothesized to be the facilitation and acceleration of mechanisms that define the malignant phenotype, such as invasion, trafficking and anchoring, establishing the metastatic niche and inducing angiogenesis. We review the in vitro and preclinical evidence that supports the role of the coagulation apparatus in the metastatic process of pancreatic cancer, with a particular emphasis on interaction of this pathway with clinically-targeted growth factor receptor pathways. Links between hemostasis, angiogenesis and epidermal growth factor pathways and their significance as therapeutic targets are considered.
Scale Effects on Solid Rocket Combustion Instability Behaviour
Authors: Greatrix David R.
Published: January 2011

The ability to understand and predict the expected internal behaviour of a given solid-propellant rocket motor under transient conditions is important. Research towards predicting and quantifying undesirable transient axial combustion instability symptoms necessitates a comprehensive numerical model for internal ballistic simulation under dynamic flow and combustion conditions. A numerical model incorporating pertinent elements, such as a representative transient, frequency-dependent combustion response to pressure wave activity above the burning propellant surface, is applied to the investigation of scale effects (motor size, i.e., grain length and internal port diameter) on influencing instability-related behaviour in a cylindrical-grain motor. The results of this investigation reveal that the motor’s size has a significant influence on transient pressure wave magnitude and structure, and on the appearance and magnitude of an associated base pressure rise.
Gene Conversion in Angiosperm Genomes with an Emphasis on Genes Duplicated by Polyploidization
Authors: Wang Xi-Yin , Paterson Andrew H.
Published: January 2011

Angiosperm genomes differ from those of mammals by extensive and recursive polyploidizations. The resulting gene duplication provides opportunities both for genetic innovation, and for concerted evolution. Though most genes may escape conversion by their homologs, concerted evolution of duplicated genes can last for millions of years or longer after their origin. Indeed, paralogous genes on two rice chromosomes duplicated an estimated 60–70 million years ago have experienced gene conversion in the past 400,000 years. Gene conversion preserves similarity of paralogous genes, but appears to accelerate their divergence from orthologous genes in other species. The mutagenic nature of recombination coupled with the buffering effect provided by gene redundancy, may facilitate the evolution of novel alleles that confer functional innovations while insulating biological fitness of affected plants. A mixed evolutionary model, characterized by a primary birth-and-death process and occasional homoeologous recombination and gene conversion, may best explain the evolution of multigene families.
A Mutation in Mtap2 Is Associated with Arrest of Mammalian Spermatocytes before the First Meiotic Division
Authors: Sun Fengyun , Handel Mary Ann
Published: January 2011

In spite of evolutionary conservation of meiosis, many of the genes that control mammalian meiosis are still unknown. We report here that the ENU-induced repro4 mutation, identified in a screen to uncover genes that control mouse meiosis, causes failure of spermatocytes to exit meiotic prophase I via the G2/MI transition. Major events of meiotic prophase I occurred normally in affected spermatocytes and known regulators of the meiotic G2/MI transition were present and functional. Deep sequencing of mutant DNA revealed a mutation located in an intron of the Mtap2 gene, encoding microtubule-associated protein 2, and levels of Mtap2 transcript were reduced in mutant testes. This evidence implicates MTAP2 as required directly or indirectly for completion of meiosis and normal spermatogenesis in mammals.
An Exceptional Gene: Evolution of the TSPY Gene Family in Humans and Other Great Apes
Authors: Xue Yali , Tyler-Smith Chris
Published: January 2011

The TSPY gene stands out from all other human protein-coding genes because of its high copy number and tandemly-repeated organization. Here, we review its evolutionary history in great apes in order to assess whether these unusual properties are more likely to result from a relaxation of constraint or an unusual functional role. Detailed comparisons with chimpanzee are possible because a finished sequence of the chimpanzee Y chromosome is available, together with more limited data from other apes. These comparisons suggest that the human-chimpanzee ancestral Y chromosome carried a tandem array of TSPY genes which expanded on the human lineage while undergoing multiple duplication events followed by pseudogene formation on the chimpanzee lineage. The protein coding region is the most highly conserved of the multi-copy Y genes in human-chimpanzee comparisons, and the analysis of the dN/dS ratio indicates that TSPY is evolutionarily highly constrained, but may have experienced positive selection after the human-chimpanzee split. We therefore conclude that the exceptionally high copy number in humans is most likely due to a human-specific but unknown functional role, possibly involving rapid production of a large amount of TSPY protein at some stage during spermatogenesis.
Looking into the Black Box: Insights into the Mechanisms of Somatic Cell Reprogramming
Authors: David Laurent , Samavarchi-Tehrani Payman , Golipour Azadeh , Wrana Jeffrey L.
Published: January 2011

The dramatic discovery that somatic cells could be reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), by the expression of just four factors, has opened new opportunities for regenerative medicine and novel ways of modeling human diseases. Extensive research over the short time since the first iPSCs were generated has yielded the ability to reprogram various cell types using a diverse range of methods. However the duration, efficiency, and safety of induced reprogramming have remained a persistent limitation to achieving a robust experimental and therapeutic system. The field has worked to resolve these issues through technological advances using non-integrative approaches, factor replacement or complementation with microRNA, shRNA and drugs. Despite these advances, the molecular mechanisms underlying the reprogramming process remain poorly understood. Recently, through the use of inducible secondary reprogramming systems, researchers have now accessed more rigorous mechanistic experiments to decipher this complex process. In this review we will discuss some of the major recent findings in reprogramming, pertaining to proliferation and cellular senescence, epigenetic and chromatin remodeling, and other complex cellular processes such as morphological changes and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition. We will focus on the implications of this work in the construction of a mechanistic understanding of reprogramming and discuss unexplored areas in this rapidly expanding field.
The Impact of Nutritional Status and Longitudinal Recovery of Motor and Cognitive Milestones in Internationally Adopted Children
Authors: Park Hyun , Bothe Denise , Holsinger Eva , Kirchner H. Lester , Olness Karen , Mandalakas Anna
Published: January 2011

Internationally adopted children often arrive from institutional settings where they have experienced medical, nutritional and psychosocial deprivation. This study uses a validated research assessment tool to prospectively assess the impact of baseline (immediately post adoption) nutritional status on fifty-eight children as measured by weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-for-height and head circumference-for-age z scores, as a determinant of cognitive (MDI) and psychomotor development (PDI) scores longitudinally. A statistical model was developed to allow for different ages at time of initial assessment as well as variable intervals between follow up visits. The study results show that both acute and chronic measures of malnutrition significantly affect baseline developmental status as well as the rate of improvement in both MDI and PDI scores. This study contributes to the body of literature with its prospective nature, unique statistical model for longitudinal evaluation, and use of a validated assessment tool to assess outcomes.
Empirical Information Metrics for Prediction Power and Experiment Planning
Authors: Lee Christopher
Published: January 2011

In principle, information theory could provide useful metrics for statistical inference. In practice this is impeded by divergent assumptions: Information theory assumes the joint distribution of variables of interest is known, whereas in statistical inference it is hidden and is the goal of inference. To integrate these approaches we note a common theme they share, namely the measurement of prediction power. We generalize this concept as an information metric, subject to several requirements: Calculation of the metric must be objective or model-free; unbiased; convergent; probabilistically bounded; and low in computational complexity. Unfortunately, widely used model selection metrics such as Maximum Likelihood, the Akaike Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion do not necessarily meet all these requirements. We define four distinct empirical information metrics measured via sampling, with explicit Law of Large Numbers convergence guarantees, which meet these requirements: Ie, the empirical information, a measure of average prediction power; Ib, the overfitting bias information, which measures selection bias in the modeling procedure; Ip, the potential information, which measures the total remaining information in the observations not yet discovered by the model; and Im, the model information, which measures the model’s extrapolation prediction power. Finally, we show that Ip + Ie, Ip + Im, and Ie — Im are fixed constants for a given observed dataset (i.e. prediction target), independent of the model, and thus represent a fundamental subdivision of the total information contained in the observations. We discuss the application of these metrics to modeling and experiment planning.
A New Sesquiterpene with a Novel 1β, 8β-Oxygen Bridge from Heteropappus altaicus (willd.) Novopokr.
Authors: Han Yi-Feng , Gao Xiao-Jing , Huang Hai
Published: January 2011

A new guaiane-type sesquiterpene, 4α,7β-dihydroxy-10βH-guai-5-en-1β,8β-endoxide (1), was isolated from Heteropappus altaicus (Compositea). The structure of compound 1, which contains exhibited a rare 1,8-oxide bridge, was established on the basis of spectroscopic data.
Synthesis and Anti-Bacterial Activities of a Bis-Chalcone Derived from Thiophene and Its Bis-Cyclized Products
Authors: Asiri Abdullah M. , Khan Salman A.
Published: January 2011

A chalcone was prepared by the reaction of terephthalaldehyde with 3-acetyl-2,5-dimethylthiophene. Treatment of this chalcone with thiosemicarbazide/phenyl hydrazine/guanidine hydrochloride/thiourea afforded the corresponding pyrazoline, pyrazole, and pyrimidine in good yields. All the new compounds have been characterized by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, GC-MS and elemental analyses. The anti-bacterial activity of these compounds were first tested in vitro by the disk diffusion assay against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacteria, and then the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined with the reference of standard drug chloramphenicol. The results showed that the pyrazoline derivative is better at inhibiting growth of both types of bacteria (Gram-positive and Gram-negative) compared to chloramphenicol.
Folate Status of Reproductive Age Women and Neural Tube Defect Risk: The Effect of Long-Term Folic Acid Supplementation at Doses of 140 µg and 400 µg per Day
Authors: Hursthouse Nicola A. , Gray Andrew R. , Miller Jody C. , Rose Meredith C. , Houghton Lisa A.
Published: January 2011

Primary prevention of most folate-responsive neural tube defects (NTDs) may not require 400 μg folic acid/day but may be achieved by attaining a high maternal folate status. Using RBC folate ≥ 906 nmol/L as a marker for NTD risk reduction, the study aimed to determine the change in blood folate concentrations in reproductive age women in response to long-term folic acid supplementation at 400 µg/day and 140 µg/day (dose designed to mimic the average daily folic acid intake received from New Zealand’s proposed mandatory bread fortification program). Participants were randomly assigned to a daily folic acid supplement of 140 µg (n = 49), 400 µg (n = 48) or placebo (n = 47) for 40 weeks. RBC folate concentrations were measured at baseline, and after 6, 12, 29 and 40 weeks. At 40 weeks, the overall prevalence of having a RBC folate < 906 nmol/L decreased to 18% and 35% in the 400 µg and 140 µg groups, respectively, while remaining relatively unchanged at 58% in the placebo group. After 40 weeks, there was no evidence of a difference in RBC folate between the two treatment groups (P = 0.340), nor was there evidence of a difference in the odds of a RBC folate < 906 nmol/L (P = 0.078). In conclusion, the average daily intake of folic acid received from the proposed fortification program would increase RBC folate concentrations in reproductive age women to levels associated with a low risk of NTDs.
Effect of Lactobacilli on Paracellular Permeability in the Gut
Authors: Ahrne Siv , Johansson Hagslatt Marie-Louise
Published: January 2011

Paracellular permeability is determined by the complex structures of junctions that are located between the epithelial cells. Already in 1996, it was shown that the human probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299v and the rat-originating strain Lactobacillus reuteri R2LC could reduce this permeability in a methotrexate-induced colitis model in the rat. Subsequently, many animal models and cell culture systems have shown indications that lactobacilli are able to counteract increased paracellular permeability evoked by cytokines, chemicals, infections, or stress. There have been few human studies focusing on the effect of lactobacilli on intestinal paracellular permeability but recently it has been shown that they could influence the tight junctions. More precisely, short-term administration of L. plantarum WCSF1 to healthy volunteers increased the relocation of occludin and ZO-1 into the tight junction area between duodenal epithelial cells.
Cardiorenal Effects of Kappa Opioid Peptides During Ontogeny
Authors: Smith Francine G. , Qi Wei
Published: January 2011

This review focuses on the physiological roles for kappa opioid receptors (KORs) in adult animals and humans, as well as in the developing newborn animal. Our recent findings have provided new information that under physiological conditions in conscious newborn animals, activation of KORs with the selective agonist, U-50488H, results in an aquaresis, as previously observed in adult animals and humans. In addition, we have shown in conscious lambs that KORs modulate systemic and renal haemodynamics as well as the arterial baroreflex control of heart rate, providing a previously unidentified role for KORs.
Nano Delivers Big: Designing Molecular Missiles for Cancer Therapeutics
Authors: Patel Sachin , Bhirde Ashwin A. , Rusling James F. , Chen Xiaoyuan , Gutkind J. Silvio , Patel Vyomesh
Published: January 2011

Current first-line treatments for most cancers feature a short-list of highly potent and often target-blind interventions, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical excision. These treatments wreak considerable havoc upon non-cancerous tissue and organs, resulting in deleterious and sometimes fatal side effects for the patient. In response, this past decade has witnessed the robust emergence of nanoparticles and, more relevantly, nanoparticle drug delivery systems (DDS), widely touted as the panacea of cancer therapeutics. While not a cure, nanoparticle DDS can successfully negotiate the clinical payoff between drug dosage and side effects by encompassing target-specific drug delivery strategies. The expanding library of nanoparticles includes lipoproteins, liposomes, dendrimers, polymers, metal and metal oxide nano-spheres and -rods, and carbon nanotubes, so do the modes of delivery. Importantly, however, the pharmaco-dynamics and –kinetics of these nano-complexes remain an urgent issue and a serious bottleneck in the transition from bench to bedside. This review addresses the rise of nanoparticle DDS platforms for cancer and explores concepts of gene/drug delivery and cytotoxicity in pre-clinical and clinical contexts.
Synthesis of Novel π-Conjugated Rod-Rod-Rod Triblock Copolymers Containing Poly(3-hexylthiophene) and Polyacetylene Segments by Combination of Quasi-Living GRIM and Living Anionic Polymerization
Authors: Higashihara Tomoya , Liu Cheng-Liang , Chen Wen-Chang , Ueda Mitsuru
Published: January 2011

The first successful synthesis of a new rod-rod-rod triblock copolymer, polyacetylene(PA)-b-poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT)-b-PA could be synthesized by a combination of quasi-living Grignard metathesis (GRIM) and living anionic polymerization. We first confirmed that poly(4-tolyl vinyl sulfoxide) (PTVS), which is a soluble precursor for PA, could be synthesized by living anionic polymerization in THF at −78 °C, initiated with 3-methyl-1,1-diphenylpentyllithium as the initiator in the presence of in situ-generated lithium enolate. The molecular weights (MWs) and polydispersities (PDIs) were well controlled (MW = 5,200–27,000, PDI = 1.10–1.22), respectively. A coil-rod-coil triblock copolymer, PTVS-b-P3HT-b-PTVS, (6,000-12,500-6,000) could also be synthesized, initiated with a P3HT-based difunctional macroinitiator in the presence of lithium enolate. GPC-RALLS and 1H NMR analyses confirmed a high degree of structural homogeneity of PTVS-b-P3HT-b-PTVS. A thermal transformation reaction of the polymer was carried out in the film state at 170 °C for 2 h to afford PA-b-P3HT-b-PA quantitatively, as monitored by TGA and FT-IR analyses. The optical and electronic properties as well as the morphological behavior of the block copolymers were investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, conductivity measurement, and AFM observation.
Functionalization of Block Copolymer Vesicle Surfaces
Authors: Egli Stefan , Schlaad Helmut , Bruns Nico , Meier Wolfgang
Published: January 2011

In dilute aqueous solutions certain amphiphilic block copolymers self-assemble into vesicles that enclose a small pool of water with a membrane. Such polymersomes have promising applications ranging from targeted drug-delivery devices, to biosensors, and nanoreactors. Interactions between block copolymer membranes and their surroundings are important factors that determine their potential biomedical applications. Such interactions are influenced predominantly by the membrane surface. We review methods to functionalize block copolymer vesicle surfaces by chemical means with ligands such as antibodies, adhesion moieties, enzymes, carbohydrates and fluorophores. Furthermore, surface-functionalization can be achieved by self-assembly of polymers that carry ligands at their chain ends or in their hydrophilic blocks. While this review focuses on the strategies to functionalize vesicle surfaces, the applications realized by, and envisioned for, such functional polymersomes are also highlighted.
Design of Autonomous Gel Actuators
Authors: Maeda Shingo , Hara Yusuke , Nakamaru Satoshi , Hashimoto Shuji
Published: January 2011

In this paper, we introduce autonomous gel actuators driven by chemical energy. The polymer gels prepared here have cyclic chemical reaction networks. With a cyclic reaction, the polymer gels generate periodical motion. The periodic motion of the gel is produced by the chemical energy of the oscillatory Belouzov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. We have succeeded in making synthetic polymer gel move autonomously like a living organism. This experimental fact represents the great possibility of the chemical robot.
Study and Application of Acoustic Emission Testing in Fault Diagnosis of Low-Speed Heavy-Duty Gears
Authors: Gao Lixin , Zai Fenlou , Su Shanbin , Wang Huaqing , Chen Peng , Liu Limei
Published: January 2011

Most present studies on the acoustic emission signals of rotating machinery are experiment-oriented, while few of them involve on-spot applications. In this study, a method of redundant second generation wavelet transform based on the principle of interpolated subdivision was developed. With this method, subdivision was not needed during the decomposition. The lengths of approximation signals and detail signals were the same as those of original ones, so the data volume was twice that of original signals; besides, the data redundancy characteristic also guaranteed the excellent analysis effect of the method. The analysis of the acoustic emission data from the faults of on-spot low-speed heavy-duty gears validated the redundant second generation wavelet transform in the processing and denoising of acoustic emission signals. Furthermore, the analysis illustrated that the acoustic emission testing could be used in the fault diagnosis of on-spot low-speed heavy-duty gears and could be a significant supplement to vibration testing diagnosis.
Response Identification in the Extremely Low Frequency Region of an Electret Condenser Microphone
Authors: Jeng Yih-Nen , Yang Tzung-Ming , Lee Shang-Yin
Published: January 2011

This study shows that a small electret condenser microphone connected to a notebook or a personal computer (PC) has a prominent response in the extremely low frequency region in a specific environment. It confines most acoustic waves within a tiny air cell as follows. The air cell is constructed by drilling a small hole in a digital versatile disk (DVD) plate. A small speaker and an electret condenser microphone are attached to the two sides of the hole. Thus, the acoustic energy emitted by the speaker and reaching the microphone is strong enough to actuate the diaphragm of the latter. The experiments showed that, once small air leakages are allowed on the margin of the speaker, the microphone captured the signal in the range of 0.5 to 20 Hz. Moreover, by removing the plastic cover of the microphone and attaching the microphone head to the vibration surface, the low frequency signal can be effectively captured too. Two examples are included to show the convenience of applying the microphone to pick up the low frequency vibration information of practical systems.
A Low Cost Concept for Data Acquisition Systems Applied to Decentralized Renewable Energy Plants
Authors: Jucá Sandro C. S. , Carvalho Paulo C. M. , Brito Fábio T.
Published: January 2011

The present paper describes experiences of the use of monitoring and data acquisition systems (DAS) and proposes a new concept of a low cost DAS applied to decentralized renewable energy (RE) plants with an USB interface. The use of such systems contributes to disseminate these plants, recognizing in real time local energy resources, monitoring energy conversion efficiency and sending information concerning failures. These aspects are important, mainly for developing countries, where decentralized power plants based on renewable sources are in some cases the best option for supplying electricity to rural areas. Nevertheless, the cost of commercial DAS is still a barrier for a greater dissemination of such systems in developing countries. The proposed USB based DAS presents a new dual clock operation philosophy, in which the acquisition system contains two clock sources for parallel information processing from different communication protocols. To ensure the low cost of the DAS and to promote the dissemination of this technology in developing countries, the proposed data acquisition firmware and the software for USB microcontrollers programming is a free and open source software, executable in the Linux and Windows® operating systems.
Fringe Capacitance Correction for a Coaxial Soil Cell
Authors: Pelletier Mathew G. , Viera Joseph A. , Schwartz Robert C. , Lascano Robert J. , Evett Steven R. , Green Tim R. , Wanjura John D. , Holt Greg A.
Published: January 2011

Accurate measurement of moisture content is a prime requirement in hydrological, geophysical and biogeochemical research as well as for material characterization and process control. Within these areas, accurate measurements of the surface area and bound water content is becoming increasingly important for providing answers to many fundamental questions ranging from characterization of cotton fiber maturity, to accurate characterization of soil water content in soil water conservation research to bio-plant water utilization to chemical reactions and diffusions of ionic species across membranes in cells as well as in the dense suspensions that occur in surface films. One promising technique to address the increasing demands for higher accuracy water content measurements is utilization of electrical permittivity characterization of materials. This technique has enjoyed a strong following in the soil-science and geological community through measurements of apparent permittivity via time-domain-reflectometry (TDR) as well in many process control applications. Recent research however, is indicating a need to increase the accuracy beyond that available from traditional TDR. The most logical pathway then becomes a transition from TDR based measurements to network analyzer measurements of absolute permittivity that will remove the adverse effects that high surface area soils and conductivity impart onto the measurements of apparent permittivity in traditional TDR applications. This research examines an observed experimental error for the coaxial probe, from which the modern TDR probe originated, which is hypothesized to be due to fringe capacitance. The research provides an experimental and theoretical basis for the cause of the error and provides a technique by which to correct the system to remove this source of error. To test this theory, a Poisson model of a coaxial cell was formulated to calculate the effective theoretical extra length caused by the fringe capacitance which is then used to correct the experimental results such that experimental measurements utilizing differing coaxial cell diameters and probe lengths, upon correction with the Poisson model derived correction factor, all produce the same results thereby lending support and for an augmented measurement technique for measurement of absolute permittivity.
Optimizing Urban Material Flows and Waste Streams in Urban Development through Principles of Zero Waste and Sustainable Consumption
Authors: Lehmann Steffen
Published: January 2011

Beyond energy efficiency, there are now urgent challenges around the supply of resources, materials, energy, food and water. After debating energy efficiency for the last decade, the focus has shifted to include further resources and material efficiency. In this context, urban farming has emerged as a valid urban design strategy, where food is produced and consumed locally within city boundaries, turning disused sites and underutilized public space into productive urban landscapes and community gardens. Furthermore, such agricultural activities allow for effective composting of organic waste, returning nutrients to the soil and improving biodiversity in the urban environment. Urban farming and resource recovery will help to feed the 9 billion by 2050 (predicted population growth, UN-Habitat forecast 2009). This paper reports on best practice of urban design principles in regard to materials flow, material recovery, adaptive re-use of entire building elements and components (‘design for disassembly’; prefabrication of modular building components), and other relevant strategies to implement zero waste by avoiding waste creation, reducing wasteful consumption and changing behaviour in the design and construction sectors. The paper touches on two important issues in regard to the rapid depletion of the world’s natural resources: the built environment and the education of architects and designers (both topics of further research). The construction and demolition (C&D) sector: Prefabricated multi-story buildings for inner-city living can set new benchmarks for minimizing construction wastage and for modular on-site assembly. Today, the C&D sector is one of the main producers of waste; it does not engage enough with waste minimization, waste avoidance and recycling. Education and research: It’s still unclear how best to introduce a holistic understanding of these challenges and to better teach practical and affordable solutions to architects, urban designers, industrial designers, and so on. How must urban development and construction change and evolve to automatically embed sustainability in the way we design, build, operate, maintain and renew/recycle cities? One of the findings of this paper is that embedding zero-waste requires strong industry leadership, new policies and effective education curricula, as well as raising awareness (through research and education) and refocusing research agendas to bring about attitudinal change and the reduction of wasteful consumption.
Symmetry in Complex Networks
Authors: Garrido Angel
Published: January 2011

In this paper, we analyze a few interrelated concepts about graphs, such as their degree, entropy, or their symmetry/asymmetry levels. These concepts prove useful in the study of different types of Systems, and particularly, in the analysis of Complex Networks. A System can be defined as any set of components functioning together as a whole. A systemic point of view allows us to isolate a part of the world, and so, we can focus on those aspects that interact more closely than others. Network Science analyzes the interconnections among diverse networks from different domains: physics, engineering, biology, semantics, and so on. Current developments in the quantitative analysis of Complex Networks, based on graph theory, have been rapidly translated to studies of brain network organization. The brain's systems have complex network features—such as the small-world topology, highly connected hubs and modularity. These networks are not random. The topology of many different networks shows striking similarities, such as the scale-free structure, with the degree distribution following a Power Law. How can very different systems have the same underlying topological features? Modeling and characterizing these networks, looking for their governing laws, are the current lines of research. So, we will dedicate this Special Issue paper to show measures of symmetry in Complex Networks, and highlight their close relation with measures of information and entropy.
Rev Variation during Persistent Lentivirus Infection
Authors: Carpenter Susan , Chen Wei-Chen , Dorman Karin S.
Published: January 2011

The ability of lentiviruses to continually evolve and escape immune control is the central impediment in developing an effective vaccine for HIV-1 and other lentiviruses. Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is considered a useful model for immune control of lentivirus infection. Virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and broadly neutralizing antibody effectively control EIAV replication during inapparent stages of disease, but after years of low-level replication, the virus is still able to produce evasion genotypes that lead to late re-emergence of disease. There is a high rate of genetic variation in the EIAV surface envelope glycoprotein (SU) and in the region of the transmembrane protein (TM) overlapped by the major exon of Rev. This review examines genetic and phenotypic variation in Rev during EIAV disease and a possible role for Rev in immune evasion and virus persistence.