bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Boiling Heat Transfer of Butanol Aqueous Solution
Authors: Shoji Masahiro , Nishiguchi Shotaro
Published: May 2012

Boiling heat transfer of some aqueous solutions is enhanced by adding a small amount of high-carbon alcohol such as butanol. Such solutions show nonlinear surface tension dependence on liquid temperature and are sometimes called as “self-rewetting liquid”. In recent years, such liquids are applied to thermal devices such as heat pipes. However, the characteristics of boiling heat transfer of self-rewetting liquids are not fully understood. In the present research, by employing butanol aqueous solution as a test solution, a fundamental boiling experiment is performed on a heated wire with special attention to critical heat flux (CHF) augmentation and to address fundamental issues. In the experiment, the solution density and the subcooling of liquid were changed in a wide range. From the experiment, it is found that CHF of saturated boiling is enhanced from 2 to 3 times when compared with that of pure water and that generating bubbles are very small, large in number and are difficult to coalescence. It is also found that the dependence of CHF on liquid subcooling is peculiar. Namely, with increasing subcooling, CHF decreases first, takes minimum and then increases. In order to find the reasons for such characteristics, the component density of bulk liquid as well as evaporated vapor is measured by gas-chromatography. As the related topics, the results of the tests of transient cooling and flow boiling inside a mini-channel are shown.
Research and Engineering Practice in Nanofluids: Key Issues
Authors: Wang L. Q. Rick
Published: May 2012

Unlike the past century that was blessed with ever-abundant cheap oil, this century energy has been rated as the single most important issue facing humanity. A global-scale energy crisis looms ahead. Nanotechnology will figure centrally in providing technological solutions. Nanofluid technology, one of the enabling technologies of the nanotech revolution, holds the promise of significantly enhancing the thermal properties of fluids and thus providing high quality heat-transfer fluids of the future that are vital for solving the terawatt challenge facing us. Nanofluids, fluid suspensions of nanometer-sized structures, are research challenges of rare potential but daunting difficulty. The potential comes from both scientific and practical opportunities in many fields. The difficulty reflects the issues related to multiscales. Nanofluids involve at least four relevant scales: the molecular scale, the microscale, the macroscale and the system-scale, with the microscale as the additional one at which nano structures interact with the base fluids. By their very nature, research and engineering practice in nanofluids are to optimize the microscale physics (structures, properties and activities) for the best system performance via enhanced macroscale properties through manipulating microscale physics. Therefore, interest should focus on addressing questions like: (i) how to optimize microscale physics for the optimal system performance, (ii) what is the macroscale manifestation of microscale physics, and (iii) how to effectively manipulate at microscale. In this keynote lecture, we summarize our work of addressing these key issues with powerful microfluidic technology, thermal-wave theory and constructal theory by taking heat-conduction nanofluids as the example.
Flow Boiling in a Microtube: Flow Pattern and Heat Transfer
Authors: Zummo Giuseppe
Published: May 2012

This paper presents the results of the flow boiling patterns of FC-72 in a microtube. The internal diameter of the tube is 0.48 mm, with a heated length of 73 mm. The mass flow rate varies from 50 to 3000 kg/m2-s. The microtube is made of Pyrex in order to obtain the visualisation of the flow pattern along the heated channel. Different types of flow pattern have been observed: bubbly flow, deformed bubbly flow, bubbly/slug flow, slug flow, slug/annular flow, and annular flow. The flow pattern map is compared with those obtained for larger tubes (2.0, 4.0, and 6.0 mm). Flow patterns in the microtube, present less chaotic behaviour and regular vapour-liquid interfaces. Besides, as the tube diameter decreases, the intermittent flow regime shifts from the saturated boiling region towards the subcooled boiling region. The experiments, in the microtube, show the presence of flow instabilities in a large portion of the tests at low mass flow rates and low subcooling. Flow patterns in presence of flow instabilities are mainly characterized by bubbly/slug flow and slug/annular flow. Heat transfer rates have been studied in all flow pattern conditions. The two groups of results, with flow instabilities and without flow instabilities, show similar heat transfer behaviour. The experimental results of flow pattern are compared with the flow pattern maps of McQuillan and Whalley (1985), Mishima and Ishii (1984), and Ong and Thome (2010).
Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Liquid Nitrogen in Mini/Micro-Channels
Authors: Zhang P.
Published: May 2012

Flow and heat transfer characteristics of liquid nitrogen in mini/micro-channels own many particular aspects and are very important for applications. In the present study, the investigation of flow and heat transfer characteristics of liquid nitrogen in mini/micro-channels is presented. It is found that small viscosity enables the flow state in mini/micro-channels to be turbulent state, which proves that the classical theory for pressure drop is still valid if the surface roughness of the passage is properly taken into consideration. Experiments of flow boiling of liquid nitrogen are conducted under both adiabatic and diabatic conditions. It is shown that confinement number Co = 0.5 can be applicable in classifying the heat transfer characteristics of liquid nitrogen in macro- and micro-channels. Flow visualization in micro-channels at low temperatures poses big challenges in image magnification and illumination. These two problems have been subtly overcome in the investigation and clear images have been obtained. The flow patterns and flow regimes of two-phase flow of liquid nitrogen indicate different features from the room-temperature fluidss. Furthermore, a very simple but effective method for 3D flow visualization by one high-speed camera is proposed and implemented. Finally, numerical analysis of the flow boiling of liquid nitrogen in mini/micro-channel is carried out to deepen the understanding of mechanism.
Automated measurement of uptake in cerebellum, liver, and aortic arch in full‐body FDG PET/CT scans
Authors: Bauer Christian , Sun Shanhui , Sun Wenqing , Otis Justin , Wallace Audrey , Smith Brian J. , Sunderland John J. , Graham Michael M. , Sonka Milan , Buatti John M. , Beichel Reinhard R.
Published: May 2012

Purpose:

The purpose of this work was to develop and validate fully automated methods for uptake measurement of cerebellum, liver, and aortic arch in full‐body PET/CT scans. Such measurements are of interest in the context of uptake normalization for quantitative assessment of metabolic activity and/or automated image quality control.

Methods:

Cerebellum, liver, and aortic arch regions were segmented with different automated approaches. Cerebella were segmented in PET volumes by means of a robust active shape model (ASM) based method. For liver segmentation, a largest possible hyperellipsoid was fitted to the liver in PET scans. The aortic arch was first segmented in CT images of a PET/CT scan by a tubular structure analysis approach, and the segmented result was then mapped to the corresponding PET scan. For each of the segmented structures, the average standardized uptake value (SUV) was calculated. To generate an independent reference standard for method validation, expert image analysts were asked to segment several cross sections of each of the three structures in 134 F‐18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT scans. For each case, the true average SUV was estimated by utilizing statistical models and served as the independent reference standard.

Results:

For automated aorta and liver SUV measurements, no statistically significant scale or shift differences were observed between automated results and the independent standard. In the case of the cerebellum, the scale and shift were not significantly different, if measured in the same cross sections that were utilized for generating the reference. In contrast, automated results were scaled 5% lower on average although not shifted, if FDG uptake was calculated from the whole segmented cerebellum volume. The estimated reduction in total SUV measurement error ranged between 54.7% and 99.2%, and the reduction was found to be statistically significant for cerebellum and aortic arch.

Conclusions:

With the proposed methods, the authors have demonstrated that automated SUV uptake measurements in cerebellum, liver, and aortic arch agree with expert‐defined independent standards. The proposed methods were found to be accurate and showed less intra‐ and interobserver variability, compared to manual analysis. The approach provides an alternative to manual uptake quantification, which is time‐consuming. Such an approach will be important for application of quantitative PET imaging to large scale clinical trials.
“Ladder” structure in tonal noise generated by laminar flow around an airfoil
Authors: Chong Tze Pei , Joseph Phillip
Published: May 2012

The presence of a “ladder” structure in the airfoil tonal noise was discovered in the 1970s, but its mechanism hitherto remains a subject of continual investigation in the research community. Based on the measured noise results and some numerical analysis presented in this letter, the variations of four types of airfoil tonal noise frequencies with the flow velocity were analyzed individually. The ladder structure is proposed to be caused by the acoustic/hydrodynamic frequency lag between the scattering of the boundary layer instability noise and the discrete noise produced by an aeroacoustic feedback loop.
Use of the Sucrose Gradient Method for Bacterial Cell Cycle Synchronization
Authors: Lin Lin , Choudhary Abha , Bavishi Anish , Ogbonna Norma , Maddux Sarah , Choudhary Madhusudan
Published: May 2012

Although many undergraduate and graduate Cell and Molecular Biology courses study the bacterial cell cycle and the mechanisms that regulate prokaryotic cell division, few laboratory projects exist for the enhanced study of cell cycle characteristics in a standard teaching laboratory. One notable reason for this lack of engaging laboratory projects is, although bacterial cells can be grown fairly easily, these cultured cells are in a variety of cell cycle states. As such, to study and understand the factors that regulate bacterial cell division in morphological, physiological, and even molecular respects, it is necessary to have bacterial cells in the same stage of its cell cycle. This matching can be performed by a procedure called cell cycle synchronization.
A Call for a Community of Practice to Assess the Impact of Emerging Technologies on Undergraduate Biology Education
Authors: Jensen Jamie L. , Dario-Becker Juville , Hughes Lee E. , Amburn D. Sue Katz , Shaw Joyce A.
Published: May 2012

Recent recommendations for educational research encourage empirically tested, theory-based, completely transparent, and broadly applicable studies. In light of these recommendations, we call for a research standard and community of practice in the evaluation of technology use in the undergraduate life science classroom. We outline appropriate research methodology, review and critique the past research on technology usage and, lastly, suggest a new and improved focus for research on emerging technologies.
The Development of Curricular Guidelines for Introductory Microbiology that Focus on Understanding
Authors: Merkel Susan ,   the ASM Task Force on Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Microbiology
Published: May 2012

The number of students who leave majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) due to a perception that courses are poorly taught is evidence that education reform in STEM is overdue. Despite decades of research that argues for student-centered teaching approaches, most introductory STEM courses are still taught in the large lecture format, focusing on rote memorization. While individual efforts in STEM educational reform are important, solutions will most certainly need to include institutional and cultural change. In biology, numerous national reports have called for educational reform to better prepare future scientists. We describe here a new, concept-based curriculum for Introductory Microbiology courses, designed to promote deep understanding of core concepts. Supported by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and based on the overarching concepts and competencies presented in the AAAS/NSF report
Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action
, we hope it will empower instructors to adapt student-centered approaches so that students in Introductory Microbiology courses can leave the course with a core set of enduring understandings of microbiology.
Preparing Science-Trained Professionals for the Biotechnology Industry: A Ten-Year Perspective on a Professional Science Master’s Program
Authors: Hamilton Paul T. , Luginbuhl Sarah C. , Hyman Michael
Published: May 2012

The biotechnology industry has a need for business-savvy scientists; however, this is not the way scientists are traditionally trained at universities and colleges. To address this need, universities have developed Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree programs that offer advanced training in a technical field along with professional skills development through team-based projects and internships. Nearly ten years ago, the Department of Microbiology at NCSU started a PSM program in Microbial Biotechnology (MMB). This article provides an overview of the MMB program, and shares some of the lessons that we have learned.
Models in Movies: Teaching Abstract Concepts in Concrete Models
Authors: Breer Madeline , Christensen Bianca , Taylor Jennifer
Published: May 2012

The tool created here is an instructional video that demonstrates how to create models of the heavy and light chains of an antibody using pipe cleaners, and how the process of V, D, and J gene recombination functions, using the model as a visual aide. The video was created by undergraduate students, with the intended audience being other undergraduates. This type of direct peer teaching aids in education because the “teachers” in this situation greatly enhance their own knowledge through instruction, and their imparting of knowledge is often more helpful to that of another student because they are more aware of comprehension gaps within their peer groups. As such, the supplementary goal of the model is to have students follow along with the video by creating and using their own models, thereby gaining a deeper knowledge of the process with a more thorough interaction.
Vision and Change–ing A First-Year Biology Classroom
Authors: Begley Gail S.
Published: May 2012

In the recent report,
Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action,
the American Association for the Advancement of Science laid out a blueprint for reforming undergraduate biology education. A key component of the vision is ensuring that all students understand certain core concepts that are necessary for biological literacy, and that they are able to demonstrate a set of core competencies in disciplinary practice.

The core concepts and competencies were integrated into every aspect of a first year Inquiries in Biology course at Northeastern University. This course is offered to students majoring in Biology, Biochemistry, and Behavioral Neuroscience who have Advanced Placement credit for General Biology. The class is small (35 students), and is organized largely in a seminar format with no textbook and very minimal lecturing. However, the integration strategies presented here should be applicable to larger classes, as well as classes that are more lecture-focused.
So, You Want to Be a Better Educator …Review of: Three highly recommended online resources at academic teaching and learning centers:
Authors: Primm Todd P.
Published: May 2012

Review of:
Three highly recommended online resources at academic teaching and learning centers, including:
The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning
at Princeton University,
The Institute for Teaching, Learning, and Academic Leadership (ITLAL)
at the University of Albany, and
The Center for Teaching and Learning
at the University of Minnesota.
From Medieval Microbiology to Modern Medicine: A Concise History of How We Got to Where We Are TodayReview of:
Germ Theory: Medical Pioneers in Infectious Disease
; Robert P. Gaynes; (2011). ASM Press, Washington, DC. 342 pages.
Authors: Frederick Gregory D.
Published: May 2012

Review of:
Germ Theory: Medical Pioneers in Infectious Disease ;
Robert P. Gaynes; (2011) . ASM Press, Washington, DC. 342 pages.
A ‘Case’ for Active LearningBard College faculty jointly review the
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (Buffalo Case Studies),
http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/
Authors: Jude Brooke A.
Published: May 2012

Review of:
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science (Buffalo Case Studies),
jointly reviewed by Bard College faculty.
The Software CmapTools—IHMC and Microbiology: a Bridge to Meaningful Learning?Review of:
Cmap,
an online concept mapping tool from
The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition,
http://cmap.ihmc.us/
Authors: Fonseca Antonio P.
Published: May 2012

Review of:
Cmap,
an online concept mapping tool from The
Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.
Sherris Medical Microbiology as a Resource for Doctor of Pharmacy StudentsReview of:
Sherris Medical Microbiology, 5

th

edition
; Kenneth Ryan et al.; (2010). McGraw Hill, New York, NY. 1026 pages.
Authors: O’Donnell Lauren A.
Published: May 2012

Review of:
Sherris Medical Microbiology, 5 th edition ;
Kenneth Ryan et al.; (2010) . McGraw Hill, New York, NY. 1026 pages.
Higher volume endovascular stroke centers have faster times to treatment, higher reperfusion rates and higher rates of good clinical outcomes
Authors: Gupta Rishi , Horev Anat , Nguyen Thanh , Gandhi Dheeraj , Wisco Dolora , Glenn Brenda A , Tayal Ashis H , Ludwig Bryan , Terry John B , Gershon Raphael Y , Jovin Tudor , Clemmons Paul F , Frankel Michael R , Cronin Carolyn A , Anderson Aaron M , Hussain Muhammad Shazam , Sheth Kevin N , Belagaje Samir R , Tian Melissa , Nogueira Raul G
Published: May 2012

Background and purpose

Technological advances have helped to improve the efficiency of treating patients with large vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke. Unfortunately, the sequence of events prior to reperfusion may lead to significant treatment delays. This study sought to determine if high-volume (HV) centers were efficient at delivery of endovascular treatment approaches.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed of nine centers to assess a series of time points from obtaining a CT scan to the end of the endovascular procedure. Demographic, radiographic and angiographic variables were assessed by multivariate analysis to determine if HV centers were more efficient at delivery of care.

Results

A total of 442 consecutive patients of mean age 66±14 years and median NIH Stroke Scale score of 18 were studied. HV centers were more likely to treat patients after intravenous administration of tissue plasminogen activator and those transferred from outside hospitals. After adjusting for appropriate variables, HV centers had significantly lower times from CT acquisition to groin puncture (OR 0.991, 95% CI 0.989 to 0.997, p=0.001) and total procedure times (OR 0.991, 95% CI 0.986 to 0.996, p=0.001). Additionally, patients treated at HV centers were more likely to have a good clinical outcome (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.11 to 3.10, p<0.018) and successful reperfusion (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.86, p<0.008).

Conclusions

Significant delays occur in treating patients with endovascular therapy in acute ischemic stroke, offering opportunities for improvements in systems of care. Ongoing prospective clinical trials can help to assess if HV centers are achieving better clinical outcomes and higher reperfusion rates.
Republished: Simulation training improves ability to manage medical emergencies
Authors: Ruesseler Miriam , Weinlich Michael , Müller Michael P , Byhahn Christian , Marzi Ingo , Walcher Felix
Published: May 2012

Objective

In the case of an emergency, fast and structured patient management is crucial for a patient's outcome. Every physician and graduate medical student should possess basic knowledge of emergency care and the skills to manage common emergencies. This study determines the effect of a simulation-based curriculum in emergency medicine on students' abilities to manage emergency situations.

Methods

A controlled, blinded educational trial of 44 final-year medical students was carried out at Frankfurt Medical School; 22 students completed the former curriculum as the control group and 22 the new curriculum as the intervention group. The intervention consists of simulation-based training with theoretical and simulation-based training sessions in realistic encounters based on the Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and adapted Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) training. Further common emergencies were integrated corresponding to the course objectives. All students faced a performance-based assessment in a 10 station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) using checklist rating within a maximum of 4 months after completion of the intervention.

Results

The intervention group performed significantly better at all of the 10 OSCE stations in the checklist rating (p<0.0001 to p=0.016).

Conclusions

The simulation-based intervention offers a positively evaluated possibility to enhance students' skills in recognising and handling emergencies. Additional studies are required to measure the long-term retention of the acquired skills, as well as the effect of training in healthcare professionals.
Republished: Improving hand hygiene in a paediatric hospital: a multimodal quality improvement approach
Authors: Jamal Ahmed , O'Grady G , Harnett E , Dalton D , Andresen D
Published: May 2012

Background

Effective hand hygiene has long been recognised as an important way to reduce the transmission of bacterial and viral pathogens in healthcare settings. However, many studies have shown that adherence to hand hygiene remains low, and improvement efforts have often not delivered sustainable results. The Children's Hospital at Westmead is the largest tertiary paediatric hospital in Sydney, Australia. The hospital participated in a state-wide ‘Clean hands save lives’ campaign which was initiated in 2006.

Intervention

Strong leadership, good stakeholder engagement, readily accessible alcohol-based hand rub at the point of patient care, a multifaceted education programme, monitoring of staff, adherence to recommended hand hygiene practices and contemporaneous feedback of performance data have significantly improved and maintained compliance with hand hygiene.

Results

Hand hygiene compliance has increased from 23% in 2006 to 87% in 2011 (p<0.001). Sustained improvement in compliance with hand hygiene has been evident in the last 4 years. A decline in a set of hospital-acquired infections (including rotavirus, multiresistant organism transmission, and nosocomial bacteraemia) has also been noted as hand hygiene rates have improved. Monthly usage of alcohol-based hand rub has increased from 16 litres/1000 bed days to 51 litres/1000 bed days during this same period.

Conclusion

This project has delivered sustained improvement in hand hygiene compliance by establishing a framework of multimodal evidence-based strategies.
Republished: Sensitive troponin assays
Authors: Collinson Paul O
Published: May 2012

Sensitive troponin assays have been developed to meet the diagnostic goals set by the universal definition of myocardial infarction (MI). The analytical advantages of sensitive troponin assays include improved analytical imprecision at concentrations below the 99th percentile and the ability to define a reference distribution fully. Clinically, the improved sensitivity translates into the ability to diagnosis MI earlier, possibly within 3 h from admission and the ability to use the rate of change of troponin (Δ troponin) for diagnosis. Very sensitive assays may, in appropriately selected populations (perhaps with the addition of Δ troponin), allow diagnosis on hospital admission or within 1–2 h of admission. An elevated troponin level occurring in patients without suspected acute coronary syndromes has, in all studies to date in which outcome has been examined, been shown to indicate an adverse prognosis whatever the underlying clinical diagnosis. Failure of elevation means a good prognosis allowing early, safe hospital discharge, whereas a raised value requires investigation and should help prevent clinically significant pathology being overlooked. Sensitive troponins do present a challenge to the laboratory and the clinician. For the laboratory, the diagnosis of MI requires a change in troponin value. For the clinician, the challenge is to shift from a simplistic yes/no diagnosis of MI based on a single troponin value to a diagnosis that utilises early troponin changes as part of the clinical picture, and to relate the new class of detectable troponin elevation in patients with ischaemic myocardial disease to existing clinical guidelines and trial evidence.
TARGETING HETEROGENEOUS ARCHITECTURES VIA MACRO DATA FLOW
Authors: ALDINUCCI M. , DANELUTTO M. , KILPATRICK P. , TORQUATI M.
Published: May 2012

We propose a data flow based run time system as an efficient tool for supporting execution of parallel code on heterogeneous architectures hosting both multicore CPUs and GPUs. We discuss how the proposed run time system may be the target of both structured parallel applications developed using algorithmic skeletons/parallel design patterns and also more "domain specific" programming models. Experimental results demonstrating the feasibility of the approach are presented.
ASYMPTOTIC PEAK UTILISATION IN HETEROGENEOUS PARALLEL CPU/GPU PIPELINES: A DECENTRALISED QUEUE MONITORING STRATEGY
Authors: GARBA MICHAEL T. , GONZÁLEZ–VÉLEZ HORACIO
Published: May 2012

Widespread heterogeneous parallelism is unavoidable given the emergence of General-Purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU). The characteristics of a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)—including significant memory transfer latency and complex performance characteristics—demand new approaches to ensuring that all available computational resources are efficiently utilised. This paper considers the simple case of a divisible workload based on widely-used numerical linear algebra routines and the challenges that prevent efficient use of all resources available to a naive SPMD application using the GPU as an accelerator. We suggest a possible queue monitoring strategy that facilitates resource usage with a view to balancing the CPU/GPU utilisation for applications that fit the pipeline parallel architectural pattern on heterogeneous multicore/multi-node CPU and GPU systems. We propose a stochastic allocation technique that may serve as a foundation for heuristic approaches to balancing CPU/GPU workloads.
BOUNDS ON THE SCALABILITY OF BAG-OF-TASKS APPLICATIONS RUNNING ON MASTER-SLAVE PLATFORMS
Authors: SENGER HERMES , DA SILVA FABRÍCIO ALVES BARBOSA
Published: May 2012

Bag-of-Tasks applications are parallel applications composed of independent (i.e., embarrassingly parallel) tasks that do not communicate with each other, may depend upon one or more input files, and can be executed in any order. Each file may be input for more than one task. A common framework to execute BoT applications is the master-slave topology, in which the user machine is used to control the execution of tasks. In this scenario, a large number of concurrent tasks competing for resources (e.g., CPU and communication links) severely limits the scalability. In this paper we studied the scalability of BoT applications running on multi-node systems (e.g. clusters and grids) organized as master-slave platforms, considering two communications paradigms: multiplexed connections and efficient broadcast. We prove that the lowest bound possible on the isoefficiency function for master-slave platforms is achievable by those platforms that have an O(1) efficient broadcast primitive available. We also analyze the impact of output file contention in scalability, under different assumptions. Our study employs a set of simulation experiments that confirms and extends the theoretical results (e.g. by simulating TCP links).
MATCHING PRECLUSION AND CONDITIONAL MATCHING PRECLUSION FOR CROSSED CUBES
Authors: CHENG EDDIE , PADMANABHAN SACHIN
Published: May 2012

The matching preclusion number of a graph is the minimum number of edges whose deletion results in a graph that has neither perfect matchings nor almost-perfect matchings. For many interconnection networks, the optimal sets are precisely those induced by a single vertex. Recently, the conditional matching preclusion number of a graph was introduced to look for obstruction sets beyond those induced by a single vertex. It is defined to be the minimum number of edges whose deletion results in a graph with no isolated vertices that has neither perfect matchings nor almost-perfect matchings. In this paper, we find the matching preclusion number and the conditional matching preclusion number with the classification of the optimal sets for the class of crossed cubes, an important variant of the class of hypercubes. Indeed, we will establish more general results on the matching preclusion and the conditional matching preclusion problems for a larger class of interconnection networks.
THE FRACTIONAL ORDER MODIFIED CHAOTIC n-SCROLL CHUA CIRCUIT AND FRACTIONAL CONTROL
Authors: SUN GUANGHUI , WANG MAO
Published: May 2012

A new fractional order chaotic n-scroll modified Chua circuit is introduced. It can generate n-scroll with a total order less than three. The equilibrium points are classified into two types according to the characteristics of the eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix at the equilibrium points. To overcome some disadvantages of the traditional fractional order controller, a new fractional order control method is developed for stabilizing the system to any expected equilibrium point. Numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
THE OPTIMAL CONFIGURATION OF GEL SHEET GOVERNED BY ITS CONCENTRATION
Authors: ZHAI XIAOBO , ZHANG SHENGLI , ZHANG LEI , ZHAO SHUMIN
Published: May 2012

We investigate the configuration of gel sheets with centrosymmetric distribution of monomer concentration in this paper. The configuration energy of these gel sheets consists of the in-plane stretching energy and bending energy. The equilibrium shape equations are derived by variation principle. This provides a way to control the shape of gel sheets by the initial concentration and thickness. From the equilibrium shape equations, we know that the Gaussian curvature on boundary (K|C) of equilibrium shape is determined by the Poisson ratio [Formula: see text]. K|C is negative when [Formula: see text] but positive when [Formula: see text]. Specially, we derive two dome-like solutions from the equilibrium shape equations to compare with the experimental data. In these dome-like sheets, on the boundary part the Gaussian curvature is K < 0, which is different from the center part (K > 0). Furthermore, we deduce that the initial gel distribution of cylinder sheets is proportional to 1/r and find that N-isopropylacrylamide cylinder sheets cannot be formed without additional edges. Our theoretical results agree well with the experimental data [Klein et al., Science315, 1116 (2007)]. On the other hand, we predict a special type of gel sheets as minimal surface. Their residual stresses are constant and same along radial and circumference directions. For axisymmetric sheets, we give a criterion about the sign of Gaussian curvature K when thickness h is infinite small.
BANG-BANG, IMPULSE, AND SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING IN AGE-STRUCTURED POPULATIONS
Authors: HRITONENKO N. , YATSENKO YU.
Published: May 2012

An optimal harvesting problem is analyzed in the Lotka–McKendrick model of age-structured populations. Depending on the imposed constraints, this problem possesses bang-bang or impulse regimes, which have meaningful interpretations and relevant policy implications. A steady state analysis of the model produces closed-form solutions for the optimal sustainable harvesting in a new and an existing population.
THE SUPPORT THEOREM FOR THE GAUSS–RADON TRANSFORM
Authors: BECNEL JEREMY J.
Published: May 2012

The Radon transform is one of the most useful and applicable tools in functional analysis. First constructed by John Radon in 191711 it has now been adapted to several settings. One of the principle theorems involving the Radon transform is the Support Theorem. In this paper, we discuss how the Radon transform can be constructed in the white noise setting. We also develop a Support Theorem in this setting.
GENERALIZED COVARIATION AND EXTENDED FUKUSHIMA DECOMPOSITION FOR BANACH SPACE-VALUED PROCESSES: APPLICATIONS TO WINDOWS OF DIRICHLET PROCESSES
Authors: DI GIROLAMI CRISTINA , RUSSO FRANCESCO
Published: May 2012

This paper is concerned with the notion of covariation for Banach space-valued processes. In particular, we introduce a notion of quadratic variation, which is a generalization of the classical restrictive formulation of Métivier and Pellaumail. Our approach is based on the notion of χ-covariation for processes with values in two Banach spaces B1 and B2, where χ is a suitable subspace of the dual of the projective tensor product of B1 and B2. We investigate some C1 type transformations for various classes of stochastic processes admitting a χ-quadratic variation and related properties. If 𝕏1 and 𝕏2 admit a χ-covariation, Fi : Bi → ℝ, i = 1, 2 are of class C1 with some supplementary assumptions, then the covariation of the real processes F1(𝕏1) and F2(𝕏2) exist.

A detailed analysis is provided on the so-called window processes. Let X be a real continuous process; the C([-τ, 0])-valued process X(⋅) defined by Xt(y) = Xt+y, where y ∈ [-τ, 0], is called window process. Special attention is given to transformations of window processes associated with Dirichlet and weak Dirichlet processes. Those will constitute a significant Fukushima decomposition for functionals of windows of (weak) Dirichlet processes. As application, we provide a new technique for representing a path-dependent random variable as its expectation plus a stochastic integral with respect to the underlying process.
SPECIAL VALUES OF SOME EXTENSIONS OF ZETA FUNCTION VIA BETA DISTRIBUTIONS
Authors: SAKUMA NORIYOSHI , SUZUKI RYOICHI
Published: May 2012

In this paper, we show the Basel problem via the beta distributions, which include the free Poisson distribution and positive arcsine law. This is a generalization of Ref. 2 by Fujita. We also obtain special values of an extension of generalized Hurwitz–Lerch zeta function, which was introduced by Gang, Jain and Kalla.
NEW TOPOLOGICAL ℂ-ALGEBRAS WITH APPLICATIONS IN LINEAR SYSTEMS THEORY
Authors: ALPAY DANIEL , SALOMON GUY
Published: May 2012

Motivated by the Schwartz space of tempered distributions [Formula: see text] and the Kondratiev space of stochastic distributions [Formula: see text] we define a wide family of nuclear spaces which are increasing unions of (duals of) Hilbert spaces [Formula: see text], with decreasing norms ‖⋅‖p. The elements of these spaces are functions on a free commutative monoid. We characterize those rings in this family which satisfy an inequality of the form ‖f * g‖p≤ A(p - q)‖f‖q‖g‖pfor all p ≥ q + d, where*denotes the convolution in the monoid, A(p - q) is a strictly positive number and d is a fixed natural number (in this case we obtain commutative topological ℂ-algebras). Such an inequality holds in [Formula: see text], but not in [Formula: see text]. We give an example of such a ring which contains [Formula: see text]. We characterize invertible elements in these rings and present applications to linear system theory.
ON THE QUADRATIC FOCK FUNCTOR
Authors: DHAHRI AMEUR
Published: May 2012

We prove that the quadratic second quantization of an operator p on L2(ℝd) ∩ L∞(ℝd) is an orthogonal projection on the quadratic Fock space if and only if p is a multiplication operator by a characteristic function χI, I ⊂ ℝd.
A JOINT SPECTRAL CHARACTERIZATION OF C* INDEPENDENCE
Authors: JIN SHUILIN , XU LI , JIANG QINGHUA , DUAN GUANGREN
Published: May 2012

Let [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] be commuting unital C* subalgebras of [Formula: see text], it is shown that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are C* independent if and only if [Formula: see text] for every [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], where Sp (A, B) denotes the Taylor's joint spectrum.
Modelling Formation of a Drug Reservoir in the Stratum Corneum and Its Impact on Drug Monitoring Using Reverse Iontophoresis
Authors: Paulley Yvonne , Delgado-Charro M. Begoña , White K. A. Jane
Published: May 2012

Reverse iontophoresis is a relatively new technique for non‐invasive drug monitoring in the body. It involves a small electrical current being passed through the skin to facilitate the movement of small charged ions and polar molecules on the skin′s surface where the amount of drug can then be measured and hence an accurate estimate of the blood concentration can be made. In vivo studies for several molecules show that initially large amounts of drug are extracted from the body, which are unrelated to the magnitude of the blood concentration; over time the fluxes of extraction decrease to a level proportional to the steady state blood concentration. This suggests that, at first, the drug is being extracted from some source other than the blood; one such candidate for this source is the dead cells which form the stratum corneum. In this paper, we construct two related mathematical models; the first describes the formation of the drug reservoir in the stratum corneum as a consequence of repeated drug intake and natural death of skin cells in the body. The output from this model provides initial conditions for the model of reverse iontophoresis in which charged ions from both the blood and the stratum corneum reservoir compete for the electric current. Model parameters are estimated from data collected for lithium monitoring. Our models will improve interpretation of reverse iontophoretic data by discriminating the subdermal from the skin contribution to the fluxes of extraction. They also suggest that analysis of the skin reservoir might be a valuable tool to investigate patients′ exposure to chemicals including therapeutic drugs.
Role of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins‐7 (BMP‐7) in the Renal Improvement Effect of DangGui (Angelica sinensis) in Type‐1 Diabetic Rats
Authors: Yeh Ching-Hua , Chang Chen-Kuei , Cheng Kai-Chun , Li Ying-Xiao , Zhang Ying Wen , Cheng Juei-Tang
Published: May 2012

Hyperglycemia induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is believed as major factors leading to diabetic nephropathy (DN). DangGui (Angelica sinensis) is mentioned to show renal protective effect in combination with other herbs. Bone morphogenetic proteins‐7 (BMP‐7) is produced merit in protection of DN. The role of BMP‐7 in DangGui‐induced renal improvement is not clear. The present study investigated the effects of DangGui on renal functions, BMP‐7 expression and the levels of ROS in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats and high glucose‐exposed rat mesangial cells (RMCs). After 1‐ or 4‐week treatment, DangGui improved renal functions and increased renal BMP‐7 expression in diabetic rats. The BMP‐7 expression in RMCs was reduced by high glucose treatment and this could be reversed by DangGui. Moreover, RMCs exposed to high glucose were expired by BMP‐7 RNAi transfection but those cells remained alive by scramble transfection. Thus, we employed regular RMCs to knock down BMP‐7 with RNAi and we found that DangGui increased BMP‐7 expression in these RMCs. Direct activation of BMP‐7 expression by DangGui could be considered. The results of DPPH assay, DHE stain and lucigenin assay indicated that DangGui could inhibit high glucose‐induced ROS in RMCs. These results suggest that DangGui has an ability to improve renal functions in STZ‐diabetic rats through increasing endogenous BMP‐7 expression and decreasing oxidative stress in kidney. The present study suggest that DangGui could be applied to improve renal functions in diabetic disorders.
Changes of Myogenic Reactive Oxygen Species and Interleukin-6 in Contracting Skeletal Muscle Cells
Authors: Pan Hongying , Xu Xiaoyang , Hao Xuanming , Chen Yajun
Published: May 2012

The aim of this study was to measure changes in myotube reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the production of interleukin (IL)-6 in electrically stimulated mouse C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. After five days of differentiation, myotubes were stimulated using an electrical stimulator set at 45 V at a frequency of 5 Hz, with a pulse width of 20 ms. Acute stimulations were performed for 45, 60, 75, 90, or 120 min in each dish. ROSs were detected in the extracted cells directly using a fluorescent probe. IL-6 mRNA expression in C2C12 myotubes and IL-6 concentration in C2C12 myotube supernatants were determined using real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. Compared with control cells, ROS generation was significantly increased at 45 min after the onset of stimulation (P<0.01) and continued to increase, reaching a maximum at 120 min. IL-6 mRNA expression and IL-6 concentration in C2C12 cells were significantly increased after 75 min (P<0.01) and 120 min (P<0.05) of electrical stimulation (ES) compared with the control cells. Our data show that a specific ES intensity may modulate ROS accumulation and affect IL-6 gene expression in contracting skeletal muscle cells.
Sino-European Transcontinental Basic and Clinical High-Tech Acupuncture Studies—Part 4: “Fire of Life” Analysis of Heart Rate Variability during Acupuncture in Clinical Studies
Authors: Litscher Gerhard , Wang Lin-Peng , Wang Lu , Liu Cun-Zhi , Wang Xiao-Min
Published: May 2012

This fourth part of a series of Sino-European high-tech acupuncture studies describes the first clinical transcontinental teleacupuncture measurements in two patients (cervical spine syndrome and tachycardia; both 27 years old) from the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, China. The electrocardiographic data were transferred to the Stronach Research Unit for Complementary and Integrative Laser Medicine and the TCM Research Center in Graz via conventional internet connections. Data analysis was performed in Graz using a new “Fire of Life” heart rate variability analysis. Analysis was performed without any technical problems in both subjects. Heart rate decreased significantly during acupuncture in the two patients from Beijing. At the same time, total HRV increased during acupuncture. The different influences of HRV (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, blood pressure waves, etc.) could be clearly documented using the new “Fire of Life” analysis.
Intermuscular Adipose Tissue Is Muscle Specific and Associated with Poor Functional Performance
Authors: Tuttle Lori J. , Sinacore David R. , Mueller Michael J.
Published: May 2012

Purpose. People with obesity, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy have high levels of intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) volume which has been inversely related to physical function. We determined if IMAT is muscle specific, if calf IMAT is different between a healthy obese group (HO), a group with diabetes mellitus (D), and a group with diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy (DN), and if IMAT volume or the ratio of IMAT/muscle volume is related to physical function in these groups.Methods. 10 healthy obese people, 11 with type 2 diabetes, 24 with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, had assessments of muscle morphology, physical function and muscle performance.Results. The gastrocnemius muscle had a higher ratio of IMAT/muscle volume than any other muscle or compartment. There were no differences between groups in calf muscle or IMAT volumes. Calf IMAT was inversely related to physical performance on the 6-minute walk test (r=−0.47) and physical performance test (r=−0.36). IMAT/muscle volume was inversely related to physical performance (PPT,r=−0.44; 6 MWr=−0.48; stair power,r=−0.30).Conclusions. IMAT accumulation varies in calf muscles, is highest in the gastrocnemius muscle, and is associated with poor physical performance.
Exploring Spray-Coating Techniques for Organic Solar Cell Applications
Authors: Nie Wanyi , Coffin Robert , Liu Jiwen , MacNeill Christopher M. , Li Yuan , Noftle Ronald E. , Carroll David L.
Published: May 2012

We have investigated spray coating as a novel processing method for organic solar cell fabrication. In this work, spraying parameters and organic solvent influences have been correlated with cell performance. Using airbrush fabrication, bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices based on a new low band gap donor material: poly[(4,8-bis(1-pentylhexyloxy)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4,7-diyl] with the C60-derivative (6,6)-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as an acceptor, have achieved power conversion efficiencies over 3%. We show that airbrush fabrication can be carried out with simple solvents such as pristine 1,2-dichlorobenzene. Moreover, the influence of device active area has been studied and the 1 cm2device by spray coating maintained an excellent power conversion efficiency of 3.02% on average.
Cytokines and VEGF Induction in Orthodontic Movement in Animal Models
Authors: Di Domenico M. , D'apuzzo F. , Feola A. , Cito L. , Monsurrò A. , Pierantoni G. M. , Berrino L. , De Rosa A. , Polimeni A. , Perillo L.
Published: May 2012

Orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that aims at the resolution of dental malocclusions. The specialist carries out the treatment using intraoral or extraoral orthodontic appliances that require forces of a given load level to obtain a tooth movement in a certain direction in dental arches. Orthodontic tooth movement is dependent on efficient remodeling of periodontal ligament and alveolar bone, correlated with several biological and mechanical responses of the tissues surrounding the teeth. A periodontal ligament placed under pressure will result in bone resorption whereas a periodontal ligament under tension results in bone formation. In the primary stage of the application of orthodontic forces, an acute inflammation occurs in periodontium. Several proinflammatory cytokines are produced by immune-competent cells migrating by means of dilated capillaries. In this paper we summarize, also through the utilization of animal models, the role of some of these molecules, namely, interleukin-1βand vascular endothelial growth factor, that are some proliferation markers of osteoclasts and osteoblasts, and the macrophage colony stimulating factor.