bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuroprotective Effect of a Formula, Moschus Combined with Borneolum Synthcticum, from Traditional Chinese Medicine on Ischemia Stroke in Rats
Authors: Xia Xin-hua , Li Qiang , Liu Mei
Published: March 2014

Moschus compatible with borneolum synthcticum is a well‐known herb pair in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the present study aims to assess the neuroprotective effect of a formula composed of this herb pair on ischemia stroke in rats. The middle cerebral artery occlusion model of focal cerebral ischemia in rat was performed by using intraluminal suture method. The behavioral scores, infarct volume, and neuron ultrastructure of model and formula‐treated rats were investigated after the 2 h of ischemia and 24 h of reperfusion. Meanwhile the expression levels of caspase‐3, caspase‐9, Bcl‐2, and Bax were measured by western blot analysis. The formula treatment showed obvious neuroprotective effect according to significant decrease of the neurological scores (P < 0.01) and the infarct volumes (P < 0.05) when compared to the MCAO group. We also observed that this formula had antiapoptosis activity on neuron cell under electron microscope. Furthermore, our result supported the idea that pro‐ and postadministration of this formula had an antiapoptosis effect by decreasing remarkably the expression of caspase‐3 and caspase‐9 (P < 0.05) as well as increasing significantly the ratio of Bcl‐2 to Bax (P < 0.01). All evidences demonstrated the neuroprotective effect of this formula on ischemia stroke due to decrease of brain infract volume and modulation of the expression of apoptosis‐related proteins.
Effects of Chronic Electroacupuncture on Depression‐ and Anxiety‐Like Behaviors in Rats with Chronic Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Li Qian , Yue Na , Liu Shen-Bin , Wang Zhi-Fu , Mi Wen-Li , Jiang Jian-Wei , Wu Gen-Cheng , Yu Jin , Wang Yan-Qing
Published: March 2014

Growing evidence indicates that chronic neuropathic pain is frequently accompanied by an array of psychiatric diseases, such as depression and anxiety. Electroacupuncture (EA), as one therapy of traditional Chinese medicine, has displayed potent antidepressant‐like effects in numerous clinical studies. The present study was designed to examine the possible effects of EA on the depressive and anxiety disorders induced by neuropathic pain. A classic rat model of neuropathic pain was produced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. EA was performed on acupoints “Bai‐Hui” (GV20) and unilateral “Yang‐Ling‐Quan” (GB34). The antidepressive and anxiolytic effects of EA treatment were analyzed using the forced swimming test (FST) and the elevated plus maze (EPM) test, respectively. CCI resulted in remarkable depression‐ and anxiety‐like behaviors, whereas the chronic EA treatment significantly improved the behavioral deficits of CCI rats. Moreover, the phosphorylation level of the NMDA receptor type 1 (NR1) subunit was decreased in the hippocampus of CCI rats. Intriguingly, continuous EA treatment effectively blocked this decrease in the levels of pNR1. These results suggested that EA has antidepressive and anxiolytic effects on rats with neuropathic pain and that this might be associated with restoring the phosphorylation of NR1 in the hippocampus.
Bifurcation Analysis in Models for Vector-Borne Diseases with Logistic Growth
Authors: Li Guihua , Jin Zhen
Published: March 2014

We establish and study vector-borne models with logistic and exponential growth of vector and host populations, respectively. We discuss and analyses the existence and stability of equilibria. The model has backward bifurcation and may have no, one, or two positive equilibria when the basic reproduction numberR0is less than one and one, two, or three endemic equilibria whenR0is greater than one under different conditions. Furthermore, we prove that the disease-free equilibrium is stable ifR0is less than 1, it is unstable otherwise. At last, by numerical simulation, we find rich dynamical behaviors in the model. By taking the natural death rate of host population as a bifurcation parameter, we find that the system may undergo a backward bifurcation, saddle-node bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation, Bogdanov-Takens bifurcation, and cusp bifurcation with the saturation parameter varying. The natural death rate of host population is a crucial parameter. If the natural death rate is higher, then the host population and the disease will die out. If it is smaller, then the host and vector population will coexist. If it is middle, the period solution will occur. Thus, with the parameter varying, the disease will spread, occur periodically, and finally become extinct.
Output‐Feedback Controller Design of a Wireless Networked Control System with Packet Loss and Time Delay
Authors: Hong Zhen , Gao JinFeng , Wang Ning
Published: March 2014

This paper investigates the problem of modeling
and stabilization of a wireless network control system (NCS)
with both time‐varying delay and packet‐dropout. And the time‐varying
delay can be more or less than one sampling period. The wireless NCS is modeled as an asynchronous dynamic
system (ADS) with three subsystems. Sufficient condition of the
closed‐loop NCS to be stable is obtained by using the ADS
approach. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate
the effectiveness of the proposed result.
A Novel Parabolic Trough Concentrating Solar Heating for Cut Tobacco Drying System
Authors: Liu Jiang Tao , Li Ming , Yu Qiong Fen , Ling De Li
Published: March 2014

A novel parabolic trough concentrating solar heating for cut tobacco drying system was established. The opening width effect of V type metal cavity absorber was investigated. A cut tobacco drying mathematical model calculated by fourth-order Runge-Kutta numerical solution method was used to simulate the cut tobacco drying process. And finally the orthogonal test method was used to optimize the parameters of cut tobacco drying process. The result shows that the heating rate, acquisition factor, and collector system efficiency increase with increasing the opening width of the absorber. The simulation results are in good agreement with experimental data for cut tobacco drying process. The relative errors between simulated and experimental values are less than 8%, indicating that this mathematical model is accurate for the cut tobacco airflow drying process. The optimum preparation conditions are an inlet airflow velocity of 15 m/s, an initial cut tobacco moisture content of 26%, and an inlet airflow temperature of 200°C. The thermal efficiency of the dryer and the final cut tobacco moisture content are 66.32% and 14.15%, respectively. The result shows that this parabolic trough concentrating solar heating will be one of the heat recourse candidates for cut tobacco drying system.
Research on the Power Recovery of Diesel Engines with Regulated Two-Stage Turbocharging System at Different Altitudes
Authors: Li Hualei , Shi Lei , Deng Kangyao
Published: March 2014

Recovering the boost pressure is very important in improving the dynamic performance of diesel engines at high altitudes. A regulated two-stage turbocharging system is an adequate solution for power recovery of diesel engines. In the present study, the change of boost pressure and engine power at different altitudes was investigated, and a regulated two-stage turbocharging system was constructed with an original turbocharger and a matched low pressure turbocharger. The valve control strategies for boost pressure recovery, which formed the basis of the power recovery method, are presented here. The simulation results showed that this system was effective in recovering the boost pressure at different speeds and various altitudes. The turbine bypass valve and compressor bypass valve had different modes to adapt to changes in operating conditions. The boost pressure recovery could not ensure power recovery over the entire operating range of the diesel engine, because of variation in overall turbocharger efficiency. The fuel-injection compensation method along with the valve control strategies for boost pressure recovery was able to reach the power recovery target.
Impact of Social Network and Business Model on Innovation Diffusion of Electric Vehicles in China
Authors: Kong D. Y. , Bi X. H.
Published: March 2014

The diffusion of electric vehicles (EVs) involves not only the technological development but also the construction of complex social networks. This paper uses the theory of network control to analyze the influence of network forms on EV diffusion in China, especially focusing on the building of EV business models (BMs) and the resulting effects and control on the diffusion of EVs. The Bass model is adopted to forecast the diffusion process of EVs and genetic algorithm is used to estimate the parameters based on the diffusion data of Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) in the United States and Japan. Two different social network forms and BMs are selected, that is, battery leasing model and vehicle purchasing model, to analyze how different network forms may influence the innovation coefficient and imitation coefficient in the Bass model, which will in turn result in different diffusion results. Thereby, we can find the appropriate network forms and BMs for EVs which is suitable to the local market conditions.
Probing Uranium(IV) Hydrolyzed Colloids and Polymers by Light Scattering
Authors: Priyadarshini N. , Sampath M. , Kumar Shekhar , Mudali U. Kamachi , Natarajan R.
Published: March 2014

Tetravalent uranium readily undergoes hydrolysis even in highly acidic aqueous solutions. In the present work, solutions ranging from 0.4 to 19 mM (total U) concentration (1<pH<4) are carefully investigated by light scattering technique with special emphasis on polymerization leading to colloid formation. The results clearly indicate that the concentration has significant effect on particle size as well as stability of colloids. With increasing concentration the size of colloids formed is smaller due to more crystalline nature of the colloids. Stability of colloids formed at lower concentration is greater than that of colloids formed at higher concentration. Weight average molecular weight of the freshly prepared and colloidal polymers aged for 3 days is determined from the Debye plot. It increases from 1,800 to 13,000 Da. 40–50 atoms of U are considered to be present in the polymer. Positive value of second virial coefficient shows that solute-solvent interaction is high leading to stable suspension. The results of this work are a clear indication that U(IV) hydrolysis does not differ from hydrolysis of Pu(IV).
Robust Stabilization Control Based on Guardian Maps Theory for a Longitudinal Model of Hypersonic Vehicle
Authors: Liu Yanbin , Liu Mengying , Sun Peihua
Published: March 2014

A typical model of hypersonic vehicle has the complicated dynamics such as the unstable states, the nonminimum phases, and the strong coupling input-output relations. As a result, designing a robust stabilization controller is essential to implement the anticipated tasks. This paper presents a robust stabilization controller based on the guardian maps theory for hypersonic vehicle. First, the guardian maps theories are provided to explain the constraint relations between the open subsets of complex plane and the eigenvalues of the state matrix of closed-loop control system. Then, a general control structure in relation to the guardian maps theories is proposed to achieve the respected design demands. Furthermore, the robust stabilization control law depending on the given general control structure is designed for the longitudinal model of hypersonic vehicle. Finally, a simulation example is provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Preliminary Development of Thermal Power Calculation Code H-Power for a Supercritical Water Reactor
Authors: Zhang Fan , Lu Dao-gang , Sui Dan-ting , Yuan Bo , Guo Chao
Published: March 2014

SCWR (Supercritical Water Reactor) is one of the promising Generation IV nuclear systems, which has higher thermal power efficiency than current pressurized water reactor. It is necessary to perform the thermal equilibrium and thermal power calculation for the conceptual design and further monitoring and calibration of the SCWR. One visual software named H-Power was developed to calculate thermal power and its uncertainty of SCWR, in which the advanced IAPWS-IF97 industrial formulation was used to calculate the thermodynamic properties of water and steam. The ISO-5167-4: 2003 standard was incorporated in the code as the basis of orifice plate to compute the flow rate. New heat balance model and uncertainty estimate have also been included in the code. In order to validate H-Power, an assessment was carried out by using data published by US and Qinshan Phase II. The results showed that H-Power was able to estimate the thermal power of SCWR.
A Hybrid of DL and WYL Nonlinear Conjugate Gradient Methods
Authors: Yao Shengwei , Qin Bin
Published: March 2014

The conjugate gradient method is an efficient method for solving large-scale nonlinear optimization problems. In this paper, we propose a nonlinear conjugate gradient method which can be considered as a hybrid of DL and WYL conjugate gradient methods. The given method possesses the sufficient descent condition under the Wolfe-Powell line search and is globally convergent for general functions. Our numerical results show that the proposed method is very robust and efficient for the test problems.
The Adjoint Method for the Inverse Problem of Option Pricing
Authors: Wang Shou-Lei , Yang Yu-Fei , Zeng Yu-Hua
Published: March 2014

The estimation of implied volatility is a typical PDE inverse problem. In this paper, we propose the TV − L1 model for identifying the implied volatility. The optimal volatility function is found by minimizing the cost functional measuring the discrepancy. The gradient is computed via the adjoint method which provides us with an exact value of the gradient needed for the minimization procedure. We use the limited memory quasi‐Newton algorithm (L‐BFGS) to find the optimal and numerical examples shows the effectiveness of the presented method.
Integer Programming Formulations for Approximate Packing Circles in a Rectangular Container
Authors: Litvinchev Igor , Ozuna Espinosa Edith Lucero
Published: March 2014

A problem of packing a limited number of unequal circles in a fixed size rectangular container is considered. The aim is to maximize the (weighted) number of circles placed into the container or minimize the waste. This problem has numerous applications in logistics, including production and packing for the textile, apparel, naval, automobile, aerospace, and food industries. Frequently the problem is formulated as a nonconvex continuous optimization problem which is solved by heuristic techniques combined with local search procedures. New formulations are proposed for approximate solution of packing problem. The container is approximated by a regular grid and the nodes of the grid are considered as potential positions for assigning centers of the circles. The packing problem is then stated as a large scale linear 0‐1 optimization problem. The binary variables represent the assignment of centers to the nodes of the grid. Nesting circles inside one another is also considered. The resulting binary problem is then solved by commercial software. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach and compared with known results.
Bacteriophages and Their Derivatives as Biotherapeutic Agents in Disease Prevention and Treatment
Authors: Elbreki Mohamed , Ross R. Paul , Hill Colin , O'Mahony Jim , McAuliffe Olivia , Coffey Aidan
Published: March 2014

The application of bacteriophages for the elimination of pathogenic bacteria has received significantly increased attention world-wide in the past decade. This is borne out by the increasing prevalence of bacteriophage-specific conferences highlighting significant and diverse advances in the exploitation of bacteriophages. While bacteriophage therapy has been associated with the Former Soviet Union historically, since the 1990s, it has been widely and enthusiastically adopted as a research topic in Western countries. This has been justified by the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance in many prominent human pathogenic bacteria. Discussion of the therapeutic aspects of bacteriophages in this review will include the uses of whole phages as antibacterials and will also describe studies on the applications of purified phage-derived peptidoglycan hydrolases, which do not have the constraint of limited bacterial host-range often observed with whole phages.
Gene Expression Profiling of the Paracrine Effects of Uterine Natural Killer Cells on Human Endometrial Epithelial Cells
Authors: Gong Xin , Chen Zhenzhen , Liu Yanxia , Lu Qiudan , Jin Zhe
Published: March 2014

The endometrium contains a population of immune cells that undergo changes during implantation and pregnancy. The majority of these cells are uterine natural killer (uNK) cells; however, it is unclear how these cells interact with endometrial epithelial cells. Therefore, we investigated the paracrine effects of the uNK cell-secretion medium on the gene expression profile of endometrial epithelial cellsin vitrothrough microarray analysis. Our results, which were verified by qRT-PCR and western blot, revealed that soluble factors from uNK cells alter the gene expression profiles of epithelial cells. The upregulated genes included interleukin-15 (IL-15) and interleukin-15 receptor alpha (IL-15RA), which result in a loop that stimulates uNK cell proliferation. In addition, vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10 (CXCL-10) were also determined to be upregulated in epithelial cells, which suggests that uNK cells work synergistically with epithelial cells to support implantation and pregnancy. In addition, oriental herbal medicines have been used to treat infertility since ancient times; however, we failed to find that Zi Dan Yin can regulate these endometrial paracrine effects.
Organocatalysis: Key Trends in Green Synthetic Chemistry, Challenges, Scope towards Heterogenization, and Importance from Research and Industrial Point of View
Authors: Shaikh Isak Rajjak
Published: March 2014

This paper purports to review catalysis, particularly the organocatalysis and its origin, key trends, challenges, examples, scope, and importance. The definition of organocatalyst corresponds to a low molecular weight organic molecule which in stoichiometric amounts catalyzes a chemical reaction. In this review, the use of the termheterogenized organocatalystwill be exclusively confined to a catalytic system containing an organic molecule immobilized onto some sort of support material and is responsible for accelerating a chemical reaction. Firstly, a brief description of the field is provided putting it in a green and sustainable perspective of chemistry. Next, research findings on the use of organocatalysts on various inorganic supports including nano(porous)materials, nanoparticles, silica, and zeolite/zeolitic materials are scrutinized in brief. Then future scope, research directions, and academic and industrial applications will be outlined. A succinct account will summarize some of the research and developments in the field. This review tries to bring many outstanding researches together and shows the vitality of the organocatalysis through several aspects.
Banach-Saks Type and Gurariǐ Modulus of Convexity of Some Banach Sequence Spaces
Authors: Hudzik Henryk , Karakaya Vatan , Mursaleen Mohammad , Simsek Necip
Published: March 2014

Banach-Saks type is calculated for two types of Banach sequence spaces and Gurariǐ modulus of convexity is estimated from above for the spaces of one type among them.
Outer Synchronization between Complex Networks with Nonlinear Time‐Delay Characteristics and Time‐Varying Topological Structures
Authors: Fang Xinli , Yang Qiang , Yan Wenjun
Published: March 2014

This paper exploits the network outer synchronization problem in a generic context for complex networks with nonlinear time‐delay characteristics and nonidentical time‐varying topological structures. Based on the classic Lyapunov stability theory, the synchronization criteria and adaptive control strategy are presented, respectively, by adopting an appropriate Lyapunov‐Krasovskii energy function and the convergence of the system error can also be well proved. The existing results of network outer synchronization can be obtained by giving certain conditions, for example, treating the coupling matrices as time‐invariant, and by applying the suggested generic synchronization criteria and control scheme. The numerical simulation experiments for networks scenarios with dynamic chaotic characteristics and time‐varying topologies are carried out and the result verifies the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed control solution.
Bacteriostatic Antimicrobial Combination: Antagonistic Interaction between Epsilon-Viniferin and Vancomycin against Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Basri Dayang Fredalina , Xian Lee Wee , Abdul Shukor Nur Indah , Latip Jalifah
Published: March 2014

Stilbenoids have been considered as an alternative phytotherapeutic treatment against methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) infection. The combined effect ofε-viniferin and johorenol A with the standard antibiotics, vancomycin and linezolid, was assessed against MRSA ATCC 33591 and HUKM clinical isolate. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of the individual tested compounds and the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) value of the combined agents were, respectively, determined using microbroth dilution test and microdilution checkerboard (MDC) method. Only synergistic outcome from checkerboard test will be substantiated for its rate of bacterial killing using time-kill assay. The MIC value ofε-viniferin against ATCC 33591 and johorenol A against both strains was 0.05 mg/mL whereas HUKM strain was susceptible to 0.1 mg/mL ofε-viniferin. MDC study showed that only combination betweenε-viniferin and vancomycin was synergistic against ATCC 33591 (FICI 0.25) and HUKM (FICI 0.19). All the other combinations (ε-viniferin-linezolid, johorenol A-vancomycin, and johorenol A-linezolid) were either indifferent or additive against both strains. However, despite the FICI value showing synergistic effect forε-viniferin-vancomycin, TKA analysis displayed antagonistic interaction with bacteriostatic action against both strains. As conclusion,ε-viniferin can be considered as a bacteriostatic stilbenoid as it antagonized the bactericidal activity of vancomycin. These findings therefore disputed previous report thatε-viniferin acted in synergism with vancomycin but revealed that it targets similar site in close proximity to vancomycin’s action, possibly at the bacterial membrane protein. Hence, this combination has a huge potential to be further studied and developed as an alternative treatment in combating MRSA in future.
Parameter Estimation for Long-Memory Stochastic Volatility at Discrete Observation
Authors: Wang Xiaohui , Zhang Weiguo
Published: March 2014

Ordinary least squares estimators of variogram parameters in long-memory stochastic volatility are studied in this paper. We use the discrete observations for practical purposes under the assumption that the Hurst parameterH∈(1/2,1)is known. Based on the ordinary least squares method, we obtain both the explicit estimators for drift and diffusion by minimizing the distance function between the variogram and the data periodogram. Furthermore, the resulting estimators are shown to be consistent and to have the asymptotic normality. Numerical examples are also presented to illustrate the performance of our method.
Modification of One-Dimensional TiO2Nanotubes with CaO Dopants for High CO2Adsorption
Authors: Lai Chin Wei
Published: March 2014

One-dimensional calcium oxide (CaO-) based titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes were successfully synthesized through a rapid electrochemical anodization and chemical wet impregnation techniques. In this study, calcium nitrate solution was used as a calcium source precursor. The reaction time and concentration of calcium source on the formation of CaO-TiO2nanotubes were investigated using field emission microscopy, energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The adsorption capacity of CO2was determined by thermal gravimetric analyzer. A maximum of 4.45 mmol/g was achieved from the CaO-TiO2nanotubes (6.64 at% of Ca). The finding was attributed to the higher active surface area for CaO to adsorb more CO2gas and then formed CaCO3compound during cyclic carbonation-calcination reaction.
A New Linearizing Method for Sum of Linear Ratios Problem with Coefficients
Authors: Jiao Hongwei , Chen Yongqiang
Published: March 2014

A new linearizing method is presented for globally solving sum of linear ratios problem with coefficients. By using the linearizing method, linear relaxation programming (LRP) of the sum of linear ratios problem with coefficients is established, which can provide the reliable lower bound of the optimal value of the initial problem. Thus, a branch and bound algorithm for solving the sum of linear ratios problem with coefficients is put forward. By successively partitioning the linear relaxation of the feasible region and solving a series of the LRP, the proposed algorithm is convergent to the global optimal solution of the initial problem. Compared with the known methods, numerical experimental results show that the proposed method has the higher computational efficiency in finding the global optimum of the sum of linear ratios problem with coefficients.
Assessment of Trace Element Levels in Muscle Tissues of Fish Species Collected from a River, Stream, Lake, and Sea in Sakarya, Turkey
Authors: Küpeli Tülay , Altundağ Hüseyin , İmamoğlu Mustafa
Published: March 2014

Levels of some trace and essential elements, including Al, B, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Sr, and Zn, were determined in 17 different fish species from Sakarya River, Çark Stream, Sapanca Lake, and Western Black Sea using ICP-OES after microwave (MW) digestion procedure. During preparation of samples for analysis, wet and MW digestion methods were also compared. Accuracy of the digestion methods was checked by the analysis of DORM-3 reference material (Fish Protein Certified Reference Material for Trace Metals). Concentrations of trace elements were found as Al: 6.5–48.5, B: 0.06–3.30, Ba: 0.09–2.92, Cr: 0.02–1.64, Cu: 0.13–2.28, Fe: 7.28–39.9, Mn: 0.08–11.4, Ni: 0.01–26.1, Sr: 0.17–13.5, and Zn: 11.5–52.9 µg g−1. The obtained results were compared with other studies published in the literature. Trace element levels in various fish species collected from waters in Sakarya region were found to be below limit values provided by Turkish Food Codex (TFC), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and World Health Organization (WHO).
A Two-Stage Exon Recognition Model Based on Synergetic Neural Network
Authors: Huang Zhehuang , Chen Yidong
Published: March 2014

Exon recognition is a fundamental task in bioinformatics to identify the exons of DNA sequence. Currently, exon recognition algorithms based on digital signal processing techniques have been widely used. Unfortunately, these methods require many calculations, resulting in low recognition efficiency. In order to overcome this limitation, a two-stage exon recognition model is proposed and implemented in this paper. There are three main works. Firstly, we use synergetic neural network to rapidly determine initial exon intervals. Secondly, adaptive sliding window is used to accurately discriminate the final exon intervals. Finally, parameter optimization based on artificial fish swarm algorithm is used to determine different species thresholds and corresponding adjustment parameters of adaptive windows. Experimental results show that the proposed model has better performance for exon recognition and provides a practical solution and a promising future for other recognition tasks.
From Pseudorandom Walk to Pseudo-Brownian Motion: First Exit Time from a One-Sided or a Two-Sided Interval
Authors: Lachal Aimé
Published: March 2014

Let N be a positive integer, c a positive constant and (ξn)n≥1 be a sequence of independent identically distributed pseudorandom variables. We assume that the ξn’s take their values in the discrete set {-N,-N+1,…,N-1,N} and that their common pseudodistribution is characterized by the (positive or negative) real numbers ℙ{ξn=k}=δk0+(-1)k-1c(2Nk+N) for any k∈{-N,-N+1,…,N-1,N}. Let us finally introduce (Sn)n≥0 the associated pseudorandom walk defined on ℤ by S0=0 and Sn=∑j=1n‍ξj for n≥1. In this paper, we exhibit some properties of (Sn)n≥0. In particular, we explicitly determine the pseudodistribution of the first overshooting time of a given threshold for (Sn)n≥0 as well as that of the first exit time from a bounded interval. Next, with an appropriate normalization, we pass from the pseudorandom walk to the pseudo-Brownian motion driven by the high-order heat-type equation ∂/∂t=(-1)N-1c∂2N/∂x2N. We retrieve the corresponding pseudodistribution of the first overshooting time of a threshold for the pseudo-Brownian motion (Lachal, 2007). In the same way, we get the pseudodistribution of the first exit time from a bounded interval for the pseudo-Brownian motion which is a new result for this pseudoprocess.
Short-Term Esmolol Improves Coronary Artery Remodeling in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats through Increased Nitric Oxide Bioavailability and Superoxide Dismutase Activity
Authors: Arnalich-Montiel Ana , González María Carmen , Delgado-Baeza Emilio , Delgado-Martos María Jesús , Condezo-Hoyos Luis , Martos-Rodríguez Antonia , Rodríguez-Rodríguez Pilar , Quintana-Villamandos Begoña
Published: March 2014

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of short-term esmolol therapy on coronary artery structure and function and plasma oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). For this purpose, 14-month-old male SHR were treated for 48 hours with esmolol (SHR-E, 300 μg/kg/min). Age-matched untreated male SHR and Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) were used as hypertensive and normotensive controls, respectively. At the end of intervention we performed a histological study to analyze coronary artery wall width (WW), wall-to-lumen ratio (W/L), and media cross-sectional area (MCSA). Dose-response curves for acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside were constructed. We also assessed several plasma oxidative stress biomarkers, namely, superoxide scavenging activity (SOSA), nitrites, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). We observed a significant reduction in WW (P<0.001), W/L (P<0.05), and MCSA (P<0.01) and improved endothelium-dependent relaxation (AUCSHR-E=201.2±33versusAUCSHR=97.5±21,P<0.05) in SHR-E compared with untreated SHR; no differences were observed for WW, MCSA, and endothelium-dependent relaxation by ACh at higher concentrations (10−6to 10−4 mol/l) for SHR-E with respect to WKY. SOSA (P<0.001) and nitrite (P<0.01) values were significantly higher in SHR-E than in untreated SHR; however, TAC did not increase after treatment with esmolol. Esmolol improves early coronary artery remodeling in SHR.
Radiolytic Synthesis of Vinyl Polymer‐Clay Nanocomposite Membranes for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell
Authors: Kim Yoon-Seob , Kang Yun Ok , Choi Seong-Ho
Published: March 2014

The three‐type vinyl polymer‐clay nanocomposite membranes with sulfonate (–SO3Na) are prepared by the solvent casting method after radiation‐induced copolymerization for application of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) membrane. The three‐type vinyl polymers in polymer‐clay nanocomposite membranes are included in poly(styrene‐co‐sodium styrene sulfonate), poly(St‐co‐NaSS), poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐NaSS), poly(HEMA‐co‐NaSS), and poly(acrylic acid‐co‐NaSS), and poly(AAc‐co‐NaSS). The proton conductivity (S/cm), water uptake (%), and ion‐exchange capacity (meq/g) of the poly(St‐co‐NaSS)‐clay nanocomposite membrane are 0.0779, 32.4, 3.63, respectively. The MeOH permeability of the poly(St‐co‐NaSS)‐clay nanocomposite membrane is exhibited as 7.7 × 10−9 mmol · cm−2 · s−1. DMFC performance for poly(St‐co‐NaSS)‐clay nanocomposite membrane is also measured in cell voltage and power density verses current density. As results, the poly(St‐co‐NaSS)‐clay nanocomposite membrane can be used as a DMFC membrane on behalf of the commercial Nafion membrane.
The Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers for Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
Authors: Nafar Mohsen , Kalantari Shiva , Samavat Shiva , Rezaei-Tavirani Mostafa , Rutishuser Dorothea , Zubarev Roman A.
Published: March 2014

Background. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a glomerular injury with various pathogenic mechanisms. Urine proteome panel might help in noninvasive diagnosis and better understanding of pathogenesis of FSGS.Method. We have analyzed the urine sample of 11 biopsy-proven FSGS subjects, 8 healthy controls, and 6 patients with biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy (disease controls) by means of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS). Multivariate analysis of quantified proteins was performed by principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS).Results. Of the total number of 389 proteins, after multivariate analysis and additional filter criterion and comparing FSGS versus IgA nephropathy and healthy subjects, 77 proteins were considered as putative biomarkers of FSGS. CD59, CD44, IBP7, Robo4, and DPEP1 were the most significant differentially expressed proteins. These proteins are involved in pathogenic pathways: complement pathway, sclerosis, cell proliferation, actin cytoskeleton remodeling, and activity of TRPC6.There was complete absence of DPEP1 in urine proteome of FSGS subjects compared with healthy and disease controls. DPEP1 acts via leukotrienes on TRPC6 and results in increased podocyte motility and proteinuria.Conclusion. The results suggest a panel of candidate biomarkers for noninvasive diagnosis of FSGS, while complete absence of DPEP1 might represent a novel marker of FSGS.
Nonlinear Grey Prediction Model with Convolution Integral NGMC(1,n)and Its Application to the Forecasting of China’s Industrial SO2Emissions
Authors: Wang Zheng-Xin
Published: March 2014

The grey prediction model with convolution integral GMC (1,n) is a multiple grey model with exact solutions. To further improve prediction accuracy and describe better the relationship between cause and effect, we introduce nonlinear parameters into GMC (1,n) model and additionally apply a convolution integral to produce an improved forecasting model here designated as NGMC (1,n). The model solving process applied the least-squares method to evaluate the structure parameters of the model: convolution was used to obtain an exact solution with this improved grey model. The nonlinear optimisation took the parameters as the decision variables with the objective of minimising forecasting errors. The GMC (1, 2) and NGMC (1, 2) models were used to predict China’s industrial SO2emissions from the basis of the economic output level as the influencing factor. Results indicated that NGMC (1, 2) can effectively describe the nonlinear relationship between China’s economic output and SO2emissions with an improved accuracy over current GMC (1, 2) models.
Multiple Cranial Nerve Palsies as the First Presentation of Sarcoidosis
Authors: Rose Oliver , Ahmad Zahoor , Snow Barry
Published: March 2014

Sarcoidosis is a disease process which predominantly affects the lungs but can involve virtually any organ in the human body. Neurosarcoidosis is a rare manifestation which can present in a variety of ways. There is no single diagnostic test for sarcoidosis; hence, the diagnosis is based on combined clinical, laboratorial, and radiological grounds. We describe a rare case where a patient presented with dysphagia, hoarseness, hearing loss, and unsteadiness.
Influence of Bias on the Friction Imaging of Ferroelectric Domains in Single Crystal Barium Titanate Energy Storage Materials
Authors: Chen Lan , Wu Di , Xiong Xiao-Min , Wang Hai-Yan , Zhang Jin-Xiu
Published: March 2014

The friction imaging of newlycleaved surface domains of single crystal BaTiO3 energy storage materials under both positive and negative voltage bias is investigated by scanning force microscope. When the bias was applied and reversed, three regions with different brightness and contrast in friction image indicated different response to the biases: the friction image of domain A displayed a great change in brightness while domains B and C displayed only a very small change. Possible mechanisms of the interesting phenomena originating from different static force between different charged tip and the periodical array of surface charges inside the inplane domains were proposed. These results provide a new method for the determination of the polarization direction for the domain parallel to the surface and may be useful in the investigation of ferroelectric energy storage materials, especially the relationship between the polarization direction of domain and the bias.
Interaction of Cu(II) and Ni(II) with Ypk9 Protein FragmentviaNMR Studies
Authors: Peana Massimiliano Francesco , Medici Serenella , Ledda Alessia , Nurchi Valeria Marina , Zoroddu Maria Antonietta
Published: March 2014

P1D2E3K4H5E6L7(PK9-H), a fragment of Ypk9, the yeast homologue of the human Park9 protein, was studied for its coordination abilities towards Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions through mono- and bi-dimensional NMR techniques. Both proteins are involved in the transportation of metal ions, including manganese and nickel, from the cytosol to the lysosomal lumen. Ypk9 showed manganese detoxification role, preventing a Mn-induced Parkinsonism (PD) besides mutations in Park9, linked to a juvenile form of the disease. Here, we tested PK9-H with Cu(II) and Ni(II) ions, the former because it is an essential element ubiquitous in the human body, so its trafficking should be strictly regulated and one cannot exclude that Ypk9 may play a role in it, and the latter because, besides being a toxic element for many organisms and involved in different pathologies and inflammation states, it seems that the protein confers protection against it. NMR experiments showed that both cations can bind PK9-H in an effective way, leading to complexes whose coordination mode depends on the pH of the solution. NMR data have been used to build a model for the structure of the major Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes. Structural changes in the conformation of the peptide with organized side chain orientation promoted by nickel coordination were detected.
The Existence of Periodic Orbits and Invariant Tori for Some 3-Dimensional Quadratic Systems
Authors: Jiang Yanan , Han Maoan , Xiao Dongmei
Published: March 2014

We use the normal form theory, averaging method, and integral manifold theorem to study the existence of limit cycles in Lotka-Volterra systems and the existence of invariant tori in quadratic systems inℝ3.
Can Platelet Indices Be New Biomarkers for Severe Endometriosis?
Authors: Avcioğlu Sümeyra Nergiz , Altinkaya Sündüz Özlem , Küçük Mert , Demircan-Sezer Selda , Yüksel Hasan
Published: March 2014

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate whether platelet indices-mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT) would be useful as noninvasive biomarkers for determining the severity of endometriosis. Methods. A retrospective review of the medical charts of 164 patients diagnosed with endometriosis and who were operated on between 2001 and 2013 was performed. The stage of endometriosis was determined according to revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine criteria. Results. In patients with advanced endometriosis (Stages 3-4), PLT, PCT levels were found to be significantly higher and MPV, PDW values to be significantly lower when compared to initial endometriosis (Stages 1-2). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between PLT (r: 0.800, P: 0.001) and PCT (r: 0.727, P: 0.002) and the inflammatory marker white blood cell count (WBC). Conclusion. Our finding may not sufficient for employing platelet indices solely in this differential diagnosis, but our finding could provide a suggestion for clinical physicians so that attention is paid to the value of platelet indices and that these may be taken into account when making decisions about the initial or advanced stages of endometriosis.
Experimental Study on Tsunami Risk Reduction on Coastal Building Fronted by Sea Wall
Authors: Rahman Sadia , Akib Shatirah , Khan M.T.R. , Shirazi S. M.
Published: March 2014

This experimental study was conducted to idealize the efficacy of sea wall in controlling the tsunami forces on onshore structures. Different types of sea walls were placed in front of the building model. The tsunami forces and the wave heights were measured with and without the sea wall conditions. Types of sea wall, wall height, and wall positions were varied simultaneously to quantify the force reductions. Maximum of 41% forces was reduced by higher sea wall, positioned closer proximity to the model whereas this reduction was about 27% when the wall height was half of the high wall. Experimental investigations revealed that wall with adequate height and placed closer to the structures enables a satisfactory predictor of the force reduction on onshore structures. Another set of tests were performed with perforated wall placing near the building model. Less construction cost makes the provision of perforated sea wall interesting. The overall results showed that the efficacy of perforated wall is almost similar to solid wall. Hence, it can be efficiently used instead of solid wall. Moreover, overtopped water that is stuck behind the wall is readily gone back to the sea through perforations releasing additional forces on the nearby structures.
Minor Physical Anomalies in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Healthy Controls
Authors: Manouilenko Irina , Eriksson Jonna M. , Humble Mats B. , Bejerot Susanne
Published: March 2014

Minor Physical Anomalies (MPAs) are subtle abnormalities of the head, face, and limbs, without significant cosmetic or functional impact to the individual. They are assumed to represent external markers of developmental deviations during foetal life. MPAs have been suggested to indicate severity in mental illness and constitute external markers for atypical brain development. Higher frequencies of MPAs can be found in children with autism. The aims of the present study were to examine the prevalence and patterns of MPAs in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to investigate whether MPAs are associated with symptom severity and overall functioning. Fifty adults with ASD and intelligence within the normal range and 53 healthy controls were examined with the Waldrop scale, an instrument for assessing MPAs. Face and feet were photographed enabling blinded assessment. Significant differences between the ASD and the control group were found on the MPA total scores, and also in the craniofacial region scores. Moreover, the shape of the ears was associated with autistic traits, in the ASD group. High MPA total scores were associated with poorer functioning. The findings suggest a link between MPAs, autistic traits, and level of functioning. Assessment of MPAs may assist in the diagnostic procedure of psychiatric disorders.
A Simulated Annealing Algorithm for D-Optimal Design for 2-Way and 3-Way Polynomial Regression with Correlated Observations
Authors: Li Chang , Coster Daniel C.
Published: March 2014

Much of the previous work in D-optimal design for regression models with correlated errors focused on polynomial models with a single predictor variable, in large part because of the intractability of an analytic solution. In this paper, we present a modified, improved simulated annealing algorithm, providing practical approaches to specifications of the annealing cooling parameters, thresholds, and search neighborhoods for the perturbation scheme, which finds approximate D-optimal designs for 2-way and 3-way polynomial regression for a variety of specific correlation structures with a given correlation coefficient. Results in each correlated-errors case are compared with traditional simulated annealing algorithm, that is, the SA algorithm without our improvement. Our improved simulated annealing results had generally higher D-efficiency than traditional simulated annealing algorithm, especially when the correlation parameter was well away from 0.
An Analysis on Local Convergence of Inexact Newton-Gauss Method for Solving Singular Systems of Equations
Authors: Zhou Fangqin
Published: March 2014

We study the local convergence properties of inexact Newton-Gauss method for singular systems of equations. Unified estimates of radius of convergence balls for one kind of singular systems of equations with constant rank derivatives are obtained. Application to the Smale point estimate theory is provided and some important known results are extended and/or improved.
Optimization of Power Allocation for Multiusers in Multi‐Spot‐Beam Satellite Communication Systems
Authors: Wang Heng , Liu Aijun , Pan Xiaofei , Yang Jianfei
Published: March 2014

In recent years, multi‐spot‐beam satellite communication systems have played a key role in global seamless communication. However, satellite power resources are scarce and expensive, due to the limitations of satellite platform. Therefore, this paper proposes optimizing the power allocation of each user in order to improve the power utilization efficiency. Initially the capacity allocated to each user is calculated according to the satellite link budget equations, which can be achieved in the practical satellite communication systems. The problem of power allocation is then formulated as a convex optimization, taking account of a trade‐off between the maximization of the total system capacity and the fairness of power allocation amongst the users. Finally, an iterative algorithm based on the duality theory is proposed to obtain the optimal solution to the optimization. Compared with the traditional uniform resource allocation or proportional resource allocation algorithms, the proposed optimal power allocation algorithm improves the fairness of power allocation amongst the users. Moreover, the computational complexity of the proposed algorithm is linear with both the numbers of the spot beams and users. As a result, the proposed power allocation algorithm is easy to be implemented in practice.
Elucidating the Short Term Loss Behavior of Markovian‐Modulated Batch‐Service Queueing Model with Discrete‐Time Batch Markovian Arrival Process
Authors: Wang Yung-Chung , Cai Dong-Liang , Chiang Li-Hsin , Hu Cheng-Wei
Published: March 2014

This paper applies a matrix‐analytical approach to analyze the temporal behavior of Markovian‐modulated batch‐service queue with discrete‐time batch Markovian arrival process (DBMAP). The service process is correlated and its structure is presented through discrete‐time batch Markovian service process (DBMSP). We examine the temporal behavior of packet loss by means of conditional statistics with respect to congested and noncongested periods that occur in an alternating manner. The congested period corresponds to having more than a certain number of packets in the buffer; noncongested period corresponds to the opposite. All of the four related performance measures are derived, including probability distributions of a congested and noncongested periods, the probability that the system stays in a congested period, the packet loss probability during congested period, and the long term packet loss probability. Queueing systems of this type arise in the domain of wireless communications.
Microwave Assisted Solvent-Free Synthesis of Some Imine Derivatives
Authors: Bekdemir Yunus , Efil Kürşat
Published: March 2014

Some imine derivatives (1a–7d) were synthesized using a rapid and an environmentally friendly method with reaction of aromatic aldehydes (a–d) and aromatic amines (1–7) (in 1 : 1 molar ratio) in the presence of β-ethoxyethanol as a wetting reagent (2 drops) under solvent-free conditions using microwave heating.