bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance Evaluation of Semiplastic Recycled Cold Asphalt Using Noncement Binders
Authors: Lee Byung Jae , Bang Jin Wook , Kim Jeong Su , Jang Young Il
Published: October 2015

The optimal mixing conditions for semiplastic recycled cold asphalt, which recycled waste asphalt and used noncement binders (NCB), were assessed through verification of the performance. The NCB of 6% desulfurization gypsum mixing was found to have the most outstanding properties. For the Marshall stability, 4% (NCB) filler mixing brought about a 1.92-time strength increase effect compared to OPC (2%) and was improved when using modified asphalt and SBR. The flow test results showed that although an increase dosage of filler and SBR decreased the flow value of the semiplastic recycled cold asphalt, an increase dosage of asphalt emulsion improved the flow value. The indirect tensile strength and liquid immersion residual stability for the condition with greatest Marshall stability were most outstanding with 0.95 MPa and 83.6%, respectively. Evaluation of the recycled cold asphalt abrasion durability revealed that for the case of mixing more than 4% NCB the mass loss rate was lower than 20%. The abrasion durability was found to improve when using modified emulsified asphalt and SBR substitution. From the test results, it was found that the optimal mixing proportion of semiplastic recycled cold asphalt satisfied mechanical properties and durability is NCB with 4%, emulsified asphalt with 3%, and SBR substitution with 20%.
Near-Threshold Production ofW±,Z0, andH0at a Fixed-Target Experiment at the Future Ultrahigh-Energy Proton Colliders
Authors: Lansberg J. P. , Mikkelsen R. , Uggerhøj U. I.
Published: October 2015

We outline the opportunities to study the production of the Standard Model bosons,W±,Z0, andH0, at “low” energies at fixed-target experiments based on possible future ultrahigh-energy proton colliders, that is, the High-Energy LHC, the Super proton-proton Collider, and the Future Circular Collider hadron-hadron. These can be indeed made in conjunction with the proposed future colliders designed to reach up tos=100 TeV by using bent crystals to extract part of the halo of the beam which would then impinge on a fixed target. Without disturbing the collider operation, this technique allows for the extraction of a substantial amount of particles in addition to serving for a beam-cleaning purpose. With this method, high-luminosity fixed-target studies at centre-of-mass energies above theW±,Z0, andH0masses,s≃170–300 GeV, are possible. We also discuss the possibility offered by an internal gas target, which can also be used as luminosity monitor by studying the beam transverse shape.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Navigation Using Wide-Field Optical Flow and Inertial Sensors
Authors: Rhudy Matthew B. , Gu Yu , Chao Haiyang , Gross Jason N.
Published: October 2015

This paper offers a set of novel navigation techniques that rely on the use of inertial sensors and wide-field optical flow information. The aircraft ground velocity and attitude states are estimated with an Unscented Information Filter (UIF) and are evaluated with respect to two sets of experimental flight data collected from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Two different formulations are proposed, a full state formulation including velocity and attitude and a simplified formulation which assumes that the lateral and vertical velocity of the aircraft are negligible. An additional state is also considered within each formulation to recover the image distance which can be measured using a laser rangefinder. The results demonstrate that the full state formulation is able to estimate the aircraft ground velocity to within 1.3 m/s of a GPS receiver solution used as reference “truth” and regulate attitude angles within 1.4 degrees standard deviation of error for both sets of flight data.
Improved TV‐CS Approaches for Inverse Scattering Problem
Authors: Bevacqua M. T. , Di Donato L.
Published: October 2015

Total Variation and Compressive Sensing (TV‐CS) techniques represent a very attractive approach to inverse scattering problems. In fact, if the unknown is piecewise constant and so has a sparse gradient, TV‐CS approaches allow us to achieve optimal reconstructions, reducing considerably the number of measurements and enforcing the sparsity on the gradient of the sought unknowns. In this paper, we introduce two different techniques based on TV‐CS that exploit in a different manner the concept of gradient in order to improve the solution of the inverse scattering problems obtained by TV‐CS approach. Numerical examples are addressed to show the effectiveness of the method.
Resistance of Alkali-Activated Slag Concrete to Chloride-Induced Corrosion
Authors: Park Joon Woo , Ann Ki Yong , Cho Chang-Geun
Published: October 2015

The corrosion resistance of steel in alkali-activated slag (AAS) mortar was evaluated by a monitoring of the galvanic current and half-cell potential with time against a chloride-contaminated environment. For chloride transport, rapid chloride penetration test was performed, and chloride binding capacity of AAS was evaluated at a given chloride. The mortar/paste specimens were manufactured with ground granulated blast-furnace slag, instead of Portland cement, and alkali activators were added in mixing water, including Ca(OH)2, KOH and NaOH, to activate hydration process. As a result, it was found that the corrosion behavior was strongly dependent on the type of alkali activator: the AAS containing the Ca(OH)2activator was the most passive in monitoring of the galvanic corrosion and half-cell potential, while KOH, and NaOH activators indicated a similar level of corrosion to Portland cement mortar (control). Despite a lower binding of chloride ions in the paste, the AAS had quite a higher resistance to chloride transport in rapid chloride penetration, presumably due to the lower level of capillary pores, which was ensured by the pore distribution of AAS mortar in mercury intrusion porosimetry.
Flexural Behavior of Prestressed Steel-Concrete Composite Members with Discontinuous Webs
Authors: Oh Jae Yuel , Lee Deuck Hang , Cho Sang Hum , Kang Hyun , Cho Hae-Chang , Kim Kang Su
Published: October 2015

The corrugated webbed prestressed (CWPS) composite member was developed to improve the efficiency of the prestress introduced into the steel beam, and experimental studies were performed to examine its structural behavior. Additionally, a unified analysis model that can estimate the nonlinear flexural behavior of the composite member and the accordion effect of the corrugated webbed steel beams at the prestressing stage was proposed. As a consecutive experimental series, in this study, the discontinuous-webbed prestressed (DWPS) composite member was developed, and this innovative composite member can reduce the amount of steel materials used, compared with the former CWPS composite member. Flexural tests were carried out to investigate their structural performances, and their behaviors were analyzed in detail by a nonlinear finite element analysis.
Design and Model Test of a Modularized Prefabricated Steel Frame Structure with Inclined Braces
Authors: Liu Xuechun , Zhang Ailin , Ma Jing , Tan Yongqiang , Bai Yu
Published: October 2015

Modularized prefabricated steel structures have become the preferred design in the industrialization of steel structures due to their advantages of fast construction speed, high degree of industrialization, low labour intensity, and more. Prefabricated steel structures have some engineering applications, but all are low-rise structures with few applications in the field of high-rise buildings. Using finite element analysis with line and solid elements, full-scale experiments were conducted to study the single-span frame, which is the core load-bearing part of a modularized prefabricated high-rise steel frame structure with inclined braces. The mechanical mechanisms, computation methods, and design formulas of truss girders were obtained by comparing the finite element and model experiments and building a theoretical and experimental basis for the compilation of design codes. The mechanical characteristics under design load, the deformation and stress state, the elastic-plastic law of development, and the yield failure mode and mechanism under horizontal ultimate load were also obtained. Based on theoretical analysis, finite element analysis, and experiments, the design method of this frame was summarized and incorporated into the design code.
Using Bioinformatics Approach to Explore the Pharmacological Mechanisms of Multiple Ingredients in Shuang-Huang-Lian
Authors: Zhang Bai-xia , Li Jian , Gu Hao , Li Qiang , Zhang Qi , Zhang Tian-jiao , Wang Yun , Cai Cheng-ke
Published: October 2015

Due to the proved clinical efficacy, Shuang‐Huang‐Lian (SHL) has
developed a variety of dosage forms. However, the in‐depth
research on targets and pharmacological mechanisms of SHL
preparations was scarce. In the presented study, the
bioinformatics approaches were adopted to integrate relevant data
and biological information. As a result, a PPI network was built
and the common topological parameters were characterized. The
results suggested that the PPI network of SHL exhibited a
scale‐free property and modular architecture. The drug target
network of SHL was structured with 21 functional modules.
According to certain modules and pharmacological effects
distribution, an antitumor effect and potential drug targets were
predicted. A biological network which contained 26 subnetworks was
constructed to elucidate the antipneumonia mechanism of SHL. We
also extracted the subnetwork to explicitly display the pathway
where one effective component acts on the pneumonia related
targets. In conclusions, a bioinformatics approach was established
for exploring the drug targets, pharmacological activity
distribution, effective components of SHL, and its mechanism of
antipneumonia. Above all, we identified the effective components
and disclosed the mechanism of SHL from the view of system.
Electrochemical Glucose Oxidation Using Glassy Carbon Electrodes Modified with Au‐Ag Nanoparticles: Influence of Ag Content
Authors: García-Morales Nancy Gabriela , García-Cerda Luis Alfonso , Puente-Urbina Bertha Alicia , Blanco-Jerez Leonor María , Antaño-López René , Castañeda-Zaldivar Federico
Published: October 2015

This paper describes the application of glassy carbon modified electrodes bearing Aux‐Agy nanoparticles to catalyze the electrochemical oxidation of glucose. In particular, the paper shows the influence of the Ag content on this oxidation process. A simple method was applied to prepare the nanoparticles, which were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Ultraviolet‐Visible spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. These nanoparticles were used to modify glassy carbon electrodes. The effectiveness of these electrodes for electrochemical glucose oxidation was evaluated. The modified glassy carbon electrodes are highly sensitive to glucose oxidation in alkaline media, which could be attributed to the presence of Aux‐Agy nanoparticles on the electrode surface. The voltammetric results suggest that the glucose oxidation speed is controlled by the glucose diffusion to the electrode surface. These results also show that the catalytic activity of the electrodes depends on the Ag content of the nanoparticles. Best results were obtained for the Au80‐Ag20 nanoparticles modified electrode. This electrode could be used for Gluconic acid (GA) production.
A Retrospective Analysis of the Relationship between Ethnicity, Body Mass Index, and the Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes in Women Attending an Australian Antenatal Clinic
Authors: McDonald Rebecca , Karahalios Amalia , Le Thao , Said Joanne
Published: October 2015

Purpose. To estimate the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a multiethnic population, assess the association between country of birth (COB) and GDM, and assess whether the association varies by body mass index (BMI).Methods. A retrospective study of 5260 pregnant women attending Sunshine Hospital, Australia, between 1st July 2012 and 30th June 2013. We fitted logistic regression models to assess the association between COB and GDM. An interaction between BMI and COB was assessed by likelihood ratio test.Results. In the 4610 included in our analysis, most common were women born in Australia or New Zealand (ANZ, 1932, 41.9%) and in Southeast Asia (922, 20%). GDM was diagnosed in 606 (13.2%) women. After adjusting for confounders, women from East Asia were most likely to develop GDM (37, 24.0%) and 5-fold more likely than women from ANZ (OR = 4.77, 95% CI: 3.12, 7.31,p<0.001). Women from other Asian countries had a 3-fold increased risk of GDM compared to women from ANZ. There was no evidence of an interaction by BMI(p=0.24).  Conclusions. Women born in Asia have higher risk of GDM compared to women born in ANZ. These data provide support for including COB in GDM management policies.
Progress in Research on Carbon Nanotubes Reinforced Cementitious Composites
Authors: Li Qinghua , Liu Jintao , Xu Shilang
Published: October 2015

As one-dimensional (1D) nanofiber, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely used to improve the performance of nanocomposites due to their high strength, small dimensions, and remarkable physical properties. Progress in the field of CNTs presents a potential opportunity to enhance cementitious composites at the nanoscale. In this review, current research activities and key advances on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) reinforced cementitious composites are summarized, including the effect of MWCNTs on modulus of elasticity, porosity, fracture, and mechanical and microstructure properties of cement-based composites. The issues about the improvement mechanisms, MWCNTs dispersion methods, and the major factors affecting the mechanical properties of composites are discussed. In addition, large-scale production methods of MWCNTs and the effects of CNTs on environment and health are also summarized.
Shear Failure of RC Dapped-End Beams
Authors: Aswin Muhammad , Mohammed Bashar S. , Liew M. S. , Syed Zubair Imam
Published: October 2015

Reinforced concrete dapped-end beams (RC-DEBs) are mainly used for precast element construction. RC-DEBs generally are recessed at their end parts and supported by columns, cantilevers, inverted T-beams, or corbels. The geometric discontinuity of dapped-end beams evokes a severe stress concentration at reentrant corners that may lead to shear failure. Therefore, stress analysis is required at the reentrant vicinity for design requirement of these beams. Four large-scale RC-DEBs specimens were prepared, cast, and tested up to failure. Three parameters were investigated: amount of nib reinforcements, main flexural reinforcements, and concrete type at the dapped-end area. Finite element analysis using Vec2 was also conducted to predict the behavior of RC-DEBs. It has been found that highest stresses concentration factors occur at the reentrant corners and its vicinity. By using engineered cementitious composite (ECC) in the dapped-end area, the failure load has increased by 51.9%, while the increment in the failure load was 62.2% and 46.7% as the amount of nib reinforcement and main flexural reinforcement increased, respectively. In addition, Vec2 analysis has been found to provide better accuracy for predicting the failure load of RC-DEBs compared to other analysis approaches.
Experimental and Theoretical Research on the Stress-Relaxation Behaviors of PTFE Coated Fabrics under Different Temperatures
Authors: Zhang Yingying , Xu Shanshan , Zhang Qilin , Zhou Yi
Published: October 2015

As polymer composites, the stress-relaxation behaviors of membrane materials have significant effects on the pattern cutting design, the construction process analysis, and the stiffness degradation of membrane structures in the life cycle. In this paper, PTFE coated fabric is taken as the research object. First, the stress-relaxation behaviors under different temperatures (23°C, 40°C, 50°C, 60°C, and 70°C) are studied, and the variations of main mechanical parameters are got. Then, a simple review of several current viscoelastic models is presented. Finally, several common models for the material viscoelasticity are used to compare with the test results. Results show PTFE coated fabric is typically viscoelastic. The stress relaxation is obvious in the initial phase and it decreases with time increasing. The stress decreases significantly and then tends to a stable value. With temperature increasing, the decrease rate of membrane stress decreases and the final stable value increases. This material performs obvious hardening with temperature increasing. Most of the current models can make good prediction on the stress-relaxation behaviors of PTFE coated fabrics under different temperatures. The results can be references for the determination of pattern shrinkage ratio and construction process analysis of membrane structures.
Brain Injury Differences in Frontal Impact Crash Using Different Simulation Strategies
Authors: Li Dao , Ma Chunsheng , Shen Ming , Li Peiyu , Zhang Jinhuan
Published: October 2015

In the real world crashes, brain injury is one of the leading causes of deaths. Using isolated human head finite element (FE) model to study the brain injury patterns and metrics has been a simplified methodology widely adopted, since it costs significantly lower computation resources than a whole human body model does. However, the degree of precision of this simplification remains questionable. This study compared these two kinds of methods: (1) using a whole human body model carried on the sled model and (2) using an isolated head model with prescribed head motions, to study the brain injury. The distribution of the von Mises stress (VMS), maximum principal strain (MPS), and cumulative strain damage measure (CSDM) was used to compare the two methods. The results showed that the VMS of brain mainly concentrated at the lower cerebrum and occipitotemporal region close to the cerebellum. The isolated head modelling strategy predicted higher levels of MPS and CSDM 5%, while the difference is small in CSDM 10% comparison. It suggests that isolated head model may not equivalently reflect the strain levels below the 10% compared to the whole human body model.
Three‐Dimensional Graphene‐Based Nanomaterials as Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Ji Xuan , Zhang Xin , Zhang Xianwen
Published: October 2015

In recent years, three‐dimensional (3D) graphene‐based nanomaterials have been demonstrated to be efficient and promising electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells application. This review summarizes and categorizes the recent progress on the preparation and performance of these novel materials as ORR catalysts, including heteroatom‐doped 3D graphene network, metal‐free 3D graphene‐based nanocomposites, nonprecious metal‐containing 3D graphene‐based nanocomposites, and precious metal‐containing 3D graphene‐based nanocomposites. The challenges and future perspective of this field are also discussed.
Large-Scale Real-Time Semantic Processing Framework for Internet of Things
Authors: Chen Xi , Chen Huajun , Zhang Ningyu , Huang Jue , Zhang Wen
Published: October 2015

Nowadays, the advanced sensor technology with cloud computing and big data is generating large-scale heterogeneous and real-time IOT (Internet of Things) data. To make full use of the data, development and deploy of ubiquitous IOT-based applications in various aspects of our daily life are quite urgent. However, the characteristics of IOT sensor data, including heterogeneity, variety, volume, and real time, bring many challenges to effectively process the sensor data. The Semantic Web technologies are viewed as a key for the development of IOT. While most of the existing efforts are mainly focused on the modeling, annotation, and representation of IOT data, there has been little work focusing on the background processing of large-scale streaming IOT data. In the paper, we present a large-scale real-time semantic processing framework and implement an elastic distributed streaming engine for IOT applications. The proposed engine efficiently captures and models different scenarios for all kinds of IOT applications based on popular distributed computing platform SPARK. Based on the engine, a typical use case on home environment monitoring is given to illustrate the efficiency of our engine. The results show that our system can scale for large number of sensor streams with different types of IOT applications.
An UWB LNA Design with PSO Using Support Vector Microstrip Line Model
Authors: Demirel Salih , Gunes Filiz , Keskin A. Kenan
Published: October 2015

A rigorous and novel design procedure is constituted for an ultra-wideband (UWB) low noise amplifier (LNA) by exploiting the 3D electromagnetic simulator based support vector regression machine (SVRM) microstrip line model. First of all, in order to design input and output matching circuits (IMC-OMC), sourceZSand loadZLtermination impedance of matching circuit, which are necessary to obtain required input VSWR (Vireq), noise (Freq), and gain (GTreq), are determined using performance characterisation of employed transistor, NE3512S02, between 3 and 8 GHz frequencies. After the determination of the termination impedance, to provide this impedance with IMC and OMC, dimensions of microstrip lines are obtained with simple, derivative-free, easily implemented algorithm Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). In the optimization of matching circuits, highly accurate and fast SVRM model of microstrip line is used instead of analytical formulations. ADCH-80a is used to provide ultra-wideband RF choking in DC bias. During the design process, it is aimed thatVireq= 1.85,Freq=Fmin, andGTreq=GTmaxall over operating frequency band. Measurements taken from the realized LNA demonstrate the success of this approximation over the band.
Quasi-Classical Gravity Effect on Neutrino Oscillations in a Gravitational Field of a Heavy Astrophysical Object
Authors: Miller Jonathan , Pasechnik Roman
Published: October 2015

In the framework of quantum field theory, a graviton interacts locally with a quantum state having definite mass, that is, the gravitational mass eigenstate, while a weak boson interacts with a state having definite flavor, that is, the flavor eigenstate. An interaction of a neutrino with an energetic graviton may trigger the collapse of the neutrino to a definite mass eigenstate with probability expressed in terms of PMNS mixing matrix elements. Thus, gravitons would induce quantum decoherence of a coherent neutrino flavor state similarly to how weak bosons induce quantum decoherence of a neutrino in a definite mass state. We demonstrate that such an essentially quantum gravity effect may have strong consequences for neutrino oscillation phenomena in astrophysics due to relatively large scattering cross sections of relativistic neutrinos undergoing large angle radiation of energetic gravitons in gravitational field of a classical massive source (i.e., the quasi-classical case of gravitational Bethe-Heitler scattering). This graviton-induceddecoherenceis compared todecoherencedue to propagation in the presence of the Earth matter effect. Based on this study, we propose a new technique for the indirect detection of energetic gravitons by measuring the flavor composition of astrophysical neutrinos.
Patient Preferences for Receiving Remote Communication Support for Lifestyle Physical Activity Behaviour Change: The Perspective of Patients with Musculoskeletal Disorders from Three Hospital Services
Authors: McPhail Steven M. , Schippers Mandy , Maher Carol A. , Marshall Alison L.
Published: September 2015

This study examined patients’ preference ratings for receiving support via remote communication to increase their lifestyle physical activity.Methods. People with musculoskeletal disorders (n=221of 296 eligible) accessing one of three clinics provided preference ratings for “how much” they wanted to receive physical activity support via five potential communication modalities. The five ratings were generated on a horizontal analogue rating scale (0 represented “not at all”; 10 represented “very much”).Results. Most (n=155, 70%) desired referral to a physical activity promoting intervention. “Print and post” communications had the highest median preference rating (7/10), followed by email and telephone (both 5/10), text messaging (1/10), and private Internet-based social network messages (0/10). Desire to be referred was associated with higher preference for printed materials (coefficient = 2.739,p<0.001), telephone calls (coefficient = 3.000,p<0.001), and email (coefficient = 2.059,p=0.02). Older age was associated with lower preference for email (coefficient = −0.100,p<0.001), texting (coefficient = −0.096,p<0.001), and social network messages (coefficient = −0.065,p<0.001).Conclusion. Patients desiring support to be physically active indicated preferences for interventions with communication via print, email, or telephone calls.
Assessing the Capabilities of a New Linear Inversion Method for Quantitative Microwave Imaging
Authors: Di Donato Loreto , Palmeri Roberta , Sorbello Gino , Isernia Tommaso , Crocco Lorenzo
Published: October 2015

We investigate the imaging capabilities of a new linear microwave imaging approach, which allows to quantitative retrieve the complex permittivity distribution of unknown nonweak targets. To this end, we carry out a parametric numerical analysis for a canonical scatterer (a homogeneous dielectric cylinder with circular cross section) and derive a quantitative criterion to foresee the method’s applicability. The reliability of the criterion is then tested against noncanonical scatterers to show the effectiveness of the method in imaging nonweak targets and in outperforming the linearized inversion method based on the standard Born approximation.
Nonlinear Time Domain Relation between Respiratory Phase and Timing of the First Heart Sound
Authors: Tang Hong , Park Yongwan , Ruan Chengjie
Published: October 2015

The previous studies on respiratory physiology have indicated that inspiration and expiration have opposite effects on heart hemodynamics. The basic reason why these opposite hemodynamic changes cause regular timing variations in heart sounds is the heart sound generation mechanism that the acoustic vibration is triggered by heart hemodynamics. It is observed that the timing of the first heart sound has nonlinear relation with respiratory phase; that is, the timing delay with respect to the R-wave increases with inspiration and oppositely decreases with expiration. This paper models the nonlinear relation by a Hammerstein-Wiener model where the respiratory phase is the input and the timing is the output. The parameter estimation for the model is presented. The model is tested by the data collected from 12 healthy subjects in terms of mean square error and model fitness. The results show that the model can approximate the nonlinear relation very well. The average square error and the average fitness for all the subjects are about 0.01 and 0.94, respectively. The timing of the first heart sound related to respiratory phase can be accurately predicted by the model. The model has potential applications in fast and easy monitoring of respiration and heart hemodynamics induced by respiration.
Clinical Presentation, Aetiology, and Outcomes of Meningitis in a Setting of High HIV and TB Prevalence
Authors: Thinyane Keneuoe Hycianth , Motsemme Keanole Mofona , Cooper Varsay Jim Lahai
Published: September 2015

Meningitis causes significant morbidity and mortality globally. The aim of this study was to study the clinical presentation, aetiology, and outcomes of meningitis among adult patients admitted to Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital in Maseru, Lesotho, with a diagnosis of meningitis. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and April 2014; data collected included presenting signs and symptoms, laboratory results, and clinical outcomes. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise data; association between variables was analysed using Fisher’s exact test. 56 patients were enrolled; the HIV coinfection rate was 79%. The most common presenting symptoms were altered mental status, neck stiffness, headache, and fever. TB meningitis was the most frequent diagnosis (39%), followed by bacterial (27%), viral (18%), and cryptococcal meningitis (16%). In-hospital mortality was 43% with case fatalities of 23%, 40%, 44%, and 90% for TB, bacterial, cryptococcal, and viral meningitis, respectively. Severe renal impairment was significantly associated with mortality. In conclusion, the causes of meningitis in this study reflect the high prevalence of HIV and TB in our setting. Strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality due to meningitis should include improving diagnostic services to facilitate early detection and treatment of meningitis and timely initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected patients.
Anal Papilloma: An Exceptional Presentation of Fibrocystic Disease in Anogenital Mammary-Like Glands
Authors: Subashchandrabose Priya , Esakkai Muthuvel , Venugopal Palani , Kannaiyan Ilavarasan , Srinivasan Chitra , Reddy Punuru Tejashwini , Ebenezer Evelyn Elizabeth
Published: October 2015

Previously ectopic breast tissue was thought to be derived from the caudal remnants of the primitive embryonic milk ridges; anogenital mammary-like glands are presently considered as normal constituents of the anogenital region. We report a case of young female, who presented with an anal papilloma. Histopathological examination revealed extensive fibrocystic changes in anogenital mammary-like glands. To date, a lot of benign changes and a wide range of benign and malignant neoplasms have been reported in these glands. However, extensive fibrocystic change of these glands in anal region is very rare. In addition, fibrocystic disease of anal mammary glands, masquerading clinically as an anal papilloma, has not been reported in literature. Hence, it is essential for clinicians and the pathologists to be aware of such a rare presentation. The features of fibrocystic disease in perianal region are also discussed.
Canaloplasty: A Minimally Invasive and Maximally Effective Glaucoma Treatment
Authors: Khaimi Mahmoud A.
Published: October 2015

Canaloplasty is a highly effective, minimally invasive, surgical technique indicated for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma that works by restoring the function of the eye’s natural outflow system. The procedure’s excellent safety profile and long-term efficacy make it a viable option for the majority of glaucoma patient types. It can be used in conjunction with existing drug based glaucoma treatments, after laser or other types of incisional surgery, and does not preclude or affect the outcome of future surgery. Numerous scientific studies have shown Canaloplasty to be safe and effective in lowering IOP whilst reducing medication dependence. A recent refinement of Canaloplasty, known as ab-interno Canaloplasty (ABiC), maintains the IOP-lowering and safety benefits of traditional (ab-externo) Canaloplasty using a more efficient, simplified surgical approach. This paper presents a review of Canaloplasty indications, clinical data, and complications, as well as comparisons with traditional incisional glaucoma techniques. It also addresses the early clinical evidence for ABiC.
Experimental Assessment of Linear Sampling and Factorization Methods for Microwave Imaging of Concealed Targets
Authors: Akıncı M. N. , Çağlayan T. , Özgür S. , Alkaşı U. , Abbak M. , Çayören M.
Published: October 2015

Shape reconstruction methods are particularly well suited for imaging of concealed targets. Yet, these methods are rarely employed in real nondestructive testing applications, since they generally require the electrical parameters of outer object as a priori knowledge. In this regard, we propose an approach to relieve two well known shape reconstruction algorithms, which are the linear sampling and the factorization methods, from the requirement of the a priori knowledge on electrical parameters of the surrounding medium. The idea behind this paper is that if a measurement of the reference medium (a medium which can approximate the material, except the inclusion) can be supplied to these methods, reconstructions with very high qualities can be obtained even when there is no information about the electrical parameters of the surrounding medium. Taking the advantage of this idea, we consider that it is possible to use shape reconstruction methods in buried object detection. To this end, we perform several experiments inside an anechoic chamber to verify the approach against real measurements. Accuracy and stability of the obtained results show that both the linear sampling and the factorization methods can be quite useful for various buried obstacle imaging problems.
Development of Self-Compressing BLSOM for Comprehensive Analysis of Big Sequence Data
Authors: Kikuchi Akihito , Ikemura Toshimichi , Abe Takashi
Published: October 2015

With the remarkable increase in genomic sequence data from various organisms, novel tools are needed for comprehensive analyses of available big sequence data. We previously developed a Batch-Learning Self-Organizing Map (BLSOM), which can cluster genomic fragment sequences according to phylotype solely dependent on oligonucleotide composition and applied to genome and metagenomic studies. BLSOM is suitable for high-performance parallel-computing and can analyze big data simultaneously, but a large-scale BLSOM needs a large computational resource. We have developed Self-Compressing BLSOM (SC-BLSOM) for reduction of computation time, which allows us to carry out comprehensive analysis of big sequence data without the use of high-performance supercomputers. The strategy of SC-BLSOM is to hierarchically construct BLSOMs according to data class, such as phylotype. The first-layer BLSOM was constructed with each of the divided input data pieces that represents the data subclass, such as phylotype division, resulting in compression of the number of data pieces. The second BLSOM was constructed with a total of weight vectors obtained in the first-layer BLSOMs. We compared SC-BLSOM with the conventional BLSOM by analyzing bacterial genome sequences. SC-BLSOM could be constructed faster than BLSOM and cluster the sequences according to phylotype with high accuracy, showing the method’s suitability for efficient knowledge discovery from big sequence data.
Wide-Area Robust Decentralized Coordinated Control of HVDC Power System Based on Polytopic System Theory
Authors: Xu Shiyun , Sun Huadong , Li Baiqing , Bu Guangquan , Yi Jun , Zhang Jian , Zhao Bing , Chen Zhanming
Published: October 2015

The present study proposes a hierarchical wide-area decentralized coordinated control framework for HVDC power system that is robust to multiple operating conditions. The upper level wide-area coordinated controller is designed in the form of dynamic output feedback control that coordinates the lower level HVDC supplementary controller, PSS, and SVC. In order to enhance the robustness of the designed controller under various operating conditions, the polytopic model is introduced such that the closed-loop control system can be operated under strong damping mode in virtue of the stability criterion based on damping ratio. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed controller design algorithm is capable of enhancing the system damping over four different conditions.
Comparison between Procalcitonin, Brain Natriuretic Peptide, and Uric Acid in Children with Cardiomyopathy and Controls
Authors: Noori Noor Mohammad , Mahjoubifard Maziar , Shahramian Iraj , Teimouri Alireza , Jahangirifard Alireza
Published: October 2015

Objective. This study was performed to determine the level of procalcitonin, Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP), and uric acid in children with cardiomyopathy in comparison with controls and the association with echocardiographic findings.Methods. The levels of BNP, procalcitonin, and serum uric acid were measured and the amounts of biomarkers compared with echocardiographic findings.Results. In this study mean age of participants was the same (p=0.321). The majority of echocardiographic indices in left and right heart have different means in case and controls (p<0.05). Means of BNP, procalcitonin, and uric acid were 213.814 ± 309.601, 9.326 ± 3.881, and 6.846 ± 1.814 for case group and 2.76 ± 1.013, 1.851 ± 1.466, and 3.317 ± 0.924 for control (p<0.001), respectively. In the patients group there was relationship of Ross classification with BNP (χ2= 15.845,p<0.05) and with age (χ2= 8.946,p<0.05). For uric acid and procalcitonin no significant relationships were observed.Conclusions. procalcitonin, uric acid, and BNP had significant relationship with many echocardiographic findings in participants. For patients, procalcitonin did not show correlation. The severity of illness based on the Ross classification showed significant correlation with BNP level and age in patients.
Analysis of Thermal Properties on Backward Feed Multieffect Distillation Dealing with High-Salinity Wastewater
Authors: Xue Jianliang , Cui Qinqin , Ming Jie , Bai Yu , Li Lin
Published: October 2015

Theoretical investigations on thermal properties of multieffect distillation (MED) are presented to approach lower capital costs and more distillated products. A mathematical model, based on the energy and mass balance, is developed to (i) evaluate the influences of variations in key parameters (effect numbers, evaporation temperature in last effect, and feed salinity) on steam consumption, gained output ratio (GOR), and total heat transfer areas of MED and (ii) compare two operation modes (backward feed (BF) and forward feed (FF) systems). The result in the first part indicated that GOR and total heat transfer areas increased with the effect numbers. Also, higher effect numbers result in the fact that the evaporation temperature in last effect has slight influence on GOR, while it influences the total heat transfer areas remarkably. In addition, an increase of feed salinity promotes the total heat transfer areas but reduces GOR. The analyses in the second part indicate that GOR and total heat transfer areas of BF system are higher than those in FF system. One thing to be aware of is that the changes of steam consumption can be omitted, considering that it shows an opposite trend to GOR.
Ultra Wide X-Band Microwave Imaging of Concealed Weapons and Explosives Using 3D-SAR Technique
Authors: Millot P. , Casadebaig L.
Published: October 2015

In order to detect and image concealed weapons and explosives, an electromagnetic imaging tool with its related signal processing is presented. The aim is to penetrate clothes and to find personal-born weapons and explosives under clothes. The chosen UWB frequency range covers the whole X-band. The frequency range is justified after transmission measurements of numerous clothes that are dry or slightly wet. The apparatus and the 3D near-field SAR processor are described. A strategy for contour identification is presented with results of some simulants of weapon and explosive. A conclusion is drawn on the possible future of this technique.
Simulation of Octopus Arm Based on Coupled CPGs
Authors: Tian Juan , Lu Qiang
Published: October 2015

The octopus arm has attracted many researchers’ interests and became a research hot spot because of its amazing features. Several dynamic models inspired by an octopus arm are presented to realize the structure with a large number of degrees of freedom. The octopus arm is made of a soft material introducing high-dimensionality, nonlinearity, and elasticity, which makes the octopus arm difficult to control. In this paper, three coupled central pattern generators (CPGs) are built and a 2-dimensional dynamic model of the octopus arm is presented to explore possible strategies of the octopus movement control. And the CPGs’ signals treated as activation are added on the ventral, dorsal, and transversal sides, respectively. The effects of the octopus arm are discussed when the parameters of the CPGs are changed. Simulations show that the octopus arm movements are mainly determined by the shapes of three CPGs’ phase diagrams. Therefore, some locomotion modes are supposed to be embedded in the neuromuscular system of the octopus arm. And the octopus arm movements can be achieved by modulating the parameters of the CPGs. The results are beneficial for researchers to understand the octopus movement further.
Investigating a Mobility-Aware QoS Model for Multimedia Streaming Rate Adaptation
Authors: Sardis Fragkiskos , Mapp Glenford , Loo Jonathan , Aiash Mahdi , Vinel Alexey
Published: October 2015

Supporting high quality multimedia streaming on wireless devices poses several challenges compared to wired networks due to the high variance in network performance encountered in the mobile environment. Although rate adaptation is commonly used in multimedia applications to compensate for fluctuations in network performance, it is a reactive mechanism which is not aware of the frequently changing connectivity that may occur on mobile devices. This paper proposed a performance evaluation model for multimedia streaming applications that is aware of user mobility and network performance. We presented an example of mathematical solution to the model and demonstrated the functionality using common mobility and connectivity examples that may be found in an urban environment. The proposed model is evaluated based on this functionality and how it may be used to enhance application performance.
Fabrication of an Antireflective Nanodome Array with High Packing Density for Photovoltaic Applications
Authors: Lim Jiseok , Lee Sun-Mi , Jang Ho-Young , Kim Seok-Min
Published: October 2015

This paper describes a nanofabrication method for an antireflective nanodome array with high packing density. The master for the close packed nanodome array was fabricated by industrially well‐established photolithography and physical vapor deposition processes to realize uniform and defect‐free nanostructure in large area. The nanodome array was formed on the surface of a glass plate by a nanoimprinting process using the replicated mold from the master with the aim of reducing the Fresnel reflection of the glass surface. The replication fidelity was verified using scanning electron microscopy and the nanodome structured glass substrate showed ~3% increase in optical transmittance.
Partial Quark-Lepton Universality and Neutrino CP Violation
Authors: Liao Jiajun , Marfatia D. , Whisnant K.
Published: October 2015

We study a model with partial quark-lepton universality that can naturally arise in grand unified theories. We find that constraints on the model can be reduced to a single condition on the Dirac CP phaseδin the neutrino sector. Using our current knowledge of the CKM and PMNS mixing matrices, we predict-32.4°≤δ≤32.0°at2σ.
Three-Dimensional Kinetic Adaptations of Gait throughout Pregnancy and Postpartum
Authors: Branco Marco , Santos-Rocha Rita , Vieira Filomena , Aguiar Liliana , Veloso António Prieto
Published: September 2015

Biomechanical adaptations that occur during pregnancy can lead to changes on gait pattern. Nevertheless, these adaptations of gait are still not fully understood. The purpose was to determine the effect of pregnancy on the biomechanical pattern of walking, regarding the kinetic parameters. A three-dimensional analysis was performed in eleven participants. The kinetic parameters in the joints of the lower limb during gait were compared at the end of the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy and in the postpartum period, in healthy pregnant women. The main results showed a reduction in the normalized vertical reaction forces, throughout pregnancy, particularly the third peak. Pregnant women showed, during most of the stance phase, medial reaction forces as a motor response to promote the body stability. Bilateral changes were observed in hip joint, with a decrease in the participation of the hip extensors and in the eccentric contraction of hip flexors. In ankle joint a decrease in the participation of ankle plantar flexors was found. In conclusion, the overall results point to biomechanical adjustments that showed a decrease of the mechanical load of women throughout pregnancy, with exception for few unilateral changes of hip joint moments.
Design of Positive, Negative, and Alternating Sign Generalized Logistic Maps
Authors: Sayed Wafaa S. , Radwan Ahmed G. , Fahmy Hossam A. H.
Published: October 2015

The discrete logistic map is one of the most famous discrete chaotic maps which has widely spread applications. This paper investigates a set of four generalized logistic maps where the conventional map is a special case. The proposed maps have extra degrees of freedom which provide different chaotic characteristics and increase the design flexibility required for many applications such as quantitative financial modeling. Based on the maximum chaotic range of the output, the proposed maps can be classified as positive logistic map, mostly positive logistic map, negative logistic map, and mostly negative logistic map. Mathematical analysis for each generalized map includes bifurcation diagrams relative to all parameters, effective range of parameters, first bifurcation point, and the maximum Lyapunov exponent (MLE). Independent, vertical, and horizontal scales of the bifurcation diagram are discussed for each generalized map as well as a new bifurcation diagram related to one of the added parameters. A systematic procedure to design two-constraint logistic map is discussed and validated through four different examples.
Inverse Kinematic Analysis and Evaluation of a Robot for Nondestructive Testing Application
Authors: Lu Zongxing , Xu Chunguang , Pan Qinxue , Zhao Xinyu , Li Xinliang
Published: October 2015

The robot system has been utilized in the nondestructive testing field in recent years. However, only a few studies have focused on the application of ultrasonic testing for complex work pieces with the robot system. The inverse kinematics problem of the 6-DOF robot should be resolved before the ultrasonic testing task. A new effective solution for curved-surface scanning with a 6-DOF robot system is proposed in this study. A new arm-wrist separateness method is adopted to solve the inverse problem of the robot system. Eight solutions of the joint angles can be acquired with the proposed inverse kinematics method. The shortest distance rule is adopted to optimize the inverse kinematics solutions. The best joint-angle solution is identified. Furthermore, a 3D-application software is developed to simulate ultrasonic trajectory planning for complex-shape work pieces with a 6-DOF robot. Finally, the validity of the scanning method is verified based on the C-scan results of a work piece with a curved surface. The developed robot ultrasonic testing system is validated. The proposed method provides an effective solution to this problem and would greatly benefit the development of industrial nondestructive testing.
Predicting Defects Using Information Intelligence Process Models in the Software Technology Project
Authors: Selvaraj Manjula Gandhi , Jayabal Devi Shree , Srinivasan Thenmozhi , Balasubramanie Palanisamy
Published: October 2015

A key differentiator in a competitive market place is customer satisfaction. As per Gartner 2012 report, only 75%–80% of IT projects are successful. Customer satisfaction should be considered as a part of business strategy. The associated project parameters should be proactively managed and the project outcome needs to be predicted by a technical manager. There is lot of focus on the end state and on minimizing defect leakage as much as possible. Focus should be on proactively managing and shifting left in the software life cycle engineering model. Identify the problem upfront in the project cycle and do not wait for lessons to be learnt and take reactive steps. This paper gives the practical applicability of using predictive models and illustrates use of these models in a project to predict system testing defects thus helping to reduce residual defects.