bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Time of Weeding on Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Growth and Yield
Authors: Ian Mashezha , Dzingai Rukuni , Walter Manyangarirwa , Ezekia Svotwa
Published: September 2013

An experiment laid in a Randomized Complete Block Design with 4 blocks and 5 treatments, was done at Kutsaga Research Station in the 2012 / 2013 season to study the impact of time of weeding on tobacco production. The treatments comprised of different times of weed control with a weed free treatment as the control. The variables measured were stalk heights at 5, 6 and 7 weeks after planting and, leaf expansion measurements were also recorded at 9, 10 and 11 weeks. Leaf yield was measured at untying using a digital scale. Results showed that Tobacco stalk heights were affected at 5 W.A.P since significant differences (P<0.05) were noted among the treatments. Suppressive effects of weeds were shown at 6 and 7 W.A.P due to effective competition (RCI > 0) in all other treatments excluding the control. There were significant differences (P<0.05) among the treatments on leaf expansion at 9, 10 and 11 W.A.P. The treatment weeded at 4 W.A.P showed leaf yield that was significantly higher (L.S.S = 270.8) than the treatment weeded at 2 W.A.P. Basing on the 3 reaps recorded, time of weeding had an influence tobacco yield.
Design and Analysis of High-Performance Smart Card with HF/UHF Dual-Band RFID Tag and Memory Functions
Authors: Hwang Gi-Hyun , Kang Dae-Ki
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we introduce a novel design of high-performance smart card with HF/UHF dual-band RFID tag to overcome frequency interference problem. Firstly, we have designed and tested a UHF RFID tag using a simulation software system. In the smart card hardware design stage, we connect a HF antenna and a UHF antenna and place them in one inlay sheet. Using a spectrum analyzer, we systematically adjust the antenna pattern to detect the optimal patterns that fit the impedance of the RFID chip. We evaluate the performance of the resulting smart card with standard RFID testers. The experiments show that our proposed RFID tag outperforms other dual-band RFID tags and maintains itself in a reasonable size. Moreover, we increase IC chip's memory capacity to resolve security-related problems when RFID tags are used in a financial transaction. We firstly exploit an IC contact protruded from the card to add an additional memory, and we integrate functions of the RFID tag to use the equipped memory through the induced current of the contact. The implemented prototype of our proposal can accommodate an extended memory ranging from one gigabyte up to four gigabytes.
Electrostrictive Mechanism of Radiation Self-Action in Nanofluids
Authors: Livashvili Albert , Krishtop Victor , Yakunina Margarita
Published: September 2013

The electrostriction mechanism of beam self-focusing in nanofluids is theoretically investigated. An analytical solution of the diffusion equation, which describes the dynamics of particles in nanofluids, was obtained and studied. Explicit expressions for the nonlinear part of the refractive index and concentration lens focal length are presented. It is shown that there is a limit on the radiation intensity associated with the physical and hydrodynamic characteristics of the phenomena in these processes.
Psoriatic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Associated with Uveitis: A Case Report
Authors: Moretti Davide , Cianchi Ilaria , Vannucci Gaia , Cimaz Rolando , Simonini Gabriele
Published: September 2013

According to the definition proposed by the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is defined as an arthritis of unknown etiology, starting under 16 years of age and lasting for at least 6 weeks, once other known conditions have been excluded. JIA represents the most common chronic rheumatic disease of childhood and is considered an important cause of short- and long-term acquired disability in children. It is currently estimated that psoriatic JIA represents up to 10% of all JIA subtypes, and chronic uveitis may occur in 10 to 15% of children with psoriatic JIA. In this report we describe a case of psoriatic JIA complicated by uveitis, in a child failing previous treatments with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, methotrexate, and etanercept. Finally, adalimumab was prescribed, which led to sustained clinical remission in both arthritis and uveitis.
Intravenous Leiomyoma with Extension to the Heart: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Demirkiran Fuat , Sal Veysel , Kaya Umit , Alhan Cem , Tokgozoglu Nedim
Published: September 2013

Introduction. Intravenous leiomyomatosis with cardiac extension is an extremely rare uterine tumor. We report here a case of intravenous leiomyoma extending to the right atrium, diagnosed in a patient having leiomyoma.Case Presentation. A 39-year-old woman with no symptoms and a past medical history of two myomectomy operations (7 and 3 years previously) was admitted to our clinic for routine control. We detected a uterine fibroid of 8 centimeters and 4 small solid masses of 1-2 centimeters near the uterus and ovaries at vaginal ultrasonography. Computed tomography (CT) was performed to investigate the abdominal cavity. It revealed a mass originating from the left common iliac vein, which invaded the inferior vena cava (IVC) and extended to the right atrium in addition to the uterine fibroids and pelvic masses. The operation was performed with a combined team of gynecologists and cardiac surgeons and a one-stage operation was accomplished. The postoperative course was uneventful.Conclusion. Abdominal CT is a useful imaging technique for the diagnosis of unusual pathology in a patient with uterine fibroid having suspicious pelvic masses. Also, when a right atrial mass is identified in a female with a prior history of hysterectomy because of leiomyoma or in whom there is a uterine myoma, then intravenous leiomyomatosis should be considered.
Treatment Engagement of Psychotic Patients with a Mobile Mental Health Unit in Rural Areas in Greece: A Five-Year Study
Authors: Peritogiannis Vaios , Tatsioni Athina , Menti Nefeli , Grammeniati Aikaterini , Fotopoulou Vassiliki , Mavreas Venetsanos
Published: October 2013

Objectives. Treatment of psychotic disorders is impended by high rates of disengagement from mental health services and poor adherence to antipsychotic medication. This study examined the engagement rates of psychotic patients with a community mental health service during a 5-year period.Methods. The Mobile Mental Health Unit of Ioannina and Thesprotia (MMHU I-T) delivers services in remote, rural, mountainous areas using the resources of the primary care system. Clinical and demographic information for patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and related psychoses was obtained from the medical records of our unit.Results. A total of 74 psychotic patients initially engaged in treatment with our unit. In half of cases treatment was home-based. With the exclusion of patients who died or discharged, engagement rates were 67.2%. Statistical analysis was performed for 64 patients, and no differences were found between engaged and disengaged patients regarding clinical and demographic parameters. All engaged patients regularly refilled their antipsychotic prescriptions.Conclusion. Engagement rates in our study were comparable to previous research, involving urban settings and shorter follow-up duration. Community mental health teams may ensure treatment continuation for psychotic patients in deprived, remote areas. This is important for low-income countries, affected by economic crisis, such as Greece.
A One Step Optimal Homotopy Analysis Method for Propagation of Harmonic Waves in Nonlinear Generalized Magnetothermoelasticity with Two Relaxation Times under Influence of Rotation
Authors: Abo-Dahab S. M. , Mohamed Mohamed S. , Nofal T. A.
Published: September 2013

The aim of this paper is to apply OHAM to solve numerically the problem of harmonic wave propagation in a nonlinear thermoelasticity under influence of rotation, thermal relaxation times, and magnetic field. The problem is solved in one-dimensional elastic half-space model subjected initially to a prescribed harmonic displacement and the temperature of the medium. The HAM contains a certain auxiliary parameter which provides us with a simple way to adjust and control the convergence region and rate of convergence of the series solution. This optimal approach has a general meaning and can be used to get fast convergent series solutions of the different type of nonlinear fractional differential equation. The displacement and temperature are calculated for the models with the variations of the magnetic field, relaxation times, and rotation. The results obtained are displayed graphically to show the influences of the new parameters.
Synchronization of Coupled Chaotic Systems with Ring Connection Based on Special Antisymmetric Structure
Authors: Chen Xiangyong , Qiu Jianlong , Song Qiang , Zhang Ancai
Published: October 2013

This paper considers the complete synchronization problem for coupled chaotic systems with ring connections. First, we use a direct design method to design a synchronization controller. It transforms the error system into a stable system with special antisymmetric structure. And then, we get some simple stability criteria of achieving the complete synchronization. These criteria are not only easily verified but also improve and generalize previous known results. Finally, numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis.
Antagonistic Activity ofLactobacillusIsolates againstSalmonella typhi In Vitro
Authors: Abdel-Daim Amira , Hassouna Nadia , Hafez Mohamed , Ashor Mohamed Seif Aldeen , Aboulwafa Mohammad M.
Published: September 2013

Background. Enteric fever is a global health problem, and rapidly developing resistance to various drugs makes the situation more alarming. The potential use ofLactobacillusto control typhoid fever represents a promising approach, as it may exert protective actions through various mechanisms.Methods. In this study, the probiotic potential and antagonistic activities of 32Lactobacillusisolates againstSalmonella typhiwere evaluated. The antimicrobial activity of cell free supernatants ofLactobacillusisolates, interference ofLactobacillusisolates with theSalmonellaadherence and invasion, cytoprotective effect ofLactobacillusisolates, and possibility of concurrent use of testedLactobacillusisolates and antibiotics were evaluated by testing their susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents, and their oxygen tolerance was also examined.Results. The results revealed that twelveLactobacillusisolates could protect againstSalmonella typhiinfection through interference with both its growth and its virulence properties, such as adherence, invasion, and cytotoxicity. TheseLactobacillusisolates exhibited MIC values for ciprofloxacin higher than those ofSalmonella typhiand oxygen tolerance and were identified asLactobacillus plantarum.Conclusion. The testedLactobacillus plantarumisolates can be introduced as potential novel candidates that have to be subjected forin vivoand application studies for treatment and control of typhoid fever.
Content-Based Image Retrial Based on Hadoop
Authors: Yin DongSheng , Liu DeBo
Published: September 2013

Generally, time complexity of algorithms for content-based image retrial is extremely high. In order to retrieve images on large-scale databases efficiently, a new way for retrieving based on Hadoop distributed framework is proposed. Firstly, a database of images features is built by using Speeded Up Robust Features algorithm and Locality-Sensitive Hashing and then perform the search on Hadoop platform in a parallel way specially designed. Considerable experimental results show that it is able to retrieve images based on content on large-scale cluster and image sets effectively.
The Viro Method for Construction of Piecewise Algebraic Hypersurfaces
Authors: Lai Yisheng , Du Weiping , Wang Renhong
Published: September 2013

We propose a new method to construct a real piecewise algebraic hypersurface of a given degree with a prescribed smoothness and topology. The method is based on the smooth blending theory and the Viro method for construction of Bernstein-Bézier algebraic hypersurface piece on a simplex.
Compact Embeddings for Spaces of Forward Rate Curves
Authors: Tappe Stefan
Published: October 2013

The goal of this paper is to prove a compact embedding result for spaces of forward rate curves. As a consequence of this result, we show that any forward rate evolution can be approximated by a sequence of finite dimensional processes in the larger state space.
Design of Magnetic Flux Feedback Controller in Hybrid Suspension System
Authors: Zhang Wenqing , Li Jie , Zhang Kun , Cui Peng
Published: October 2013

Hybrid suspension system with permanent magnet and electromagnet consumes little power consumption and can realize larger suspension gap. But realizing stable suspension of hybrid magnet is a tricky problem in the suspension control sphere. Considering from this point, we take magnetic flux signal as a state variable and put this signal back to suspension control system. So we can get the hybrid suspension mathematical model based on magnetic flux signal feedback. By application of MIMO feedback linearization theory, we can further realize linearization of the hybrid suspension system. And then proportion, integral, differentiation, magnetic flux density B (PIDB) controller is designed. Some hybrid suspension experiments have been done on CMS04 magnetic suspension bogie of National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) in China. The experiments denote that the new hybrid suspension control algorithm based on magnetic flux signal feedback designed in this paper has more advantages than traditional position-current double cascade control algorithm. Obviously, the robustness and stability of hybrid suspension system have been enhanced.
Best Proximity Points for Some Classes of Proximal Contractions
Authors: Alghamdi Maryam A. , Shahzad Naseer , Vetro Francesca
Published: September 2013

Given a self-mapping and a non-self-mapping , the aim of this work is to provide sufficient conditions for the existence of a unique point , calledg-best proximity point, which satisfies . In so doing, we provide a useful answer for the resolution of the nonlinear programming problem of globally minimizing the real valued function , thereby getting an optimal approximate solution to the equation . An iterative algorithm is also presented to compute a solution of such problems. Our results generalize a result due to Rhoades (2001) and hence such results provide an extension of Banach's contraction principle to the case of non-self-mappings.
Quantifying the Ki-67 Heterogeneity Profile in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Mesko Shane , Kupelian Patrick , Demanes D. Jeffrey , Huang Jaoti , Wang Pin-Chieh , Kamrava Mitchell
Published: October 2013

Background:Ki-67 is a robust predictive/prognostic marker in prostate cancer; however, tumor heterogeneity in prostate biopsy samples is not well studied.Methods:Using an MRI/US fusion device, biopsy cores were obtained systematically and by targeting when indicated by MRI. Prostate cores containing cancer from 77 consecutive men were analyzed. The highest Ki-67 was used to determine interprostatic variation. Ki-67 range (highest minus lowest) was used to determine intraprostatic and intralesion variation. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were evaluated in relation to Ki-67.Results:Interprostatic Ki-67 mean ± standard deviation (SD) values for NCCN low (L), intermediate (I), and high (H) risk patients were 5.1 ± 3.8%, 7.4 ± 6.8%, and 12.0 ± 12.4% (ANOVAP=0.013). Intraprostatic mean ± SD Ki-67 ranges in L, I, and H risk patients were 2.6 ± 3.6%, 5.3 ± 6.8%, and 10.9 ± 12.3% (ANOVAP=0.027). Intralesion mean ± SD Ki-67 ranges in L, I, and H risk patients were 1.1 ± 0.9%, 5.2 ± 7.9%, and 8.1 ± 10.8% (ANOVAP=0.22). ADC values at Ki-67 > and <7.1% were 860 ± 203 and 1036 ± 217, respectively (P=0.0029).Conclusions:High risk patients have significantly higher inter- and intraprostatic Ki-67 heterogeneity. This needs to be considered when utilizing Ki-67 clinically.
Combined Effect of Buoyancy Force and Navier Slip on MHD Flow of a Nanofluid over a Convectively Heated Vertical Porous Plate
Authors: Mutuku-Njane Winifred Nduku , Makinde Oluwole Daniel
Published: October 2013

We examine the effect of magnetic field on boundary layer flow of an incompressible electrically conducting water‐based nanofluids past a convectively heated vertical porous plate with Navier slip boundary condition. A suitable similarity transformation is employed to reduce the governing partial differential equations into nonlinear ordinary differential equations, which are solved numerically by employing fourth‐order Runge‐Kutta with a shooting technique. Three different water‐based nanofluids containing copper (Cu), aluminium oxide (Al2O3), and titanium dioxide (TiO2) are taken into consideration. Graphical results are presented and discussed quantitatively with respect to the influence of pertinent parameters, such as solid volume fraction of nanoparticles (φ), magnetic field parameter (Ha), buoyancy effect (Gr), Eckert number (Ec), suction/injection parameter (fw), Biot number (Bi), and slip parameter (β), on the dimensionless velocity, temperature, skin friction coefficient, and heat transfer rate.
Toeplitz Operators on Weighted Bergman Spaces
Authors: Chacón Gerardo R.
Published: September 2013

We characterize the boundedness and compactness of a Toeplitz-type operator on weighted Bergman spaces satisfying the Bekollé-Bonami condition in terms of the Berezin transform.
Minimax Results with Respect to Different Altitudes in the Situation of Linking
Authors: Motreanu V. V.
Published: September 2013

Consider a continuous function on a metric space. In the presence of linking between a compact pair and a closed set, depending on the different behaviors of the function on the linking sets, we establish minimax results guaranteeing existence of Palais-Smale sequences or providing gradient estimates. Our approach relies on deformation techniques.
Doinseunggitang Ameliorates Endothelial Dysfunction in Diabetic Atherosclerosis
Authors: Yoon Jung Joo , Lee Yun Jung , Park Ok Ju , Lee So Min , Lee Yong Pyo , Cho Nam Geun , Kang Dae Gill , Lee Ho Sub
Published: October 2013

Atherosclerosis, a chronic and progressive disease characterized by vascular inflammation, is a leading cause of death in diabetes patients. Doinseunggitang (DYSGT), traditional prescription, has been used for promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of DYSGT on endothelial dysfunction in diabetic atherosclerosis animal model. Apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE KO) mice fed on a Western diet were treated with DYSGT (200 mg/kg/day). DYSGT significantly lowered blood glucose level and glucose tolerance as well as systolic blood pressure. Metabolic parameter showed that DYSGT markedly decreased triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels. In the thoracic aorta, the impairment of vasorelaxation response to acetylcholine and atherosclerotic lesion was attenuated by DYSGT. Furthermore, DYSGT restored the reduction of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, leading to the inhibition of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression. In conclusion, DYSGT improved the development of diabetic atherosclerosis via attenuation of the endothelial dysfunction, possibly by inhibiting ET-1, cell adhesion molecules, and lesion formation. Therefore, these results suggest that Korean traditional prescription Doinseunggitang may be useful in the treatment and prevention of diabetic vascular complications.
Trichotomy for Dynamical Systems in Banach Spaces
Authors: Stoica Codruţa
Published: September 2013

We construct a framework for the study of dynamical systems that describe phenomena from physics and engineering in infinite dimensions and whose state evolution is set out by skew‐evolution semiflows. Therefore, we introduce the concept of ω‐trichotomy. Characterizations in a uniform setting are proved, using techniques from the
domain of nonautonomous evolution equations with unbounded coefficients, and connections with the classic notion of trichotomy are given. The statements are sustained by several examples.
A Coupled Fixed Point Theorem in Fuzzy Metric Space Satisfyingϕ-Contractive Condition
Authors: Pant B. D. , Chauhan Sunny , Vujaković Jelena , Khan Muhammad Alamgir , Vetro Calogero
Published: October 2013

The intent of this paper is to prove a coupled fixed point theorem for two pairs of compatible and subsequentially continuous (alternately subcompatible and reciprocally continuous) mappings, satisfyingϕ-contractive conditions in a fuzzy metric space. We also furnish some illustrative examples to support our results.
Studies on Interaction of Buffalo Brain Cystatin with Donepezil: An Alzheimer's Drug
Authors: Amin Fakhra , Bano Bilqees
Published: October 2013

When drugs bind to a protein, the intramolecular structures can be altered, resulting in conformational change of the protein. Donepezil, an Acetyl Cholinesterase inhibitor (AChE), is commonly prescribed to patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) to enhance cholinergic neurotransmission. It is the “first-line” agents in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease used to improve cognitive function in the disease. In the present study, a cysteine protease inhibitor (cystatin) has been isolated from buffalo brain using alkaline treatment, 40 to 60% ammonium sulphate fractionation and gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-75 with % yield of 64.13 and fold purification of 384.7. The purified inhibitor (Buffalo Brain Cystatin, (BBC)) was eluted as a single papain inhibitory peak which migrated as single band on native PAGE; however, on SDS-PAGE with and without beta mercaptoethanol (βME) BBC gave two bands of M W 31.6 and 12.4 KDa, respectively. The molecular weight determined by gel filtration came out to be 43.6 KDa. The UV spectra of cystatin on interaction with donepezil suggested a conformational change in the protein. The fluorescence spectra of BC-donepezil composite show structural changes indicating 40 nm red shift with significant increase in fluorescence intensity of cystatin in the presence of donepezil representing an unfolding of cystatin on interaction, which is an indication of side effect of donepezil during the use of this drug.
Synthesis and Structural Study of Tris(-pyrazolyl)hexakis(pyrazole)dicobalt(III) Nitrate
Authors: Shi Yifan , Arif Atta M. , Ernst Richard D.
Published: September 2013

The new (Hpyz)3Co(μ2-pyz)3Co complex has been isolated as the nitrate salt through a reaction of Co(II) nitrate, Hpyz (pyrazole), triethylamine, and oxygen. The salt crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/m with a = 12.5977(3) Å, b = 15.3387(4) Å, c = 14.0800(3) Å, β = 93.0868(15)°, and = 1.464 g/cm3 at 150(1) K. The complex, with pseudo-octahedral coordination about the equivalent cobalt centers, has shorter Co–N distances for the bridging anionic pyz ligands as compared to the neutral Hpyz ligands, with the averages being 1.918(2) and 1.966(4), respectively. The Co–Co separation is 3.568 Å, reflecting the absence of any significant metal-metal interaction.
The Periodic Solution of Fractional Oscillation Equation with Periodic Input
Authors: Duan Jun-Sheng
Published: September 2013

The periodic solution of fractional oscillation equation with periodic input is considered in this work. The fractional derivative operator is taken as  -∞Dtα, where the initial time is-∞; hence, initial conditions are not needed in the model of the present fractional oscillation equation. With the input of the harmonic oscillation, the solution is derived to be a periodic function of timetwith the same circular frequency as the input, and the frequency of the solution is not affected by the system frequencycas is affected in the integer-order case. These results are similar to the case of a damped oscillation with a periodic input in the integer-order case. Properties of the periodic solution are discussed, and the fractional resonance frequency is introduced.
The Comparison of Facial Estethics between Orthodontically Treated Patients and Their Parents
Authors: Aksakalli Sertac , Demir Abdullah
Published: October 2013

Orthodontists emphasize the importance of facial esthetics while planning a treatment, and orthodontist state that orthodontics have more than expected effects on dentofacial esthetics. The facial esthetics of treated patients and their parents was analyzed and compared to define facial growth and to use in forensic sciences. Our study was applied to 45 orthodontic patients who were treated in our clinic and their untreated parents. The patients were divided into Classes I, II, and III groups according to their malocclusions. Pre‐ and posttreatment changes, pretreatment facial esthetics of the paitents and its accordance with their parents, and the calculation of heritability tests were performed. After the statistics, for pre‐ and posttreatment changes, all the groups except Class I revealed significant changes. There were significant correlations of patients for the heritability values and pretreatment esthetic in accordance with parents, but there were more correlations of fathers when compared to mothers. The facial esthetics in adolescences is related with so many factors, not only related with one factor. The facial esthetics in fact includes the aim of evaluation of facial properties partly or totally. Because orthodontic treatments affect facial esthetics, performing similar studies for the treatment outcomes, capabilities, and borders is important.
Combining Ability for Germination Traits in Jatropha curcas L.
Authors: Islam A. K. M. Aminul , Anuar Nurina , Yaakob Zahira , Ghani Jaharah A. , Osman Mohamad
Published: October 2013

Six parents of Jatropha curcas were crossed in half diallel fashion, and the F1s were evaluated to determine the combining ability for nine germination parameters. The ratio between general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) variances indicated preponderance of additive gene action for all the characters except germination percentage, time of 50% germination, seedling length, and seedling vigor index. The parents P1 and P2 were the best general combiner for most of the characters studied. The cross P1 × P5 was the best specific combiner for speed of emergence, germination percentage, germination energy, germination index, and seedling vigor index, the cross P2 × P5 for mean germination time, time of 50% germination, and seedling length, and the cross P4 × P5 for number of days to first germination. The germination percentage varied from 58.06 to 92.76% among the parents and 53.43 to 98.96% among the hybrids. The highest germination (98.96%) was observed in hybrid P2 × P4, and none of the hybrids or parents showed 100% germination. The highest germination index (GI) and seedling vigor index (SVI) were found in hybrid P1 × P5 and P2 × P5, respectively. The results of this study provide clue for the improvement of Jatropha variety through breeding program.
Dynamic Congested Traffic States of Density Difference Lattice Hydrodynamic Model with On-Ramp
Authors: Tian Jun-fang , Yuan Zhen-zhou , Jia Bin , Tao Wang
Published: October 2013

The density difference lattice hydrodynamic model with on-ramp is proposed. Stochastic and deterministic rules for the on-ramp flow entering into the main road are designed. Under the stochastic rule, various empirical spatiotemporal patterns can be well reproduced, such as the pinned localized cluster (PLC) and homogeneous synchronized traffic (HST). Under the deterministic rule, four new types of congested traffic states, such as the stationary oscillatory congested traffic (OCT) upstream of on-ramp and the stationary and localized OCT emerging in HST, are identified for the first time. Comparisons with the macroscopic speed gradient model are carried out, and some advantages of our model are clarified. To our knowledge, it is the first research showing that the lattice hydrodynamic model could reproduce various congested patterns induced by the on-ramp system.
A New Implementable Prediction-Correction Method for Monotone Variational Inequalities with Separable Structure
Authors: Ma Feng , Ni Mingfang , Yu Zhanke
Published: October 2013

The monotone variational inequalities capture various concrete applications arising in many areas. In this paper, we develop a new prediction-correction method for monotone variational inequalities with separable structure. The new method can be easily implementable, and the main computational effort in each iteration of the method is to evaluate the proximal mappings of the involved operators. At each iteration, the algorithm also allows the involved subvariational inequalities to be solved in parallel. We establish the global convergence of the proposed method. Preliminary numerical results show that the new method can be competitive with Chen's proximal-based decomposition method in Chen and Teboulle (1994).
Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation and Exercise for the Prevention of Acute Respiratory Infection: Possible Mechanisms of Action
Authors: Zgierska Aleksandra , Obasi Chidi N. , Brown Roger , Ewers Tola , Muller Daniel , Gassman Michele , Barlow Shari , Barrett Bruce
Published: September 2013

Background. A randomized trial suggests that meditation and exercise may prevent acute respiratory infection (ARI). This paper explores potential mediating mechanisms.Methods. Community-recruited adults were randomly assigned to three nonblinded arms: 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (N=51), moderate-intensity exercise (N=51), or wait-list control (N=52). Primary outcomes were ARI illness burden (validated Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey). Potential mediators included self-reported psychophysical health and exercise intensity (baseline, 9 weeks, and 3 months). A Baron and Kenny approach-based mediational analysis model, adjusted for group status, age, and gender, evaluated the relationship between the primary outcome and a potential mediator using zero-inflated modeling and Sobel testing.Results. Of 154 randomized, 149 completed the trial (51, 47, and 51 in meditation, exercise, and control groups) and were analyzed (82% female, 94% Caucasian, 59.3 ± SD 6.6 years old). Mediational analyses suggested that improved mindfulness (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale) at 3 months may mediate intervention effects on ARI severity and duration (P<0.05); 1 point increase in the mindfulness score corresponded to a shortened ARI duration by 7.2–9.6 hours.Conclusions. Meditation and exercise may decrease the ARI illness burden through increased mindfulness. These preliminary findings need confirmation, if confirmed, they would have important policy and clinical implications. This trial registration was Clinicaltrials.gov:NCT01057771.
Application of Baro-Altimeter Sensor in Emergency Positioning and Navigation Based on Compass GEO Satellites
Authors: Zhan Jianwei , Pang Jing , Zhang Guozhu , Ou Gang
Published: September 2013

Frame synchronization time of geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites is faster than that of incline geosynchronous satellite orbit and medium Earth orbit satellites in Beidou navigation satellite system (BDS). So time to first fix can be reduced greatly with GEO satellites (GEOs) to provide emergency positioning service during the cold start process. Meanwhile, GEOs can also be utilized to provide radio determination satellite services. Therefore, it is meaningful to research the emergency positioning algorithm based on GEOs. However, due to the poor geometry of the GEOs, the availability and accuracy degrade distinctly. To solve this problem, a low-cost high resolution MS5534B barometric (baro-) module is applied to BDS. Firstly, the principle of emergency positioning based on a baro-altimeter sensor and its performance such as the accuracy are elaborated. Then the effects of baro-altimeter sensor measurement error on positioning are analyzed. Finally, after analyzing the limitation of the conventional algorithms, a new high-accuracy emergency positioning algorithm with baro-altimeter sensor aiding is proposed, which is not limited by the integration and user's altitude. In comparison to the conventional algorithms, the stimulant and experimental results validate the effectiveness, robustness, and higher performance of the proposed algorithms incorporated with sensors.
Childhood Height and Birth Weight in Relation to Future Prostate Cancer Risk: A Cohort Study Based on the Copenhagen School Health Records Register
Authors: Cook Michael B. , Gamborg Michael , Aarestrup Julie , Sørensen Thorkild I.A. , Baker Jennifer L.
Published: October 2013

Background: Adult height has been positively associated with prostate cancer risk. However, the exposure window of importance is currently unknown and assessments of height during earlier growth periods are scarce. In addition, the association between birth weight and prostate cancer remains undetermined. We assessed these relationships in a cohort of the Copenhagen School Health Records Register (CSHRR).

Methods: The CSHRR comprises 372,636 school children. For boys born between the 1930s and 1969, birth weight and annual childhood heights—measured between ages 7 and 13 years—were analyzed in relation to prostate cancer risk. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: There were 125,211 males for analysis, 2,987 of who were subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer during 2.57 million person-years of follow-up. Height z-score was significantly associated with prostate cancer risk at all ages (HRs, 1.13 to 1.14). Height at age 13 years was more important than height change (P = 0.024) and height at age 7 years (P = 0.024), when estimates from mutually adjusted models were compared. Adjustment of birth weight did not alter the estimates. Birth weight was not associated with prostate cancer risk.

Conclusions: The association between childhood height and prostate cancer risk was driven by height at age 13 years.

Impact: Our findings implicate late childhood, adolescence, and adulthood growth periods as containing the exposure window(s) of interest that underlies the association between height and prostate cancer. The causal factor may not be singular given the complexity of both human growth and carcinogenesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(12); 2232–40. ©2013 AACR.
A New Reading of an Early Medieval Riddle
Authors: Chan Timothy Wai Keung
Published: September 2013

In the history of Chinese literary riddles, one work marks an aesthetic milestone and yet still causes uncertainty with regard to its context, syntactical structure, and meaning. Composed sometime between the mid-second to early fourth centuries in southeastern China, this riddle is a “postscript” to a stele inscription that relates how a fourteen-year-old Maiden Cao 曹娥 (d. 143) sacrificed her life by jumping into a river to search for the body of her drowned father. The “question” and “answer” of the riddle have been deciphered and construed in early sources, but are only treated there as a self-descriptive comment, without a larger context. After a brief survey of different kinds of riddle texts, this essay applies current theories about riddle composition to the text in question, also making use of relevant but overlooked historical and geographical information. A new reading of the riddle is ventured, in which it is seen to epitomize in enigmatically refined language the tragic act of Ms. Cao. 

Une œuvre marque un jalon dans l’histoire des charades littéraires tout en continuant d’être source d’incertitudes quant à son contexte, sa structure syntactique et sa signification. Composée entre le milieu du second et le début du quatrième siècle dans le Sud-Est de la Chine, cette charade sert de post-scriptum à une inscription sur stèle relatant comment la jeune Cao (morte en 143), âgée de 14 ans, sacrifia sa vie en se précipitant dans une rivière à la recherche du corps de son père noyé. La “question” et la “réponse” de la charade ont été déchiffrées et analysées dans des sources anciennes, mais seulement sous la forme de com­mentaires autonomes, sans faire appel au contexte. Ayant brièvement passé en revue les différents types de charades, le présent essai applique au texte en question les théories actuelles sur la composition des charades, tout en faisant appel à des données historiques et géographiques jusqu’à présent négligées. Une nouvelle lecture de la charade est proposée, à travers laquelle on voit que le texte illustre à la perfection, et dans une langue aussi raffinée qu’énigmatique, l’acte tragique de la jeune Cao.
Making Sense of the Master
Authors: Lee Sukhee
Published: September 2013

Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism contained the seeds of a tension with the spreading localist tendencies of the Southern Song. How, then, did it make its way into the minds of local elites? By examining the thought of Wang Bo (1197-1274), this article shows the ways in which Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism was interpreted in and reconciled with local contexts—how it was “localized.” First, Wang understood Zhu Xi’s major texts with the literary and historical sensitivity of Wuzhou scholarship, eventually challenging their ultimate authority through using his own local tradition. Second, he called into question the viability of Zhu’s local economic activism, thus speaking for the general economic interests of non-official, local elites like himself. Wang Bo’s “localized” Neo-Confucianism may have been a significant lapse from Zhu’s doctrine, but it was precisely such lapses that expanded its scope, making it possible for many more thinkers at the time to embrace it. 

Le néo-confucianisme de Zhu Xi contenait en germe une tension avec les tendances localistes qui se répandaient sous les Song du Sud. Comment dès lors ­parvint-il à s’imposer aux esprits parmi les élites locales? En examinant la pensée de Wang Bo (1197-1274), cet article met en évidence les différentes façons dont le néo-confucianisme de Zhu Xi a été interprété dans des contextes locaux et ­comment il a pu être réconcilié avec eux — comment il a été “localisé”. Pour com­mencer, Wang, qui comprenait les principaux textes de Zhu Xi à travers la sensibilité littéraire et historique de l’école de Wuzhou, finit par en contester l’autorité ultime en se basant sur sa propre tradition locale. Il mit par ailleurs en doute la viabilité des formes d’activisme économique local préconisées par Zhu Xi, en quoi il parlait au nom des intérêts économiques généraux de l’élite locale non bureaucratique dont il était un représentant. Si le néo-confucianisme “local” de Wang Bo a pu s’écarter significativement de la doctrine de Zhu Xi, ce sont précisément de tels écarts qui ont élargi la portée de celle-ci, permettant à l’époque à un nombre beaucoup plus grand de penseurs d’y adhérer.
Yugoslavia’s Foreign Policy in Balkan Perspective: Tracking between the Superpowers and Non-Alignment
Authors: Lampe John R.
Published: September 2013

From 1960 forward, Yugoslavia based its independent foreign policy on three “special relationships”, balancing its accommodation with the Soviet Union by close relations with the United States and the new Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Paying special attention to the roles of Yugoslavia’s Foreign Ministry and the US State Department as well as President Tito, this article addresses three crucial periods in which the intersection of Yugoslavia’s relations with the US, the USSR and the NAM prompted a decisive turn in its foreign policy. In 1961–63, Tito’s support for the NAM damaged its US relations to Soviet benefit. But in 1967–71, NAM indifference to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia turned Tito back toward the US, as advocated by his Foreign Ministry. And in 1976-79, Soviet and Bulgarian efforts to coopt the NAM through Cuba’s Presidency prompted a successful rebuff led by Yugoslavia and appreciated in Washington. After 1979, however, Belgrade’s post Tito reliance on economic relations with the NAM members had unintended and damaging domestic consequences, obstructing the Slovenian and Croatian commitment to West European trade while also dividing Bosnian Muslims from Bosnian Serbs.
The Stalinist volonté générale: Legitimizing Communist Statehood (1935–1952): A Comparative Perspective on the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Germany
Authors: Behrends Jan C.
Published: September 2013

The essay examines the attempts of communist regimes to legitimize their states and analyzes them within the framework of European Staatswissenschaft of the time. The discussion of the construction of Soviet statehood is compared with the communist nation-states founded during and in the aftermath of WWII. The essay argues that Stalin abandoned Lenin’s revolutionary order for the introduction of a Stalinist volonté générale in the 1936 constitution. During WWII, however, the Stalinist leadership ended the universalistic ambition of the USSR and fostered the formation of communist nation-states. The cases of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Germany show how communist statehood could be legitimized differently from the Soviet case and how it remained tied to national tradition. In a different manner such continuities even existed in Russia where Stalin created his own form of Scheinkonstitutionalismus. Yet, despite national peculiarities, from 1936 until their demise, European communists underlined that their states—unlike the liberal orders of the West—were supported by the volonté générale of their peoples.
“Hidden Transcripts” and Microhistory as a Comparative Tool: Two Case Studies in Communist Czechoslovakia
Authors: Blaive Muriel
Published: September 2013

This article applies James Scott’s anthropological analysis of domination practices to the field of Czechoslovak communist studies. In the first part, the article retraces the epistemology, as well as the use and abuse, of the term “totalita(rianism)” in the Czech public sphere in relation to the communist past. In the second part, it contrasts the “totalita” theory to the results of two oral, microhistorical studies that investigated life under communism: the first one was undertaken in the Czech town of České Velenice at the border to Austria, the second in the Slovak town of Komárno at the border of Hungary. Through their answers, the interviewees expose the current history politics practiced in Prague as a political discourse that has little in common with everyday practices of communist rule. Far from presenting themselves as unilateral heroes or victims, the interviewees leave no doubt to the fact that the “border between good and bad” passed within each and every individual—or as Václav Havel put it, people did not support or oppose the system, they became the system.
Is It Transnational? A New Perspective in the Study of Communism
Authors: Iacob Bogdan C.
Published: September 2013

This article presents a comprehensive review of the transnational perspective in the study of communism and the implications of this methodological turn for the transformation of the field itself. While advancing new topics and interpretative standpoints with a view to expanding the scope of such an initiative in current scholarship, the author argues that the transnational approach is important on several levels. First, it helps to de-localize and de-parochialize national historiographies. Second, it can provide the background to for the Europeanization of the history of the communist period in former Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Third, and most importantly, the transnational approach can reconstruct the international dimension of the communist experience, with its multiple geographies, spaces of entanglement and transfer, and clustered, cross-cultural identity-building processes. The article concludes that the advent of transnationalism in the study of communism allows for the discovery of various forms of historical contiguousness either among state socialisms or beyond the Iron Curtain. In other words, researchers might have a tool to not only know more about less, but also to resituate that “less” in the continuum of the history of communism and in the context of modernity. The transnational approach can generate a fundamental shift in our vantage point on the communist phenomenon in the twentieth century. It can reveal that a world long perceived as mostly turned inward was in fact imbricate in wider contexts of action and imagination and not particularly limited by the ideological segregationism of the Cold War.
Introduction
Authors: Iordachi Constantin , Apor Péter
Published: September 2013

The downfall of the communist system and the end of the Cold War, the liberalization of historical discourses in Central and Eastern Europe, the opening up of new archival collections for scientific research, the intensification of academic exchange and interaction between local and foreign scholars, and the increasing globalization of the world have challenged scholars to experiment with new transnational approaches to the study of communist regimes, such as shared/entangled history, history of transfers, and histoire croisée. Against this background, the current thematic issue aims to evaluate the potential impact of transnational approaches on the field of communist studies, within the broader frameworks of European and world history. In this introduction, we provide a reappraisal of the history, legacy, and prospects of comparative communist studies, highlighting the potential heuristic advantages posed by the applications of new approaches to the “cross-history” of communist regimes. We argue that transnational research perspectives can fertilize communist studies, leading not only to novel insights but to the transformation of the field itself, by setting it on new foundations. By employing transnational perspectives, scholars are able to challenge the traditional understanding of communist regimes as quasi-isolated national entities, highlighting instead the long-term impact of cross-border linkages and transfers on sociopolitical developments within the Soviet camp. It is our conviction that the entangled history of communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe can function as a laboratory for experimenting with new transnational perspectives, leading to innovative interdisciplinary approaches in a joint effort of scholars from various disciplines and historiographical traditions.
Arabia and Areal Hybridity
Authors: Al-Jallad Ahmad
Published: September 2013

The present contribution proposes the existence of two ‘micro linguistic areas’ in Arabia in which features from Arabic and other Semitic languages diffused multilaterally. Some of the output varieties pose a significant challenge to phylogeny as they exhibit conflicting isoglosses connecting them equally with different lineages of Semitic. We introduce to the term ‘areal hybridity’ to explain the genetic position of languages emerging from contact situations such as these. We argue that several older varieties, such as the dialect of Ṭayyiʾ and the medieval Ḥimyaritic language described by the Arab grammarians, as well some modern varieties of southwest Arabia, such as Rāziḥī and Riǧāl Almaʿ, fall into this category.