bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spin-Glass Behavior, Magnetic, and IR Spectroscopy Analysis of Multimetallic Compound Ni0.25Mn1.25[Fe(CN)6]·6.1H2O
Authors: Lin Qing , Liu Xiaofang , He Yun , Huang Haifu , Shen Xingcan
Published: August 2015

Multimetallic Prussian blue compound Ni0.25Mn1.25[Fe(CN)6]·6.1H2O has been prepared by coprecipitation. The temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibilities show the magnet transition for the compound at 8.5 K. According to DC variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility paramagnetic Curie temperatureθis −9.32 K. The observed value of coercive field (Hc) and the remanent magnetization (Mr) for the compound are 0.32 KOe and 0.36 μB. According to study of zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) magnetization curves and AC magnetization curves, there exists a spin-glass behaviour in the compound, which exhibits freezing temperatureTg=7.76 K, below magnetic transitionTC=8.5 K; that glass behavior is termed “reentrant” spin glass.
Damage Identification of Urban Overpass Based on Hybrid Neurogenetic Algorithm Using Static and Dynamic Properties
Authors: Liu Hanbing , Wang Xianqiang , Gong Yafeng , Jiao Yubo
Published: August 2015

Urban overpass is an important component of transportation system. Health condition of overpass is essential to guarantee the safe operation of urban traffic. Therefore, damage identification of urban overpass possesses important practical significance. In this paper, finite element model of left auxiliary bridge of Qianjin Overpass is constructed and vulnerable sections of structure are chosen as objects for damage recognition. Considering the asymmetry of Qianjin bridge, change rate of modal frequency and strain ratio are selected as input parameters for hybrid neurogenetic algorithm, respectively. Identification effects of damage location and severity are investigated and discussed. The results reveal that the proposed method can successfully identify locations and severities with single and multiple damage locations; its interpolation ability is better than extrapolation ability. Comparative analysis with BP neural network is conducted and reveals that the damage identification accuracy of hybrid neurogenetic algorithm is superior to BP. The effectiveness between dynamic and static properties as input variable is also analyzed. It indicates that the identification effect of strain ratios is more satisfactory than frequency ratio.
A Study on Thermal Performance of a Novel All-Glass Evacuated Tube Solar Collector Manifold Header with an Inserted Tube
Authors: Yang Jichun , Jiang Qingyang , Hou Jingxin , Luo Chenglong
Published: August 2015

A novel all-glass evacuated tube collector manifold header with an inserted tube is proposed in this paper which makes water in all-glass evacuated solar collector tube be forced circulated to improve the performance of solar collector. And a dynamic numerical model was presented for the novel all-glass evacuated tube collector manifold header water heater system. Also, a test rig was built for model validation and comparison with traditional all-glass evacuated tube collector. The experiment results show that the efficiency of solar water heater with a novel collector manifold header is higher than traditional all-glass evacuated tube collector by about 5% and the heat transfer model of water heater system is valid. Based on the model, the relationship between the average temperature of water tank and inserted tube diameter (water mass flow) has been studied. The results show that the optimized diameter of inserted tube is 32 mm for the inner glass with the diameter of 47 mm and the water flow mass should be less than 1.6 Kg/s.
Fcγand Complement Receptors and Complement Proteins in Neutrophil Activation in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Contribution to Pathogenesis and Progression and Modulation by Natural Products
Authors: Paoliello-Paschoalato Adriana Balbina , Marchi Larissa Fávaro , Andrade Micássio Fernandes de , Kabeya Luciana Mariko , Donadi Eduardo Antônio , Lucisano-Valim Yara Maria
Published: August 2015

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a highly disabling disease that affects all structures of the joint and significantly impacts on morbidity and mortality in RA patients. RA is characterized by persistent inflammation of the synovial membrane lining the joint associated with infiltration of immune cells. Eighty to 90% of the leukocytes infiltrating the synovia are neutrophils. The specific role that neutrophils play in the onset of RA is not clear, but recent studies have evidenced that they have an important participation in joint damage and disease progression through the release of proteolytic enzymes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytokines, and neutrophil extracellular traps, in particular during frustrated phagocytosis of immune complexes (ICs). In addition, the local and systemic activation of the complement system contributes to the pathogenesis of RA and other IC-mediated diseases. This review discusses (i) the participation of Fcγand complement receptors in mediating the effector functions of neutrophils in RA; (ii) the contribution of the complement system and ROS-dependent and ROS-independent mechanisms to joint damage in RA; and (iii) the use of plant extracts, dietary compounds, and isolated natural compounds in the treatment of RA, focusing on modulation of the effector functions of neutrophils and the complement system activity and/or activation.
Multimodal Registration and Fusion for 3D Thermal Imaging
Authors: Akhloufi Moulay A. , Verney Benjamin
Published: August 2015

3D vision is an area of computer vision that has attracted a lot of research interest and has been widely studied. In recent years we witness an increasing interest from the industrial community. This interest is driven by the recent advances in 3D technologies, which enable high precision measurements at an affordable cost. With 3D vision techniques we can conduct advanced manufactured parts inspections and metrology analysis. However, we are not able to detect subsurface defects. This kind of detection is achieved by other techniques, like infrared thermography. In this work, we present a new registration framework for 3D and thermal infrared multimodal fusion. The resulting fused data can be used for advanced 3D inspection in Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation (NDT&E) applications. The fusion permits the simultaneous visible surface and subsurface inspections to be conducted in the same process. Experimental tests were conducted with different materials. The obtained results are promising and show how these new techniques can be used efficiently in a combined NDT&E-Metrology analysis of manufactured parts, in areas such as aerospace and automotive.
Spatiotemporal Variation of Particulate Fallout Instances in Sfax City, Southern Tunisia: Influence of Sources and Meteorology
Authors: Bahloul Moez , Chabbi Iness , Sdiri Ali , Amdouni Ridha , Medhioub Khaled , Azri Chafai
Published: August 2015

Particles deposition in the main industrial zone of Sfax City (southern Tunisia) was studied by weekly monitoring particulate fallout instances at twenty sites from November 11, 2012, to April 15, 2013. Very high fluctuation in those particle fluxes, ranging from 0.376 to 9.915 g/m2, was clearly observed. Spatiotemporal distribution of the deposited particulate fluxes and the exposure of each site to the main industrial plumes (i.e., phosphate treatment plant “SIAPE,” soap industry “SIOS-ZITEX,” and lead secondary melting industry “FP Sfax Sud”) indicated the concomitant effects of surrounding industrial sources. In addition, the highest particulate deposition seemed to be associated with predominant strong cyclonic situations. Those deposition rates exceeded the levels recorded in the case of strong stabilities, considered as responsible for pollutant accumulation.
Herbal Therapies and Social-Health Policies: Indigenous Ati Negrito Women’s Dilemma and Reproductive Healthcare Transitions in the Philippines
Authors: Ong Homervergel G. , Kim Young-Dong
Published: August 2015

The high maternal mortality in the Philippines in the past decades prompted intervention strategies to curb unwanted deaths of mothers and improve health and social conditions of women. Such introductions however have begun to challenge traditional reproductive health practices creating confusion among practitioners and incipient transitions in healthcare. Our aim in this study was to document the herbal therapies practiced by indigenous Ati Negrito women and discuss the implications of social and conventional healthcare intervention programs on reproductive healthcare traditions by conducting semistructured interviews. Fidelity Level index was used to determine culturally important plants (i.e., the most preferred). Review of related studies on most preferred plants and therapies was further carried out to provide information regarding their safety/efficacy (or otherwise). Determination of informants’ traditional medicinal knowledge was done using Mann-WhitneyUand Kruskal-Wallis tests. A total of 49 medicinal plants used in treating female reproductive health-related syndromes across four categories were recorded. Significant differences in traditional medicinal knowledge were recorded when informants were grouped according to age, education, and number of children. Issues discussed in this research could hopefully raise awareness on changes in healthcare practices in indigenous cultures and on medical safety especially when traditional and conventional medications interact.
Adsorption of Organic Dyes by TiO2@Yeast‐Carbon Composite Microspheres and Their In Situ Regeneration Evaluation
Authors: Pei Zheng , Kaiqiang Zhang , Yu Dang , Bo Bai , Weisheng Guan , Yourui Suo
Published: August 2015

TiO2@yeast‐carbon microspheres with raspberry‐like morphology were fabricated based on the pyrolysis method. The obtained products were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Effects of initial dye concentration and contact time on adsorption capacity of TiO2@yeast‐carbon for cationic dye methylene blue (MB) and anionic dye congo red (CR) were investigated. Experimental data were described by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Koble‐Corrigan isotherm models, respectively. It was found that the equilibrium data of MB adsorption were best represented by Koble‐Corrigan, and CR adsorption was best described by both Freundlich and Koble‐Corrigan isotherm models. The kinetic data of MB and CR adsorption fitted pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model well. The results demonstrated that TiO2@yeast‐carbon microspheres achieved favorable removal for the cationic MB in comparison with that for the anionic CR. In addition, regeneration experimental results showed that TiO2@yeast‐carbon exhibited good recycling stability, reusability, and in situ renewability, suggesting that the as‐prepared TiO2@yeast‐carbon might be used as the potential low cost alternative for recalcitrant dye removal from industrial wastewater. One possible mechanism for regenerating dye‐loaded TiO2@yeast in situ was also proposed.
Fermion Fields in BTZ Black Hole Space-Time and Entanglement Entropy
Authors: Singh Dharm Veer , Siwach Sanjay
Published: August 2015

We study the entanglement entropy of fermion fields in BTZ black hole space-time and calculate prefactor of the leading and subleading terms and logarithmic divergence term of the entropy using the discretized model. The leading term is the standard Bekenstein-Hawking area law and subleading term corresponds to first quantum corrections in black hole entropy. We also investigate the corrections to entanglement entropy for massive fermion fields in BTZ space-time. The mass term does not affect the area law.
An ID/Locator Separation Based Group Mobility Management in Wireless Body Area Network
Authors: Gohar Moneeb , Choi Jin-Ghoo , Koh Seok-Joo
Published: August 2015

Mobility management in wireless sensor network is the most important factor to be considered for applications such as healthcare system. Recently, Identifier (ID)/Locator (LOC) separation based mobility management scheme has been proposed for wireless sensor network. However, it does not perform well in group-based mobility management in wireless body area network, and thus it tends to induce large registration, packet delivery, and handover delays. To overcome these limitations, we propose a group-based mobility management scheme based on ID/LOC separation concept for ID-based communications with location-based routing to reduce the number of control messages. In the proposed scheme, each sensor device has a globally unique device identifier (GDID) which contains the information of its home network domain. For handover support, each access gateway maintains its home GDID register (HGR) and visiting GDID register (VGR) which are used to keep the GDID-locator (LOC) mappings for primary mobile devices in the distributed manner. Besides, in the proposed scheme, only the coordinator will send Router Solicitation and Router Advertisement messages to reduce the control messages further. By numerical analysis, we show that the proposed scheme can significantly reduce the registration, packet delivery, and handover delays, compared to the existing schemes.
A Low‐Stress, Elastic, and Improved Hardness Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon Film
Authors: Wang Qi , He Deyan , Zhang Junyan
Published: August 2015

The evolution of hydrogenated amorphous carbon films with fullerene‐like microstructure was investigated with a different proportion of hydrogen supply in deposition. The results showed at hydrogen flow rate of 50 sccm, the deposited films showed a lower compressive stress (lower 48.6%), higher elastic recovery (higher 19.6%, near elastic recovery rate 90%), and higher hardness (higher 7.4%) compared with the films deposited without hydrogen introduction. Structural analysis showed that the films with relatively high sp2 content and low bonded hydrogen content possessed high hardness, elastic recovery rate, and low compressive stress. It was attributed to the curved graphite microstructure, which can form three‐dimensional covalently bonded network.
Game Factors and Game-Based Learning Design Model
Authors: Shi Yen-Ru , Shih Ju-Ling
Published: August 2015

How to design useful digital game-based learning is a topic worthy of discussion. Past research focused on specific game genres design, but it is difficult to use when the target game genre differs from the default genres used in the research. This study presents macrodesign concepts that elucidates 11 crucial game-design factors, including game goals, game mechanism, game fantasy, game value, interaction, freedom, narrative, sensation, challenges, sociality, and mystery. We clearly define each factor and analyze the relationships among the 11 factors to construct a game-based learning design model. Two application examples are analyzed to verify the usability of the model and the performance of these factors. It can assist educational game designers in developing interesting games.
Antihyperglycemic Potential ofGrewia asiaticaFruit Extract against Streptozotocin-Induced Hyperglycemia in Rats: Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms
Authors: Khattab Hala A. H. , El-Shitany Nagla A. , Abdallah Inas Z. A. , Yousef Fatimah M. , Alkreathy Huda M.
Published: August 2015

Diabetes mellitus is regarded as a serious chronic disease that carries a high risk for considerable complications. In folk medicine, the edibleGrewia asiaticafruit is used in a number of pathological conditions. This study aimed to investigate the possible curative effect ofG. asiaticafruit ethanolic extract against streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced hyperglycemia in rats. Furthermore, mechanism of antihyperglycemic action is investigated. Hyperglycemic rats are either treated with 100 or 200 mg/kg/dayG. asiaticafruits extract. Serum glucose, liver glycogen, malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), interleukin- (IL-) 1β, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-)αare measured.G. asiaticafruits extract reduces blood glucose and pancreatic MDA levels. It increases liver glycogen and pancreatic GSH contents and SOD enzyme activity. Furthermore,Grewia asiaticafruits extract decreases serum IL-1βand TNF-α. The treatment also protects against STZ-induced pathological changes in the pancreas. The results of this study indicated thatG. asiaticafruit extract exerts antihyperglycemic activity against STZ-induced hyperglycemia. The improvement in the pancreaticβ-cells and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects ofG. asiaticafruit extract may explain the antihyperglycemic effect.
An Analytical Approach for Deformation Shapes of a Cylindrical Shell with Internal Medium Subjected to Lateral Contact Explosive Loading
Authors: Li Xiangyu , Li Zhenduo , Liang Minzu
Published: August 2015

An experimental investigation on deformation shape of a cylindrical shell with internal medium subjected to lateral contact explosion was carried out briefly. Deformation shapes at different covered width of lateral explosive were recovered experimentally. Based on the experimental results, a corresponding analytical approach has been undertaken with rigid plastic hinge theory. In the analytical model, the cylindrical shell is divided into end-to-end rigid square bars. Deformation process of the cylindrical shell is described by using the translations and rotations of all rigid square bars. Expressions of the spring force, buckling moment, and deflection angle between adjacent rigid square bars are conducted theoretically. Given the structure parameters of the cylinder and the type of the lateral explosive charge, deformation processes and shapes are reported and discussed using the analytical approach. A good agreement has been obtained between calculated and experimental results, and thus the analytical approach can be considered as a valuable tool in understanding the deformation mechanism and predicting the deformation shapes of the cylindrical shell with internal medium subjected to lateral contact explosion. Finally, parametric studies are carried out to analyze the effects of deformation shape, including the covered width of the lateral explosive, explosive charge material, and distribution of initial velocity.
C‐Reactive Protein in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Chronic and Aggressive Periodontitis, Gingivitis, and Gingival Recessions
Authors: Podzimek Stepan , Mysak Jaroslav , Janatova Tatjana , Duskova Jana
Published: August 2015

CRP is a plasma protein that reflects a measure of the acute phase response to inflammation and is one of the markers of choice in monitoring this response. CRP can be used for the prediction and early detection of periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the systemic levels of CRP in the peripheral blood samples of patients with chronic and aggressive periodontitis, gingivitis, and gingival recessions and compare them with periodontal clinical parameters. All patients (N = 158) were examined prior to the initiation of periodontal treatment. Patients were divided into four groups. Group A consisted of 26 patients with aggressive periodontitis, Group B consisted of 111 patients with chronic periodontitis, Group C consisted of 13 patients with gingivitis, and Group D consisted of 8 patients with gingival recessions. Our study results indicate that CRP levels increase subsequently with the severity of the periodontal disease and that the bleeding on probing index showed much better positive correlation with the CRP levels compared to the pocket depth index in both periodontitis patients groups, especially in aggressive periodontitis patients.
Review of Synthesis and Antioxidant Potential of Fullerenol Nanoparticles
Authors: Djordjevic Aleksandar , Srdjenovic Branislava , Seke Mariana , Petrovic Danijela , Injac Rade , Mrdjanovic Jasminka
Published: August 2015

This review describes the chemical synthesis of polar polyhydroxylated fullerene C60 derivatives, fullerenols C60(OH)n, 2 ≤ n ≤ 44, C60HzOx(OH)y, and polyanion fullerenols C60(OH)15(ONa)9, ranging from the very first synthetic methods up to some contemporary approaches to synthesis and separation. It also provides some basic information about physical characteristics of fullerenols. With the increasing number of hydroxyl groups, water solubility of fullerenols increases as well. Fullerenols both in water and biological media build nanoparticles of different dimensions and stability. In different chemical and biological model systems a large number of various polyhydroxylated fullerene derivatives were tested and they showed both their antioxidative and prooxidative characteristics. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the antioxidant activity of fullerenol. In addition, this paper also provides insight into patents referring to the antioxidant properties of fullerenol.
Advanced Approach of Multiagent Based Buoy Communication
Authors: Gricius Gediminas , Drungilas Darius , Andziulis Arunas , Dzemydiene Dale , Voznak Miroslav , Kurmis Mindaugas , Jakovlev Sergej
Published: August 2015

Usually, a hydrometeorological information system is faced with great data flows, but the data levels are often excessive, depending on the observed region of the water. The paper presents advanced buoy communication technologies based on multiagent interaction and data exchange between several monitoring system nodes. The proposed management of buoy communication is based on a clustering algorithm, which enables the performance of the hydrometeorological information system to be enhanced. The experiment is based on the design and analysis of the inexpensive but reliable Baltic Sea autonomous monitoring network (buoys), which would be able to continuously monitor and collect temperature, waviness, and other required data. The proposed approach of multiagent based buoy communication enables all the data from the costal‐based station to be monitored with limited transition speed by setting different tasks for the agent‐based buoy system according to the clustering information.
Structural and Magnetic Properties of Ni81Fe19 Thin Film Grown on Si(001) Substrate via Single Graphene Layer
Authors: Li Gui-fang , Liu Shibin , Yang Shanglin , Du Yongqian
Published: August 2015

We prepared magnetic thin films Ni81Fe19 on single‐crystal Si(001) substrates via single graphene layer through magnetron sputtering for Ni81Fe19 and chemical vapor deposition for graphene. Structural investigation showed that crystal quality of Ni81Fe19 thin films was significantly improved with insertion of graphene layer compared with that directly grown on Si(001) substrate. Furthermore, saturation magnetization of Ni81Fe19/graphene/Si(001) heterostructure increased to 477 emu/cm3 with annealing temperature Ta = 400°C, which is much higher than values of Ni81Fe19/Si(001) heterostructures with Ta ranging from 200°C to 400°C.
Performance Comparison of OpenMP, MPI, and MapReduce in Practical Problems
Authors: Kang Sol Ji , Lee Sang Yeon , Lee Keon Myung
Published: August 2015

With problem size and complexity increasing, several parallel and distributed programming models and frameworks have been developed to efficiently handle such problems. This paper briefly reviews the parallel computing models and describes three widely recognized parallel programming frameworks: OpenMP, MPI, and MapReduce. OpenMP is the de facto standard for parallel programming on shared memory systems. MPI is the de facto industry standard for distributed memory systems. MapReduce framework has become the de facto standard for large scale data-intensive applications. Qualitative pros and cons of each framework are known, but quantitative performance indexes help get a good picture of which framework to use for the applications. As benchmark problems to compare those frameworks, two problems are chosen: all-pairs-shortest-path problem and data join problem. This paper presents the parallel programs for the problems implemented on the three frameworks, respectively. It shows the experiment results on a cluster of computers. It also discusses which is the right tool for the jobs by analyzing the characteristics and performance of the paradigms.
Pulmonary Hyalinizing Granuloma Mimicking Metastatic Lung Cancer
Authors: Düzgün Nuri , Kurtipek Ercan , Esme Hıdır , Eren Karanis Meryem İlkay , Tolu İsmet
Published: August 2015

Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma is a very rare benign condition, which usually manifests as solitary and sometimes as multiple pulmonary nodules. Deposition of immune complexes in the lung parenchyma due to hypersensitivity reactions is implicated in the etiology of pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma. A 59-year-old female patient who presented to our clinic with complaints of chest pain and cough had bilateral, multiple, and rounded lesions with regular margins suggesting metastatic lung disease. A transthoracic needle biopsy of the nodule was performed in the left pulmonary anterior segment. Biopsy showed no malignancy. Since no diagnosis was made by the biopsy, the patient underwent a video-assisted thoracic surgery. The wedge biopsy reported pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma. We aimed to present the diagnosis and treatment stages of our patient who was diagnosed with pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma in the light of literature review.
Student Perceptions of Nutrition Education at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine: A Resource Challenged Institution
Authors: Hardman W. Elaine , Miller Bobby L. , Shah Darshana T.
Published: August 2015

Nutrition education is an essential component of medical education if new physicians are to be equipped to address common chronic diseases, including obesity and the associated diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Most medical students recognize this need and desire nutrition education; however, finding time in a medical school curriculum and funding are challenging. Available, free online resources and small group exercises can be utilized to provide basic, up-to-date nutrition information to medical students.
The Influence of Dentine on the pH of Calcium Hydroxide, Chlorhexidine Gel, and Experimental Bioactive Glass‐Based Root Canal Medicament
Authors: Nunes Carvalho Ceci , Gonzales Freire Laila , Pinheiro Lima de Carvalho Alexandre , Luiz Siqueira Evandro , Bauer José , Cunha Gritti Giovana , Pereira de Souza Juliana , Gavini Giulio
Published: August 2015

Objectives. To evaluate the influence of dentine on the pH of different medications in standardized simulated canals. Materials and Methods. Forty resin blocks were divided into groups with and without dentine powder, as follows: 2% chlorhexidine gel; 2% chlorhexidine gel associated with calcium hydroxide PA; calcium hydroxide PA delivered in propylene glycol 600; and NPG delivered in distilled water. The dentine powder was obtained from the root dentine of bovine teeth and added to the medications. The simulated canals were placed in containers with 1.5 mL of deionized water and pH was monitored in multiple intervals, up to 30 days. The mean pH values were calculated and submitted to statistical analysis using paired Student’s t‐test and ANOVA complemented by the Tukey test (p < 0.05). Results. There was no statistical difference between the groups with and without dentine powder (p > 0.05). The pH values of calcium hydroxide were significantly higher than those of NPG in the first 24 hours (p < 0.05). After 7 days, both behaved in a similar manner. Conclusion. The addition of dentine powder to the medications evaluated did not alter the pH of the external solution in any of the time points tested.
Astroglial Plasticity Is Implicated in Hippocampal Remodelling in Adult Rats Exposed to Antenatal Dexamethasone
Authors: Shende Vishvesh H. , McArthur Simon , Gillies Glenda E. , Opacka-Juffry Jolanta
Published: August 2015

The long-term effects of antenatal dexamethasone treatment on brain remodelling in 3-month-old male Sprague Dawley rats whose mothers had been treated with dexamethasone were investigated in the present study. Dorsal hippocampus, basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens volume, cell numbers, and GFAP-immunoreactive astroglial cell morphology were analysed using stereology. Total brain volume as assessed by micro-CT was not affected by the treatment. The relative volume of the dorsal hippocampus (% of total brain volume) showed a moderate, by 8%, but significant reduction in dexamethasone-treated versus control animals. Dexamethasone had no effect on the total and GFAP-positive cell numbers in the hippocampal subregions, basolateral amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. Morphological analysis indicated that numbers of astroglial primary processes were not affected in any of the hippocampal subregions analysed but significant reductions in the total primary process length were observed in CA1 by 32%, CA3 by 50%, and DG by 25%. Mean primary process length values were also significantly decreased in CA1 by 25%, CA3 by 45%, and DG by 25%. No significant astroglial morphological changes were found in basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens. We propose that the dexamethasone-dependent impoverishment of hippocampal astroglial morphology is the case of maladaptive glial plasticity induced prenatally.
Studying Air Pollutants Origin and Associated Meteorological Parameters over Seoul from 2000 to 2009
Authors: Park Sunmin , El-Askary Hesham , Sabbah Ismail , Kwak Hanbin , Prasad Anup K. , Lee Woo-Kyun , Kafatos Menas
Published: August 2015

We investigate the temporal characteristics of major air pollutants collected from 44 air quality stations over the city of Seoul, Korea, namely, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, particular matter at 10 microns, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) between 2000 and 2009. The corresponding satellite datasets, namely, aerosol optical depth (AODsat), Ångström exponent, and fine mode fraction, collected from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) as well as the Aeronet ground aerosol optical depth (AODaeronet), have been analyzed. Pollutants’ seasonal effect has been inferred from the precipitation and temperature. The four pollutants under study show varying temporal characteristics with different annual mean concentration patterns. The monthly mean of mentioned pollutants all show similar low concentrations during the summer season and high concentrations during the winter season. We found that pollution is strongly linked to temperature and precipitation variability, especially during the fall season. Satellite data analysis provides information on the pollutants origin whether of natural or anthropogenic type. Our results indicate that the anthropogenic aerosol is dominant in the summer season even though the concentration was lower than the other seasons. AODaeronetand Ångström exponent indicated high positive and negative correlation coefficients with PM10, 0.60, and −0.45, respectively. Both small and large sizes of aerosols existed in 2007; however coarse size of aerosols was the primary component in 2002.
2D Geometry Predicts Perceived Visual Curvature in Context-Free Viewing
Authors: Dresp-Langley Birgitta
Published: August 2015

Planar geometry was exploited for the computation of symmetric visual curves in the image plane, with consistent variations in local parameters such assagitta,chordlength, and the curves’ height-to-width ratio, an indicator of the visual area covered by the curve, also called aspect ratio. Image representations of single curves (no local image context) were presented to human observers to measure their visual sensation of curvature magnitude elicited by a given curve. Nonlinear regression analysis was performed on both the individual and the average data using two types of model: (1) a power function wherey(sensation) tends towards infinity as a function ofx(stimulus input), most frequently used to model sensory scaling data for sensory continua, and (2) an “exponential rise to maximum” function, which converges towards an asymptotically stable level ofyas a function ofx. Both models provide satisfactory fits to subjective curvature magnitude as a function of the height-to-width ratio of single curves. The findings are consistent with an in-built sensitivity of the human visual system to local curve geometry, a potentially essential ground condition for the perception of concave and convex objects in the real world.
Bicriteria Optimization in Wireless Sensor Networks: Link Scheduling and Energy Consumption
Authors: Chen Jian , Jia Jie , Dai Enliang , Wen Yingyou , Zhao Dazhe
Published: August 2015

Link scheduling is important for reliable data communication in wireless sensor networks. Previous works mainly focus on how to find the minimum scheduling length but ignore the impact of energy consumption. In this paper, we integrate them together and solve them by multiobjective genetic algorithms. As a contribution, by jointly modeling the route selection and interference-free link scheduling problem, we give a systematical analysis on the relationship between link scheduling and energy consumption. Considering the specific many-to-one communication nature of WSNs, we propose a novel link scheduling scheme based on NSGA-II (Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II). Our approach aims to search the optimal routing tree which satisfies the minimum scheduling length and energy consumption for wireless sensor networks. To achieve this goal, the solution representation based on the routing tree, the genetic operations including tree based recombination and mutation, and the fitness evaluation based on heuristic link scheduling algorithm are well designed. Extensive simulations demonstrate that our algorithm can quickly converge to the Pareto optimal solution between the two performance metrics.
Safety Assessment of Nuclear Power Plants for Liquefaction Consequences
Authors: Katona Tamás János , Bán Zoltán , Győri Erzsébet , Tóth László , Mahler András
Published: August 2015

In case of some nuclear power plants constructed at the soft soil sites, liquefaction should be analysed as beyond design basis hazard. The aim of the analysis is to define the postevent condition of the plant, definition of plant vulnerabilities, and identification of the necessary measures for accident management. In the paper, the methodology of the analysis of liquefaction effects for nuclear power plants is outlined. The procedure includes identification of the scope of the safety analysis and the acceptable limit cases for plant structures having different role from accident management point of view. Considerations are made for identification of dominating effects of liquefaction. The possibility of the decoupling of the analysis of liquefaction effects from the analysis of vibratory ground motion is discussed. It is shown in the paper that the practicable empirical methods for definition of liquefaction susceptibility provide rather controversial results. Selection of method for assessment of soil behaviour that affects the integrity of structures requires specific considerations. The case of nuclear power plant at Paks, Hungary, is used as an example for demonstration of practical importance of the presented results and considerations.
Time Evolution of Initial Errors in Lorenz’s 05 Chaotic Model
Authors: Bednář Hynek , Raidl Aleš , Mikšovský Jiří
Published: August 2015

Initial errors in weather prediction grow in time and, as they become larger, their growth slows down and then stops at an asymptotic value. Time of reaching this saturation point represents the limit of predictability. This paper studies the asymptotic values and time limits in a chaotic atmospheric model for five initial errors, using ensemble prediction method (model’s data) as well as error approximation by quadratic and logarithmic hypothesis and their modifications. We show that modified hypotheses approximate the model’s time limits better, but not without serious disadvantages. We demonstrate how hypotheses can be further improved to achieve better match of time limits with the model. We also show that quadratic hypothesis approximates the model’s asymptotic value best and that, after improvement, it also approximates the model’s time limits better for almost all initial errors and time lengths.
Moderate Intensity Training Impact on the Inflammatory Status and Glycemic Profiles in NOD Mice
Authors: Codella Roberto , Lanzoni Giacomo , Zoso Alessia , Caumo Andrea , Montesano Anna , Terruzzi Ileana M. , Ricordi Camillo , Luzi Livio , Inverardi Luca
Published: August 2015

The nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse represents a well-established experimental model analogous to human type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) as it is characterized by progressive autoimmune destruction of pancreaticβ-cells. Experiments were designed to investigate the impact of moderate-intensity training on T1D immunomodulation and inflammation. Under a chronic exercise regime, NOD mice were trained on a treadmill for 12 weeks (12 m/min for 30 min, 5 d/wk) while age-matched, control animals were left untrained. Prior to and upon completion of the training period, fed plasma glucose and immunological soluble factors were monitored. Both groups showed deteriorated glycemic profiles throughout the study although trained mice tended to be more compensated than controls after 10 weeks of training. An exercise-induced weight loss was detected in the trained mice with respect to the controls from week 6. After 12 weeks, IL-6 and MIP-1βwere decreased in the trained animals compared to their baseline values and versus controls, although not significantly. Morphometric analysis of pancreata revealed the presence of larger infiltrates along with decreasedα-cells areas in the control mice compared to trained mice. Exercise may exert positive immunomodulation of systemic functions with respect to both T1D and inflammation, but only in a stringent therapeutic window.
Infection and Foot Care in Diabetics Seeking Treatment in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Odisha State, India
Authors: Kar Sonali , Ray Shalini , Meher Dayanidhi
Published: August 2015

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem that can cause a number of serious complications. Foot ulceration is one of its most common complications. Poor foot care knowledge and practices are important risk factors for foot problems among diabetics. The present study was undertaken in the diabetes outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital to assess the practices regarding foot care in diabetes, find out the determinants of foot ulcer in diabetics, and offer suggestions to improve care. After informed consent, a total of 124 diabetics were interviewed to collect all relevant information. The diabetic foot care practice responses were converted into scores and for the sake of analysis were inferred as poor (0–5), fair (6-7), and good (>7) practices. Of the study population, 68.5% (85/124) consisted of men. The disease was diagnosed within the last 5 years for 66% (81/124) of the study participants. Of the study subjects, 83% (103/124) were on oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs), 15.3% (19) on insulin, and 2 on diet control only. Among them about 18.5% had a history of foot ulcer. 37.9% reported using special slippers, 12% diabetics used slippers indoors, and 66.9% used slippers while using toilet. Of the study subjects, 67.8% said that feet should be inspected daily. 27.4% said they regularly applied oil/moisturizer on their feet. There is a need on part of the primary or secondary physician and an active participation of the patient to receive education about foot care as well as awareness regarding risk factors, recognition, clinical evaluation, and thus prevention of the complications of diabetes.
Water Yield Variation due to Forestry Change in the Head-Water Area of Heihe River Basin, Northwest China
Authors: Wu Feng , Zhan Jinyan , Chen Jiancheng , He Chao , Zhang Qian
Published: August 2015

Understanding the effects of forestation on the hydrological process is crucial to protecting water resources. In this study, the upstream Heihe River Basin is selected as the study area, which is the water source area of the whole basin. The grassland and forest are the main land use types, the proportion of which in the total land area is 21% and 50%, respectively. Firstly, a scenario of forestation was designed with the actual land cover data in 1980. Then a scenario with simulated land cover data in 1980 was established, in which the forest area increases by 12%. Thereafter a hydrological simulation was carried out with the actual and simulated land cover maps and the climate observation data during 1980–2010. The results suggested that the total water yield increased by 12.57 mm under the scenario with land use change during 1980–2010 compared with the simulation with the actual land cover in 1980. However, the results also indicated that the surface runoff reduced by 22.17 mm during the same period, indicating the forest land has “sponge” effects on the water resource in the mountainous watershed. These results may provide important information that supports operational practices, such as forest regeneration programs and watershed restoration.
A Data Mining Approach for Visual and Analytical Identification of Neurorehabilitation Ranges in Traumatic Brain Injury Cognitive Rehabilitation
Authors: García-Rudolph Alejandro , Gibert Karina
Published: August 2015

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a critical public health and socioeconomic problem throughout the world. Cognitive rehabilitation (CR) has become the treatment of choice for cognitive impairments after TBI. It consists of hierarchically organized tasks that require repetitive use of impaired cognitive functions. One important focus for CR professionals is the number of repetitions and the type of task performed throughout treatment leading to functional recovery. However, very little research is available that quantifies the amount and type of practice. The Neurorehabilitation Range (NRR) and the Sectorized and Annotated Plane (SAP) have been introduced as a means of identifying formal operational models in order to provide therapists with decision support information for assigning the most appropriate CR plan. In this paper we present a novel methodology based on combining SAP and NRR to solve what we call the Neurorehabilitation Range Maximal Regions (NRRMR) problem and to generate analytical and visual tools enabling the automatic identification of NRR. A new SAP representation is introduced and applied to overcome the drawbacks identified with existing methods. The results obtained show patterns of response to treatment that might lead to reconsideration of some of the current clinical hypotheses.
Immunoregulation on Mice of Low Immunity and Effects on Five Kinds of Human Cancer Cells ofPanax japonicusPolysaccharide
Authors: Jie Zhang , Chun-Yan Li , Jing-Ping Li , Ren Guo , Hui Wang , Juan Pan , Sheng-Lan Liu
Published: August 2015

The goal of this study is to investigate the immunoregulative effects ofPanax japonicuspolysaccharide (PJPS) on mice of low immunity. An orthogonal experiment was designed to determine the best extraction process for PJPS. By the tests of macrophages swallow chicken red blood cells, Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), and serum hemolysin value, we studied the immune adjustment ability of PJPS. MTT was employed to detect the effects of different concentrations of PJPS, respectively, in 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h on five kinds of human cancer cells. The results show that the best extraction process for PJPS was as follows: ratio of solvent consumption to raw material 40, extraction temperature 100°C, re-extracted two times, each extraction time 4 hours. PJPS can significantly improve the immune function of mice processed by cyclophosphamide and PJPS did not work on the above five cancer cells.
Solar Lighting Technologies for Highway Green Rest Areas in China: Energy Saving Economic and Environmental Evaluation
Authors: Qin Xiaochun , Wei Qingchao , Wang Lianjun , Shen Yi
Published: August 2015

In this paper, taking Lushan West Sea highway green rest area in Jiangxi Province of China as the case study, the suitable types, applicability, advantages, and effective methods of solar lighting technologies for highway rest area were determined based on the analysis of characteristics of highway green rest area. It was proved that solar lighting technologies including the natural light guidance system, solar LED lighting, and maximizing natural light penetration were quite suitable for highway rest area in terms of lighting effects and energy and economic efficiency. The illuminance comparison of light guidance system with electrical lighting was made based on the on-site experiment. Also, the feasibility of natural light guidance system was well verified in terms of the lighting demand of the visitor centre in the rest area by the illuminance simulation analysis. The evaluation of the energy saving, economic benefits, and environmental effects of solar lighting technologies for highway rest area was, respectively, made in detail. It was proved that the application of solar technology for green lighting of highway rest facilities not only could have considerable energy saving capacity and achieve high economic benefits, but also make great contributions to the reduction of environment pollution.
End Stage Renal Disease: Seroprevalence of Hepatitises B and C along with Associated Aetiology and Risk Factors in Children
Authors: Shah Syed Raza , Khan Muhammad Shahzeb , Alam Muhammad Tanveer , Salim Adnan , Hussain Mehwish , Altaf Areeba
Published: August 2015

Background. End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) normally requires dialysis or transplantation for survival. Since ESRD patients are on long term dialysis, infections such as Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) are commonly reported.Methods. This was a retrospective study carried out at a government hospital during a 12-month period from January 2013 to December 2013. The data was collected using a predesigned pro forma to note the etiology, gender, age, and HBsAg and anti-HCV test result of each patient.Results. 444 children suffering from ESRD were included in our analysis. The mean age of sample was 12.7 ± 4.1 years. Sixty percent (n=262) of the children were boys. The most common etiology of ESRD was kidney stones (n=44, 29.3%). HBV was positive in 11 children (2.5%) while HCV was positive in 13 (2.9%).Conclusion. This study asserts the need for carrying out further work to confirm these findings and expand our recommendations. It is imperative to reliably determine the burden of HBV and HCV disease and to determine the aetiology of their spread especially in children with ESRD.
Moxibustion and Acupuncture Ameliorate Crohn’s Disease by Regulating the Balance between Th17 and Treg Cells in the Intestinal Mucosa
Authors: Zhao Chen , Bao Chunhui , Li Jing , Zhu Yifang , Wang Siyao , Yang Ling , Shi Yin , Liu Huirong , Dou Chuanzi , Ding Guanghong , Wang Xiaomei , Wu Huangan
Published: August 2015

Previous studies have demonstrated that acupuncture is beneficial to patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), but the mechanism underlying its therapeutic effects remains unclear. To identify the mechanism by which acupuncture treats CD, the balance between Th17 and Treg cells was assessed in CD patients. In this study, Ninety-two CD patients were randomly and equally assigned to a treatment group that were treated with herb-partitioned moxibustion and acupuncture or a control group with wheat bran-partitioned moxibustion and superficial acupuncture. The effect of these treatments on Th17 and Treg cells and their related molecular markers in the intestinal mucosa were detected before (week 0) and after (week 12) treatment. The results suggested that the ratio of Th17 and Treg cells was significantly decreased after treatment and that the levels of IL-17 and RORγt in the intestinal mucosa were obviously reduced, while the expression of FOXP3 was increased after treatment in both groups. In the treatment group, the expression of these molecules was more markedly regulated than the control group. In conclusion, moxibustion and acupuncture have been shown to regulate the ratio of Th17 and Treg cells in the intestinal mucosa of CD patients and restore the balance between these immune cell subsets.