bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeted principle component analysis: A new motion artifact correction approach for near-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Yücel Meryem A. , Selb Juliette , Cooper Robert J. , Boas David A.
Published: October 2013

As near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) broadens its application area to different age and disease groups, motion artifacts in the NIRS signal due to subject movement is becoming an important challenge. Motion artifacts generally produce signal fluctuations that are larger than physiological NIRS signals, thus it is crucial to correct for them before obtaining an estimate of stimulus evoked hemodynamic responses. There are various methods for correction such as principle component analysis (PCA), wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation. Here, we introduce a new approach to motion artifact correction, targeted principle component analysis (tPCA), which incorporates a PCA filter only on the segments of data identified as motion artifacts. It is expected that this will overcome the issues of filtering desired signals that plagues standard PCA filtering of entire data sets. We compared the new approach with the most effective motion artifact correction algorithms on a set of data acquired simultaneously with a collodion-fixed probe (low motion artifact content) and a standard Velcro probe (high motion artifact content). Our results show that tPCA gives statistically better results in recovering hemodynamic response function (HRF) as compared to wavelet-based filtering and spline interpolation for the Velcro probe. It results in a significant reduction in mean-squared error (MSE) and significant enhancement in Pearson's correlation coefficient to the true HRF. The collodion-fixed fiber probe with no motion correction performed better than the Velcro probe corrected for motion artifacts in terms of MSE and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Thus, if the experimental study permits, the use of a collodion-fixed fiber probe may be desirable. If the use of a collodion-fixed probe is not feasible, then we suggest the use of tPCA in the processing of motion artifact contaminated data.
Chapter 14 Stromboli volcano, Aeolian Islands (Italy): present eruptive activity and hazards
Authors: Rosi M. , Pistolesi M. , Bertagnini A. , Landi P. , Pompilio M. , Di Roberto A.
Published: October 2013

Stromboli, the northernmost island of the Aeolian archipelago, is known for its persistent volcanic activity over the last several centuries and for its cone which, on clear days, is surmounted by a gas plume rising from its summit. The island hosts two settled areas: the village of Stromboli (
c.
500 inhabitants) to the NE and that of Ginostra (
c.
40 inhabitants) to the SW, both situated along the coast. In summer the number of residents grows considerably, reaching
c.
5000 people. This paper provides a description of the present activity and reassesses volcanic hazards on the basis of data from a new monitoring system and from studies on the 2002–2003 and 2007 crises. The normal activity, that of mild Strombolian explosions, is occasionally interrupted by violent eruptions of variable scale (paroxysmal events) and lava flows. Volcanic hazards directly generated by eruptive activity consist of ballistic and tephra fallout, pyroclastic flows, lava flows, wildfires and minor lahars, presenting serious problems to the settled areas only occasionally. In addition to hazards directly related to eruptive phenomena, the Sciara del Fuoco depression has been the site of landslides at various scales, sometimes accompanied by the formation of tsunamis.
Chapter 15 Compositional variations of magmas in the Aeolian arc: implications for petrogenesis and geodynamics
Authors: Peccerillo A. , De Astis G. , Faraone D. , Forni F. , Frezzotti M. L.
Published: October 2013

The volcanic rocks of the Aeolian arc exhibit important within-island and along-arc compositional variations that testify to both geochemical heterogeneous mantle sources and different roles and intensities of shallow-level magmatic evolution processes. Calc-alkaline magmas are present on all islands, but dominate in the western arc and at Lipari and Panarea. Shoshonitic rocks are present on the central-eastern islands and are particularly abundant at Vulcano and Stromboli. Mafic and intermediate rocks comprise the bulk of older volcanic sequences for most islands. Rhyolites are restricted to younger activity of the central arc, and become particularly abundant at Lipari and Vulcano. Regional variations of incompatible trace element ratios and Sr-, Nd-, and Pb-isotope signatures in mafic-intermediate rocks document the variable composition of mantle sources, which were contaminated by different types of metasomatic fluids released from an oceanic slab in the western-central sectors and from oceanic slab plus sediments in the east. This metasomatism was superimposed over a heterogeneous mantle wedge, which had a mid-ocean-ridge basalt (MORB-) to ocean-island basalt (OIB)- type character passing from the centre to the margins of the arc. The OIB-type component in the external arc is attributed to asthenospheric mantle inflow from the Africa foreland, around the borders of a narrow slab during rollback.
The Anthropology of Organ Transplantation
Authors: Ikels Charlotte
Published: October 2013

Anthropology has been involved with the field of organ transplantation almost since its inception. As a rapidly growing subfield within biomedicine, transplantation has been analyzed as one more example of the technological imperative: the development and application of new procedures and techniques that bring, in their wake, major changes in how humans relate to their bodies. Anthropologists have been especially interested in the psychological adjustment of organ recipients as they come to terms with the sacrifices or deaths that were necessary to provide them with organs and as they respond to the presence of an outsider in their bodies. Critical medical anthropologists have focused more on donor issues, raising ethical questions about transplant tourism and the commodification of organs and challenging the universal validity of brain death as the death of a person.
Progress in the Determination of the Partonic Structure of the Proton
Authors: Forte Stefano , Watt Graeme
Published: October 2013

We review the state of the art of the determination of the parton substructure of the nucleon, as expressed in terms of parton distribution functions (PDFs) and probed in high-energy lepton–hadron and hadron–hadron collisions. We also assess their implications for current precision collider phenomenology, in particular at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We review the theoretical foundations of PDF determination: how cross sections are expressed in terms of PDFs by use of perturbative QCD factorization and evolution, the methodology used to extract PDFs from experimental data, and how different physical processes can be used to constrain different PDFs. We summarize current knowledge of PDFs and the limitations in accuracy that this knowledge currently entails for the computation of hadron collider processes, in particular at the LHC. We discuss the current main sources of theoretical and phenomenological uncertainties and the direction of progress toward their reduction in the future.
Aluminum Migration during Deposition of Li7La3Zr2O12 Thin Films on Aluminum Oxide Substrates
Authors: Park Jung Hoon , Hong Wan-Shick , Park Joong Sun , Cheng Lei , Cabana Jordi , Chen Guoying , Doeff Marca , Li Yuyi , Richardson Thomas J. , Son Ji-Won
Published: October 2013

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was attempted for lithium conducting electrolyte layers of Li7La3Zr2O12 on a porous membrane of anodized aluminum oxide. Al-doping made it possible to obtain dense PLD targets with the cubic garnet phase structure successfully using a solid-state reaction and sintering at 1100°C. Substrate heating during deposition led to homogeneous film morphology, but caused formation of La2ZrO7 impurity phase. Aluminum migration from the substrate to the film surface was observed when the sample was annealed at 700°C. The aluminum migration seemed to be facilitated by the lithium in the environment of the PLD chamber.
Towards New Battery Electrolytes
Authors: Srour Hassan , Rouault Helene , Santini Catherine C.
Published: October 2013

Lithium ion cells based on Graphite/LiFePO4 (Ggr/ LFP) and Li4Ti5O12 / LiFePO4 (LTO /LFP) at 60°C containing N-methyl-N-butylpyrrolidinium-bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide PY14-NTf2 as electrolyte have been assembled and tested. Different lithium salts (LiNTf2, LiPF6) have been tested. When the electrodes are combined in full cell configuration, the LTO/LFP cells containing PY14NTf2/LiNTf2 binary mixture show more than 90 % capacity retention, contrary to the electrolyte PY14-NTf2/LiPF6. On the other designs, full system configuration of Cgr/LFP with PY14NTf2/LiNTf2 and PY14NTf2/LiPF6 has been tested. In the absence of carbonate additive no cycling was observed, however; with 5% (by volume) co-additive Cgr/LFP containing PY14NTf2/LiNTf2 as electrolyte exhibits a good rate capability (more than 60% capacity retention) at C/10 rate after 100 cycles.
A Superresolution Image Reconstruction Algorithm Based on Landweber in Electrical Capacitance Tomography
Authors: Deyun Chen , Zhiqiang Li , Ming Gao , Lili Wang , Xiaoyang Yu
Published: October 2013

According to the image reconstruction accuracy influenced by the “soft field” nature and ill-conditioned problems in electrical capacitance tomography, a superresolution image reconstruction algorithm based on Landweber is proposed in the paper, which is based on the working principle of the electrical capacitance tomography system. The method uses the algorithm which is derived by regularization of solutions derived and derives closed solution by fast Fourier transform of the convolution kernel. So, it ensures the certainty of the solution and improves the stability and quality of image reconstruction results. Simulation results show that the imaging precision and real-time imaging of the algorithm are better than Landweber algorithm, and this algorithm proposes a new method for the electrical capacitance tomography image reconstruction algorithm.
Freestyle‐Like V‐Y Flaps of the Eyebrow: A New Outlook and Indication of an Historical Technique
Authors: Leto Barone Angelo Alberto , Rossi Matteo , Giunta Gabriele , Carmisciano Marco , Di Rosa Luigi , Toia Francesca , D′Arpa Salvatore , Cordova Adriana
Published: October 2013

The eyebrow region is of utmost importance for facial movement, symmetry, and the overall cosmetic appearance of the face. Trauma or tumor resection often leave scars that may dislocate the eyebrow producing an alteration both in static symmetry of the face and in the dynamic expressivity. The authors present a technique for eyebrow’s defects repair using the remaining eyebrow advancement by means of a “freestyle‐like” V‐Y flap.
In the past two years a total of eight consecutive patients underwent excision of skin lesions in the superciliary region and immediate reconstruction with this technique. On histology, six patients were affected from basal cell carcinomas, one from squamous cell carcinoma, and one from congenital intradermal melanocytic nevus. The pedicle of the flap included perforators from the supratrochlear, supraorbital, or superficial temporalis artery. Advancement of the entire aesthetic subunit that includes the eyebrow using a V‐Y perforator flap was performed successfully in all cases achieving full, tension‐free closure of defects up to 3.0 cm. “Freestyle‐like” V‐Y flaps should be considered as a first‐line choice for partial defects of the eyebrow. The greater mobility compared to random subcutaneous flaps allows to reconstruct large defects providing an excellent cosmetic result.
Improvement of NO Gas Sensing Properties of Polyaniline/MWCNT Composite by Photocatalytic Effect of TiO2
Authors: Yun Jumi , Jeon Sonyeo , Kim Hyung-Il
Published: October 2013

The highly sensitive and rapid NO gas sensor was prepared with polyaniline/TiO2/carbon nanotube composites. Aniline was polymerized on the surface of carbon nanotube (p‐type semiconductor) with embedding TiO2. The gas sensing property was measured by the changes of electrical resistance without or with UV irradiation to investigate the photodegradation of NO by TiO2. The photo‐degraded products such as HNO2, NO2, and HNO3, which were adsorbed on the PANi‐coated carbon nanotubes, resulted in the decreased electrical resistance in the p‐type semiconductors of carbon nanotube and polyaniline. The advantages of TiO2 photocatalyst in gas sensing were apparent in the improvement in both sensitivity and response rate.
Effects of Magnetic Field and Thermal Radiation on Stagnation Flow and Heat Transfer of a Power-Law Fluid over a Shrinking Sheet
Authors: Nandy Samir Kumar
Published: October 2013

An analysis is made on the steady two-dimensional boundary layer magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stagnation-point flow and radiative heat transfer of an electrically conducting power-law fluid over a shrinking sheet which is shrunk in its own plane with a velocity proportional to the distance from a fixed point. The similarity transformations are used to transform the boundary layer equations into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations which are then solved numerically using shooting technique. It is found that multiple solutions exist for a certain range of
the ratio of the shrinking velocity to the free stream velocity (i.e., α) which again depends on the magnetic parameter (M) and the power-law index parameter (n). The results pertaining to the present study indicate that as the strength of the magnetic parameter increases, the range of α where similarity solutions exist gradually increases. It is also observed that the temperature at a point decreases with increase in M for the first solution branch, whereas it increases with increase in M for the second solution branch. The reported results are in good agreement with the available published work in the literature.
The World Bacterial Biogeography and Biodiversity through Databases: A Case Study of NCBI Nucleotide Database and GBIF Database
Authors: Selama Okba , James Phillip , Nateche Farida , Wellington Elizabeth M. H. , Hacène Hocine
Published: October 2013

Databases are an essential tool and resource within the field of bioinformatics. The primary aim of this study was to generate an overview of global bacterial biodiversity and biogeography using available data from the two largest public online databases, NCBI Nucleotide and GBIF. The secondary aim was to highlight the contribution each geographic area has to each database. The basis for data analysis of this study was the metadata provided by both databases, mainly, the taxonomy and the geographical area origin of isolation of the microorganism (record). These were directly obtained from GBIF through the online interface, whileE-utilitiesandPythonwere used in combination with a programmatic web service access to obtain data from the NCBI Nucleotide Database. Results indicate that the American continent, and more specifically the USA, is the top contributor, while Africa and Antarctica are less well represented. This highlights the imbalance of exploration within these areas rather than any reduction in biodiversity. This study describes a novel approach to generating global scale patterns of bacterial biodiversity and biogeography and indicates that theProteobacteriaare the most abundant and widely distributed phylum within both databases.
Leveraging Participatory Extraction to Mobility Sensing for Individual Discovery in Crowded Environments
Authors: Wang Lin , Yang Jing , Liu Wenyuan
Published: October 2013

Neighbor discovery for moving individual is considered an important technology submitting to location-based service (LBS), which includes such things as recruitment flow of information, logical localization, and health monitoring. Based on the tradeoff between universality and accuracy of neighbor discovery, we propose the environmental characteristics participatory extraction method benefiting to mobile individual discovery. First, we fuse lightweight accelerometer, light sensors, and microphone collaboratively. Furthermore, support vector machine (SVM), Tanimoto coefficient, and Manhattan distance are used to calculate three kinds of fingerprint similarity, respectively, and then the principal component analysis based method reduces data dimension in order to obtain neighbor similarity rank. Finally, the experiment data are collected by 25 volunteers, and trace-driven simulations show that Euclidean distance error is below 4.69 and the convergence time is within 0.75 s.
Acoustic Emission Signal of Lactococcus lactis before and after Inhibition with NaN3 and Infection with Bacteriophage c2
Authors: Ghosh Debasish , Stencel John M. , Hicks Clair D. , Payne Fred , Ozevin Didem
Published: October 2013

The detection of acoustic emission (AE) from Lactococcus lactis, ssp lactis is reported in which emission intensities are used to follow and define metabolic activity during growth in nutrient broths. Optical density (OD) data were also acquired during L. lactis growth at 32°C and provided insight into the timing of the AE signals relative to the lag, logarithmic, and stationary growth phases of the bacteria. The inclusion of a metabolic inhibitor, NaN3, into the nutrient broth eliminated bacteria metabolic activity according to the OD data, the absence of which was confirmed using AE data acquisition. The OD and AE data were also acquired before and after the addition of Bacteriophage c2 in L. lactis containing nutrient broths during the early or middle logarithmic phase; c2 phage m.o.i. (Multiplicity of infection) was varied to help differentiate whether the detected AE was from bacteria cells during lysis or from the c2 phage during genome injection into the cells. It is proposed that AE measurements using piezoelectric sensors are sensitive enough to detect bacteria at the amount near  cfu/mL, to provide real time data on bacteria metabolic activity and to dynamically monitor phage infection of cells.
Array Processing for Radar: Achievements and Challenges
Authors: Nickel Ulrich
Published: October 2013

Array processing for radar is well established in the literature, but only few of these algorithms have been implemented in real systems. The reason may be that the impact of these algorithms on the overall system must be well understood. For a successful implementation of array processing methods exploiting the full potential, the desired radar task has to be considered and all processing necessary for this task has to be eventually adapted. In this tutorial paper, we point out several viewpoints which are relevant in this context: the restrictions and the potential provided by different array configurations, the predictability of the transmission function of the array, the constraints for adaptive beamforming, the inclusion of monopulse, detection and tracking into the adaptive beamforming concept, and the assessment of superresolution methods with respect to their application in a radar system. The problems and achieved results are illustrated by examples from previous publications.
Thiamine Deficiency Induced Neurochemical, Neuroanatomical, and Neuropsychological Alterations: A Reappraisal
Authors: Nardone Raffaele , Höller Yvonne , Storti Monica , Christova Monica , Tezzon Frediano , Golaszewski Stefan , Trinka Eugen , Brigo Francesco
Published: October 2013

Nutritional deficiency can cause, mainly in chronic alcoholic subjects, the Wernicke encephalopathy and its chronic neurological sequela, the Wernicke‐Korsakoff syndrome (WKS). Long‐term chronic ethanol abuse results in hippocampal and cortical cell loss. Thiamine deficiency also alters principally hippocampal‐ and frontal cortical‐dependent neurochemistry; moreover in WKS patients, important pathological damage to the diencephalon can occur. In fact, the amnesic syndrome typical for WKS is mainly due to the damage in the diencephalic‐hippocampal circuitry, including thalamic nuclei and mammillary bodies. The loss of cholinergic cells in the basal forebrain region results in decreased cholinergic input to the hippocampus and the cortex and reduced choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase activities and function, as well as in acetylcholine receptor downregulation within these brain regions. In this narrative review, we will focus on the neurochemical, neuroanatomical, and neuropsychological studies shedding light on the effects of thiamine deficiency in experimental models and in humans.
NP‐59 SPECT/CT Imaging in Stage 1 Hypertensive and Atypical Primary Aldosteronism: A 5‐Year Retrospective Analysis of Clinicolaboratory and Imaging Features
Authors: Chen Yi-Chun , Chiu Jainn-Shiun , Wang Yuh-Feng
Published: October 2013

Objective. We retrospectively analyzed all primary aldosteronism (PA) patients undergoing NP‐59 SPECT/CT imaging with regard to their clinicolaboratory and imaging features, investigation, and outcomes. Material and Methods. 11 PA patients who presented to our hospital for NP‐59 SPECT/CT imaging between April 2007 and March 2012 and managed here were analyzed. Results. Among 11 PA patients, eight (73%) had stage 1 hypertension, three (27%) stage 2 hypertension, four (36%) normal plasma aldosterone concentration, nine (82%) nonsuppressed plasma renin activity (PRA), six (55%) normal aldosterone‐renin‐ratio (ARR), eight (73%) serum potassium ≧3 mEq/L, seven (64%) subclinical presentation, seven (64%) negative confirmatory testing, and four (36%) inconclusive results on CT scan and seven (64%) on planar NP‐59 scan. All 11 (100%) patients had positive results on NP‐59 SPECT/CT scan. Two (18%) met typical triad and nine (82%) atypical triad. Among nine atypical PA patients, three (33%) had clinical presentation, six (67%) subclinical presentation, six (67%) negative confirmatory testing, and four (44%) inconclusive results on CT scan and six (67%) on planar NP‐59 scan. All patients had improved outcomes. Significant differences between typical and atypical PA existed in PRA and ARR. Conclusions. NP‐59 SPECT/CT may provide diagnostic potential in stage 1 hypertensive and atypical PA.
Process Optimization of Ultrasonic‐Assisted Extraction of Arabinogalactan from Dihydroquercetin Extracted Residues by Response Surface Methodology and Evaluation of Its Antioxidant Activity
Authors: Liu Zaizhi , Ma Chunhui , Yang Lei , Zu Yuangang
Published: October 2013

Ultrasound was used for the extraction of larch arabinogalactan from Larix gmelinii. The optimal conditions for ultrasound extraction were determined by response surface methodology. Specifically, the Box‐Behnken design was employed to evaluate the effects of three independent variables: ultrasound time, temperature, and liquid‐solid ratio. The highest arabinogalactan yield (11.18%) was obtained under the optimal extraction condition (extraction temperature 41.5°C, extraction time 24.3 min, and liquid‐solid ratio 40 mL/g). In addition, the antioxidant activity of arabinogalactan that was extracted from dihydroquercetin extraction residues exhibited a moderate and concentration‐dependent hydroxyl radical‐scavenging capacity, ferric‐reducing power, and reducing power. The wood material was characterized before and after processing by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy.
Estimation of Cutoff Values of Cotinine in Urine and Saliva for Pregnant Women in Poland
Authors: Stragierowicz Joanna , Mikołajewska Karolina , Zawadzka-Stolarz Marta , Polańska Kinga , Ligocka Danuta
Published: October 2013

Setting appropriate cutoff values and the use of a highly sensitive analytical method allow for correct classification of the smoking status. Urine-saliva pairs samples of pregnant women in the second and third trimester, and saliva only in the first trimester were collected. Offline SPE and LC-ESI-MS/MS method was developed in the broad concentration range (saliva 0.4–1000 ng/mL, urine 0.8–4000 ng/mL). The mean recoveries were3.7±7.6% for urine and99.1±2.6% for saliva. LOD for saliva was 0.12 ng/mL and for urine 0.05 ng/mL; LOQ was 0.4 ng/mL and 0.8 ng/mL, respectively. Intraday and interday precision equaled, respectively, 1.2% and 3.4% for urine, and 2.3% and 6.4% for saliva. There was a strong correlation between salivary cotinine and the uncorrected cotinine concentration in urine in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The cutoff values were established for saliva 12.9 ng/mL and urine 42.3 ng/mL or 53.1 μg/g creatinine with the ROC curve analysis. The developed analytical method was successfully applied to quantify cotinine, and a significant correlation between the urinary and salivary cotinine levels was found. The presented cut-off values for salivary and urinary cotinine ensure a categorization of the smoking status among pregnant women that is more accurate than self-reporting.
Use of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for the Detection of Glycemic Elements in Indian Medicinal Plants
Authors: Rai Prashant Kumar , Srivastava Amrita Kumari , Sharma Bechan , Dhar Preeti , Mishra Ajay Kumar , Watal Geeta
Published: October 2013

The demand for interdisciplinary research is increasing in the new millennium to help us understand complex problems and find solutions by integrating the knowledge from different disciplines. The present review is an excellent example of this and shows how unique combination of physics, chemistry, and biological techniques can be used for the evaluation of Indian medicinal herbs used for treating diabetes mellitus. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a sensitive optical technique that is widely used for its simplicity and versatility. This review presents the most recent application of LIBS for detection of glycemic elements in medicinal plants. The characteristics of matrices, object analysis, use of laser system, and analytical performances with respect to Indian herbs are discussed.
An Integrated Structure for Supplier Selection and Configuration of Knowledge-Based Networks Using QFD, ANP, and Mixed-Integer Programming Model
Authors: Abbasi M. , Hosnavi R. , Tabrizi B.
Published: October 2013

Today’s competitive world conditions and shortened product life cycles have led to the rise of attention towards new product development issue which can guarantee both growth and survival of organizations. The agility of new product development is directed by the efficiency and efficacy of knowledge management skills of an organization. A key issue in thorough success of such networks is the developed knowledge preservation amongst the members. Thus, it is important that reliable relations can be established between the members in order to promote further interactions. To do so, an integrated framework is developed in this paper to configure the new product development network so that sustainable collaborations can be maintained amongst the entities. The proposed framework consists of the network configuration in addition to the supplier selection phase. They are taken into consideration using a biobjective mathematical model in which incurred costs and suppliers' superiority determine the final configuration of the network. Finally, different numerical instances are solved to address the applicability of the proposed model.
A Review for Detecting Gene-Gene Interactions Using Machine Learning Methods in Genetic Epidemiology
Authors: Koo Ching Lee , Liew Mei Jing , Mohamad Mohd Saberi , Mohamed Salleh Abdul Hakim
Published: October 2013

Recently, the greatest statistical computational challenge in genetic epidemiology is to identify and characterize the genes that interact with other genes and environment factors that bring the effect on complex multifactorial disease. These gene-gene interactions are also denoted as epitasis in which this phenomenon cannot be solved by traditional statistical method due to the high dimensionality of the data and the occurrence of multiple polymorphism. Hence, there are several machine learning methods to solve such problems by identifying such susceptibility gene which are neural networks (NNs), support vector machine (SVM), and random forests (RFs) in such common and multifactorial disease. This paper gives an overview on machine learning methods, describing the methodology of each machine learning methods and its application in detecting gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Lastly, this paper discussed each machine learning method and presents the strengths and weaknesses of each machine learning method in detecting gene-gene interactions in complex human disease.
A Newton-Like Trust Region Method for Large-Scale Unconstrained Nonconvex Minimization
Authors: Weiwei Yang , Yueting Yang , Chenhui Zhang , Mingyuan Cao
Published: October 2013

We present a new Newton-like method for large-scale unconstrained nonconvex minimization. And a new straightforward limited memory quasi-Newton updating based on the modified quasi-Newton equation is deduced to construct the trust region subproblem, in which the information of both the function value and gradient is used to construct approximate Hessian. The global convergence of the algorithm is proved. Numerical results indicate that the proposed method is competitive and efficient on some classical large-scale nonconvex test problems.
Modeling Solar Energy Transfer through Roof Material in Africa Sub-Saharan Regions
Authors: Adounkpe Julien G. , Lawin A. Emmanuel , Ahouannou Clément , Akiyo Rufin Offin Lié , Sinsin Brice A.
Published: October 2013

As a result of the global warming, the atmospheric temperature in sub-Saharan regions of Africa may drastically increase, thus worsening the poor living conditions already experienced by people in those regions. Roof’s thermal insulation capacity may play key role in reducing indoor thermal comfort cost. In the present study, effort is put to model heat transfer through roofs in south Saharan regions. Validation of the model was achieved using the slightly sloppy galvanized aluminum-iron sheet roof. Atmospheric data were hourly measured during April and June in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Solar energy values increase from 24.50±0.50 W/m2 in the morning to a maximum of 900.1±0.8 W/m2 in the early afternoon. Ambient temperature follows the same trend as solar radiation with a maximum at 40.0±0.2°C. Wind speed varies from 0.5 to 4.0±0.1 m/s. The measured roof inner wall temperatures agreed excellently with the developed model with a Nash-Sutcliffe Coefficient of Efficiency of 0.988. Energy flux entering the room through the roof varies from 63.1±0.3 W/m2 earlier in the morning to a maximum of 115.3±0.5 W/m2 in the earlier afternoon. These results shall help to better design human habitat under changing climate conditions in the sub-Saharan regions.
Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma at Invasion Front
Authors: Kudo Tomoo , Shimazu Yoshihito , Yagishita Hisao , Izumo Toshiyuki , Soeno Yuuichi , Sato Kaori , Taya Yuji , Aoba Takaaki
Published: October 2013

We conducted three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) using serial histological sections to visualize the architecture of invasive tumors. Fourteen OTSCC cases were collected from archival paraffin-embedded specimens. Based on a pathodiagnostic survey of whole cancer lesions, a core tissue specimen (3 mm in diameter) was dissected out from the deep invasion front using a paraffin tissue microarray. Serial sections (4 μm thick) were double immunostained with pan-cytokeratin and Ki67 antibodies and digitized images were acquired using virtual microscopy. For 3D reconstruction, image registration and RGB color segmentation were automated using ImageJ software to avoid operator-dependent subjective errors. Based on the 3D tumor architecture, we classified the mode of invasion into four types: pushing and bulky architecture; trabecular architecture; diffuse spreading; and special forms. Direct visualization and quantitative assessment of the parenchymal-stromal border provide a new dimension in our understanding of OTSCC architecture. These 3D morphometric analyses also ascertained that cell invasion (individually and collectively) occurs at the deep invasive front of the OTSCC. These results demonstrate the advantages of histology-based 3D reconstruction for evaluating tumor architecture and its potential for a wide range of applications.
The Global Cyclicity Index of Benzenoid Chains
Authors: Yang Yujun , Wang Yan , Li Yi
Published: October 2013

The resistance distance ΩG(i, j) between vertices i and j of a connected (molecular) graph G is computed as the effective resistance between nodes i and j in the
corresponding network constructed from G by replacing each edge of G with a unit
resistor. The conductance excess between any i and j of G is the difference between 1/ΩG(i, j) and the reciprocal of the distance between i and j. The global cyclicity index of G is defined as the sum of conductance excesses between all pairs of adjacent
vertices. In this paper, by computing resistance distances between pairs of adjacent
vertices in linear polyacenes, an explicit formula for the global cyclicity index of a
benzenoid chain is obtained in terms of its number of hexagons.
Pulmonary Hypertension in Portugal: First Data from a Nationwide Registry
Authors: Baptista Rui , Meireles José , Agapito Ana , Castro Graça , Marinho da Silva António , Shiang Teresa , Gonçalves Fabienne , Robalo-Martins Susana , Nunes-Diogo António , Reis Abílio
Published: October 2013

Introduction. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease that must be managed in specialized centers; therefore, the availability of epidemiological national data is critical.Methods. We conducted a prospective, observational, and multicenter registry with a joint collaboration from five centers from Portugal and included adult incident patients with PAH or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).Results. Of the 79 patients enrolled in this study, 46 (58.2%) were classified as PAH and 33 patients (41.8%) as CTEPH. PAH patients had a mean age of 43.4 ± 16.4 years. Idiopathic PAH was the most common etiology (37%). At presentation, PAH patients had elevated right atrial pressure (RAP) (7.7 ± 5.9 mmHg) and mean pulmonary vascular resistance (11.4 ± 6.5 Wood units), with a low cardiac index (2.7 ± 1.1 L·min−1·m−2); no patient was under selective pulmonary vasodilators; however, at follow-up, most patients were on single (50%), double (28%), or triple (9%) combination vasodilator therapy. One-year survival was 93.5%, similar to CTEPH patients (93.9%), that were older (60.0 ± 12.5 years) and had higher RAP (11.0 ± 5.2 mmHg,P=0.015).Conclusions. We describe for the first time nationwide data on the diagnosis, management, and prognosis of PAH and CTEPH patients in Portugal. Clinical presentation and outcomes are comparable with those reported on other national registries.
Risk Prediction Models for Mortality in Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Kwok Chun Shing , Loke Yoon K. , Woo Kenneth , Myint Phyo Kyaw
Published: October 2013

Background. Several models have been developed to predict the risk of mortality in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This study aims to systematically identify and evaluate the performance of published risk prediction models for CAP.Methods. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane library in November 2011 for initial derivation and validation studies for models which predict pneumonia mortality. We aimed to present the comparative usefulness of their mortality prediction.Results. We identified 20 different published risk prediction models for mortality in CAP. Four models relied on clinical variables that could be assessed in community settings, with the two validated models BTS1 and CRB-65 showing fairly similar balanced accuracy levels (0.77 and 0.72, resp.), while CRB-65 had AUROC of 0.78. Nine models required laboratory tests in addition to clinical variables, and the best performance levels amongst the validated models were those of CURB and CURB-65 (balanced accuracy 0.73 and 0.71, resp.), with CURB-65 having an AUROC of 0.79. The PSI (AUROC 0.82) was the only validated model with good discriminative ability among the four that relied on clinical, laboratorial, and radiological variables.Conclusions. There is no convincing evidence that other risk prediction models improve upon the well-established CURB-65 and PSI models.
Systems Approaches to Modeling Chronic Mucosal Inflammation
Authors: Kalita Mridul , Tian Bing , Gao Boning , Choudhary Sanjeev , Wood Thomas G. , Carmical Joseph R. , Boldogh Istvan , Mitra Sankar , Minna John D. , Brasier Allan R.
Published: October 2013

The respiratory mucosa is a major coordinator of the inflammatory response in chronic airway diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Signals produced by the chronic inflammatory process induce epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) that dramatically alters the epithelial cell phenotype. The effects of EMT on epigenetic reprogramming and the activation of transcriptional networks are known, its effects on the innate inflammatory response are underexplored. We used a multiplex gene expression profiling platform to investigate the perturbations of the innate pathways induced by TGFβin a primary airway epithelial cell model of EMT. EMT had dramatic effects on the induction of the innate pathway and the coupling interval of the canonical and noncanonical NF-κB pathways. Simulation experiments demonstrate that rapid, coordinated cap-independent translation of TRAF-1 and NF-κB2 is required to reduce the noncanonical pathway coupling interval. Experiments using amantadine confirmed the prediction that TRAF-1 and NF-κB2/p100 production is mediated by an IRES-dependent mechanism. These data indicate that the epigenetic changes produced by EMT induce dynamic state changes of the innate signaling pathway. Further applications of systems approaches will provide understanding of this complex phenotype through deterministic modeling and multidimensional (genomic and proteomic) profiling.
Why the Length of a Quantum String Cannot Be Lorentz Contracted
Authors: Aurilia Antonio , Spallucci Euro
Published: October 2013

We propose a quantum gravity-extended form of the classical length contraction law obtained in special relativity. More specifically, the framework of our discussion is the UV self-complete theory of quantum gravity. We show how our results are consistent with (i) the generalized form of the uncertainty principle (GUP), (ii) the so-called hoop-conjecture, and (iii) the intriguing notion of “classicalization” of trans-Planckian physics. We argue that there is a physical limit to the Lorentz contraction rule in the form of some minimal universal length determined by quantum gravity, say the Planck Length, or any of its current embodiments such as the string length, or the TeV quantum gravity length scale. In the latter case, we determine the critical boost that separates the ordinary “particle phase,” characterized by the Compton wavelength, from the “black hole phase,” characterized by the effective Schwarzschild radius of the colliding system.
Social Participation after Stroke: One-Year Follow-Up of Stroke Survivors in Nigeria
Authors: Vincent-Onabajo Grace O.
Published: October 2013

Background. Stroke may negatively affect social participation in survivors. Aims. This study assessed the pattern of social participation in a sample of Nigerian stroke survivors across the first 12 months after stroke. Methods. Stroke survivors were consecutively recruited while on admission at a tertiary health institution. The London handicap scale was used to assess social participation at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months at the homes of the stroke survivors. Overall and domain-specific patterns of social participation were examined independently and also in relation to initial stroke severity. Results. Overall social participation significantly improved over 12 months (), while significant improvements were observed only in the mobility, physical independence, and work and leisure domains at P equals 0.04, 0.04, and 0.05, respectively. In spite of the improvement in the work and leisure domain, the domain recorded the lowest level of participation. Social participation also differed by initial stroke severity with severe stroke survivors having the lowest level of participation across 12 months after stroke. Conclusions. The poor outcome in the work and leisure domain of social participation and in individuals with initial severe stroke has implications for planning and provision of appropriate long-term stroke rehabilitation.
Bogdanov-Takens and Triple Zero Bifurcations of a Delayed Modified Leslie-Gower Predator Prey System
Authors: Liu Xia , Wang Jinling
Published: October 2013

A delayed modified Leslie-Gower predator prey system with nonlinear harvesting is considered. The existence conditions that an equilibrium is Bogdanov-Takens (BT) or triple zero singularity of the system are given. By using the center manifold reduction, the normal form theory, and the formulae developed by Xu and Huang, 2008 and Qiao et al., 2010, the normal forms and the versal unfoldings for this singularity are presented. The Hopf bifurcation of the system at another interior equilibrium is analyzed by taking delay (small or large) as bifurcation parameter.
Covalent Grafting of the RGD‐Peptide onto Polyetheretherketone Surfaces via Schiff Base Formation
Authors: Becker Marc , Lorenz Steffen , Strand Dennis , Vahl Christian-Friedrich , Gabriel Matthias
Published: October 2013

In recent years, the synthetic polymer polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has increasingly been used in a number of orthopedic implementations, due to its excellent mechanical properties, bioinertness, and chemical resistance. For in vivo applications, the surface of PEEK, which does not naturally support cell adhesion, has to be modified to improve tissue integration. In the present work we demonstrate a novel wet‐chemical modification of PEEK to modify the surface, enabling the covalent grafting of the cell‐adhesive RGD‐peptide. Modification of the polymer surface was achieved via Schiff base formation using an aliphatic diamine and subsequent crosslinker‐mediated immobilization of the peptide. In cell culture experiments with primary osteoblasts it was shown that the RGD‐modified PEEK not only significantly promoted cellular adhesion but also strongly enhanced the proliferation of osteoblasts on the modified polymer surface.
Mismatch of Cultural Dimensions in an Urban Medical Educational Environment
Authors: Malone Bethany , Hasan Stephania , Sanni Aliu , Reilly James
Published: October 2013

Objective. To identify cultural dimensions and their potential mismatches between attending physicians and their residents and medical students. Methods. We surveyed faculty and students, both undergraduates and postgraduate resident physicians, at the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, using Hofstede’s VSM-08 questionnaire, and calculated cultural dimensions, including the Power-Distance Index (PDI), Individualism (IDV), Masculinity (MAS), Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), and Long-term Outlook (LTO). Correlations between faculty and student demographic data and cultural dimensions were calculated (SPSS). Results. There were 237 student and resident respondents and 96 faculty respondents. Comparing all faculty and student respondents, significant differences were found in four of five cultural dimensions, with faculty scoring higher in MAS, and lower in PDI, IDV, UAI, and LTO. Conclusions. These differences may be important in the design and implementation of a medical educational curriculum, and, particularly, in the measurement and evaluation of educational outcomes.
Indoor Volatile Organic Compounds and Chemical Sensitivity Reactions
Authors: Win-Shwe Tin-Tin , Fujimaki Hidekazu , Arashidani Keiichi , Kunugita Naoki
Published: October 2013

Studies of unexplained symptoms observed in chemically sensitive subjects have increased the awareness of the relationship between neurological and immunological diseases due to exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, there is no direct evidence that links exposure to low doses of VOCs and neurological and immunological dysfunction. We review animal model data to clarify the role of VOCs in neuroimmune interactions and discuss our recent studies that show a relationship between chronic exposure of C3H mice to low levels of formaldehyde and the induction of neural and immune dysfunction. We also consider the possible mechanisms by which VOC exposure can induce the symptoms presenting in patients with a multiple chemical sensitivity.
Existence and Uniqueness of Solution to Nonlinear Boundary Value Problems with Sign-Changing Green’s Function
Authors: Zhang Peiguo , Liu Lishan , Wu Yonghong
Published: October 2013

By using the cone theory and the Banach contraction mapping principle, the existence and uniqueness results are established for nonlinear higher-order differential equation boundary value problems with sign-changing Green’s function. The theorems obtained are very general and complement previous known results.
Discovery of YopE Inhibitors by Pharmacophore-Based Virtual Screening and Docking
Authors: Ozbuyukkaya Gizem , Ozkirimli Olmez Elif , Ulgen Kutlu O.
Published: October 2013

Gram-negative bacteria Yersinia secrete virulence factors that invade eukaryotic cells via type III secretion system. One particular virulence member, Yersinia outer protein E (YopE), targets Rho family of small GTPases by mimicking regulator GAP protein activity, and its secretion mainly induces cytoskeletal disruption and depolymerization of actin stress fibers within the host cell. In this work, potent drug-like inhibitors of YopE are investigated with virtual screening approaches. More than 500,000 unique small molecules from ZINC database were screened with a five-point pharmacophore, comprising three hydrogen acceptors, one hydrogen donor, and one ring, and derived from different salicylidene acylhydrazides. Binding modes and features of these molecules were investigated with a multistep molecular docking approach using Glide software. Virtual screening hits were further analyzed based on their docking score, chemical similarity, pharmacokinetic properties, and the key Arg144 interaction along with other active site residue interactions with the receptor. As a final outcome, a diverse set of ligands with inhibitory potential were proposed.
Adaptive Group Formation in Multirobot Systems
Authors: Wagdy Ahmed , Khamis Alaa
Published: October 2013

Multirobot systems (MRSs) are capable of solving
task complexity, increasing performance in terms of maximizing
spatial/temporal/radio coverage or minimizing mission
completion time. They are also more reliable than single-robot
systems as robustness is increased through redundancy. Many
applications such as rescue, reconnaissance, and surveillance and
communication relaying require the MRS to be able to self-organize
the team members in a decentralized way. Group
formation is one of the benchmark problems in MRS to study
self-organization in these systems. This paper presents a hybrid
approach to group formation problem in multi-robot systems.
This approach combines the efficiency of the cellular automata as
finite state machine, the interconnectivity of the virtual grid and
its bonding technique, and last but not least the decentralization
of the adaptive dynamic leadership.