bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statistical Peak Temperature Prediction and Thermal Yield Improvement for 3D Chip Multiprocessors
Authors: Juan Da-Cheng , Garg Siddharth , Marculescu Diana
Published: August 2014

Thermal issues have become critical roadblocks for achieving highly reliable three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (ICs). The presence of process variations further exacerbates these problems. In this article, we propose techniques for the efficient evaluation and mitigation of the impact of leakage power variations on the temperature profile of 3D Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs). Experimental results demonstrate that, due to the impact of process variations, a 4-tier 3D implementation can be more than 40ˆC hotter and 23% leakier than its 2D counterpart. To determine the maximum temperature of each fabricated 3D IC, we propose an accurate learning-based model for peak temperature prediction. Based on the learning model, we then propose two post-fabrication techniques to increase the thermal yield of 3D CMPs: (1) tier restacking and (2) thermally-aware die matching. Experimental results show that: (1) the proposed prediction model achieves more than 98% accuracy, and (2) the proposed thermally-aware, post-fabrication optimization techniques significantly improve the thermal yield from only 51% to 99% for 3D CMPs.
Real-Time Streaming String-Matching
Authors: Breslauer Dany , Galil Zvi
Published: August 2014

This article presents a real-time randomized streaming string-matching algorithm that uses
O
(log
m
) space. The algorithm only makes one-sided small probability false-positive errors, possibly reporting phantom occurrences of the pattern, but never missing an actual occurrence.
A Survey of Methods for Analyzing and Improving GPU Energy Efficiency
Authors: Mittal Sparsh , Vetter Jeffrey S.
Published: August 2014

Recent years have witnessed phenomenal growth in the computational capabilities and applications of GPUs. However, this trend has also led to a dramatic increase in their power consumption. This article surveys research works on analyzing and improving energy efficiency of GPUs. It also provides a classification of these techniques on the basis of their main research idea. Further, it attempts to synthesize research works that compare the energy efficiency of GPUs with other computing systems (e.g., FPGAs and CPUs). The aim of this survey is to provide researchers with knowledge of the state of the art in GPU power management and motivate them to architect highly energy-efficient GPUs of tomorrow.
Probabilistic Reframing for Cost-Sensitive Regression
Authors: Hern´ndez-Orallo José
Published: August 2014

Common-day applications of predictive models usually involve the full use of the available contextual information. When the operating context changes, one may fine-tune the by-default (incontextual) prediction or may even abstain from predicting a value (a reject).
Global
reframing solutions, where the same function is applied to adapt the estimated outputs to a new cost context, are possible solutions here. An alternative approach, which has not been studied in a comprehensive way for regression in the knowledge discovery and data mining literature, is the use of a
local
(e.g., probabilistic) reframing approach, where decisions are made according to the estimated output
and
a reliability, confidence, or probability estimation. In this article, we advocate for a simple two-parameter (mean and variance) approach, working with a
normal
conditional probability density. Given the conditional mean produced by any regression technique, we develop lightweight “enrichment” methods that produce good estimates of the conditional variance, which are used by the
probabilistic
(local) reframing methods. We apply these methods to some very common families of cost-sensitive problems, such as optimal predictions in (auction) bids, asymmetric loss scenarios, and rejection rules.
Discovering Social Circles in Directed Graphs
Authors: Burton Scott H. , Giraud-Carrier Christophe G.
Published: August 2014

We examine the problem of identifying social circles, or sets of cohesive and mutually aware nodes surrounding an initial query set, in directed graphs where the complete graph is not known beforehand. This problem differs from local community mining, in that the query set defines the circle of interest. We explicitly handle edge direction, as in many cases relationships are not symmetric, and focus on the local context because many real-world graphs cannot be feasibly known. We outline several issues that are unique to this context, introduce a quality function to measure the value of including a particular node in an emerging social circle, and describe a greedy social circle discovery algorithm. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach on artificial benchmarks, large networks with topical community labels, and several real-world case studies.
WaveSync
Authors: Yang Yoon Seok , Kumar Reeshav , Choi Gwan , Gratz Paul V.
Published: August 2014

WaveSync is a network-on-chip architecture for a globally asynchronous locally-synchronous (GALS) design. The WaveSync design facilitates low-latency communication leveraging the source-synchronous clock sent along with the data to time components in the datapath of a downstream router, reducing the number of synchronizations needed. WaveSync accomplishes this by partitioning the router components at each node into different clock domains, each synchronized with one of the orthogonal incoming source-synchronous clocks in a GALS 2D mesh network. The data and clock subsequently propagate through each node/router synchronously until the destination is reached, regardless of the number of hops this may take. As long as the data travels in the path of clock propagation and no congestion is encountered, it will be propagated without latching as if in a long combinatorial path, with both the clock and the data accruing delay at the same rate. The result is that the need for synchronization between the mesochronous nodes and/or the asynchronous control associated with the typical GALS network is completely eliminated. To further reduce the latency overhead of synchronization, for those occasions when synchronization is still required (when a flit takes a turn or arrives at the destination), we propose a novel less-than-one-cycle synchronizer. The proposed WaveSync network outperforms conventional GALS networks by 87--90% in average latency, synthesized using a 45nm CMOS library.
Implementation and Analysis of History-Based Output Channel Selection Strategies for Adaptive Routers in Mesh NoCs
Authors: Jose John , Mutyam Madhu
Published: August 2014

The efficiency and effectiveness of an adaptive router in an NoC-based multicore system is evaluated by the performance it achieves under varying inter-core communication traffic. A well-designed selection strategy plays an important role in an adaptive router to act upon dynamic traffic variations. The effectiveness of a selection strategy depends on what metric is used to represent congestion, how precisely this metric captures the actual congestion, and how much cost is involved in capturing the congestion on a real-time scale. Congestion is formed over a period of time due to cumulative and chain reaction effects. We propose novel history-based selection strategies that could be used with any adaptive, deadlock-free, minimal routing in mesh NoCs. Buffer occupancy time and rate of flit flow across reachable ports of neighboring routers in the recent past are captured, propagated, and maintained in a cost-effective way to compute the selection metric. Experimental results on real and synthetic workloads show that our proposed selection strategies significantly outperform state-of-the-art techniques.
A Hybrid Technique for Discrete Gate Sizing Based on Lagrangian Relaxation
Authors: Livramento Vinicius S. , Guth Chrystian , Güntzel José Luís , Johann Marcelo O.
Published: August 2014

Discrete gate sizing has attracted a lot of attention recently as the EDA industry faces the challenge of optimizing large standard cell-based circuits. The discrete nature of the problem, along with complex timing models, stringent design constraints, and ever-increasing circuit sizes, make the problem very difficult to tackle. Lagrangian Relaxation (LR) is an effective technique to handle complex constrained optimization problems and therefore has been successfully applied to solve the gate sizing problem. This article proposes an improved Lagrangian relaxation formulation for discrete gate sizing that relaxes timing, maximum gate input slew, and maximum gate output capacitance constraints. Based on such formulation, we propose a hybrid technique composed of three steps. First, a topological greedy heuristic solves the LR formulation. Such a heuristic is applied assuming a slightly increased target clock period (backoff factor) to better explore the solution space. Second, a delay recovery heuristic reestablishes the original target clock with small power overhead. Third, a power recovery heuristic explores the remaining slacks to further reduce power. Experiments on the ISPD 2012 Contest benchmarks show that our hybrid technique provides less leakage power than the state-of-the-art work for every circuit from the ISPD 2012 Contest infrastructure, achieving up to 24% less leakage. In addition, our technique achieves a much better compromise between leakage reduction and runtime, obtaining, on average, 9% less leakage power while running 8.8 times faster.
Understanding SRAM Stability via Bifurcation Analysis
Authors: Ho Yenpo , Huang Garng M. , Li Peng
Published: August 2014

In the past decades, aggressive scaling of transistor feature size has been a primary force driving higher Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) integration density. Due to technology scaling, nanometer SRAM designs become increasingly vulnerable to stability challenges. The traditional way of analyzing stability is through the use of Static Noise Margins (SNMs). SNMs are not capable of capturing the key nonlinear dynamics associated with memory operations, leading to imprecise characterization of stability. This work rigorously develops dynamic stability concepts and, more importantly, captures them in physically based analytical models. By leveraging nonlinear stability theory, we develop analytical models that characterize the minimum required amplitude and duration of injected current noises that can flip the SRAM state. These models, which are parameterized in key design, technology, and operating condition parameters, provide important design insights and offer a basis for predicting scaling trends of SRAM dynamic stability.
High-fat diet-induced impairment of skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity is not prevented by SIRT1 overexpression
Authors: White Amanda T. , Philp Andrew , Fridolfsson Heidi N. , Schilling Jan M. , Murphy Anne N. , Hamilton D. Lee , McCurdy Carrie E. , Patel Hemal H. , Schenk Simon
Published: August 2014

Skeletal muscle sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression is reduced under insulin-resistant conditions, such as those resulting from high-fat diet (HFD) feeding and obesity. Herein, we investigated whether constitutive activation of SIRT1 in skeletal muscle prevents HFD-induced muscle insulin resistance. To address this, mice with muscle-specific overexpression of SIRT1 (mOX) and wild-type (WT) littermates were fed a control diet (10% calories from fat) or HFD (60% of calories from fat) for 12 wk. Magnetic resonance imaging and indirect calorimetry were used to measure body composition and energy expenditure, respectively. Whole body glucose metabolism was assessed by oral glucose tolerance test, and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was measured at a physiological insulin concentration in isolated soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles. Although SIRT1 was significantly overexpressed in muscle of mOX vs. WT mice, body weight and percent body fat were similarly increased by HFD for both genotypes, and energy expenditure was unaffected by diet or genotype. Importantly, impairments in glucose tolerance and insulin-mediated activation of glucose uptake in skeletal muscle that occurred with HFD feeding were not prevented in mOX mice. In contrast, mOX mice showed enhanced postischemic cardiac functional recovery compared with WT mice, confirming the physiological functionality of the SIRT1 transgene in this mouse model. Together, these results demonstrate that activation of SIRT1 in skeletal muscle alone does not prevent HFD-induced glucose intolerance, weight gain, or insulin resistance.
Arginine is preferred to glucagon for stimulation testing of β-cell function
Authors: Robertson R. Paul , Raymond Ralph H. , Lee Douglas S. , Calle Roberto A. , Ghosh Atalanta , Savage Peter J. , Shankar Sudha S. , Vassileva Maria T. , Weir Gordon C. , Fryburg David A. ,   Beta Cell Project Team of the Foundation for the NIH Biomarkers Consortium
Published: August 2014

A key aspect of research into the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes is the availability of reproducible clinical research methodology to assess β-cell function. One commonly used method employs nonglycemic secretagogues like arginine (arg) or glucagon (glgn). This study was designed to quantify the insulin response to arg and glgn and determine test repeatability and tolerability. Obese overnight-fasted subjects with normal glucose tolerance were studied on 4 separate days: twice using arg (5 g iv) and twice with glgn (1 mg iv). Pre- and postinfusion samples for plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide were acquired. Arg and glgn challenges were repeated in the last 10 min of a 60-min glucose (900 mg/min) infusion. Insulin and C-peptide secretory responses were estimated under baseline fasting glucose conditions (AIRarg and AIRglgn) and hyperglycemic (AIRargMAX AIRglgnMAX) states. Relative repeatability was estimated by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Twenty-three (12 men and 11 women) subjects were studied (age: 42.4 ± 8.3 yr; BMI: 31.4 ± 2.8 kg/m2). Geometric means (95% CI) for baseline-adjusted values AIRarg and AIRglgn were 84 (75–95) and 102 (90–115) μU/ml, respectively. After the glucose infusion, AIRargMAX and AIRglgnMAX were 395 (335–466) and 483 (355–658) μU/ml, respectively. ICC values were >0.90 for AIRarg andAIRargMAX. Glucagon ICCs were 0.83, 0.34, and 0.36, respectively, although the exclusion of one outlier increased the latter two values (to 0.84 and 0.86). Both glgn and arg induced mild adverse events that were transient. Glucagon, but not arginine, induced moderate adverse events due to nausea. Taken together, arginine is preferred to glucagon for assessment of β-cell function.
Meal feeding improves oral glucose tolerance in male rats and causes adaptations in postprandial islet hormone secretion that are independent of plasma incretins or glycemia
Authors: P. Torsten , Aulinger Benedikt A. , Smith Eric P. , Drazen Deborah L. , Ulrich-Lai Yve , Seeley Randy J. , Woods Stephen C. , D'Alessio David A.
Published: August 2014

Meal-fed (MF) rats with access to food for only 4 consecutive hours during the light cycle learn to eat large meals to maintain energy balance. MF animals develop behavioral and endocrine changes that permit glucose tolerance despite increased meal size. We hypothesized that enhanced activity of the enteroinsular axis mediates glucose homeostasis during MF. Cohorts of rats were allocated to MF or ad libitum (AL) regimens for 2–4 wk. Insulin secretion and glucose tolerance were determined after oral carbohydrate and intraperitoneal (ip) and intravenous (iv) glucose. MF rats ate less than AL in the first week but maintained a comparable weight trajectory thereafter. MF rats had decreased glucose excursions after a liquid mixed meal (AUC: MF 75 ± 7, AL 461 ± 28 mmol·l−1·min, P < 0.001), with left-shifted insulin secretion (AUC0–15: MF 31.0 ± 4.9, AL 9.6 ± 4.4 pM·min, P < 0.02), which peaked before a significant rise in blood glucose. Both groups had comparable fasting glucagon levels, but postprandial responses were lower with MF. However, neither intestinal expression of proGIP and proglucagon mRNA nor plasma incretin levels differed between MF and AL groups. There were no differences in the insulin response to ip or iv glucose between MF and AL rats. These findings demonstrate that MF improves oral glucose tolerance and is associated with significant changes in postprandial islet hormone secretion. Because MF enhanced β-cell function during oral but not parenteral carbohydrate administration, and was not accounted for by changes in circulating incretins, these results support a neural mechanism of adaptive insulin secretion.
Peak Vertical Ground Reaction Force during Two-Leg Landing: A Systematic Review and Mathematical Modeling
Authors: Niu Wenxin , Feng Tienan , Jiang Chenghua , Zhang Ming
Published: August 2014

Objectives. (1) To systematically review peak vertical ground reaction force (PvGRF) during two-leg drop landing from specific drop height (DH), (2) to construct a mathematical model describing correlations between PvGRF and DH, and (3) to analyze the effects of some factors on the pooled PvGRF regardless of DH.Methods. A computerized bibliographical search was conducted to extract PvGRF data on a single foot when participants landed with both feet from various DHs. An innovative mathematical model was constructed to analyze effects of gender, landing type, shoes, ankle stabilizers, surface stiffness and sample frequency on PvGRF based on the pooled data.Results. Pooled PvGRF and DH data of 26 articles showed that the square root function fits their relationship well. An experimental validation was also done on the regression equation for the medicum frequency. The PvGRF was not significantly affected by surface stiffness, but was significantly higher in men than women, the platform than suspended landing, the barefoot than shod condition, and ankle stabilizer than control condition, and higher than lower frequencies.Conclusions. The PvGRF and root DH showed a linear relationship. The mathematical modeling method with systematic review is helpful to analyze the influence factors during landing movement without considering DH.
Cell Adhesion to Plasma-Coated PVC
Authors: Rangel Elidiane C. , Souza Eduardo S. de , Moraes Francine S. de , Duek Eliana A. R. , Lucchesi Carolina , Schreiner Wido H. , Durrant Steven F. , Cruz Nilson C.
Published: August 2014

To produce environments suitable for cell culture, thin polymer films were deposited onto commercial PVC plates from radiofrequency acetylene-argon plasmas. The proportion of argon in the plasmas, PAr, was varied from 5.3 to 65.8%. The adhesion and growth of Vero cells on the coated surfaces were examined for different incubation times. Cytotoxicity tests were performed using spectroscopic methods. Carbon, O, and N were detected in all the samples using XPS. Roughness remained almost unchanged in the samples prepared with 5.3 and 28.9% but tended to increase for the films deposited with PArbetween 28.9 and 55.3%. Surface free energy increased with increasing PAr, except for the sample prepared at 28.9% of Ar, which presented the least reactive surface. Cells proliferated on all the samples, including the bare PVC. Independently of the deposition condition there was no evidence of cytotoxicity, indicating the viability of such coatings for designing biocompatible devices.
The Interval-Valued Triangular Fuzzy Soft Set and Its Method of Dynamic Decision Making
Authors: Chen Xiaoguo , Du Hong , Yang Yue
Published: August 2014

A concept of interval-valued triangular fuzzy soft set is presented, and some operations of “AND,” “OR,” intersection, union and complement, and so forth are defined. Then some relative properties are discussed and several conclusions are drawn. A dynamic decision making model is built based on the definition of interval-valued triangular fuzzy soft set, in which period weight is determined by the exponential decay method. The arithmetic weighted average operator of interval-valued triangular fuzzy soft set is given by the aggregating thought, thereby aggregating interval-valued triangular fuzzy soft sets of different time-series into a collective interval-valued triangular fuzzy soft set. The formulas of selection and decision values of different objects are given; therefore the optimal decision making is achieved according to the decision values. Finally, the steps of this method are concluded, and one example is given to explain the application of the method.
New Biomarkers to Predict the Evolution ofIn SituBreast Cancers
Authors: Bravaccini S. , Tumedei M. M. , Scarpi E. , Zoli W. , Rengucci C. , Serra L. , Curcio A. , Buggi F. , Folli S. , Rocca A. , Maltoni R. , Puccetti M. , Amadori D. , Silvestrini R.
Published: August 2014

Background.Genomic studies have shown that gene expression profiles are similar inin situ(CIS) and invasive breast cancers, suggesting that several biofunctional modifications of the transformation process occur before or during the development of CIS lesion.Methods.We investigated 3 biomarkers in 44 patients with CIS: TG2 (transglutaminase 2), HJURP (Holliday junction recognition protein), and HIF-1α (hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha).Results.TG2 was more highly expressed than the other two markers and significantly more so in stromal than in tumor cells. HIF-1α evaluation showed a higher expression in both tumor and stromal cells in patients with relapsed G3 tumors, indicating a potential role of this marker in CIS evolution. A greater than sevenfold higher risk of relapse(P=0.050)was observed in patients highly expressing HJURP in stroma and a tenfold higher recurrence risk(P=0.026)was seen in those with a higher stromal HIF-1α expression. An important increase in risk accuracy (AUC 0.80) was obtained when HIF-1α and HJURP were evaluated together.Conclusions.Despite the limited number of relapsed patients, we formulated some hypotheses on the factors responsible for malignant evolution and recurrence which are now being tested in a large case series with a longer follow-up.
An Analysis on Groundwater Recharge by Mathematical Model in Inclined Porous Media
Authors: Pathak Shreekant P. , Singh Twinkle
Published: August 2014

The present paper discusses the analysis of solution of groundwater flow in inclined porous media. The problem related to groundwater flow in inclined aquifers is usually common in geotechnical and hydrogeology engineering activities. The governing partial differential equation of one-dimensional groundwater recharge problem has been formed by Dupuit's assumption. Three cases have been discussed with suitable boundary conditions and different slopes of impervious incline boundary. The numerical as well as graphical interpretation has been given and its coding is done in MATLAB.
A Systematic Study of Magnetic Field in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions in the RHIC and LHC Energy Regions
Authors: Zhong Yang , Yang Chun-Bin , Cai Xu , Feng Sheng-Qin
Published: August 2014

The features of magnetic field in relativistic heavy-ion collisions are systematically studied by using a modified magnetic field model in this paper. The features of magnetic field distributions in the central point are studied in the RHIC and LHC energy regions. We also predict the feature of magnetic fields at LHCsNN=900, 2760, and 7000 GeV based on the detailed study at RHICsNN=62.4, 130, and 200 GeV. The dependencies of the features of magnetic fields on the collision energies, centralities, and collision time are systematically investigated, respectively.
A Comparative Study between Olanzapine and Risperidone in the Management of Schizophrenia
Authors: Shoja Shafti Saeed , Gilanipoor Mahsa
Published: August 2014

Introduction. Since a variety of comparisons between risperidone and olanzapine have resulted in diverse outcomes, so safety and efficacy of them were compared again in a new trial.Method. Sixty female schizophrenic patients entered into one of the assigned groups for random allocation to olanzapine or risperidone (n=30in each group) in a double-blind, 12-week clinical trial. Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) and Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) were used as the primary outcome measures. Clinical Global Impressions-Severity Scale (CGI-S), Schedule for Assessment of Insight (SAI), and finally Simpson Angus Scale (SAS) as well were employed as secondary scales.Results. While both of olanzapine and risperidone were significantly effective for improvement of positive symptoms (P<0.0001), as regards negative symptoms, it was so only by means of olanzapine (P<0.0003). CGI-S and SAI, as well, were significantly improved in both of the groups. SAS increment was significant only in the risperidone group (P<0.02).Conclusion. While both of olanzapine and risperidone were equally effective for improvement of positive symptoms and insight, olanzapine showed superior efficacy with respect to negative symptoms, along with lesser extrapyramidal side effects, in comparison with risperidone.
A Postverification Method for Solving Forced Duffing Oscillator Problems without Prescribed Periods
Authors: Lin Hong-Yen , Yen Chien-Chang , Jen Kuo-Ching , Jea Kang C.
Published: August 2014

This paper proposes a postverification method (PVM) for solving forced Duffing oscillator problems without prescribed periods. Comprising a postverification procedure and small random perturbation, the proposed PVM improves the sensitivity of the convergence of Newton’s iteration. Numerical simulations revealed that the PVM is more accurate and robust than Kubíček’s approach. We applied the PVM to previous research on bifurcation problems.
Evaluation of the TMJ by means of Clinical TMD Examination and MRI Diagnostics in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Witulski Silke , Vogl Thomas J. , Rehart Stefan , Ottl Peter
Published: August 2014

This study included 30 patients with diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 30 test subjects without RA (control group). The objective of the study was to examine both groups for the presence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and morphological changes of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). All individuals were examined using a systematic detailed clinical TMD examination as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The clinical TMD examination yielded significant differences between the RA patients and the control group concerning crepitus of the TMJ, and palpation tenderness of the masticatory muscles as well as the unassisted mandibular opening. The evaluation of the MRI images for the RA group showed significantly more frequent deformations of the condyle, osteophyte formations and erosions in the condylar compacta, and degenerative changes in the spongiosa. Increased intra-articular accumulation of synovial liquid and signs of inflammatory changes of the spongiosa were only found in the RA group. Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between crepitus and specific osteoarthrotic changes (MRI), respectively, and between crepitus and a complete anterior disk displacement without reduction (MRI). The duration of the RA disease correlated neither with the anamnestic and clinical dysfunction index by Helkimo nor with RA-specific MRI findings.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects ofSiegesbeckia orientalisEthanol Extract inIn VitroandIn VivoModels
Authors: Hong Yong-Han , Weng Li-Wen , Chang Chi-Chang , Hsu Hsia-Fen , Wang Chao-Ping , Wang Shih-Wei , Houng Jer-Yiing
Published: August 2014

This study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory responses and mechanisms ofSiegesbeckia orientalisethanol extract (SOE). In cell culture experiments, RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with SOE and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for inflammatory mediators assay. In animal experiments, mice were tube-fed with SOE for 1 week, and s.c. injected withλ-carrageenan or i.p. injected with LPS to simulate inflammation. The degree of paw edema was assessed, and cytokine profile in sera and mouse survival were recorded. Data showed that SOE significantly reduced NO, IL-6, and TNF-α production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.In vivostudies demonstrated that mice supplemented with 32 mg SOE/kg BW/day significantly lowered sera IL-6 level and resulted a higher survival rate compared to the control group (P=0.019). Furthermore, SOE inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB activation by blocking the degradation of IκB-α. The SOE also reduced significantly the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38, and JNK in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, thein vitroandin vivoevidence indicate that SOE can attenuate acute inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory mediators via suppression of MAPKs- and NF-κB-dependent pathways.
Existence of Periodic Fixed Point Theorems in the Setting of Generalized Quasi-Metric Spaces
Authors: Chen Chi-Ming , Karapınar Erdal , Rakočević Vladimir
Published: August 2014

We introduce the notions of(α-ϕ-ψ)-weaker Meir-Keeler contractive mappings and(α-φ)-stronger Meir-Keeler contractive mappings. We discuss the existence of periodic points in the setting of generalized quasi-metric spaces. Our results improve, extend, and generalize several results in the literature.
Band-Gap Engineering of NaNbO3for Photocatalytic H2Evolution with Visible Light
Authors: Li Peng , Abe Hideki , Ye Jinhua
Published: August 2014

A new visible light response photocatalyst has been developed for H2evolution from methanol solution by elemental doping. With lanthanum and cobalt dopants, the photoabsorption edge of NaNbO3was effectively shifted to the visible light region. It is also found that the photoabsorption edge is effectively controlled by the dopant concentration. Under visible light irradiation, H2was successfully generated over the doped NaNbO3samples and a rate of 12 μmol·h−1was achieved over (LaCo)0.03(NaNb)0.97O3. Densityfunctional theory calculations show that Co-induced impurity states are formed in the band gap of NaNbO3and this is considered to be the origin of visible-light absorption upon doping with La and Co.
Emission Mechanisms of Si Nanocrystals and Defects in SiO2 Materials
Authors: Rodríguez José Antonio , Vásquez-Agustín Marco Antonio , Morales-Sánchez Alfredo , Aceves-Mijares Mariano
Published: August 2014

Motivated by the necessity to have all silicon optoelectronic circuits, researchers around the world are working with light emitting silicon materials. Such materials are silicon dielectric compounds with silicon content altered, such as silicon oxide or nitride, enriched in different ways with Silicon. Silicon Rich Oxide or silicon dioxide enriched with silicon, and silicon rich nitride are without a doubt the most promising materials to reach this goal. Even though they are subjected to countless studies, the light emission phenomenon has not been completely clarified. So, a review of different proposals presented to understand the light emission phenomenon including emissions related to nanocrystals and to point defects in SiO2 is presented.
The Effect of DNA and Sodium Cholate Dispersed Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on the Green Algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Williams Ryan M. , Taylor Hannah K. , Thomas Jackson , Cox Zachary , Dolash Bridget D. , Sooter Letha J.
Published: August 2014

Increasing use of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) will lead to their increased release into the environment. Previous work has shown negative effects of SWCNT on growth and survival of model organisms. The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of SWCNT well-dispersed by either DNA or sodium cholate (SC) on the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in stagnant water conditions. Growth measurements were taken up to ten days for algae treated with varied levels of DNA:SWCNT or SC:SWCNT or controls, and chlorophyll content after 10 days was determined. Results show no effect on either growth or chlorophyll content of algae at any concentration or duration. This is in contradiction to prior work showing toxicity of SWCNT to environmental model organisms.
Incidental Benign Metastasizing Leiomyoma in a Patient with Bone Sarcoma: A Case Report
Authors: del Real-Romo Zanndor Jacob , Montero-Cantú Carlos , Villegas-Cabello Oscar , Díaz-Elizondo José Antonio , Reyes-Salas Danae , Palomo-Hoil Rene , Peralta-Castillo Guillermo , Martínez-Sánchez David , Flores-Villalba Eduardo
Published: August 2014

Background. The benign metastasizing leiomyoma is an exceptionally rare entity; it presents with ectopic leiomyoma nodules with a benign pattern. Symptoms vary according to the anatomic location. The diagnosis is histopathological, usually in patients with history of hysterectomy.Case Presentation. A 36-year-old female with 2-month history of left knee pain was diagnosed with bone fibrosarcoma. A CT scan showed pulmonary nodules. The patient started neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Conservative surgery of pelvic limb was achieved. A new CT scan reported pulmonary nodules that remained in relation to the previous CT. A nodule resection by thoracotomy and TOB (transoperative biopsy) was performed. The final pathology report described benign proliferative lesions consistent with benign metastatic leiomyoma.Conclusions. Benign metastatic leiomyoma is a rare condition presenting with uterine and extrauterine nodules most commonly in the lung. The diagnosis is histopathological. The surgical procedure must be reserved for selected patients.
Mixed Finite Element Method for Static and Dynamic Contact Problems with Friction and Initial Gaps
Authors: Zhao Lanhao , Liu Zhi , Li Tongchun
Published: August 2014

A novel mixed finite element method is proposed for static and dynamic contact problems with friction and initial gaps. Based on the characteristic of local nonlinearity for the problem, the system of forces acting on the contactor is divided into two parts: external forces and contact forces. The displacement of structure is chosen as the basic variable and the nodal contact force in contact region under local coordinate system is selected as the iteration variable to confine the nonlinear iteration process in the potential contact surface which is more numerically efficient. In this way, the sophisticated contact nonlinearity is revealed by the variety of the contact forces which are determined by the external load and the contact state stick, slip, or separation. Moreover, in the case of multibody contact problem, the flexibility matrix is symmetric and sparse; thus, the iterative procedure becomes easily carried out and much more economical. In the paper, both the finite element formulations and the iteration process are given in detail for static and dynamic contact problems. Four examples are included to demonstrate the accuracy and applicability of the presented method.
The Effects of the Reverse Current Caused by the Series Compensation on the Current Differential Protection
Authors: Tang Cui , Yin Xianggen , Qi Xuanwei , Zhang Zhe , Wen Minghao
Published: August 2014

The series capacitor compensation is one of the key technologies in the EHV and UHV long distance power transmission lines. This paper analyzes the operation characteristics of the main protection combined with the engineering practice when the transmission line overcompensation due to the series compensation system is modified and analyzes the influence of the transition resistance and the system operation mode on the current differential protection. According to the simulation results, it presents countermeasure on improving the sensitivity of differential current protection.
Cross-Layer Scheduling and Resource Allocation for Heterogeneous Traffic in 3G LTE
Authors: Musabe Richard , Larijani Hadi
Published: August 2014

3G long term evolution (LTE) introduces stringent needs in order to provide different kinds of traffic with Quality of Service (QoS) characteristics. The major problem with this nature of LTE is that it does not have any paradigm scheduling algorithm that will ideally control the assignment of resources which in turn will improve the user satisfaction. This has become an open subject and different scheduling algorithms have been proposed which are quite challenging and complex. To address this issue, in this paper, we investigate how our proposed algorithm improves the user satisfaction for heterogeneous traffic, that is, best-effort traffic such as file transfer protocol (FTP) and real-time traffic such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP). Our proposed algorithm is formulated using the cross-layer technique. The goal of our proposed algorithm is to maximize the expected total user satisfaction (total-utility) under different constraints. We compared our proposed algorithm with proportional fair (PF), exponential proportional fair (EXP-PF), and U-delay. Using simulations, our proposed algorithm improved the performance of real-time traffic based on throughput, VoIP delay, and VoIP packet loss ratio metrics while PF improved the performance of best-effort traffic based on FTP traffic received, FTP packet loss ratio, and FTP throughput metrics.
A Computational Study on the Use of an Aluminium Metal Matrix Composite and Aramid as Alternative Brake Disc and Brake Pad Material
Authors: Idusuyi Nosa , Babajide Ijeoma , Ajayi Oluwaseun. K. , Olugasa Temilola. T.
Published: August 2014

A computational model for the heat generation and dissipation in a disk brake during braking and the following release period has been formulated. The model simulates the braking action by investigating the thermal behaviour occurring on the disc and pad surfaces during this period. A comparative study was made between grey cast iron (GCI), asbestos, Aluminium metal matrix composite (AMC), and aramid as brake pad and disc materials. The braking process and following release period were simulated for four material combinations, GCI disc and Asbestos pad, GCI disc and Aramid pad, AMC disc and Asbestos pad, AMC disc and Aramid pad using COMSOL Multiphysics software. The results show similarity in thermal behaviour at the contact surface for the asbestos and aramid brake pad materials with a temperature difference of 1.8 K after 10 seconds. For the brake disc materials, the thermal behaviour was close, with the highest temperature difference being 9.6 K. The GCI had a peak temperature of 489 K at 1.2 seconds and AMC was 465.5 K but cooling to 406.4 K at 10 seconds, while the GCI was 394.7 K.
Seismic Waveform Inversion Using the Finite-Difference Contrast Source Inversion Method
Authors: Han Bo , He Qinglong , Chen Yong , Dou Yixin
Published: August 2014

This paper extends the finite-difference contrast source inversion method to reconstruct the mass density for two-dimensional elastic wave inversion in the framework of the full-waveform inversion. The contrast source inversion method is a nonlinear iterative method that alternatively reconstructs contrast sources and contrast function. One of the most outstanding advantages of this inversion method is the highly computational efficiency, since it does not need to simulate a full forward problem for each inversion iteration. Another attractive feature of the inversion method is that it is of strong capability in dealing with nonlinear inverse problems in an inhomogeneous background medium, because a finite-difference operator is used to represent the differential operator governing the two-dimensional elastic wave propagation. Additionally, the techniques of a multiplicative regularization and a sequential multifrequency inversion are employed to enhance the quality of reconstructions for this inversion method. Numerical reconstruction results show that the inversion method has an excellent performance for reconstructing the objects embedded inside a homogeneous or an inhomogeneous background medium.
Equilibrium Model of Discrete Dynamic Supply Chain Network with Random Demand and Advertisement Strategy
Authors: Zhang Guitao , Sui Qingmei , Hu Jinsong , Zhong Yongguang , Sun Hao
Published: August 2014

The advertisement can increase the consumers demand; therefore it is one of the most important marketing strategies in the operations management of enterprises. This paper aims to analyze the impact of advertising investment on a discrete dynamic supply chain network which consists of suppliers, manufactures, retailers, and demand markets associated at different tiers under random demand. The impact of advertising investment will last several planning periods besides the current period due to delay effect. Based on noncooperative game theory, variational inequality, and Lagrange dual theory, the optimal economic behaviors of the suppliers, the manufactures, the retailers, and the consumers in the demand markets are modeled. In turn, the supply chain network equilibrium model is proposed and computed by modified project contraction algorithm with fixed step. The effectiveness of the model is illustrated by numerical examples, and managerial insights are obtained through the analysis of advertising investment in multiple periods and advertising delay effect among different periods.
DNA Barcoding on Bacteria: A Review
Authors: Lebonah D. E. , Dileep A. , Chandrasekhar K. , Sreevani S. , Sreedevi B. , Pramoda Kumari J.
Published: August 2014

Bacteria are omnipotent and they can be found everywhere. The study of bacterial pathogens has been happening from olden days to prevent epidemics, food spoilage, losses in agricultural production, and loss of lives. Modern techniques in DNA based species identification are considered. So, there is a need to acquire simple and quick identification technique. Hence, this review article covers the efficacy of DNA barcoding of bacteria. Routine DNA barcoding involves the production of PCR amplicons from particular regions to sequence them and these sequence data are used to identify or “barcode” that organism to make a distinction from other species.
Research on Key Factors and Their Interaction Effects of Electromagnetic Force of High-Speed Solenoid Valve
Authors: Liu Peng , Fan Liyun , Hayat Qaisar , Xu De , Ma Xiuzhen , Song Enzhe
Published: August 2014

Analysis consisting of numerical simulations along with lab experiments of interaction effects between key parameters on the electromagnetic force based on response surface methodology (RSM) has been also proposed to optimize the design of high-speed solenoid valve (HSV) and improve its performance. Numerical simulation model of HSV has been developed in Ansoft Maxwell environment and its accuracy has been validated through lab experiments. Effect of change of core structure, coil structure, armature structure, working air gap, and drive current on the electromagnetic force of HSV has been analyzed through simulation model and influence rules of various parameters on the electromagnetic force have been established. The response surface model of the electromagnetic force has been utilized to analyze the interaction effect between major parameters. It has been concluded that six interaction factors including working air gap with armature radius, drive current with armature thickness, coil turns with side pole radius, armature thickness with its radius, armature thickness with side pole radius, and armature radius with side pole radius have significant influence on the electromagnetic force. Optimal match values between coil turns and side pole radius; armature thickness and side pole radius; and armature radius and side pole radius have also been determined.
J-Aggregates of Amphiphilic Cyanine Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: A Combination between Computational Chemistry and Experimental Device Physics
Authors: Abdel-Mottaleb M. S. A. , Abdel-Mottaleb Mohamed M. S. , Hafez Hoda S. , Saif Mona
Published: August 2014

We report on the design and structure principles of 5,5′-6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′-dioctyl-3,3′-bis-(3-carboxypropyl)-benzimidacarbocyanine (Dye 1). Such metal-free amphiphilic cyanine dyes have many applications in dye-sensitized solar cells. AFM surface topographic investigation of amphiphilic molecules of Dye 1 adsorbed on TiO2anode reveals the ability of spontaneous self-organization into highly ordered aggregates of fiber-like structure. These aggregates are known to exhibit outstanding optical properties of J-aggregates, namely, efficient exciton coupling and fast exciton energy migration, which are essential for building up artificial light harvesting to the photovoltaic device. A light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of DSSC based on the metal free amphiphilic Dye 1 isη=3.75, which is about 50% of that based on metal-based N719 Ru-dye (Di-tetrabutylammoniumcis-bis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-dicarboxylato)ruthenium(II)). DFT and TD-DFT studies show that large intramolecular charge transfer takes place from the HOMO to LUMO. HOMO is localized on a part of the molecule with almost no contribution from the carboxylic moiety. This clearly indicates that the anchoring carboxylic group plays a minor role.
Real-Time Control Strategy of Elman Neural Network for the Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Authors: Liu Ruijun , Shi Dapai , Ma Chao
Published: August 2014

Through researching the instantaneous control strategy and Elman neural network, the paper established equivalent fuel consumption functions under the charging and discharging conditions of power batteries, deduced the optimal control objective function of instantaneous equivalent consumption, established the instantaneous optimal control model, and designs the Elman neural network controller. Based on the ADVISOR 2002 platform, the instantaneous optimal control strategy and the Elman neural network control strategy were simulated on a parallel HEV. The simulation results were analyzed in the end. The contribution of the paper is that the trained Elman neural network control strategy can reduce the simulation time by 96% and improve the real-time performance of energy control, which also ensures the good performance of power and fuel economy.
Phenotypic Characterization ofMycoplasma synoviaeInduced Changes in the Metabolic and Sensitivity Profile ofIn VitroInfected Chicken Chondrocytes
Authors: Dušanić Daliborka , Benčina Dušan , Narat Mojca , Oven Irena
Published: August 2014

In infectious synovitis caused byMycoplasma synoviaechicken chondrocytes (CCH) may come into direct contact with these bacteria that are also capable of invading CCHin vitro. In this study, phenotype microarrays were used to evaluate the influence ofMycoplasma synoviaeon the global metabolic activity of CCH. Therefore, CCH were cultured in the presence of 504 individual compounds, spotted in wells of 11 phenotype microarrays for eukaryotic cells, and exposed toMycoplasma synoviaemembranes or viableMycoplasma synoviae.Metabolic activity and sensitivity of normal cells versus infected cells were evaluated. Metabolic profiles of CCH treated with viableMycoplasma synoviaeor its membranes were significantly different from those of CCH alone. CCH treated withMycoplasma synoviaemembranes were able to use 48 carbon/nitrogen sources not used by CCH alone. Treatment also influenced ion uptake in CCH and intensified the sensitivity to 13 hormones, 5 immune mediators, and 29 cytotoxic chemicals. CCH were even more sensitive to hormones/immune mediators when exposed to viableMycoplasma synoviae. Our results indicate that exposure toMycoplasma synoviaeor its membranes induces a wide range of metabolic and sensitivity modifications in CCH that can contribute to pathological processes in the development of infectious synovitis.
Riemann-Liouville and Higher Dimensional Hardy Operators for NonNegative Decreasing Function inLp(·)Spaces
Authors: Sarwar Muhammad , Murtaza Ghulam , Ahmed Irshaad
Published: August 2014

One-weight inequalities with general weights for Riemann-Liouville transform andn-dimensional fractional integral operator in variable exponent Lebesgue spaces defined onRnare investigated. In particular, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions governing one-weight inequalities for these operators on the cone of nonnegative decreasing functions inLp(x)spaces.