bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation on Cardiovascular Risk Prediction Using Physiological Parameters
Authors: Lin Wan-Hua , Zhang Heye , Zhang Yuan-Ting
Published: December 2013

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Early prediction of CVD is urgently important for timely prevention and treatment. Incorporation or modification of new risk factors that have an additional independent prognostic value of existing prediction models is widely used for improving the performance of the prediction models. This paper is to investigate the physiological parameters that are used as risk factors for the prediction of cardiovascular events, as well as summarizing the current status on the medical devices for physiological tests and discuss the potential implications for promoting CVD prevention and treatment in the future. The results show that measures extracted from blood pressure, electrocardiogram, arterial stiffness, ankle-brachial blood pressure index (ABI), and blood glucose carry valuable information for the prediction of both long-term and near-term cardiovascular risk. However, the predictive values should be further validated by more comprehensive measures. Meanwhile, advancing unobtrusive technologies and wireless communication technologies allow on-site detection of the physiological information remotely in an out-of-hospital setting in real-time. In addition with computer modeling technologies and information fusion. It may allow for personalized, quantitative, and real-time assessment of sudden CVD events.
Hybrid Modeling of Flotation Height in Air Flotation Oven Based on Selective Bagging Ensemble Method
Authors: Hou Shuai , Hua Fuan , Lv Wu , Wang Zhaodong , Liu Yujia , Wang Guodong
Published: December 2013

The accurate prediction of the flotation height is very necessary for the precise control of the air flotation oven process, therefore, avoiding the scratch and improving production quality. In this paper, a hybrid flotation height prediction model is developed. Firstly, a simplified mechanism model is introduced for capturing the main dynamic behavior of the process. Thereafter, for compensation of the modeling errors existing between actual system and mechanism model, an error compensation model which is established based on the proposed selective bagging ensemble method is proposed for boosting prediction accuracy. In the framework of the selective bagging ensemble method, negative correlation learning and genetic algorithm are imposed on bagging ensemble method for promoting cooperation property between based learners. As a result, a subset of base learners can be selected from the original bagging ensemble for composing a selective bagging ensemble which can outperform the original one in prediction accuracy with a compact ensemble size. Simulation results indicate that the proposed hybrid model has a better prediction performance in flotation height than other algorithms’ performance.
An Integrated Approach of Using Polystyrene Foam as an Attachment System for Growth of Mixed Culture of Cyanobacteria with Concomitant Treatment of Copper Mine Waste Water
Authors: Chaturvedi Venkatesh , Chandravanshi Monika , Rahangdale Manoj , Verma Pradeep
Published: December 2013

Cyanobacteria have tremendous applications in areas such as production of biofuels and pharmaceutically important pigments and are used as an adsorbent for the removal of toxic metabolites. However, large scale production of Cyanobacteria is not economically feasible due to high cost involved in separation of biomass. In this context, different attachment systems have been developed for the growth of Cyanobacteria on a solid support. In this study, a simple and economical attachment system using polystyrene foam for growth of Cyanobacteria has been presented. Results clearly indicate that high biomass yield can be obtained in attached system when compared to suspended system. In attachment system, the biomass yield showed 21.4%, total protein content showed 29.2%, chlorophyll content showed 11.1%, and carotenoid content showed 13.1% increase as compared to the suspended system. The attachment system can also support the growth of Cyanobacteria in presence of copper mine waste water with concomitant removal of copper ions. These results were corroborated by COD analysis, which indicated significant reduction. Further, copper removal was high in attached system as compared to suspended system. It appears that attachment system offers protection for growing Cyanobacteria and can be effectively employed for growing Cyanobacteria in presence of waste water coming from different sources.
Crossover Method for Interactive Genetic Algorithms to Estimate Multimodal Preferences
Authors: Tanaka Misato , Sasaki Yasunari , Miki Mitsunori , Hiroyasu Tomoyuki
Published: December 2013

We apply an interactive genetic algorithm (iGA) to generate product recommendations. iGAs search for a single optimum point based on a user’s Kansei through the interaction between the user and machine. However, especially in the domain of product recommendations, there may be numerous optimum points. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a new iGA crossover method that concurrently searches for multiple optimum points for multiple user preferences. The proposed method estimates the locations of the optimum area by a clustering method and then searches for the maximum values of the area by a probabilistic model. To confirm the effectiveness of this method, two experiments were performed. In the first experiment, a pseudouser operated an experiment system that implemented the proposed and conventional methods and the solutions obtained were evaluated using a set of pseudomultiple preferences. With this experiment, we proved that when there are multiple preferences, the proposed method searches faster and more diversely than the conventional one. The second experiment was a subjective experiment. This experiment showed that the proposed method was able to search concurrently for more preferences when subjects had multiple preferences.
Annual Variation in Flowering Phenology, Pollination, Mating System, and Pollen Yield in Two Natural Populations of Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth
Authors: Khanduri Vinod Prasad , Sharma C. M. , Kumar K. S. , Ghildiyal S. K.
Published: December 2013

Background. Schima wallichii is a highly valuable tree of tropical forest in north‐east Himalaya region that grows naturally in a wide range of altitudes between 750 and 2400 m asl with varying environments. Flowering phenology of tropical tree species at population level is generally ignored and therefore a detailed knowledge of flowering and fruiting patterns of important multipurpose tree species is critical to the successful management of forest genetic resources. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted at two different altitudes (i.e., 750 m and 900 m asl) in the tropical semideciduous forest of north‐east Himalaya. The floral phenology including flowering synchrony in the populations, anthesis, anther dehiscence, stigma receptivity, pollinators visitation frequency, and mating system including index of self‐incompatibility were worked out in Schima wallichii according to the ear‐marked standard methods given by various scientists for each parameter. Results. The flowering period in Schima wallichii varied from 33 to 42 days with mean synchrony of 0.54 to 0.68 between the populations. The stigma was receptive up to 2.5 days only and showed slightly protandrous type of dichogamy. Average pollen production ranged between 6.90 × 107 pollen per tree in 2007 and 15.49 × 108 pollen per tree in 2011. A three‐year masting cycle was noticed in this species. The frequency of visitation of honey bees was fairly high (5.2 ± 1.12 visits/flower/hour) as compared to other pollinators. The hand pollination revealed maximum fruit (74.2 ± 5.72%) and seed (70.8 ± 7.46%) settings. Conclusions. The variation in flowering phenology and pollen yield individually and annually along with temporal separation in anther dehiscence and pollinator’s visitation cause pollen limited reproduction, which ultimately influences the reproductive success in Schima wallichii.
Tuning of Cost Drivers by Significance Occurrences and Their Calibration with Novel Software Effort Estimation Method
Authors: Singh Brajesh Kumar , Tiwari Shailesh , Mishra K. K. , Misra A. K.
Published: December 2013

Estimation is an important part of software engineering projects, and the ability to produce accurate effort estimates has an impact on key economic processes, including budgeting and bid proposals and deciding the execution boundaries of the project. Work in this paper explores the interrelationship among different dimensions of software projects, namely, project size, effort, and effort influencing factors. The study aims at providing better effort estimate on the parameters of modified COCOMO along with the detailed use of binary genetic algorithm as a novel optimization algorithm. Significance of 15 cost drivers can be shown by their impact on MMRE of efforts on original 63 NASA datasets. Proposed method is producing tuned values of the cost drivers, which are effective enough to improve the productivity of the projects. Prediction at different levels of MRE for each project reflects the percentage of projects with desired accuracy. Furthermore, this model is validated on two different datasets which represents better estimation accuracy as compared to the COCOMO 81 based NASA 63 and NASA 93 datasets.
Suboptimal Greedy Power Allocation Schemes for Discrete Bit Loading
Authors: Al-Hanafy Waleed , Weiss Stephan
Published: December 2013

We consider low cost discrete bit loading based on greedy power allocation (GPA) under the constraints of total transmit power budget, target BER, and maximum permissible QAM modulation order. Compared to the standard GPA, which is optimal in terms of maximising the data throughput, three suboptimal schemes are proposed, which perform GPA on subsets of subchannels only. These subsets are created by considering the minimum SNR boundaries of QAM levels for a given target BER. We demonstrate how these schemes can significantly reduce the computational complexity required for power allocation, particularly in the case of a large number of subchannels. Two of the proposed algorithms can achieve near optimal performance including a transfer of residual power between subsets at the expense of a very small extra cost. By simulations, we show that the two near optimal schemes, while greatly reducing complexity, perform best in two separate and distinct SNR regions.
TB Meningitis in HIV-Positive Patients in Europe and Argentina: Clinical Outcome and Factors Associated with Mortality
Authors: Efsen Anne Marie W. , Panteleev Alexander M. , Grint Daniel , Podlekareva Daria N. , Vassilenko Anna , Rakhmanova Aza , Zeltina Indra , Losso Marcelo H. , Miller Robert F. , Girardi Enrico , Caylá Joan , Post Frank A. , Miro Jose M. , Bruyand Mathias , Furrer Hansjakob , Obel Niels , Lundgren Jens D. , Mocroft Amanda , Kirk Ole , Study Group HIV/TB
Published: December 2013

Objectives.The study aimed at describing characteristics and outcome of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in HIV-positive patients and comparing these parameters with those of extrapulmonary TB (TBEP) and pulmonary TB (TBP).Methods.Kaplan-Meier estimation and Poisson regression models were used to assess the mortality following TB diagnosis and to evaluate potential prognostic factors for the 3 groups of TB patients separately.Results.A total of 100 patients with TBM, 601 with TBEP, and 371 TBP were included. Patients with TBM had lower CD4 cell counts and only 17.0% received antiretroviral therapy (ART) at TB diagnosis. The cumulative probability of death at 12 months following TB was 51.2% for TBM (95% CI 41.4–61.6%), 12.3% for TBP (8.9–15.7%), and 19.4% for TBEP (16.1–22.6) (P<0.0001; log-rank test). For TBM, factors associated with a poorer prognosis were not being on ART (adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 4.00 (1.72–9.09), a prior AIDS diagnosis (aIRR=4.82(2.61–8.92)), and receiving care in Eastern Europe (aIRR=5.41(2.58–11.34))).Conclusions.TBM among HIV-positive patients was associated with a high mortality rate, especially for patients from Eastern Europe and patients with advanced HIV-infection, which urgently calls for public health interventions to improve both TB and HIV aspects of patient management.
QTc Prolongation in Patients Acutely Admitted to Hospital for Psychosis and Treated with Second Generation Antipsychotics
Authors: Johnsen Erik , Aanesen Kristina , Sriskandarajah Sanjeevan , Kroken Rune A. , Løberg Else-Marie , Jørgensen Hugo A.
Published: December 2013

QTc interval prolongation is a side effect of several antipsychotic drugs, with associated risks of torsade de pointes arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. There is an ongoing debate of whether or not electrocardiogram (ECG) assessments should be mandatory in patients starting antipsychotic drugs. To investigate QTc prolongation in a clinically relevant patient group 171 adult patients acutely admitted to an emergency ward for psychosis were consecutively recruited. ECGs were recorded at baseline and then at discharge or after 6 weeks at the latest (discharge/6 weeks), thus reflecting the acute phase treatment period. The mean QTc interval was 421.1 (30.4) ms at baseline and there was a positive association between the QTc interval and the agitation score whereas the QTc interval was inversely associated with the serum calcium level. A total of 11.6% had abnormally prolonged QTc intervals and another 14.3% had borderline prolongation. At discharge/6 weeks, the corresponding proportions were reduced to 4.2% and 5.3%, respectively. The reduction of the proportion with prolonged QTc intervals reached statistical significance (chi-square exact test:P=0.046). The finding of about one-quarter of the patients with borderline or prolonged QTc intervals could indicate mandatory ECG recordings in this population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov ID:NCT00932529.
Obtaining and Characterizing Alginate/k-Carrageenan Hydrogel Cross-Linked with Adipic Dihydrazide
Authors: Paşcalău Violeta , Popescu Violeta , Popescu George L. , Dudescu Mircea C. , Borodi Gheorghe , Dinescu Adrian M. , Moldovan Marioara
Published: December 2013

The aim of this paper is obtaining and characterizing hydrogels based on different ratios of oxidized alginate (oA) and k-carrageenan (C), chemically cross-linked with adipic dihydrazide (adh). The alginate (A) was first oxidized with sodium metaperiodate in order to transform it into the dialdehyde derivative, a more reactive compound than alginate. A known procedure for oxidation of alginate with sodium metaperiodate in ethanol-water in order to improve alginate reactivity by transforming the hydroxyl end-groups into dialdehyde was used, preceded by a partially cleavage of the alginate chains. In the second stage, the mixture of dialdehydic derivative of oxidized alginate, k-carrageenan and glycerol subjected to reaction with adipic dihydrazide leads to a Semi-Interpenetrated Network covalently cross-linked alginate/k-carrageenan hydrogel (oACadh), based on the dihydrazone compound which is responsible for the chemical cross-linking. Pure alginate, k-carrageenan, oxidized alginate, adipic dihydrazide and the cross-linked hydrogel were characterized by: FTIR, XRD, and SEM.
An Integration Avenue of Ground Monitoring Based on Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Kim Young-Joo , Hong Sungmin , Lee Jong-uk , Song Sejun , Kim Daeyoung
Published: December 2013

Since wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have a lot of potential capability to provide diverse services to human by monitoring things scattered in real world, they are envisioned as one of the core enabling technologies for ubiquitous computing which organizes and mediates both physical and social interactions anytime and anywhere. WSNs are being adopted in various fields and things in their zones are being monitored. However, existing WSNs are normally designed for observing special zones or regional things based on small-scale, low power, and short range technologies. Seamless system integration at a global scale is still in its infancy stage due to the lack of the fundamental integration technologies. In this paper, we present a global integration avenue of ground monitoring based on WSNs. The proposed avenue includes design, integration, and operational strategies of IP-WSN based territorial monitoring system to ensure compatibility, interoperability, and real-time. Specifically, we offer the standardization of sensing data formats using IP-WSN and database interfaces using EPC sensor network, which enable a spontaneous and systematic integration among the legacy WSN systems. Also, we categorize network topology according to topographic characteristics thereby helping deploy sensor nodes on the real environment. Therefore, the proposed technology would be a milestone for the practically deployable global territorial monitoring systems.
A Bayesian Hierarchical Model for Relating Multiple SNPs within Multiple Genes to Disease Risk
Authors: Duan Lewei , Thomas Duncan C.
Published: December 2013

A variety of methods have been proposed for studying the association of multiple genes thought to be involved in a common pathway for a particular disease. Here, we present an extension of a Bayesian hierarchical modeling strategy that allows for multiple SNPs within each gene, with external prior information at either the SNP or gene level. The model involves variable selection at the SNP level through latent indicator variables and Bayesian shrinkage at the gene level towards a prior mean vector and covariance matrix that depend on external information. The entire model is fitted using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. Simulation studies show that the approach is capable of recovering many of the truly causal SNPs and genes, depending upon their frequency and size of their effects. The method is applied to data on 504 SNPs in 38 candidate genes involved in DNA damage response in the WECARE study of second breast cancers in relation to radiotherapy exposure.
Deregulation of the miRNAs Expression in Cervical Cancer: Human Papillomavirus Implications
Authors: Gómez-Gómez Yazmín , Organista-Nava Jorge , Gariglio Patricio
Published: December 2013

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non coding RNAs of 18–25 nucleotides in length. The temporal or short-lived expression of the miRNAs modulates gene expression post transcriptionally. Studies have revealed that miRNAs deregulation correlates and is involved with the initiation and progression of human tumors. Cervical cancer (CC) displays notably increased or decreased expression of a large number of cellular oncogenic or tumor suppressive miRNAs, respectively. However, understanding the potential role of miRNAs in CC is still limited. In CC, the high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) infection can affect the miRNAs expression through oncoprotein E6 and E7 that contribute to viral pathogenesis, although other viral proteins might also be involved. This deregulation in the miRNAs expression has an important role in the hallmarks of CC. Interestingly, the miRNA expression profile in CC can discriminate between normal and tumor tissue and the extraordinary stability of miRNAs makes it suitable to serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of cancer. In this review, we will summarize the role of the HR-HPVs in miRNA expression, the role of miRNAs in the hallmarks of CC, and the use of miRNAs as potential prognostic biomarkers in CC.
Experimental Research on Passive Control of Steel Frame Structure Using SMA Wires
Authors: Yan Shi , Niu Jian , Mao Peng , Song Gangbing , Wang Wei
Published: December 2013

Mechanical properties of shape memory alloy (SMA) wires were experimentally researched in this paper, and an energy dissipater made of SMA wire cable was designed and applied in a steel frame structure model by using superelasticity characteristics of SMAs to passively reduce dynamic responses of the steel frame structure under seismic load. For the characteristics of large relative displacements between the stories of the steel frame structure on both diagonal ends and the consideration of initial prestrain effects of the SMA cables, three kinds of the whole control, the part control, and no control of the shaking table tests and numerical simulations were carried, respectively. Through the results of the shaking table test and numerical simulation analysis, the dynamic responses such as the maximum displacement, velocity, and acceleration at the top layer of the steel frame structure applied with SMA cables are significantly decreased compared with the no control case. However, considering the premise of both effectiveness and efficiency, the part control effect is superior to the whole control. In many cases, it can meet the control requirement of reducing the maximum displacement and acceleration, while the superelasticity of SMAs can be sufficiently played, realizing the passive control purposes of the steel frame structure based on the energy dispassion through the application of the SMA cables. The proposed method has broad application prospects in the passive control field of building structures.
Inhibitory Effect of Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compounds on Cytokines Released by Chronic Venous Disease Patient-Derived Endothelial Cells
Authors: Tisato Veronica , Zauli Giorgio , Rimondi Erika , Gianesini Sergio , Brunelli Laura , Menegatti Erica , Zamboni Paolo , Secchiero Paola
Published: December 2013

Large vein endothelium plays important roles in clinical diseases such as chronic venous disease (CVD) and thrombosis; thus to characterize CVD vein endothelial cells (VEC) has a strategic role in identifying specific therapeutic targets. On these bases we evaluated the effect of the natural anti-inflammatory compoundsα-Lipoic acid and Ginkgoselect phytosome on cytokines/chemokines released by CVD patient-derived VEC. For this purpose, we characterized the levels of a panel of cytokines/chemokines (n=31) in CVD patients’ plasma compared to healthy controls and their release by VEC purified from the same patients, in unstimulated and TNF-αstimulated conditions. Among the cytokines/chemokines released by VEC, which recapitulated the systemic profile (IL-8, TNF-α, GM-CSF, INF-α2, G-CSF, MIP-1β, VEGF, EGF, Eotaxin, MCP-1, CXCL10, PDGF, and RANTES), we identified those targeted byex vivotreatment withα-Lipoic acid and/or Ginkgoselect phytosome (GM-CSF, G-CSF, CXCL10, PDGF, and RANTES). Finally, by investigating the intracellular pathways involved in promoting the VEC release of cytokines/chemokines, which are targeted by natural anti-inflammatory compounds, we documented thatα-Lipoic acid significantly counteracted TNF-α-induced NF-κB and p38/MAPK activation while the effects ofGinkgo bilobaappeared to be predominantly mediated by Akt. Ourdataprovide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of CVD pathogenesis, highlighting new potential therapeutic targets.
Potential of Cellulose-Based Superabsorbent Hydrogels as Water Reservoir in Agriculture
Authors: Demitri C. , Scalera F. , Madaghiele M. , Sannino A. , Maffezzoli A.
Published: December 2013

The present work deals with the development of a biodegradable superabsorbent hydrogel, based on cellulose derivatives, for the optimization of water resources in agriculture, horticulture and, more in general, for instilling a wiser and savvier approach to water consumption. The sorption capability of the proposed hydrogel was firstly assessed, with specific regard to two variables that might play a key role in the soil environment, that is, ionic strength and pH. Moreover, a preliminary evaluation of the hydrogel potential as water reservoir in agriculture was performed by using the hydrogel in experimental greenhouses, for the cultivation of tomatoes. The soil-water retention curve, in the presence of different hydrogel amounts, was also analysed. The preliminary results showed that the material allowed an efficient storage and sustained release of water to the soil and the plant roots. Although further investigations should be performed to completely characterize the interaction between the hydrogel and the soil, such findings suggest that the envisaged use of the hydrogel on a large scale might have a revolutionary impact on the optimization of water resources management in agriculture.
Backpropagation Neural Network Implementation for Medical Image Compression
Authors: Dimililer Kamil
Published: December 2013

Medical images require compression, before transmission or storage, due to constrained bandwidth and storage capacity. An ideal image compression system must yield high-quality compressed image with high compression ratio. In this paper, Haar wavelet transform and discrete cosine transform are considered and a neural network is trained to relate the X-ray image contents to their ideal compression method and their optimum compression ratio.
Entropy for Business Failure Prediction: An Improved Prediction Model for the Construction Industry
Authors: Bal Jay , Cheung Yen , Wu Hsu-Che
Published: December 2013

This paper examines empirically the effectiveness of entropy measures derived from information theory combined with discriminant analysis in the prediction of construction business failure. Such failure in modern complex supply chains is an extremely disruptive force, and its likelihood is a key factor in the prequalification appraisal of contractors. The work described, using financial data from the Taiwanese construction industry, extends the classical methods by applying Shannon's information theory to improve their prediction ability and provides an alternative to newer artificial-intelligence-based approaches.
Stability Indicating Simultaneous Validation of Telmisartan and Cilnidipine with Forced Degradation Behavior Study by RP-HPLC in Tablet Dosage Form
Authors: Rupareliya Reema H. , Joshi Hitendra S.
Published: December 2013

A simple, precise, and accurate RP-HPLC method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous assay of Telmisartan and Cilnidipine in tablets. Isocratic RP-HPLC method was developed on Waters C18 250×4.6 mm, 5 μm column using mobile phase as acetonitrile (ACN): buffer pH 3.0 with orthophosphoric acid (68 : 32) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and the detection was carried out at 245 nm using photodiode array detector. Forced degradation study was carried out by oxidation, hydrolysis, photolysis, and heating the drug. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, robustness, and solution stability. The method was found to be linear in the concentration range of 40–160 μg/mL with correlation coefficient of 0.9990 for Telmisartan and 10–40 μg/mL with correlation coefficient of 0.9989 for Cilnidipine. Degradation products produced as a result of stress studies did not interfere with the detection of agomelatine; therefore, the assay can be considered to be stability indicating.
Scope of Nursing Care in Polish Intensive Care Units
Authors: Wysokiński Mariusz , Ksykiewicz-Dorota Anna , Fidecki Wiesław
Published: December 2013

Introduction. The TISS-28 scale, which may be used for nursing staff scheduling in ICU, does not reflect the complete scope of nursing resulting from varied cultural and organizational conditions of individual systems of health care.Aim. The objective of the study was an attempt to provide an answer to the question what scope of nursing care provided by Polish nurses in ICU does the TISS-28 scale reflect?Material and Methods. The methods of working time measurement were used in the study. For the needs of the study, 252 hours of continuous observation (day-long observation) and 3.697 time-schedule measurements were carried out.Results. The total nursing time was 4125.79 min. (68.76 hours), that is, 60.15% of the total working time of Polish nurses during the period analyzed. Based on the median test, the difference was observed on the level ofχ2=16945.8, P<0.001between the nurses’ workload resulting from performance of activities qualified into the TISS-28 scale and load resulting from performance of interventions within the scopes of care not considered in this scale in Polish ICUs.Conclusions. The original version of the TISS-28 scale does not fully reflect the workload among Polish nurses employed in ICUs.
The MATCHIT Automaton: Exploiting Compartmentalization for the Synthesis of Branched Polymers
Authors: Weyland Mathias S. , Fellermann Harold , Hadorn Maik , Sorek Daniel , Lancet Doron , Rasmussen Steen , Füchslin Rudolf M.
Published: December 2013

We propose an automaton, a theoretical framework that demonstrates how to improve the yield of the synthesis of branched chemical polymer reactions. This is achieved by separating substeps of the path of synthesis into compartments. We use chemical containers (chemtainers) to carry the substances through a sequence of fixed successive compartments. We describe the automaton in mathematical terms and show how it can be configured automatically in order to synthesize a given branched polymer target. The algorithm we present finds an optimal path of synthesis in linear time. We discuss how the automaton models compartmentalized structures found in cells, such as the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus, and we show how this compartmentalization can be exploited for the synthesis of branched polymers such as oligosaccharides. Lastly, we show examples of artificial branched polymers and discuss how the automaton can be configured to synthesize them with maximal yield.
Comprehensive Interpretation of a Three-Point Gauss Quadrature with Variable Sampling Points and Its Application to Integration for Discrete Data
Authors: Kwon Young-Doo , Kwon Soon-Bum , Shim Bo-Kyung , Kwon Hyun-Wook
Published: December 2013

This study examined the characteristics of a variable three-point Gauss quadrature using a variable set of weighting factors and corresponding optimal sampling points. The major findings were as follows. The one-point, two-point, and three-point Gauss quadratures that adopt the Legendre sampling points and the well-known Simpson’s 1/3 rule were found to be special cases of the variable three-point Gauss quadrature. In addition, the three-point Gauss quadrature may have out-of-domain sampling points beyond the domain end points. By applying the quadratically extrapolated integrals and nonlinearity index, the accuracy of the integration could be increased significantly for evenly acquired data, which is popular with modern sophisticated digital data acquisition systems, without using higher-order extrapolation polynomials.
Neurodynamics of up and down Transitions in Network Model
Authors: Xu Xuying , Wang Rubin
Published: December 2013

This paper focuses on the neurodynamical research of a small neural network that consists of 25 neurons. We study the periodic spontaneous activity and transitions between up and down states without synaptic input. The results demonstrate that these transitions are bidirectional or unidirectional with the parameters changing, which not only reveals the function of the cortex, but also cohere with the experiment results.
Covariance Structures in Conventional and Organic Cropping Systems
Authors: Jaradat Abdullah A.
Published: December 2013

Guidelines are needed to develop proper statistical analyses procedures and select appropriate models of covariance structures in response to expected temporal variation in long-term experiments. Cumulative yield, its temporal variance, and coefficient of variation were used in estimating and describing covariance structures in conventional and organic cropping systems of a long-term field experiment in a randomized complete block design. An 8-year database on 16 treatments (conventional and organic cropping systems, crop rotations, and tillage) was subjected to geostatistical, covariance structure, variance components, and repeated measures multivariate analyses using six covariance models under restricted maximum likelihood. Differential buildup of the cumulative effects due to crop rotations being repeated over time was demonstrated by decreasing structured and unstructured variances and increasing range estimates in the geostatistical analyses. The magnitude and direction of relationships between cumulative yield and its temporal variance, and coefficient of variation shaped the covariance structures of both cropping systems, crop rotations, and phases within crop rotations and resulted in significant deviations of organic management practices from their conventional counterparts. The unstructured covariance model was the best to fit most factor-variable combinations; it was the most flexible, but most costly in terms of computation time and number of estimated parameters.
The Impact of Pediatric Palliative Care Education on Medical Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes
Authors: Korzeniewska-Eksterowicz Aleksandra , Przysło Łukasz , Kędzierska Bogna , Stolarska Małgorzata , Młynarski Wojciech
Published: December 2013

Purpose. Most undergraduate palliative care curricula omit pediatric palliative care (PPC) issues. Aim of the study was to evaluate the pilot education programme. Methods. All 391 students of Faculty of Medicine (FM) and 59 students of Division of Nursing (DN) were included in anonymous questionnaire study. Respondents were tested on their knowledge and attitude towards PPC issues before and at the end of the programme and were expected to evaluate the programme at the end. Results. For final analysis, authors qualified 375 double forms filled in correctly (320 FM and 55 DN). Before the programme, students’ knowledge assessed on 0–100‐point scale was low (FM: median: 43.35 points; 25%–75%: (40p–53.3p); DN: 26.7p; 13.3p–46.7p), and, in addition, there were differences (P < 0.001) between both faculties. Upon completion of the programme, significant increase of the level of knowledge in both faculties was noted (FM: 80p; 73.3–100; DN: 80p; 66.7p–80p). Participation in the programme changed declared attitudes towards some aspects of withholding of special procedures, euthanasia, and abortion. Both groups of students positively evaluated the programme. Conclusions. This study identifies medical students′ limited knowledge of PPC. Educational intervention changes students′ attitudes to the specific end‐of‐life issues. There is a need for palliative care curricula evaluation.
Optimal Research and Numerical Simulation for Scheduling No-Wait Flow Shop in Steel Production
Authors: Yuan Huawei , Jing Yuanwei , Huang Jinping , Ren Tao
Published: December 2013

This paper considers them-machine flow shop scheduling problem with the no-wait constraint to minimize total completion time which is the typical model in steel production. First, the asymptotic optimality of the Shortest Processing Time (SPT) first rule is proven for this problem. To further evaluate the performance of the algorithm, a new lower bound with performance guarantee is designed. At the end of the paper, numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and lower bound.
Segmentation of Scarred Myocardium in Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Images
Authors: Kotu Lasya Priya , Engan Kjersti , Skretting Karl , Ørn Stein , Woie Leik , Eftestøl Trygve
Published: December 2013

The segmentation of scarred and nonscarred myocardium in Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is obtained using different features and feature combinations in a Bayes classifier. The used features are found as a local average of intensity values and the underlying texture information in scarred and nonscarred myocardium. The segmentation classifier was trained and tested with different experimental setups and parameter combinations and was cross validated due to limited data. The experimental results show that the intensity variations are indeed an important feature for good segmentation, and the average area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, that is, the AUC, is 91.58 ± 3.2%. The segmentation using texture features also gives good segmentation with average AUC values at 85.89 ± 5.8%, that is, lower than the direct current (DC) feature. However, the texture feature gives robust performance compared to a local mean (DC) feature in a test set simulated from the original CMR data. The segmentation of scarred myocardium is comparable to manual segmentation in all the cross validation cases.
Analysis on Energy Conversion of Screw Centrifugal Pump in Impeller Domain Based on Profile Lines
Authors: Quan Hui , Li Rennian , Su Qingmiao , Han Wei , Wang Pengcheng
Published: December 2013

In order to study the power capability of impeller and energy conversion mechanism of screw centrifugal pump, the methods of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation by computational fluid dynamics theory (CFD) were adopted, specifically discussing the conditions of internal flow such as velocity, pressure, and concentration. When the medium is sand-water two-phase flow and dividing the rim of the lines and wheel lines of screw centrifugal pump to segments to analyze energy conversion capabilities which along the impeller profile lines with the dynamic head and hydrostatic head changer, the results show that the energy of fluid of the screw centrifugal pump is provided by helical segment, and the helical segment of the front of the impeller has played the role of multilevel increasing energy; the sand-water two phases move at different speeds because the different force field and the impeller propeller and centrifugal effect. As liquid phase is the primary phase, the energy conversion is mainly up to the change of liquid energy, the solid phase flows under the wrapped action of liquid, and solid energy is carried out through liquid indirectly.
Stability Analysis for Uncertain Neural Networks of Neutral Type with Time-Varying Delay in the Leakage Term and Distributed Delay
Authors: Zhou Qi , Shao Xueying , Zhu Jin , Karimi Hamid Reza
Published: December 2013

The stability problem is investigated for a class of uncertain networks of neutral type with leakage, time-varying discrete, and distributed delays. Both the parameter uncertainty and the generalized activation functions are considered in this paper. New stability results are achieved by constructing an appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional and employing the free weighting matrices and the linear matrix inequality (LMI) method. Some numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness and less conservatism of the proposed results.
Optimization of C/N Ratio and Inducers for Wastewater Paper Industry Treatment Using Trametes versicolor Immobilized in Bubble Column Reactor
Authors: Pedroza-Rodríguez Aura M. , Rodríguez-Vázquez Refugio
Published: December 2013

C/N ratio and MnSO4 and CuSO4 concentrations were optimized for decolorization and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of bleached Kraft pulp mill effluent by Trametes versicolor immobilized in polyurethane foam. Statistical differences (P<0.0001) at high C/N ratios (169), 2 mM CuSO4, and 0.071 mM MnSO4 were determined. Decolorization of 60.5%, COD removal of 55%, laccase (LAC) 60 U/L, and manganese peroxidase (MnP) 8.4 U/L were obtained. Maximum of decolorization (82%), COD removal (83%), LAC (443.5 U/L), and MnP (18 U/L) activities at C/N ratio of 405 (6.75 mM CuSO4 and 0.22 mM MnSO4) was achieved in step 7 at 4 d. Positive correlation between the decolorization, COD removal, and enzymatic activity was found (P<0.0001). T. versicolor bioremediation capacity was evaluated in bubble column reactor during 8 d. Effluent was adjusted according to optimized parameters and treated at 25°C and air flow of 800 mL/min. Heterotrophic bacteria growth was not inhibited by fungus. After 4 d, 82% of COD reduction and 80% decolorization were recorded. Additionally, enzymatic activity of LAC (345 U/L) and MnP (78 U/L) was observed. The COD reduction and decolorization correlated positively (P<0.0001) with enzymatic activity. Chlorophenol removal was 98% of pentachlorophenol (PCP), 92% of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP), 90% of 3,4-dichlorophenol (3,4-DCP), and 99% of 4-chlorophenols (4CP).
Fixed Point of a New Three-Step Iteration Algorithm under Contractive-Like Operators over Normed Spaces
Authors: Karakaya Vatan , Doğan Kadri , Gürsoy Faik , Ertürk Müzeyyen
Published: December 2013

We introduce a new three-step iteration scheme and prove that this new iteration scheme is convergent to fixed points of contractive-like operators. Also, by providing an example, we show that our new iteration method is faster than another iteration method due to Suantai (2005). Furthermore, it is shown that this new iteration method is equivalent to some other iteration methods in the sense of convergence. Finally, it is proved that this new iteration method isT-stable.
SMArc: A Proposal for a Smart, Semantic Middleware Architecture Focused on Smart City Energy Management
Authors: Rodríguez-Molina Jesús , Martínez José-Fernán , Castillejo Pedro , de Diego Rubén
Published: December 2013

Among the main features that are intended to become part of what can be expected from the Smart City, one of them should be an improved energy management system, in order to benefit from a healthier relation with the environment, minimize energy expenses, and offer dynamic market opportunities. A Smart Grid seems like a very suitable infrastructure for this objective, as it guarantees a two-way information flow that will provide the means for energy management enhancement. However, to obtain all the required information, another entity must care about all the devices required to gather the data. What is more, this entity must consider the lifespan of the devices within the Smart Grid—when they are turned on and off or when new appliances are added—along with the services that devices are able to provide. This paper puts forward SMArc—an acronym for semantic middleware architecture—as a middleware proposal for the Smart Grid, so as to process the collected data and use it to insulate applications from the complexity of the metering facilities and guarantee that any change that may happen at these lower levels will be updated for future actions in the system.
An Integrated Approach for Prioritizing Key Factors in Improving the Service Quality of Nursing Homes
Authors: Yu Vincent F. , Hu Kuo-Jen
Published: December 2013

This study looks at improving the service quality in nursing homes as well as the intricate relationships between various factors. We use two research models herein. First, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) establishes the criteria for the interrelationship structure, categorized according to their driving power and dependence. This methodology provides a means by which order can be imposed on the complexity of such criteria. Insights from this model can help top managers in strategic planning to improve the service quality in nursing home care. Second, because ISM does not provide any weighting associated with the criteria, we employ the Analytic Network Process (ANP) approach to calculate the weighted importance of the key factors and to identify those factors impacting the service quality of nursing home care.
Beamforming of Joint Polarization‐Space Matched Filtering for Conformal Array
Authors: Liu Lutao , Jiang Yilin , Wan Liangtian , Tian Zuoxi
Published: December 2013

Due to the polarization mismatch of the antenna, the received signal suffers from energy loss. The conventional beamforming algorithms could not be applied to the conformal array because of the varying curvature. In order to overcome the energy loss of the received signal, a novel joint polarization‐space matched filtering algorithm for cylindrical conformal array is proposed. First, the snapshot data model of the conformal polarization sensitive array is analyzed. Second, the analytical expression of polarization sensitive array beamforming is derived. Linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) beamforming technique is facilitated for the cylindrical conformal array. Third, the idea of joint polarization‐space matched filtering is presented, and the principle of joint polarization‐space matched filtering is discussed in detail. Theoretical analysis and computer simulation results verify that the conformal polarization sensitive array is more robust than the ordinary conformal array. The proposed algorithm can improve the performance when signal and interference are too close. It can enhance the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) by adjusting the polarization of the elements of the conformal array, which matches the polarization of the incident signal.
Influence of a Medium-Impact Exercise Program on Health-Related Quality of Life and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Females with Subclinical Hypothyroidism: An Open-Label Pilot Study
Authors: Garces-Arteaga Andrea , Nieto-Garcia Nataly , Suarez-Sanchez Freddy , Triana-Reina Héctor Reynaldo , Ramírez-Vélez Robinson
Published: December 2013

Objective.To examine the influence of a medium-impact exercise program (MIEP) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) in females with subclinical hypothyroidism (sHT).Materials and Methods.We selected 17 sedentary women with sHT (mean age: 43.1 (standard deviation: 9.7) years). Participants carried out an MIEP consisting of 3 weekly sessions of 60 minutes during 12 weeks. Before and after the exercise program HRQoL was assessed by the SF-12v2 questionnaire, andVO2maxwas evaluated by Rockport walk test.Results.After the 12-week intervention, the participants that performed an MIEP showed improvements in HRQoL in most domains, particularly the vitality domain by 7 points, the social functioning domain by 10 points, the mental health domain by 7 points, and the mental component summary by 7 points. One of the four domains within the physical component summary (general health domain) showed significant effect of the exercise intervention: 6 points. Moreover, the participants that performed exercise showed a higherVO2max(28%;P<0.01).Conclusion.After 12 weeks of medium-impact exercise program, there were remarkable improvements in HRQoL in most domains. Moreover, this exercise program proved to have a positive influence on cardiorespiratory fitness.
GOLink: Finding Cooccurring Terms across Gene Ontology Namespaces
Authors: Francis Richard W.
Published: December 2013

The Gene Ontology (GO) provides a resource for consistent annotation of genes and gene products that is extensively used by numerous large public repositories. The GO is constructed of three subontologies describing the cellular component of action, molecular function, and overall biological process of a gene or gene product. Querying across the subontologies is problematic and no standard method exists to, for example, find all molecular functions occurring in a particular cellular component. GOLink addresses this problem by finding terms from all subontologies cooccurring with a term of interest in annotation across the entire GO database. Genes annotated with this term are exported and their GO annotation is assigned to three separate GOLink terms lists based on specific criteria. The software was used to predict the most likely Biological Process for a group of genes using just their Molecular Function terms giving sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy between 80 and 90% across all the terms lists. GOLink is made freely available for noncommercial use and can be downloaded from the project website.