bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HYPERFINE MIXING IN b → c SEMILEPTONIC AND ELECTROMAGNETIC DECAYS OF DOUBLY HEAVY bc BARYONS
Authors: ALBERTUS C. , HERNÁNDEZ E. , NIEVES J.
Published: January 2014

We show that semileptonic and electromagnetic decays involving spin-1/2 doubly heavy bc baryons are very sensitive to hyperfine mixing in their wave functions. We further show how heavy quark spin symmetry relations, obtained in the infinite heavy quark mass limit and near zero recoil, could be used to extract the admixtures in a model independent way from semileptonic decay data. On the other hand the infinite heavy quark mass limit gives wrong predictions in the electromagnetic case.
EXCITED NUCLEON STATES FROM η′ PRODUCTION REACTIONS: γN → η′N, NN → NNη′, AND πN → η′N
Authors: HUANG F. , HABERZETTL H. , NAKAYAMA K.
Published: January 2014

We have performed a combined analysis of the free and quasi-free γN → η′N, NN → NNη′, and πN → η′N reactions based on an effective Lagrangian approach. Considering spin-1/2 and -3/2 resonances, we found that a set of above-threshold resonances {S11, P11, P13}, with fitted mass of about MR = 1925, 2130, and 2050 MeV, respectively, and the four-star sub-threshold P13(1720) resonance reproduce best all existing data for the η′ production processes in the resonance-energy region considered in this work.
QUASI-FREE PHOTOPRODUCTION OF η-MESONS OFF 2H AND 3He
Authors: KESHELASHVILI IRAKLI , WERTHMÜLLER DOMINIK , WITTHAUER LILIAN
Published: January 2014

In this work, we are presenting a combination of two preliminary results for quasi-free photoproduction of η-mesons from the liquid deuterium and 3 He targets for incident photon energies from threshold up to 1.4 GeV. The experiments were performed at the Mainz MAMI electron accelerator, using the Glasgow tagged photon facility. Decay photons of the η-mesons and the recoil nucleons were detected with an almost 4π covering electromagnetic calorimeter combining the Crystal Ball and TAPS detectors. The data from both targets show a narrow structure in the excitation function of γ + n → n + η. The results from the two measurements are consistent within the expected effects from nuclear Fermi motion.
BARYONS: EXTRACTING INFORMATION ON STRUCTURE FROM DATA
Authors: PEÑA M. T.
Published: January 2014

A new era of physical insight and understanding on the N*s and their electrocouplings became possible by electron beam facilities and large acceptance detectors, as for example, at JLab. We address issues such as how the new experimental results elucidate us on the strong interaction dynamics in the non-perturbative regime, and what is the possible role of models, and their connection to LQCD data.
Let's jam the reactable
Authors: Xambó Anna , Hornecker Eva , Marshall Paul , Jordà Sergi , Dobbyn Chris , Laney Robin
Published: January 2014

There has been little research on how interactions with tabletop and Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) by groups of users change over time. In this article, we investigate the challenges and opportunities of a tabletop tangible interface based on constructive building blocks. We describe a long-term lab study of groups of expert musicians improvising with the Reactable, a commercial tabletop TUI for music performance. We examine interaction, focusing on
interface
,
tangible
,
musical,
and
social
phenomena. Our findings reveal a practice-based learning between peers in situated contexts, and new forms of participation, all of which is facilitated by the Reactable's tangible interface, if compared to traditional musical ensembles. We summarise our findings as a set of design considerations and conclude that construction processes on interactive tabletops support learning by doing and peer learning, which can inform constructivist approaches to learning with technology.
Temporal-based multilevel correlating inclusive cache replacement
Authors: Tian Yingying , Khan Samira M. , Jiménez Daniel A.
Published: January 2014

Inclusive caches have been widely used in Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs) to simplify cache coherence. However, they have poor performance compared with noninclusive caches not only because of the limited capacity of the entire cache hierarchy but also due to ignorance of temporal locality of the Last-Level Cache (LLC). Blocks that are highly referenced (referred to as
hot blocks
) are always hit in higher-level caches (e.g., L1 cache) and are rarely referenced in the LLC. Therefore, they become replacement victims in the LLC. Due to the inclusion property, blocks evicted from the LLC have to also be invalidated from higher-level caches. Invalidation of hot blocks from the entire cache hierarchy introduces costly off-chip misses that makes the inclusive cache perform poorly.

Neither blocks that are highly referenced in the LLC nor blocks that are highly referenced in higher-level caches should be the LLC replacement victims. We propose
temporal-based multilevel correlating cache replacement
for inclusive caches to evict blocks in the LLC that are also not hot in higher-level caches using correlated temporal information acquired from all levels of a cache hierarchy with minimal overhead. Invalidation of these blocks does not hurt the performance. By contrast, replacing them as early as possible with useful blocks helps improve cache performance. Based on our experiments, in a dual-core CMP, an inclusive cache with temporal-based multilevel correlating cache replacement significantly outperforms an inclusive cache with traditional LRU replacement by yielding an average speedup of 12.7%, which is comparable to an enhanced noninclusive cache, while requiring less than 1% of storage overhead.
Hardware support for accurate per-task energy metering in multicore systems
Authors: Liu Qixiao , Moreto Miquel , Jimenez Victor , Abella Jaume , Cazorla Francisco J. , Valero Mateo
Published: January 2014

Accurately determining the energy consumed by each task in a system will become of prominent importance in future multicore-based systems because it offers several benefits, including (i) better application energy/performance optimizations, (ii) improved energy-aware task scheduling, and (iii) energy-aware billing in data centers. Unfortunately, existing methods for energy metering in multicores fail to provide accurate energy estimates for each task when several tasks run simultaneously.

This article makes a case for accurate Per-Task Energy Metering (PTEM) based on tracking the resource utilization and occupancy of each task. Different hardware implementations with different trade-offs between energy prediction accuracy and hardware-implementation complexity are proposed. Our evaluation shows that the energy consumed in a multicore by each task can be accurately measured. For a 32-core, 2-way, simultaneous multithreaded core setup, PTEM reduces the average accuracy error from more than 12% when our hardware support is not used to less than 4% when it is used. The maximum observed error for any task in the workload we used reduces from 58% down to 9% when our hardware support is used.
Tile size selection revisited
Authors: Mehta Sanyam , Beeraka Gautham , Yew Pen-Chung
Published: January 2014

Loop tiling is a widely used loop transformation to enhance data locality and allow data reuse. In the tiled code, however, tiles of different sizes can lead to significant variation in performance. Thus, selection of an optimal tile size is critical to performance of tiled codes.

In the past, tile size selection has been attempted using both static analytical and dynamic empirical (auto-tuning) models. Past work using static models assumed a direct-mapped cache for the purpose of analysis and thus proved to be less robust. On the other hand, the auto-tuning models involve an exhaustive search in a large space of tiled codes. In this article, we propose a new analytical model for tile size selection that leverages the high set associativity in modern caches to minimize conflict misses. Our tile size selection model targets data reuse in multiple levels of cache. In addition, it considers the interaction of tiling with the SIMD unit in modern processors in estimating the optimal tile size. We find that these factors, not considered in previous models, are critical in developing a robust model for tile size selection. We implement our tile size selection model in a polyhedral compiler and test it on 12 benchmark kernels using two different problem sizes. Our model outperforms the previous analytical models that are based on reusing data in a single level of cache and achieves an average performance improvement of 9.7% and 20.4%, respectively, over the best square (cubic) tiles for the two problem sizes. In addition, the tile size chosen by our tile size selection algorithm is similar to the best performing size obtained through an extensive search, validating the analytical model underlying the algorithm.
Fast pattern-specific routing for fat tree networks
Authors: Prisacari Bogdan , Rodriguez German , Minkenberg Cyriel , Hoefler Torsten
Published: January 2014

In the context of eXtended Generalized Fat Tree (XGFT) topologies, widely used in HPC and datacenter network designs, we propose a generic method, based on Integer Linear Programming (ILP), to efficiently determine optimal routes for arbitrary workloads. We propose a novel approach that combines ILP with dynamic programming, effectively reducing the time to solution. Specifically, we divide the network into smaller subdomains optimized using a custom ILP formulation that ensures global optimality of local solutions. Local solutions are then combined into an optimal global solution using dynamic programming. Finally, we demonstrate through a series of extensive benchmarks that our approach scales in practice to networks interconnecting several thousands of nodes, using a single-threaded, freely available linear programming solver on commodity hardware, with the potential for higher scalability by means of commercial, parallel solvers.
Boosting timestamp-based transactional memory by exploiting hardware cycle counters
Authors: Ruan Wenjia , Liu Yujie , Spear Michael
Published: January 2014

Time-based transactional memories typically rely on a shared memory counter to ensure consistency. Unfortunately, such a counter can become a bottleneck. In this article, we identify properties of hardware cycle counters that allow their use in place of a shared memory counter. We then devise algorithms that exploit the x86 cycle counter to enable bottleneck-free transactional memory runtime systems. We also consider the impact of privatization safety and hardware ordering constraints on the correctness, performance, and generality of our algorithms.
Reducing DRAM row activations with eager read/write clustering
Authors: Jeon Myeongjae , Li Conglong , Cox Alan L. , Rixner Scott
Published: January 2014

This article describes and evaluates a new approach to optimizing DRAM performance and energy consumption that is based on eagerly writing dirty cache lines to DRAM. Under this approach, many dirty cache lines are written to DRAM before they are evicted. In particular, dirty cache lines that have not been recently accessed are eagerly written to DRAM when the corresponding row has been activated by an ordinary, noneager access, such as a read. This approach enables clustering of reads and writes that target the same row, resulting in a significant reduction in row activations. Specifically, for a variety of applications, it reduces the number of DRAM row activations by an average of 42% and a maximum of 82%. Moreover, the results from a full-system simulator show compelling performance improvements and energy consumption reductions. Out of 23 applications, 6 have overall performance improvements between 10% and 20%, and 3 have improvements in excess of 20%. Furthermore, 12 consume between 10% and 20% less DRAM energy, and 7 have energy consumption reductions in excess of 20%.
C1C
Authors: Li Yong , Zhang Yaojun , LI Hai , Chen Yiran , Jones Alex K.
Published: January 2014

Spin-Transfer Torque RAM (STT-RAM), a promising alternative to SRAM for reducing leakage power consumption, has been widely studied to mitigate the impact of its asymmetrically long write latency. Recently, STT-RAM has been proposed for L1 caches by relaxing the data retention time to improve write performance and dynamic energy. However, as the technology scales down from 65nm to 22nm, the performance of the read operation scales poorly due to reduced sense margins and sense amplifier delays. In this article, we leverage a dual-mode STT memory cell to design a configurable L1 cache architecture termed C1C to mitigate read performance barriers with technology scaling. Guided by application access characteristics discovered through novel compiler analyses, the proposed cache adaptively switches between a high performance and a low-power access mode. Our evaluation demonstrates that the proposed cache with compiler guidance outperforms a state-of-the-art STT-RAM cache design by 9% with high dynamic energy efficiency, leading to significant performance/watt improvements over several competing approaches.
Analysis of dependence tracking algorithms for task dataflow execution
Authors: Vandierendonck Hans , Tzenakis George , Nikolopoulos Dimitrios S.
Published: January 2014

Processor architectures has taken a turn toward many-core processors, which integrate multiple processing cores on a single chip to increase overall performance, and there are no signs that this trend will stop in the near future. Many-core processors are harder to program than multicore and single-core processors due to the need for writing parallel or concurrent programs with high degrees of parallelism. Moreover, many-cores have to operate in a mode of strong scaling because of memory bandwidth constraints. In strong scaling, increasingly finer-grain parallelism must be extracted in order to keep all processing cores busy.

Task dataflow programming models have a high potential to simplify parallel programming because they alleviate the programmer from identifying precisely all intertask dependences when writing programs. Instead, the task dataflow runtime system detects and enforces intertask dependences during execution based on the description of memory accessed by each task. The runtime constructs a task dataflow graph that captures all tasks and their dependences. Tasks are scheduled to execute in parallel, taking into account dependences specified in the task graph.

Several papers report important overheads for task dataflow systems, which severely limits the scalability and usability of such systems. In this article, we study efficient schemes to manage task graphs and analyze their scalability. We assume a programming model that supports input, output, and in/out annotations on task arguments, as well as commutative in/out and reductions. We analyze the structure of task graphs and identifyversionsandgenerationsas key concepts for efficient management of task graphs. Then, we present three schemes to manage task graphs building ongraph representations, hypergraphs, andlists. We also consider a fourth edgeless scheme that synchronizes tasks using integers. Analysis using microbenchmarks shows that the graph representation is not always scalable and that the edgeless scheme introduces least overhead in nearly all situations.
Nanoarray architectures multilevel simulation
Authors: Frache Stefano , Graziano Mariagrazia , Zamboni Maurizio
Published: January 2014

Density and regularity are deemed as the major advantages of nanoarray architectures based on nanowires. Literature demonstrated that proper reliability analyzes must be performed and solutions have to be devised to improve nanoarrays yield. Their complexity and high-fault probability claim for specific design automation tools able to explore circuit solutions, performance and fault-tolerant approaches.

We envision a simulator conceived to carry on characterizations in terms of logic behavior, defect-induced output error rate assessment, switching activity, power and timing performance. Though already existing for traditional technology, a simulator based on specific technological and topological tiled nanoarray descriptions, and conceived to join both device and architecture levels, has never been attempted at the degree of accuracy we present.

Our contribution is twofold. First, marking a difference with respect to the state of the art, we developed an algorithm based on an event-driven engine which works at switch level and is not simply built on top of cost functions evaluations. The straightforward advantage is the possibility to follow the evolution of dynamic control sequences throughout all the inner components of the nanoarray, and, as a consequence, to obtain circuit level characterization as a projection of the real internal parameters.

Second, we added to our simulator the capability to inject faults with specific statistical distributions associated to the nanoarray topology. Here we extract output error rates and yield for one of the possible nanoarray structures proposed in literature, the NASIC. Results specificity and accuracy demonstrate the simulator trustworthiness, its effectiveness for extensive nanoarrays characterization and its suitability as a foundation for both higher architectural and lower device simulation levels.

The aim of this work, then, is to provide insights into the intertwined relation between actual technology and circuit design for these emerging fabrics, and, as a consequence, to clarify how defects and variability affect circuits and systems performance.
Reliability improvement of logic and clock paths in power-efficient designs
Authors: Arasu Senthil , Nourani Mehrdad , Reddy Vijay , Jr. John M. Carulli , Kapila Gautam , Chen Min
Published: January 2014

Performance degradation due to transistor aging is a significant impediment to high-performance IC design due to increasing concerns of reliability mechanisms such as negative-bias-temperature-instability (NBTI). The concern only grows with technology scaling as the effects of positive bias temperature instability (PBTI) is becoming prominent in future technologies and compounding with the effects of NBTI. Although aging of transistor is inevitable and the magnitude of degradation due to aging varies depending upon the context. Specifically, in power-efficient systems designs, the logic and clock paths are susceptible to static stress resulting in peak degradation due to BTI occurrence when clock is gated. In this article, we present the reliability impact of making systems power efficient and propose a design-for-reliability methodology that can be used in conjunction with low-power design techniques to alleviate the stress conditions caused by rendering circuits in idle state. The technique—
BTI-Refresh
, is shown to be applicable to both logic and clock paths alike and focuses on preventing prolonged static stress using periodic refreshes to achieve alternating stress. The mechanism is shown to integrate seamlessly into the design at gate-level without requiring any architectural or RT-level changes. Using ISCAS benchmarks and Kogge-Stone-Adder circuits, it is shown to reduce the aging effect in logic path delay due to static stress by up to 50% with negligible area and power overhead.
BTI-Refresh
is extended to clock-paths to prevent pulse-width degradation due to static aging and with minimal clock-skew.
Exciton Condensation in Bilayer Quantum Hall Systems
Authors: Eisenstein J.P.
Published: January 2014

The condensation of excitons, bound electron-hole pairs in a solid, into a coherent collective electronic state was predicted more than 50 years ago. Perhaps surprisingly, the phenomenon was first observed in a system consisting of two closely spaced parallel two-dimensional electron gases in a semiconductor double quantum well. At an appropriate high magnetic field and low temperature, the bilayer electron system condenses into a state resembling a superconductor, only with the Cooper pairs replaced by excitons consisting of electrons in one layer bound to holes in the other. In spite of being charge neutral, the transport of excitons within the condensate gives rise to several spectacular electrical effects. This article describes these phenomena and examines how they inform our understanding of this unique phase of quantum electronic matter.
Bird Flocks as Condensed Matter
Authors: Cavagna Andrea , Giardina Irene
Published: January 2014

Flocking is a paradigmatic case of self-organized collective behavior in biology and a living example of active matter. Several models and theories have been developed in recent years to address these kinds of systems. However, unlike granular materials and biological systems at the microscale, experiments have been scarce until recently, preventing the necessary comparison between theory and data. In this review, we discuss a novel approach to flocking, in which experimental data are used as a starting point to empirically characterize flocking as a collective phenomenon—as the term is understood in statistical and condensed matter physics—and build models directly from the data.
Crackling Noise in Disordered Materials
Authors: Salje Ekhard K.H. , Dahmen Karin A.
Published: January 2014

Recent experimental and theoretical progress on the study of crackling noise in the plastic deformation of crystals, ferroelastics, and porous materials is reviewed. We specifically point out opportunities and potential pitfalls in this approach to the study of the nonequilibrium dynamics of disordered materials. Direct optical observation of domain boundary movement under stress and experimental results from acoustic emission and heat-flux measurements lead to power-law scaling of the jerk distribution with energy exponents between 1.3 and 2.3. The collapse of porous materials under stress leads to exceptionally large intervals of power-law scaling (seven decades). Applications in geology and materials sciences are discussed.
Multicarrier Interactions in Semiconductor Nanocrystals in Relation to the Phenomena of Auger Recombination and Carrier Multiplication
Authors: Klimov Victor I.
Published: January 2014

Chemically synthesized semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) have been extensively studied as a test bed for exploring the physics of strong quantum confinement and as a highly flexible materials platform for the realization of a new generation of solution-processed optical, electronic, and optoelectronic devices. Because of readily tunable, size-dependent emission and absorption spectra, colloidal NCs are especially attractive for applications in light-emitting diodes, solid-state lighting, lasing, and solar cells. It is universally recognized that the realization of these and other prospective applications of NCs requires a detailed understanding of carrier-carrier interactions in these structures, as they have a strong effect on both recombination and photogeneration dynamics of charge carriers. For example, nonradiative Auger recombination is one of the key factors limiting the performance of NC-based lasers and light-emitting diodes. The inverse of this process, carrier multiplication, plays a beneficial role in light harvesting and can be used to boost the efficiency of photovoltaics through increased photocurrent. This article reviews recent progress in the understanding of multicarrier processes in NCs of various complexities, including zero-dimensional spherical quantum dots, quasi-one-dimensional nanorods, and various types of core-shell heterostructures. This review’s specific focus is on recent efforts toward controlling multicarrier interactions using traditional approaches, such as size and shape control, as well as newly developed methods involving interface engineering for suppression of Auger decay and engineering of intraband cooling rates for enhancement of carrier multiplication.
Molecular Testing in Breast Cancer
Authors: Paoletti Costanza , Hayes Daniel F.
Published: January 2014

Tumor biomarker tests are critical to implementation of personalized medicine for patients at risk for or affected by breast cancer. A tumor biomarker test must have high analytical validity and clinical utility to be used to guide clinical care in standard practice. Few tumor biomarkers meet these high standards. These include germline DNA single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the BRCA1 and -2 genes to determine high risk in unaffected women, selected tissue-based markers to determine prognosis and predict benefit from therapy, and circulating MUC1, CEA and perhaps tumor cells to monitor patients with metastatic disease. Efforts to discover biomarkers that predict therapeutic toxicity are promising but not yet successful. Further research is needed to enhance the number of tumor biomarker tests so that patients with breast cancer can get the correct treatment at the appropriate time.
The Psychology of Entrepreneurship
Authors: Frese Michael , Gielnik Michael M.
Published: January 2014

In this review of the psychology of entrepreneurship, we first present meta-analytic findings showing that personality dimensions, such as (general) self-efficacy and need for achievement, and entrepreneurial orientation are highly associated with entrepreneurship (business creation and business success). We then discuss constructs that were developed within entrepreneurship research, such as entrepreneurial alertness, business planning, financial capital as resources, and entrepreneurial orientation, and how they can be better understood by taking a psychological perspective. Next, we elaborate how traditional psychological constructs have been utilized in entrepreneurship and how this may enhance our knowledge in industrial and organizational psychology (with respect to, for example, knowledge, practical intelligence, cognitive biases, goals and visions, personal initiative, passion, and positive and negative affect). Finally, we provide an overall framework useful for the psychology of entrepreneurship, and implications for future research.
Bimolecular Recombination in Organic Photovoltaics
Authors: Lakhwani Girish , Rao Akshay , Friend Richard H.
Published: January 2014

The recombination of electrons and holes is a major loss mechanism in photovoltaic devices that controls their performance. We review scientific literature on bimolecular recombination (BR) in bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices to bring forward existing ideas on the origin and nature of BR and highlight both experimental and theoretical work done to quantify its extent. For these systems, Langevin theory fails to explain BR, and recombination dynamics turns out to be dependent on mobility, temperature, electric field, charge carrier concentration, and trapped charges. Relationships among the photocurrent, open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and morphology are discussed. Finally, we highlight the recent emergence of a molecular-level picture of recombination, taking into account the spin and delocalization of charges. Together with the macroscopic picture of recombination, these new insights allow for a comprehensive understanding of BR and provide design principles for future materials and devices.
Optical Spectroscopy Using Gas-Phase Femtosecond Laser Filamentation
Authors: Odhner Johanan , Levis Robert
Published: January 2014

Femtosecond laser filamentation occurs as a dynamic balance between the self-focusing and plasma defocusing of a laser pulse to produce ultrashort radiation as brief as a few optical cycles. This unique source has many properties that make it attractive as a nonlinear optical tool for spectroscopy, such as propagation at high intensities over extended distances, self-shortening, white-light generation, and the formation of an underdense plasma. The plasma channel that constitutes a single filament and whose position in space can be controlled by its input parameters can span meters-long distances, whereas multifilamentation of a laser beam can be sustained up to hundreds of meters in the atmosphere. In this review, we briefly summarize the current understanding and use of laser filaments for spectroscopic investigations of molecules. A theoretical framework of filamentation is presented, along with recent experimental evidence supporting the established understanding of filamentation. Investigations carried out on vibrational and rotational spectroscopy, filament-induced breakdown, fluorescence spectroscopy, and backward lasing are discussed.
Epidemiology of Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms in a Teaching Hospital in Oman: A One-Year Hospital-Based Study
Authors: Balkhair Abdullah , Al-Farsi Yahya M. , Al-Muharrmi Zakariya , Al-Rashdi Raiya , Al-Jabri Mansoor , Neilson Fatma , Al-Adawi Sara S. , El-Beeli Marah , Al-Adawi Samir
Published: January 2014

Background. Antimicrobial resistance is increasingly recognized as a global challenge. A few studies have emerged on epidemiology of multidrug resistant organisms in tertiary care settings in the Arabian Gulf.Aim. To describe the epidemiology of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, a tertiary hospital in Oman.Methods. A retrospective review of MDRO records has been conducted throughout the period from January 2012 till December 2012. Organisms were identified and tested by an automated identification and susceptibility system, and the antibiotic susceptibility testing was confirmed by the disk diffusion method.Results. Out of the total of 29,245 admissions, there have been 315 patients registered as MDRO patients giving an overall prevalence rate of 10.8 (95% CI 9.3, 12.4) MDRO cases per 1000 admissions. In addition, the prevalence rate of MDRO isolates was 11.2 (95% CI 9.7, 12.9) per 1000 admissions. Overall, increasing trends in prevalence rates of MDRO patients and MDRO isolates were observed throughout the study period.Conclusion. Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging challenge in Oman. Continuous monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility and strict adherence to infection prevention guidelines are essential to prevent proliferation of MDRO. Along such quest, stringent antibiotic prescription guidelines are needed in the country.
Row Spacing, Landscape Position, and Maize Grain Yield
Authors: Maddonni Gustavo Ángel , Martínez-Bercovich Joaquín
Published: January 2014

The use of narrow row spacing for the different landscape positions of a field could punish maize (Zea maysL.) grain yield. Two experiments were conducted (2006/07 and 2007/08) at different landscape positions in the Inland Pampas of Argentina. Hybrid DK190MG was grown at the commonest plant density used at each landscape position (approximately 5.1 plants/m2at the summit, 6.5 plants/m2at shoulder-slope position, and 7.6 plants/m2at foot-slope position) with three row spacings (0.38 m, 0.52 m, and 0.38 m in a2×1skip-row pattern). At the silking stage of maize crops, soil water content (0–200 cm depth) and maximum light capture differed (0.05<P<0.001) among landscape positions but were similar among row spacings. Differences in grain yield among landscape positions (mean 806, 893, and 1104 g/m2at the summit, shoulder-slope position, and foot-slope position, resp.) were related to kernel number/m2(r=0.94), which was closely related (r=0.90) to light capture around silking. Grain yield reductions (6 to 20%) were recorded when crops were cultivated in rows 0.38 m apart. The skip-row pattern did not improve grain yield. Maize grain yield was optimized in rows 0.52 m apart along the sandy landscape positions of the fields.
Modified Cross Feedback Control for a Magnetically Suspended Flywheel Rotor with Significant Gyroscopic Effects
Authors: Ren Yuan , Fang Jiancheng
Published: January 2014

For magnetically suspended rigid rotors (MSRs) with significant gyroscopic effects, phase lag of the control channel is the main factor influencing the system nutation stability and decoupling performance. At first, this paper proves that the phase lag of the cross channel instead of the decentralized channel is often the main factor influencing the system nutation stability at high speeds. Then a modified cross feedback control strategy based on the phase compensation of cross channel is proposed to improve the stability and decoupling performances. The common issues associated with the traditional control methods have been successfully resolved by this method. Analysis, simulation, and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of the proposed control method.
Effectiveness, Medication Patterns, and Adverse Events of Traditional Chinese Herbal Patches for Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wang Xuezong , Wei Songpu , Liu Ting , Pang Jian , Gao Ningyang , Ding Daofang , Duan Tieli , Cao Yuelong , Zheng Yuxin , Zhan Hongsheng
Published: January 2014

Objective. The aim of this study is to systematically evaluate the evidence whether traditional Chinese herbal patches (TCHPs) for osteoarthritis (OA) are effective and safe and analyze their medication patterns. Methods. A systematic literature search was performed using all the possible Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and keywords from January 1979 to July 2013. Both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies were included. Estimated effects were analyzed using mean difference (MD) or relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and meta‐analysis. Results. 86 kinds of TCHPs were identified. RCTs and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) which were mostly of low quality favored TCHPs for local pain and dysfunction relief. TCHPs, compared with diclofenac ointment, had significant effects on global effectiveness rate (RR = 0.50; 95% CI (0.29, 0.87)). Components of formulae were mainly based on the compounds “Xiao Huo Luo Dan” (Minor collateral‐freeing pill) and “Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang” (Angelicae Pubescentis and Loranthi decoction). Ten kinds of adverse events (AEs), mainly consisting of itching and/or local skin rashes, were identified after 3‐4 weeks of follow‐up. Conclusions. TCHPs have certain evidence in improving global effectiveness rate for OA; however, more rigorous studies are warranted to support their use.
Statistical Optimization of Fermentation Process Parameters by Taguchi Orthogonal Array Design for Improved Bioethanol Production
Authors: Das Saprativ P. , Das Debasish , Goyal Arun
Published: January 2014

The statistical optimization of different fermentation process parameters in SSF of mixed MAA and organosolv pretreated 1% (w v−1) wild grass, namely, recombinantClostridium thermocellumhydrolytic enzymes’ volume (GH5 cellulase, GH43 hemicellulase), fermentative microbes’ inoculum volume (Saccharomyces cerevisiae,Candida shehatae), pH, and temperature, was accomplished by Taguchi orthogonal array design. The optimized parameters in 100 mL of fermentation medium were (%, v v−1) as follows: 1.0, recombinant GH5 cellulase (5.7 mg−1, 0.45 mg mL−1); 2.0, recombinant GH43 hemicellulase (3.7 U mg−1, 0.32 mg mL−1); 1.5,S. cerevisiae(3.9 × 108cells mL−1); 0.25,C. shehatae(2.7 × 107cells mL−1); pH, 4.3; and temperature, 35∘C. pH withp-value 0.001 was found to be the most significant factor affecting SSF. The ethanol titre obtained in Taguchi optimized shake flask SSF was 2.0 g L−1implying a 1.3-fold increase as compared to ethanol titre of 1.5 g L−1in unoptimized shake flask SSF. A 1.5-fold gain in ethanol titre (3.1 g L−1) was obtained with the same substrate concentration in lab scale bioreactor on scaling up the shake flask SSF with Taguchi optimized process parameters.
An Overview of Recent Advances in the Iterative Analysis of Coupled Models for Wave Propagation
Authors: Soares D. , Godinho L.
Published: January 2014

Wave propagation problems can be solved using a variety of methods. However, in many cases, the joint use of different numerical procedures to model different parts of the problem may be advisable and strategies to perform the coupling between them must be developed. Many works have been published on this subject, addressing the case of electromagnetic, acoustic, or elastic waves and making use of different strategies to perform this coupling. Both direct and iterative approaches can be used, and they may exhibit specific advantages and disadvantages. This work focuses on the use of iterative coupling schemes for the analysis of wave propagation problems, presenting an overview of the application of iterative procedures to perform the coupling between different methods. Both frequency- and time-domain analyses are addressed, and problems involving acoustic, mechanical, and electromagnetic wave propagation problems are illustrated.
Current Treatment Limitations in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Future Approaches Based on Cell Therapy and Tissue Engineering
Authors: Fernández-Robredo P. , Sancho A. , Johnen S. , Recalde S. , Gama N. , Thumann G. , Groll J. , García-Layana A.
Published: January 2014

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. With an ageing population, it is anticipated that the number of AMD cases will increase dramatically, making a solution to this debilitating disease an urgent requirement for the socioeconomic future of the European Union and worldwide. The present paper reviews the limitations of the current therapies as well as the socioeconomic impact of the AMD. There is currently no cure available for AMD, and even palliative treatments are rare. Treatment options show several side effects, are of high cost, and only treat the consequence, not the cause of the pathology. For that reason, many options involving cell therapy mainly based on retinal and iris pigment epithelium cells as well as stem cells are being tested. Moreover, tissue engineering strategies to design and manufacture scaffolds to mimic Bruch’s membrane are very diverse and under investigation. Both alternative therapies are aimed to prevent and/or cure AMD and are reviewed herein.
Effect of Restricted Sight on Right-Turn Driver Behavior with Pedestrians at Signalized Intersection
Authors: Jin Jing , Wang Wuhong , Wets Geert , Wang Xiao , Mao Yan , Jiang Xiaobei
Published: January 2014

When the right-turn vehicles share the same phase with pedestrians on divided lanes at intersection, the stopped buses or medium-size vehicles that closed to the right-turn vehicles would block the view of drivers and pedestrians from the far-side of crosswalk. This paper aims at analyzing the changes of lag/gap acceptance behavior with/without considering sight obstruction and the headway of following right-turn vehicles by video observation. Cumulative Weibull distribution function was used to estimate parameters of lag/gap acceptance probabilities. The result showed that right-turn drivers tend to accept a smaller lag/gap with restricted sight, and it would lead to more potential conflicts between right-turn vehicles and pedestrians. However, larger headway of following right-turn vehicles with sight obstruction may result in delay and reduced capacity in right-turn lanes. This study will hopefully improve the understanding of the relationship between visibility and pedestrian-vehicle conflicts.
Webit&NEU: An Embedded Device for the Internet of Things
Authors: Wang Jialiang , Zhao Hai , Xu Jiuqiang , Bi Yuanguo
Published: January 2014

The Internet of Things (IoT) is regarded as the future generation Internet, which ranges from radio frequency identification (RFID) to the ubiquitous computing systems such as wireless sensor networks and mobile ad hoc networks. With the rapid development of IoT, designing an effective low-cost embedded terminal device for the IoT become very necessary. A new embedded device, Webit&NEU, and its reduced embedded real-time operating system used for IoT are implemented by our China Liaoning Province Embedded Technique Key Laboratory in this paper. Besides, related modules in terms of RFID technique, wireless communication, and network protocol are also provided in this paper. Compared with several current solutions of connecting devices and Internet, it has the advantages of good real-time performance, light weight, and low cost. Besides, this paper also puts forward a localization algorithm for the Webit&NEU, and experimental test results in terms of real-time system ability, network communication performance, and localization algorithm show that Webit&NEU can work well and meet the actual requirements of the IoT.
PEEP Role in ICU and Operating Room: From Pathophysiology to Clinical Practice
Authors: Vargas M. , Sutherasan Y. , Gregoretti C. , Pelosi P.
Published: January 2014

Positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) may prevent cyclic opening and collapsing alveoli in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients, but it may play a role also in general anesthesia. This review is organized in two sections. The first one reports the pathophysiological effect of PEEP on thoracic pressure and hemodynamic and cerebral perfusion pressure. The second section summarizes the knowledge and evidence of the use of PEEP in general anesthesia and intensive care. More specifically, for intensive care this review refers to ARDS and traumatic brain injured patients.
Impacts of Aerosol Particle Size Distribution and Land Cover Land Use on Precipitation in a Coastal Urban Environment Using a Cloud-Resolving Mesoscale Model
Authors: Hosannah Nathan , Gonzalez Jorge E.
Published: January 2014

Urban environments influence precipitation formation via response to dynamic effects, while aerosols are intrinsically necessary for rainfall formation; however, the partial contributions of each on urban coastal precipitation are not yet known. Here, the authors use aerosol particle size distributions derived from the NASA aerosol robotic network (AERONET) to estimate submicron cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and supermicron CCN (GCCN) for ingestion in the regional atmospheric modeling system (RAMS). High resolution land data from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) were assimilated into RAMS to provide modern land cover and land use (LCLU). The first two of eight total simulations were month long runs for July 2007, one with constant PSD values and the second with AERONET PSDs updated at times consistent with observations. The third and fourth runs mirrored the first two simulations for “No City” LCLU. Four more runs addressed a one-day precipitation event under City and No City LCLU, and two different PSD conditions. Results suggest that LCLU provides the dominant forcing for urban precipitation, affecting precipitation rates, rainfall amounts, and spatial precipitation patterns. PSD then acts to modify cloud physics. Also, precipitation forecasting was significantly improved under observed PSD and current LCLU conditions.
Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth in Nine OECD Countries: Bounds Test Approach and Causality Analysis
Authors: Hung-Pin Lin
Published: January 2014

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the short-run and long-run causality between renewable energy (RE) consumption and economic growth (EG) in nine OECD countries from the period between 1982 and 2011. To examine the linkage, this paper uses the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach of cointegration test and vector error-correction models to test the causal relationship between variables. The co-integration and causal relationships are found in five countries—United States of America (USA), Japan, Germany, Italy, and United Kingdom (UK). The overall results indicate that (1) a short-run unidirectional causality runs from EG to RE in Italy and UK; (2) long-run unidirectional causalities run from RE to EG for Germany, Italy, and UK; (3) a long-run unidirectional causality runs from EG to RE in USA, and Japan; (4) both long-run and strong unidirectional causalities run from RE to EG for Germany and UK; and (5) Finally, both long-run and strong unidirectional causalities run from EG to RE in only USA. Further evidence reveals that policies for renewable energy conservation may have no impact on economic growth in France, Denmark, Portugal, and Spain.
Minimum Error Thresholding Segmentation Algorithm Based on 3D Grayscale Histogram
Authors: Liu Jin , Zheng Jianhong , Tang Quanhua , Jin Weidong
Published: January 2014

Threshold segmentation is a very important technique. The existing threshold algorithms do not work efficiently for noisy grayscale images. This paper proposes a novel algorithm called three‐dimensional minimum error thresholding (3D‐MET), which is used to solve the problem. The proposed approach is implemented by an optimal threshold discriminant based on the relative entropy theory and the 3D histogram. The histogram is comprised of gray distribution information of pixels and relevant information of neighboring pixels in an image. Moreover, a fast recursive method is proposed to reduce the time complexity of 3D‐MET from O(L6) to O(L3), where L stands for gray levels. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach can provide superior segmentation performance compared to other methods for gray image segmentation.
The Selective Anaplastic Lymphoma Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor ASP3026 Induces Tumor Regression and Prolongs Survival in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Model Mice
Authors: Mori Masamichi , Ueno Yoko , Konagai Satoshi , Fushiki Hiroshi , Shimada Itsuro , Kondoh Yutaka , Saito Rika , Mori Kenichi , Shindou Nobuaki , Soga Takatoshi , Sakagami Hideki , Furutani Takashi , Doihara Hitoshi , Kudoh Masafumi , Kuromitsu Sadao
Published: January 2014

Activation of anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase (ALK) is involved in the pathogenesis of several carcinomas, including non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Echinoderm microtubule–associated protein like 4 (EML4)-ALK, which is derived from the rearrangement of ALK and EML4 genes, has been validated as a therapeutic target in a subset of patients with NSCLC. Here, we investigated the effects of ASP3026, a novel small-molecule ALK inhibitor, against ALK-driven NSCLC. ASP3026 inhibited ALK activity in an ATP-competitive manner and had an inhibitory spectrum that differed from that of crizotinib, a dual ALK/MET inhibitor. In mice xenografted with NCI-H2228 cells expressing EML4-ALK, orally administered ASP3026 was well absorbed in tumor tissues, reaching concentrations >10-fold higher than those in plasma, and induced tumor regression with a wide therapeutic margin between efficacious and toxic doses. In the same mouse model, ASP3026 enhanced the antitumor activities of paclitaxel and pemetrexed without affecting body weight. ASP3026 also showed potent antitumor activities, including tumor shrinkage to a nondetectable level, in hEML4-ALK transgenic mice and prolonged survival in mice with intrapleural NCI-H2228 xenografts. In an intrahepatic xenograft model using NCI-H2228 cells, ASP3026 induced continuous tumor regression, whereas mice treated with crizotinib showed tumor relapse after an initial response. Finally, ASP3026 exhibited potent antitumor activity against cells expressing EML4-ALK with a mutation in the gatekeeper position (L1196M) that confers crizotinib resistance. Taken together, these findings indicate that ASP3026 has potential efficacy for NSCLC and is expected to improve the therapeutic outcomes of patients with cancer with ALK abnormality. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(2); 329–40. ©2014 AACR.