bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Oil Recovery With Bottom Water Drainage Completion
Authors: Shirman Ephim , Wojtanowicz Andrew K. , Kurban Hilal
Published: September 2014

Field trials and physical modeling of wells with downhole water sink (DWS) completions have demonstrated controlled water coning and increased oil production rate. However, no field trials were long enough to show DWS potential in improving of oil recovery in comparison with conventional wells. Presented here are theoretical and experimental results from a DWS recovery performance study. The recovery study involved experiments with a physical model and computer simulations. The experimental results reveal that DWS dramatically accelerates the recovery process; a fivefold increase of the oil production rate was reached by adjusting the water drainage rate at the bottom completion. The results also show a 70% increase of oil recovery; from 0.52 to 0.88 for conventional and DWS completions, respectively. The computer-simulated experiments with commercial reservoir simulator demonstrate progressive improvement of recovery with downhole water drainage from 0.61 to 0.79 with no drainage and maximum drainage, respectively—a 24% increase of recovery factor, and a fivefold reduction of the time required to reach the limiting value of water cut, 0.98. However, the accelerated recovery process with DWS requires a substantial, up to 3.5-fold, increase of total water production. The simulation experiments also show that the main advantage of using DWS is its flexibility in controlling the recovery process. For conventional completions, recovery could be slightly increased by reducing production rates and largely increasing production times. For DWS, a combination of the top and bottom rates could be optimized for maximum recovery and minimum production time.
Realtime Rate of Penetration Optimization Using the Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm
Authors: Yi Ping , Kumar Aniket , Samuel Robello
Published: September 2014

The increasing complexities of wellbore geometry imply an increasing well cost. It has become more important than ever to achieve an increased rate of penetration (ROP) and, thus, reduced cost per foot. To achieve maximum ROP, an optimization of drilling parameters is required as the well is drilled. While there are different optimization techniques, there is no acceptable universal mathematical model that achieves maximum ROP accurately. Usually, conventional mathematical optimization techniques fail to accurately predict optimal parameters owing to the complex nature of downhole conditions. To account for these uncertainties, evolutionary-based algorithms can be used instead of mathematical optimizations. To arrive at the optimum drilling parameters efficiently and quickly, the metaheuristic evolutionary algorithm, called the “shuffled frog leaping algorithm,” (SFLA) is used in this paper. It is a type of rising swarm-intelligence optimizer that can optimize additional objectives, such as minimizing hydromechanical specific energy. In this paper, realtime gamma ray data are used to compute values of rock strength and bit–tooth wear. Variables used are weight on bit (WOB), bit rotation (N), and flow rate (Q). Each variable represents a frog. The value of each frog is derived based on the ROP models used individually or simultaneously through iteration. This optimizer lets each frog (WOB, N, and Q) jump to the best value (ROP) automatically, thus arriving at the near optimal solution. The method is also efficient in computing optimum drilling parameters for different formations in real time. The paper presents field examples to predict and estimate the parameters and compares them to the actual realtime data.
Performance of Carbon Nanotubes–Water Nanofluid Charged Wickless Heat Pipe Flat Plate Solar Collectors Having Different Filling Ratio
Authors: Chougule Sandesh S. , Sahu S. K.
Published: September 2014

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the thermal performance of solar heat pipe collector at outdoor test condition. The thermal performance of wickless heat pipe solar collector was investigated by using CNT–water nanofluid. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) nanoparticles with diameter 10–12 nm and 0.1–10 μm length were used in the present experimental investigation. The effects of various filling ratio (F.R.) (50%, 60%, and 70%) and coolant flow rate on thermal performance were discussed in this study.
Focal, transient mechanical narrowing of a pipeline embolization device following treatment of an internal carotid artery aneurysm
Authors: Miller Timothy Ryan , Jindal Gaurav , Gandhi Dheeraj
Published: September 2014

Flow diversion is a promising technique for cerebral aneurysm treatment but presents new and sometimes unique challenges. Transient reversible narrowing due to device reconfiguration of the pipeline embolization device (PED) has not been previously described. Here we describe a patient with dolichoectasia of the distal right internal carotid artery with an associated saccular sidewall aneurysm who developed asymptomatic circumferential narrowing of the proximal aspect of the PED in the first month following deployment. The patient was followed conservatively and demonstrated partial resolution of device narrowing on 6 month follow-up imaging.
CT diagnosis of an iatrogenic bile duct injury
Authors: Mbarushimana Simon , Morris-Stiff Gareth , Hassn Ahmed
Published: September 2014

Bile duct injuries are a recognised complication of cholecystectomy and a number of options exist for their evaluation. A 44-year-old woman presented with a suspected biliary leak 11 days following an open cholecystectomy. Her medical history was significant for biliopancreatic diversion 2 years previously. An ultrasound scan demonstrated a perihepatic collection but no dilation of the biliary tree was observed. The patient's surgical history and the lack of biliary dilation precluded an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, and she could not undergo an MR cholangiopancreatography due to claustrophobia. A CT cholangiogram was performed and clarified the location of the injury, facilitating operative identification and repair of the bile duct. CT cholangiography performed as a dynamic procedure is useful as a means of identifying bile duct injuries.
AS, DISH or something else?
Authors: Naha Kushal , Naha Sowjanya , Vivek Ganapathiraman , Ramachandran Balasubramanian
Published: September 2014

A 68-year-old farmer presented with progressively worsening pain in multiple joints associated with stiffening for 9 months. Locomotor examination revealed grossly restricted movement of the axial skeleton. There were no neurological deficits. Radiological evaluation demonstrated diffuse bone densification and extraspinal calcification with bony ankylosis reminiscent of ankylosing spondylitis. Laboratory tests subsequently yielded the true diagnosis. The patient was counselled accordingly and started on appropriate therapy.
Identification of transcription factors involved in the transcriptional regulation of the CXCL12 gene in rat pancreatic insulinoma Rin-5F cell line
Authors: Marković Jelena , Uskoković Aleksandra , Grdović Nevena , Dinić Svetlana , Mihailović Mirjana , Jovanović Jelena Arambašić , Poznanović Goran , Vidaković Melita
Published: September 2014

Diabetes is characterized by a deficit in the number of functional pancreatic β-cells. Understanding the mechanisms that stimulate neogenesis of β-cells should contribute to improved maintenance of β-cell mass. Chemokine CXCL12 has recently become established as a novel β-cell growth factor, however the mechanisms controlling its expression require clarification. We investigated the proteins involved in the transcriptional regulation of the rat β-cell CXCL12 gene (Cxcl12). Using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation, we established the in vitro and in vivo binding of C/EBPβ, C/EBPα, STAT3, p53, FOXO3a, and HMG I/Y to the Cxcl12 promoter. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed protein–protein interactions between YY1 and PARP-1, FOXO3a and PARP-1, Sp1 and PARP-1, p53 and PARP-1, C/EBPβ and PARP-1, YY1 and p53, YY1 and FOXO3a, p53 and FOXO3a, Sp1 and FOXO3a, C/EBPβ and FOXO3a, C/EBPα and FOXO3a, Sp1 and STAT3. Our data lay the foundation for research into the interplay of signaling pathways that determine the β-cell Cxcl12 expression profile.
Design of plant-specific PCR primers for the ETS region with enhanced specificity for tribeBromeaeand their application to other grasses (Poaceae)
Authors: Alonso Alicia , Bull Roger D. , Acedo Carmen , Gillespie Lynn J.
Published: September 2014

Selective primers were developed for the amplification via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the external transcribed spacer (ETS) region in the nuclear ribosomal repeat unit. These primers were intended to be specific to the Poaceae tribe Bromeae but were found to function broadly across subfamily Pooideae. ETS primers previously developed for grasses were unable to amplify tribe Bromeae taxa because of ETS variability and several subrepeats. After detailed analysis, a region was chosen and four candidate primers were designed to amplify and sequence the ETS fragment. This fragment of approximately 800–900 bp is located in the 3′ region of the ETS of 18S–26S nuclear ribosomal DNA. A preliminary study with these primers was conducted in eight samples of Bromus. The best two primers showed strong amplification and successful sequencing for all samples tested. We also tested the specificity of these two primers in samples belonging to all large taxa of Bromeae, including all three genera and five subgenera and samples of eight tribes and 15 subtribes of the subfamily Pooideae, and both worked for most of the taxa tested. Our results demonstrate that the ETS region is more informative for resolving relationships at different taxonomic levels than internal transcribed spacer region. Also, these results indicate the utility of these new primers for studying the ETS region in the tribe Bromeae as well as across the subfamily Pooideae.
The actin cytoskeleton organization and disorganization properties of the photosynthetic dinoflagellateSymbiodinium kawagutiiin culture
Authors: Villanueva Marco A. , Arzápalo-Castañeda Georgina , Castillo-Medina Raúl Eduardo
Published: September 2014

The actin cytoskeleton organization in symbiotic marine dinoflagellates is largely undescribed; most likely, due to their intense pigment autofluorescence and cell walls that block fluorescent probe access. Using a freeze–fracture and fixation procedure, we observed the actin cytoskeleton of Symbiodinium kawagutii cultured in vitro with fluorescently labeled phalloidin and by indirect immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies specific for actin. The cytoskeleton appeared as an organized network with interconnected cortical and cytoplasmic thick filaments, along with some intertwined fine filaments. It showed a grid-type, reticular pattern organized in a lattice-like structure within the cell and throughout the cytoplasm. This organization was similar when the observations were done with either fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)–phalloidin or anti-actin, although the latter showed a more evenly distributed fluorescence characteristic of nonpolymerized actin. The network organization collapsed upon treatment with latrunculin, resulting in bright foci and diffuse fluorescence. A similar effect was obtained upon butanedione monoxime treatment, except that no bright foci were observed. We have been able to successfully visualize the actin cytoskeleton of S. kawagutii cells using fluorescence-based procedures. This is the first report on the visualization of the organization of the actin cytoskeleton under various conditions in these walled, highly autofluorescent cells.
Cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonist treatment induces glucagon release and shows an additive therapeutic effect with GLP-1 agonist in diet-induced obese mice
Authors: Patel Kartikkumar Navinchandra , Joharapurkar Amit Arvind , Patel Vishal , Kshirsagar Samadhan Govind , Bahekar Rajesh , Srivastava Brijesh Kumar , Jain Mukul R.
Published: September 2014

Cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor antagonists reduce body weight and improve insulin sensitivity. Preclinical data indicates that an acute dose of CB1 antagonist rimonabant causes an increase in blood glucose. A stable analog of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), exendin-4 improves glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreas, and reduces appetite through activation of GLP-1 receptors in the central nervous system and liver. We hypothesized that the insulin secretagogue effect of GLP-1 agonist exendin-4 may synergize with the insulin-sensitizing action of rimonabant. Intraperitoneal as well as intracerebroventricular administration of rimonabant increased serum glucose upon glucose challenge in overnight fasted, diet-induced obese C57 mice, with concomitant rise in serum glucagon levels. Exendin-4 reversed the acute hyperglycemia induced by rimonabant. The combination of exendin-4 and rimonabant showed an additive effect in the food intake, and sustained body weight reduction upon repeated dosing. The acute efficacy of both the compounds was additive for inducing nausea-like symptoms in conditioned aversion test in mice, whereas exendin-4 treatment antagonized the effect of rimonabant on forced swim test upon chronic dosing. Thus, the addition of exendin-4 to rimonabant produces greater reduction in food intake owing to increased aversion, but reduces the other central nervous system side effects of rimonabant. The hyperglucagonemia induced by rimonabant is partially responsible for enhancing the antiobesity effect of exendin-4.
Functional and physiological resistance of crayfish to amphibian toxins: tetrodotoxin resistance in the white river crayfish (Procambarus acutus)
Authors: Wilson N.J. , Stokes A.N. , Hopkins G.R. , Brodie, Jr. E.D. , Williams C.R.
Published: September 2014

Freshwater crayfish are reported to consume early life-history stages of a number of toxic amphibians. Although previous research indicates toxic amphibians are palatable to crayfish, the potential toxicity associated with consumption of toxic prey has been poorly described. We sought to characterise the supposed tetrodotoxin (TTX) resistance of freshwater crayfish, which have been observed to eat the eggs and larvae of toxic Taricha Gray, 1850 newts. White river crayfish (Procambarus acutus (Girard, 1852)) consumed 7.7 ± 4.0 Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa (Skilton, 1849)) eggs (mean ± SD) when offered 10 eggs in controlled feeding trials. Eggs were determined to contain a concentration of 1239 ± 571 ng (mean ± SD) of TTX. A dose-response assay was then performed to compare ingested doses with physiological TTX resistance. Crayfish were highly susceptible to TTX when administered as an intramuscular injection; TTX doses of 0.1 mass-adjusted mouse units were lethal to 100% of P. acutus crayfish. We established that while crayfish were capable consumers of highly toxic newt eggs, these decapods did not demonstrate physiological resistance to TTX. These findings suggest that crayfish have some functional resistance that renders them capable of consuming TTX-bearing prey despite a lack of physiological resistance to TTX.
Effects of dimension-5 operators in E6 grand unified theories
Authors: Huang Chao-Shang
Published: September 2014

The effective dimension-5 operators can be induced by quantum gravity or inspired by string and M theories. They have important impacts on grand unified theories. We investigate their effects for the well known E(6) model. Considering the breaking chains E6↦H = SO (10)×UV′(1)↦ SU (5)× U V(1)× U V′(1)↦ SU (3)× SU (2)× U Z(1)× U V(1)× U V′(1) and E6↦H = SO (10)× U V′(1)↦ SU (4)× SU L(2)× SU R(2)× U V′(1)↦ SU (3)× SU L(2)× SU R(2)× U S(1)× U V′(1), we derive and give all of the Clebsch–Gordan coefficients [Formula: see text] associated with E6 breaking to the Standard Model (SM). Physical effects of nonzero vacuum expectations of SM singlets Higgs in E6 grand unified theories are discussed.
Implications of purely classical gravity for inflationary tensor modes
Authors: Ashoorioon Amjad , Dev P. S. Bhupal , Mazumdar Anupam
Published: September 2014

We discuss the implications of a purely classical (instead of quantum) theory of gravity for the primordial gravitational wave spectrum generated during inflation. We argue that for a scalar field driven inflation in a classical gravity the amplitude of the gravitational wave will be too small, irrespective of its primordial seed, to be detected in any forthcoming experiments. Therefore, a positive detection of the B-mode polarizations in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) spectrum will naturally confirm the quantum nature of gravity itself. Furthermore there will be no upper limit on the scale of inflation in the case of classical gravity, and a high-scale model of inflation can easily bypass the observational constraints.
Noether symmetry approach in Gauss–Bonnet cosmology
Authors: Capozziello Salvatore , De Laurentis Mariafelicia , Odintsov Sergei D.
Published: September 2014

We discuss the Noether Symmetry Approach in the framework of Gauss–Bonnet cosmology showing that the functional form of the F(R, 𝒢) function, where R is the Ricci scalar and 𝒢 is the Gauss–Bonnet topological invariant, can be determined by the presence of symmetries. Besides, the method allows to find out exact solutions due to the reduction of cosmological dynamical system and the presence of conserved quantities. Some specific cosmological models are worked out.
Global small-data solutions of a two-dimensional chemotaxis system with rotational flux terms
Authors: Li Tong , Suen Anthony , Winkler Michael , Xue Chuan
Published: September 2014

We study non-negative solutions to the chemotaxis system [Formula: see text] under no-flux boundary conditions in a bounded planar convex domain with smooth boundary, where f and S are given parameter functions on Ω × [0, ∞)2 with values in [0, ∞) and ℝ2×2, respectively, which are assumed to satisfy certain regularity assumptions and growth restrictions. Systems of type (⋆), in the special case [Formula: see text] reducing to a version of the standard Keller–Segel system with signal consumption, have recently been proposed as a model for swimming bacteria near a surface, with the sensitivity tensor then given by [Formula: see text], reflecting rotational chemotactic motion. It is shown that for any choice of suitably regular initial data (u0, v0) fulfilling a smallness condition on the norm of v0 in L∞(Ω), the corresponding initial-boundary value problem associated with (⋆) possesses a globally defined classical solution which is bounded. This result is achieved through the derivation of a series of a priori estimates involving an interpolation inequality of Gagliardo–Nirenberg type which appears to be new in this context. It is next proved that all corresponding solutions approach a spatially homogeneous steady state of the form (u, v) ≡ (μ, κ) in the large time limit, with μ := fΩu0 and some κ ≥ 0. A mild additional assumption on the positivity of f is shown to guarantee that κ = 0. Finally, numerical solutions are presented which suggest the occurrence of wave-like solution behavior.
AN EFFECTIVE MODEL FOR CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS PREDICTION: COMPARISON OF ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS LEARNING ALGORITHMS
Authors: ABDULLAH LAZIM , PAUZI HERRINI MOHD
Published: September 2014

This paper intends to compare various learning algorithms available for training the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) type of artificial neural networks (ANNs). By using different learning algorithms, this study investigates the performances of gradient descent (GD) algorithm; Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm; and also Boyden, Fletcher, Goldfarb and Shannon (BFGS) algorithm to predict the emissions of carbon dioxide ( CO 2) in Malaysia. The impact factors of emissions, such as energy use; gross domestic product per capita; population density; combustible renewable and waste; also CO 2 intensity were employed in developing all ANN models investigated in this study. A wide variety of standard statistical performance evaluation measures were employed to evaluate the performances of various ANN models developed. The results obtained in this study indicate that the LM algorithm outperformed both BFGS and GD algorithms.
XXXIV. Moraines and Deltas
Authors: Blair Matthew
Published: September 2014

T
he
important discoveries amongst the Ayrshire Drift-beds which Mr. John Smith recently placed before the Society, have naturally attracted a considerable amount of fresh attention to the Surface Geology of Western Scotland, the study of which seemed to be in danger of falling into abeyance, or of being passed by as of little consequence.

The author defined his object, therefore, in giving the present paper as an attempt to describe the great accumulations of detrital material which lie widely scattered over the lower levels of our country, as their varying modes of origin do not appear to be clearly understood, or, as in some recent text-books, to be altogether mis-stated. With this object in view he proceeded to define the clear distinctions which he believed to exist between the three principal varieties of these accumulations—in the shape of moraines, deltas, and raised beaches. He gave the results of his experiences in the examination of existing glaciers in Switzerland and Norway, and described the formation and appearances of their moraines, whether medial, terminal, or lateral, as exemplified by some of the more typical examples he had seen.

He then referred to the mounds or terraces which had a delta origin—that which resulted from the deposition of the debris of denuded rock formations, in water, whether salt or fresh, through the action of streams—and pointed out that the presence of such deltas above the water line always indicated a considerable alteration of levels.

When the accumulations of drift matter were formed by
XXXV. Lord Dundonald, 9th Earl, the Discoverer of Coal Gas as an Illuminant
Authors: Craig Robert
Published: September 2014

W
hen
Mr. John Smith exhibited, in January last, “specimens of the substance from which William Murdock first made gas,” my intention was to have attended the meeting, and to have pointed out that he (Murdock) was not the discoverer of coal-gas but that Lord Dundonald was. Being, however, prevented from coming that evening through illness, I now send this note on the subject.

I have no wish or intention of detracting from the merits of William Murdock, who if not a man of genius was at least a man of talent, and one who knew how to use both his head and his hands. Of late years it has become the fashion to put him forward as the discoverer of coal-gas, and also as the assistant of James Watt in perfecting the steam-engine, but these are both pure fictions.

The real discoverer of coal-gas as a product from coal, and its first application as a powerful illuminant, was Lord Archibald Cochrane, 9th Earl of Dundonald, a man of transcendent genius. First joining the navy, he then went into the army, but not finding either profession to his mind he settled down to devote his life to science, principally chemistry, at a place, I believe, called Annsfield, near Glasgow.

Amongst his other discoveries was the production of gas-tar—as it is now called—from coal. When working at this at Culross Abbey, in Fife, he observed an easily ignited blue vapour being given off, and fixing an old gun barrel to one of
XI.—
The Geology of North Rona
Authors: Nisbet Helen C.
Published: September 2014

The field relations and petrography of the Lewisian gneisses of the island of North Rona are described, and suggestions are made regarding their genetic relationships. Seventeen new rock analyses are tabulated in an appendix, with brief comments on their significance.
VI.—
Palynological Evidence on the Age of the Carboniferous of Inninmore
Authors: Love L. G. , Neves R.
Published: September 2014

The most northerly known outcrop of Carboniferous rocks in Britain is at Inninmore Bay, Morvern, Scotland. Assemblages of fossil spores indicate a mid-Westphalian B age for coal lenticles and underclay low in the exposed succession, and an age at about the Westphalian B-C boundary is suggested for the Main Coal higher in the succession. Previous consideration of poorly preserved plant remains had led to the attribution of the measures to horizons not higher than the Ell Coal (mid-Westphalian B).
XXV. Note on the Reproduction and Development of Graptolites
Authors: Dairon James
Published: September 2014

M
r
. D
airon
remarked that, though it might be thought a good deal could be said as to the reproduction and development of the Graptolitic family, such was really not the case. Though these organisms are found at the very base of the great Silurian system, and did not die out till its close, few specimens with the reproductive capsules attached are known, except in the upper Moffat beds.

Professor James Hall, of New York, seems to have been the first to describe examples of
Diplograptus Whitfieldii,
showing the ovarian sacs. This was in 1858, in his great work on the Graptolites of the Quebec group.

Dr. Alleyne Nicholson says, in his lately published monograph on the British Graptolites [Edin., 1875], that, after Professor Hall, no other observer had described such appearances, until Mr. John Hopkinson lately published an account of a specimen of
Diplograptus pristis
furnished with reproductive capsules, a figure of which Prof. Nicholson gives in the above-quoted work. This specimen was found in the Upper Llandeilo shales of Dumfriesshire. [
Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.,
May, 1871.]

Dr. Nicholson himself also figures
Monograptus Sedgwicki,
showing ovarian capsules growing out from between the denticles; but to this Mr. Carruthers afterwards objected, as he thought that the appearances described were due to the accidental juxtaposition of the Graptolites with the minute bodies said to be reproductive sacs. With this criticism Dr. Nicholson does not, however, agree, and says that the specimen is not thus to be explained away, but states,
III. The Parallel Roads of Lochaber; the Problem, its Conditions and Solutions
Authors: Jolly William
Published: September 2014

T
he
author thought the subject of perennial interest to all geologists, on account of both its intrinsic importance and the eminent men who had written of it. The true solution could not yet be said to have been
finally established,
and elaborate papers were still appearing at intervals, advocating rival theories. His aim was to state the problem, explain the solutions offered, give its bibliography, criticise the theories, and develop more fully the one he adopted. He first described the locality of the Roads in Glen Roy, Glen Spean, Glen Gluoy, and Glen Laggan, all at the south end of the Great Glen. Their unique and striking aspect was such as to draw the attention of the primitive Celts. They had received several names. They were known in Gaelic as
Na Casan,
literally The Feet, hence Footpaths, of which the English
Roads
was a literal translation. Campbell of Islay’s rendering, “The Bends,” the late Rev. Mr. McGregor, the Gaelic scholar, of Inverness, thought fanciful, and without foundation. They were also variously called “roads,” “lines,” “shelves,” “parallels,” etc. The highest of those recognized is in Glen Gluoy, at 1,172 feet, another existing there at 964; the three chief in Glen Roy stand at 1,148, 1,067, and 855; the lowest sweeping round into Glen Spean at the same level. A possible Road, discovered by Darwin in 1838, in Glen Laggan, above the Loch Laggan Locks, is 1,300 feet high. Their breadth varies from 40 to 70 feet, giving an average of 60.
Prevention and Trust Evaluation Scheme Based on Interpersonal Relationships for Large‐Scale Peer‐To‐Peer Networks
Authors: Li Lixiang , Kurths Jürgen , Yang Yixian , Liu Guole
Published: September 2014

In recent years, the complex network as the frontier of complex system has received more and more attention. Peer‐to‐peer (P2P) networks with openness, anonymity, and dynamic nature are vulnerable and are easily attacked by peers with malicious behaviors. Building trusted relationships among peers in a large‐scale distributed P2P system is a fundamental and challenging research topic. Based on interpersonal relationships among peers of large‐scale P2P networks, we present prevention and trust evaluation scheme, called IRTrust. The framework incorporates a strategy of identity authentication and a global trust of peers to improve the ability of resisting the malicious behaviors. It uses the quality of service (QoS), quality of recommendation (QoR), and comprehensive risk factor to evaluate the trustworthiness of a peer, which is applicable for large‐scale unstructured P2P networks. The proposed IRTrust can defend against several kinds of malicious attacks, such as simple malicious attacks, collusive attacks, strategic attacks, and sybil attacks. Our simulation results show that the proposed scheme provides greater accuracy and stronger resistance compared with existing global trust schemes. The proposed scheme has potential application in secure P2P network coding.
Terminal Sliding Mode Control of Mobile Wheeled Inverted Pendulum System with Nonlinear Disturbance Observer
Authors: Ri SongHyok , Huang Jian , Wang Yongji , Kim MyongHo , An Sonchol
Published: September 2014

A terminal sliding mode controller with nonlinear disturbance observer is investigated to control mobile wheeled inverted pendulum system. In order to eliminate the main drawback of the sliding mode control, “chattering” phenomenon, and for compensation of the model uncertainties and external disturbance, we designed a nonlinear disturbance observer of the mobile wheeled inverted pendulum system. Based on the nonlinear disturbance observer, a terminal sliding mode controller is also proposed. The stability of the closed‐loop mobile wheeled inverted pendulum system is proved by Lyapunov theorem. Simulation results show that the terminal sliding mode controller with nonlinear disturbance observer can eliminate the “chattering” phenomenon, improve the control precision, and suppress the effects of external disturbance and model uncertainties effectively.
Acute Psychotic Symptoms due to Benzydamine Hydrochloride Abuse with Alcohol
Authors: Acar Yahya Ayhan , Kalkan Mustafa , Çetin Rıdvan , Çevik Erdem , Çınar Orhan
Published: September 2014

Benzydamine hydrochloride is a locally acting nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Benzydamine hydrochloride overdose can cause stimulation of central nervous system, hallucinations, and psychosis. We presented a young man with psychotic symptoms due to benzydamine hydrochloride abuse. He received a total dose of 1000 mg benzydamine hydrochloride with alcohol for its hallucinative effects. Misuse of benzydamine hydrochloride must be considered in differential diagnosis of first-episode psychosis and physicians should consider possibility of abuse in prescribing.
Study on Evaluation Models of Highway Safety Based on Catastrophe Theory
Authors: Bi Hezheng , Lu Linjun , Lu Jian , Wang Chen
Published: September 2014

Evaluating safety performance of first‐class highways in China is important due to their high mortality rates. Traditional models for statistical crash prediction and traffic conflict techniques require long periods of data collection which is time‐consuming and labor‐intensive. This paper introduces a safety evaluation method based on catastrophe theory for highways in China. The method firstly divides the highway into multiple road sections and uses video‐based road detection (VRD) system to collect video data of existing road conditions. Then, experienced drivers and experts are invited to watch the collected videos to establish a multilayer safety index system and assign values to bottom indexes. By applying catastrophe theory, a general safety index is derived, which indicates the relative safety level of a road section. Finally, all road sections can be ranked based on the general safety index. A case study shows encouraging results where (1) the safety index is highly correlated with real mortality rates and (2) the safety index successfully identifies most dangerous road sections. The proposed method can be considered as a promising supplementary safety evaluation method that could help traffic engineers to better understand safety implications of first‐class highways in China.
An Unusual Case of Swab Embolism
Authors: Naidoo N. G. , Kahn D. , Mfolozi S.
Published: September 2014

Intravascular foreign body embolism is an exceptionally uncommon problem. We report on an unusual case of a surgical swab embolism which occurred during a thoracic surgical procedure.
Cases of Atypical Lymphangiomas in Children
Authors: Minocha Prashant K. , Roop Lakhan , Persad Rambachan
Published: September 2014

Background. Lymphatic malformations or lymphangiomas are rare benign hamartomas that result from maldevelopment of primitive lymphatic sacs. They are most frequently found in the neck and axilla, while intra-abdominal and mediastinal lymphangiomas are uncommon. These are primarily tumours of infancy and childhood and are successfully treated with surgical excision.Summary of Cases. Five cases of lymphangioma comprising three intra-abdominal lymphangiomas and two unilateral axillary lymphangiomas presenting at one institution in Trinidad W.I. between 2005 and 2012 were examined. The presentations, location, workup, treatment, and outcome of these patients were studied.Conclusion. This paper discusses a range of extracervical lymphangioma cases seen at San Fernando General Hospital, Trinidad W.I. We report three intra-abdominal cases and the most common clinical presentations were abdominal pain and distension. Also two axillary cases were reported, which presented as painless axillary masses. The major concerns for excision of axillary lymphangioma by parents and surgeons were cosmesis and feasibility of complete resection without disruption of developing breast tissue and axillary vessels. We believe that ultrasound scan is very good at detection of the lesion, while CT is better at determining tumour content and planning for the operation. It is our opinion that complete surgical excision can be achieved.
Multimode Preemptive Resource Investment Problem Subject to Due Dates for Activities: Formulation and Solution Procedure
Authors: Afshar-Nadjafi Behrouz , Arani Mohammad
Published: September 2014

The preemptive Multimode resource investment problem is investigated. The Objective is to minimize the total renewable/nonrenewable resource costs and earliness-tardiness costs by a given project deadline and due dates for activities. In this problem setting preemption is allowed with no setup cost or time. The project contains activities interrelated by finish-start type precedence relations with a time lag of zero, which require a set of renewable and nonrenewable resources. The problem formed in this way is an NP-hard. A mixed integer programming formulation is proposed for the problem and parameters tuned genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to solve it. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, 120 test problems are used. Comparative statistical results reveal that the proposed GA is efficient and effective in terms of the objective function and computational times.
Optimization of Hybrid Hub‐and‐Spoke Network Operation for Less‐Than‐Truckload Freight Transportation considering Incremental Quantity Discount
Authors: Chen Weiya , He Kaixian , Fang Xiaoping
Published: September 2014

This paper presents a mixed integer linear programming model (MILP) for optimizing the hybrid hub‐and‐spoke network operation for a less‐than‐truckload transportation service. The model aims to minimize the total operation costs (transportation cost and transfer cost), given the determined demand matrix, truck load capacity, and uncapacitated road transportation. The model also incorporates an incremental quantity discount function to solve the reversal of the total cost and the total demand. The model is applied to a real case of a Chinese transportation company engaged in nationwide freight transportation. The numerical example shows that, with uncapacitated road transportation, the total costs and the total vehicle trips of the hybrid hub‐and‐spoke network operation are, respectively, 8.0% and 15.3% less than those of the pure hub‐and‐spoke network operation, and the assumed capacity constraints in an extension model result in more target costs on the hybrid hub‐and‐spoke network. The two models can be used to support the decision making in network operations by transportation and logistics companies.
Optimized Reputable Sensing Participants Extraction for Participatory Sensor Networks
Authors: Yuan Weiwei , Guan Donghai , Jin Yuanfeng
Published: September 2014

By collecting data via sensors embedded personal smart devices, sensing participants play a key role in participatory sensor networks. Using information provided by reputable sensing participants ensures the reliability of participatory sensing data. Setting a threshold for the reputation, and those whose reputations are bigger than this value are regarded as reputable. The bigger the threshold value is, the more reliable the extracted reputable sensing participant is. However, if the threshold value is too big, only very limited participatory sensing data can be involved. This may cause unexpected bias in information collection. Existing works did not consider the relationship between the reliability of extracted reputable sensing participants and the ratio of usable participatory sensing data. In this work, we propose a criterion for optimized reputable sensing participant extraction in participatory sensor networks. This is achieved based on the mathematical analysis on the ratio of available participatory sensing data and the reliability of extracted reputable sensing participants. Our suggested threshold value for reputable sensing participant extraction is only related to the power of sensing participant’s reputation distribution. It is easy to be applied in real applications. Simulation results tested on real application data further verified the effectiveness of our proposed method.
The Effect of Different Topical Agents (Silver Sulfadiazine, Povidone-Iodine, and Sodium Chloride 0.9%) on Burn Injuries in Rats
Authors: Yüksel Emir Burak , Yıldırım Alpagan Mustafa , Bal Ali , Kuloglu Tuncay
Published: September 2014

It was aimed to comparatively evaluate the effects of dressing methods with silver sulfadiazine, povidone-iodine, and saline which have a common use in routine practices for burn injuries. Twenty-eight Sprague Dawley adult female rats were used in this study. All the rats were divided into 4 groups: the control group, the povidone-iodine group, the saline group, and the silver sulfadiazine group. On each rat, a second degree burn which covered less than 10% of the body surface area was created under general anesthesia by a metal comb including four probes with 2 × 1 cm area. The control group did not have any treatment during the experiment. Povidone-iodine, saline, and silver sulfadiazine administrations were performed under ether anesthesia every day. On 0, 7th, 14th, and 21st days of the study, tissue samples were taken for histological analyses. The sections taken from the paraffin blocks were stained and avidin-biotin-peroxidase method was used for collagen immune-reactivity. In the light microscope analyses, number of inflammatory cells, vascularization, fibroblast proliferation, collagen formation and epithelialization were evaluated histologically in all groups and analysed statistically. The agents that we used for injury healing in the treatment groups did not show any significant better results in comparison with the control group. In conclusion, further studies with the use of sodium chloride, silver sulfadiazine, and povidone-iodine by creating deeper and/or larger burn injury models are needed in order to accept these agents in routine treatment.
Approximate Periodic Solution for the Nonlinear Helmholtz-Duffing Oscillator via Analytical Approaches
Authors: Mirzabeigy A. , Yazdi M. K. , Nasehi M. H.
Published: September 2014

The conservative Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator is analyzed by means of three analytical techniques. The max-min, second-order of the Hamiltonian, and the global error minimization approaches are applied to achieve natural frequencies. The obtained results are compared with the homotopy perturbation method and numerical solutions. The results show that second-order of the global error minimization method is very accurate, so it can be widely applicable in engineering problems.
A Probabilistic Recommendation Method Inspired by Latent Dirichlet Allocation Model
Authors: Xie WenBo , Dong Qiang , Gao Hui
Published: September 2014

The recent decade has witnessed an increasing popularity of recommendation systems, which help users acquire relevant knowledge, commodities, and services from an overwhelming information ocean on the Internet. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), originally presented as a graphical model for text topic discovery, now has found its application in many other disciplines. In this paper, we propose an LDA‐inspired probabilistic recommendation method by taking the user‐item collecting behavior as a two‐step process: every user first becomes a member of one latent user‐group at a certain probability and each user‐group will then collect various items with different probabilities. Gibbs sampling is employed to approximate all the probabilities in the two‐step process. The experiment results on three real‐world data sets MovieLens, Netflix, and Last.fm show that our method exhibits a competitive performance on precision, coverage, and diversity in comparison with the other four typical recommendation methods. Moreover, we present an approximate strategy to reduce the computing complexity of our method with a slight degradation of the performance.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) And Cardiovascular Risk In Renal Transplant Recipients
Authors: Mikolasevic Ivana , Racki Sanjin , Zaputovic Luka , Lukenda Vesna , Sladoje-Martinovic Branka , Orlic Lidija
Published: September 2014

Background/Aims: Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) are at high risk for cardiovascular (CVD) mortality. Recently, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been recognized as a new risk factor for adverse CVD events in the general population. We examined whether transient elastography (TE) defined NAFLD was associated with atherosclerosis in RTRs, as measured by ultrasound in the carotid arteries. Methods: Carotid atherosclerosis was assesses in 71 RTRs with a TE proven NAFLD. With the help of TE liver stiffness was used to assess liver fibrosis and Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) was used to detect and quantify liver steatosis. NAFLD was defined by the presence of steatosis with CAP values ≥238 dB.m-1. Results: RTRs with NAFLD showed more carotid atherosclerosis than RTRs without NAFLD. RTRs-NAFLD patients had the mean intima-media measurements (ITM) of 1.1±0.1 mm and that was statistically significant higher than the mean ITM founded in RTRs without NAFLD (1.1±0.1 vs. 0.9±0.1 mm; p<0.0001). Furthermore, RTRs-NAFLD patients had statistically significant higher prevalence of plaques in comparison with RTRs without NAFLD (p=0.021). Conclusion: We showed for the first time that carotid atherosclerosis is advanced in RTRs with NAFLD. Detection of NAFLD by TE should alert to the existence of an increased cardiovascular risk in RTRs.
Peripheral Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Combination with Intra-Aortic Balloon Counterpulsation in Patients with Cardiovascular Compromise
Authors: Gass Alan , Palaniswamy Chandrasekar , Aronow Wilbert S. , Kolte Dhaval , Khera Sahil , Ahmad Hasan , Cuomo Linda J. , Timmermans Robert , Cohen Martin , Tang Gilbert H. , Kai Masashi , Lansman Steven L. , Lanier Gregg M. , Malekan Ramin , Panza Julio A. , Spielvogel David
Published: September 2014

Objectives: Patients with profound cardiovascular compromise have poor prognosis despite inotropic and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support. Peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) offers these patients temporary support as a bridge to various options including the ‘bridge to recovery'. Methods: We studied the outcomes of 135 patients who underwent peripheral V-A ECMO and concomitant IABP implantation in our hospital from 2007 to 2012 for various clinical indications. The ECMO circuit consisted of a centrifugal pump and an oxygenator. Results: V-A ECMO was implanted in the cardiac catheterization laboratory in 51 patients (37.8%), at the bedside in 5 (3.7%) and in the operating room in 79 (58.5%). Mean duration of support was 8.5 ± 7.1 days. Median length of stay was 28 days (interquartile range 14-62). Complications included bleeding at the access site in 14.1%, stroke in 11.1% and vascular complications requiring intervention in 16.3%. Overall inhospital survival was 57.8% with outcomes including heart transplantation (3%), implantable left ventricular assist device (8.1% as bridge to transplantation and 6.7% as destination therapy), surgery (7.4%) and myocardial recovery (40.7%). Prior IABP use and axillary cannulation were independent predictors of reduced inhospital mortality, stroke or vascular injury. Conclusions: Peripheral V-A ECMO with IABP is an effective therapy for patients with severely compromised cardiovascular function. It offers reasonable survival and a spectrum of definitive options from ‘bridge to recovery' to heart transplantation for the management of this critically ill population.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia Is a Disease Associated with HLA-C3
Authors: Yoon Jeongsook
Published: September 2014

Background: We aimed to observe human leukocyte antigen (HLA) associations with human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in a large population, in order to investigate the roles of HLA in leukemogenesis. Furthermore, we examined the HLA association according to morphological, cytogenetic, immunological, and clinical classifications. Materials and Methods: We performed HLA genotyping, bone marrow studies, cytogenetic analyses, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses. A clinical outcome database was constructed, and the HLA frequency, gene frequency, relative risk (RR), linkage disequilibrium, and the 2-locus and 3-locus haplotype frequency using the Mattiuz formula were calculated. For the healthy controls, Korean HLA data published by Park and co-workers were used. Results: AML was found to be associated with HLA-C3 (RR = 1.46; p < 0.001). In the French-American-British (FAB) classification, acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AML-M4) was associated with HLA-C3 (47.2 vs. 74.1%; RR = 3.13; p = 0.005), in cytogenetic classification, del(9), which is frequently observed in AML-M4, was also associated with HLA-C3 (47.2 vs. 100%; RR = 13.43; p = 0.024), and in clinical classification, incomplete remission was associated with HLA-C3 as well (47.2 vs. 63.2%; RR = 1.92; p = 0.002). No correlations between AML and immunological classifications were observed. Moreover, and in terms of 2-locus haplotypes, AML was found to be associated with HLA-C3/B62 (HLA-C3 gene frequency 0.3415; HLA-B62 gene frequency 0.1361; linkage disequilibrium 0.0136; haplotype frequency 4.15 vs. 6.0%; p < 0.05). In clinical classification, incomplete remission (linkage disequilibrium 0.0136; haplotype frequency 4.15 vs. 13.6%; p = 0.013) and relapse (linkage disequilibrium 0.0136; haplotype frequency 4.15 vs. 71.0%; p = 0.044) were associated with HLA-C3/B62, whereas no association was observed for FAB, cytogenetic and immunological classifications. No association was observed for the 3-locus haplotype. Conclusion: The HLA-C3 antigen and the 2-locus haplotype are associated with AML. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel