bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The benthic foraminiferal community in a naturally CO2-rich coastal habitat in the southwestern Baltic Sea
Authors: Haynert K. , Schönfeld J. , Polovodova-Asteman I. , Thomsen J.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. It is expected that the calcification of foraminifera will be negatively affected by the ongoing acidification of the oceans. Compared to the open oceans, these organisms are subjected to much more adverse carbonate system conditions in coastal and estuarine environments such as the southwestern Baltic Sea, where benthic foraminifera are abundant. This study documents the seasonal changes of carbonate chemistry and the ensuing response of the foraminiferal community with bi-monthly resolution in Flensburg Fjord. In comparison to the surface pCO2, which is close to equilibrium with the atmosphere, we observed large seasonal fluctuations of pCO2 in the bottom and sediment pore waters. The sediment pore water pCO2 was constantly high during the entire year ranging from 1244 to 3324 μatm. Nevertheless, in contrast to the bottom water, sediment pore water was slightly supersaturated with respect to calcite as consequence of higher alkalinity (AT) for the most time of the year. Foraminiferal assemblages were dominated by two calcareous species, Ammonia aomoriensis and Elphidium incertum, and the agglutinated Ammotium cassis. The one year-cycle was characterized by seasonal community shifts. Our results revealed that there is no dynamic response of foraminiferal population density and diversity to elevated sediment pore water pCO2. Surprisingly, the fluctuations of sediment pore water undersaturation (Ωcalc) co-vary with the population densities of living Ammonia aomoriensis. Further, we observed that most of the tests of living calcifying specimens were intact. Only Ammonia aomorienis showed dissolution and recalcification structures on the tests, especially at undersaturated conditions. Therefore, the benthic community is subjected to constantly high pCO2 and tolerates elevated levels as long as sediment pore water remains supersaturated. Model calculations inferred that increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations will finally lead to a perennial undersaturation in sediment pore waters. Whereas benthic foraminifera indeed may cope with a high sediment pore water pCO2, the steady undersaturation of sediment pore waters would likely cause a significant higher mortality of the dominating Ammonia aomoriensis. This shift may eventually lead to changes in the benthic foraminiferal communities in Flensburg Fjord, as well as in other regions experiencing naturally undersaturated Ωcalc levels.
Future Flows Climate: an ensemble of 1-km climate change projections for hydrological application in Great Britain
Authors: Prudhomme C. , Dadson S. , Morris D. , Williamson J. , Goodsell G. , Crooks S. , Boelee L. , Davies H. , Buys G. , Lafon T. , Watts G.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. 1. The dataset Future Flows Climate was developed as part of the project "Future Flows and Groundwater Levels" to provide a consistent set of climate change projections for the whole of Great Britain at both space and time resolutions appropriate for hydrological applications, and to enable for climate change uncertainty and climate variability to be accounted for in the assessment of their possible impacts on the environment. 2. Future Flows Climate is derived from the Hadley Centre's ensemble Projection HadRM3-PPE that is part of the basis of UKCP09 and includes projections in available precipitation (water available to hydrological processes after snow and ice storages have been accounted for) and potential evapotranspiration. It corresponds to an 11-member ensemble of transient projections from January 1950 to December 2098, each a single realisation from a different variant of HadRM3. Data are provided on a 1-km grid over the HadRM3 land areas at a daily (available precipitation) and monthly (PE) time step as NetCDF files. 3. Because systematic biases in temperature and precipitation were found between HadRM3-PPE and gridded temperature and precipitation observations for the 1962–1991 period, a monthly bias correction procedure was undertaken, based on a linear correction for temperature and a quantile-mapping correction (using the gamma distribution) for precipitation followed by a spatial downscaling. Available precipitation was derived from the bias-corrected precipitation and temperature time series using a simple elevation-dependant snow-melt model. Potential evapotranspiration time series were calculated for each month using the FAO-56 Penman Montieth equations and bias-corrected temperature, cloud cover, relative humidity and wind speed from HadRM3-PPE along with latitude of the grid and the day of the year. 4. Future Flows Climate is freely available for non commercial use under certain licensing conditions. It is the dataset used to generate Future Flows Hydrology, an ensemble of transient projections of daily river flow and monthly groundwater time series for representative river basins and boreholes in Great Britain. 5. doi:10.5285/bad1514f-119e-44a4-8e1e-442735bb9797
Cavernous Hemangioma of the Spongious Body of the Urethra: A Case Report
Authors: Abbinante Maria , Crivellaro Simone , Guaitoli Paolo , Mastrocinque Giuseppe , Ammirati Enrico , Frea Bruno
Published: June 2012

Urethral hemangiomas are rare and benign tumors, probably originating from a unipotent angioblastic stem cell. They can vary in size and the clinical appearance can range from asymptomatic lesions to urethral bleeding or gross hematuria. We present the case of an 18-year-old male, with a history of urethral bleeding. Cystourethoscopy revealed a solitary bulging mass into the lumen, about 6 cm far from the external meatus. Doppler study confirmed that the lesion was in communication with the vessels of the left spongious body. The patient underwent surgical removal of the lesion. The post-procedure Doppler study revealed an inflammation-based remodeling of the spongoius urethra and the absence of the previous vascular connection. At the time of publication the patient is still symptom-free. The surgical removal of urethral hemangiomas is by far the technique of choice for treating such lesions in young patients, thus avoiding side effects of LASER treatments.
Improving the Navigability of a Hexapod Robot Using a Fault-Tolerant Adaptive Gait
Authors: Asif Umar
Published: June 2012

This paper encompasses a study on the development of a walking gait for fault tolerant locomotion in unstructured environments. The fault tolerant gait for adaptive locomotion fulfills stability conditions in opposition to a fault (locked joints or sensor failure) event preventing a robot to realize stable locomotion over uneven terrains. To accomplish this feat, a fault tolerant gait based on force-position control is proposed in this paper for a hexapod robot to enable stable walking with a joint failure. Furthermore, we extend our proposed fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) method to deal with the critical failure of the angular rate sensors responsible for the attitude control of the robot over uneven terrains. A performance analysis of straight-line walking is carried out which shows that the proposed FDD-based gait is capable of generating an adaptive walking pattern during joint or sensor failures. The performance of the proposed control is established using dynamic simulations and real-world experiments on a prototype hexapod robot.
Design, Implementation and Control of a Fish Robot with Undulating Fins
Authors: Siahmansouri Mohsen , Ghanbari Ahmad , Fakhrabadi Mir Masoud Seyyed
Published: June 2012

Biomimetic robots can potentially perform better than conventional robots in underwater vehicle designing. This paper describes the design of the propulsion system and depth control of a robotic fish. In this study, inspired by knife fish, we have designed and implemented an undulating fin to produce propulsive force. This undulating fin is a segmental anal fin that produces sinusoidal wave to propel the robot. The relationship between the individual fin segment and phase angles with the overall fin trajectory has also been discussed. This propulsive force can be adjusted and directed for fish robot manoeuvre by a mechanical system with two servomotors. These servomotors regulate the direction and depth of swimming. A wireless remote control system is designed to adjust the servomotors which enables us to control revolution, speed and phase differences of neighbor servomotors of fins. Finally, Field trials are conducted in an outdoor pool to demonstrate the relationship between robotic fish speed and fin parameters like phase difference, the number of phase and undulatory amplitude.
Contact State Estimation by Vision-Based Tactile Sensors for Dexterous Manipulation with Robot Hands Based on Shape-Sensing
Authors: Ito Yuji , Kim Youngwoo , Nagai Chikara , Obinata Goro
Published: June 2012

We propose a new method for estimating the contact state of objects with varying shapes on a vision-based fluid-type tactile sensor, which touch pad is an elastic transparent membrane of silicon rubber with dotted pattern printed on its inner side. The membrane is filled with translucent red colored water. The proposed method leads to better understanding of the object's shape and movement, and can be applied for accomplishing reliable and dexterous handling tasks by robot hands.
LIDAR Velodyne HDL-64E Calibration Using Pattern Planes
Authors: Atanacio-Jiménez Gerardo , González-Barbosa José-Joel , Hurtado-Ramos Juan B. , Ornelas-Rodríguez Francisco J. , Jiménez-Hernández Hugo , García-Ramirez Teresa , González-Barbosa Ricardo
Published: June 2012

This work describes a method for calibration of the Velodyne HDL-64E scanning LIDAR system. The principal contribution was expressed by a pattern calibration signature, the mathematical model and the numerical algorithm for computing the calibration parameters of the LIDAR. In this calibration pattern the main objective is to minimize systematic errors due to geometric calibration factor. It describes an algorithm for solution of the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. Finally, its uncertainty was calculated from the standard deviation of calibration result errors.
An Adaptive Fuzzy Control Approach for the Robust Tracking of a MEMS Gyroscope Sensor
Authors: Fei Juntao , Juan Wanru , Li Tianhua
Published: June 2012

In this paper, a direct adaptive fuzzy control using a supervisory compensator is designed for the robust tracking of a MEMS gyroscope sensor. The parameters of the membership functions are adjusted according to the designed adaptive law for the purpose of tracking a reference trajectory. A fuzzy controller that can approximate the unknown nonlinear function and compensate the system's nonlinearities is incorporated into the adaptive control scheme in the Lyapunov framework. A supervisory compensator is adopted to guarantee the stability of the closed loop system. Numerical simulations for a MEMS angular velocity sensor are investigated in order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive fuzzy control scheme and show that the system using the designed fuzzy controller with a supervisory compensator has better tracking performance and robustness than that using only a fuzzy control without a supervisory compensator in the presence of external disturbances.
Calibration of Kinematic Parameters for Two Wheel Differential Mobile Robots by Using Experimental Heading Errors
Authors: Jung Changbae , Chung Woojin
Published: June 2012

Odometry using incremental wheel encoder sensors provides the relative position of mobile robots. This relative position is fundamental information for pose estimation by various sensors for EKF Localization, Monte Carlo Localization etc. Odometry is also used as unique information for localization of environmental conditions when absolute measurement systems are not available. However, odometry suffers from the accumulation of kinematic modeling errors of the wheel as the robot's travel distance increases. Therefore, systematic odometry errors need to be calibrated. Principal systematic error sources are unequal wheel diameters and uncertainty of the effective wheelbase. The UMBmark method is a practical and useful calibration scheme for systematic odometry errors of two-wheel differential mobile robots. However, the approximation errors of the calibration equations and the coupled effect between the two systematic error sources affect the performance of the kinematic parameter estimation. In this paper, we proposed a new calibration scheme whose calibration equations have less approximation errors. This new scheme uses the orientation errors of the robot's final pose in the test track. This scheme also considers the coupled effect between wheel diameter error and wheelbase error. Numerical simulations and experimental results verified that the proposed scheme accurately estimated the kinematic error parameters and improved the accuracy of odometry calibration significantly.
Design and Development of a Landmines Removal Robot
Authors: Hemapala K.T.M.U. , Razzoli Roberto P.
Published: June 2012

Humanitarian demining is a calamity of war affecting many third world countries. Mines are cheap weapons, built to sustain horrible injuries that target active people with a knock-on effect upon economic growth. The clearing is time consuming and expensive. Clearing is an engineering duty and the humanitarian goal is a technical challenge. Advanced robotics fulfils this task cleanly and reliably on the condition that upgrades and cost are met, meaning that they lose third-world appropriateness. The challenge is to turn local machines and awareness into effective robotic aids, willingly used by the local people, and to enhance the on-going outcomes.

The solution to the demining problem shall be a low cost robotic outfit with resort to nearby available resources and competences (e.g., drawn from the local agricultural machinery and know-how). This paper discusses an ongoing project that aims to develop a low-cost robot with intelligent remote-command abilities, as a cheap productivity upgrading, assembled from standard farming devices, through the shared know-how and commitment of locally involved operators. During the study, the authors have developed a low-cost robot capable of removing mines. The robot consists of modified agricultural components including its mobile carrier and the mine effector.
Personalized Mobile Information Retrieval System
Authors: Choi Okkyung , Kim Kangseok , Wang Duksang , Yeh Hongjin , Hong Manpyo
Published: June 2012

Building a global Network Relations with the internet has made huge changes in personal information system and even comments left on a webpage of SNS(Social Network Services) are appreciated as important elements that would provide valuable information for someone. Social Network is a relation between individuals or groups, represented in a graph model, which converts the concept of psychological and social relations into a logical structure by using node and link. But, most of the current personalized systems on the basis of Social Network are built and constructed mainly in the PC environment, and the systems are neither designed nor implemented in mobile environment. Hence, the objective of this study is to propose methods of providing Personalized Mobile Information Retrieval System using NFC (Near Field Communication) Smartphone, which will be then used for Smartphone users. Besides, this study aims to verify its efficiency through a comparative analysis of existing studies.
Robust Adaptive Neural Sliding Mode Approach for Tracking Control of a MEMS Triaxial Gyroscope
Authors: Fei Juntao , Ding Hongfei , Hou Shixi , Wang Shitao , Xin Mingyuan
Published: June 2012

In this paper, a neural network adaptive sliding mode control is proposed for an MEMS triaxial gyroscope with unknown system nonlinearities. An input-output linearization technique is incorporated into the neural adaptive tracking control to cancel the nonlinearities, and the neural network whose parameters are updated from the Lyapunov approach is used to perform the linearization control law. The sliding mode control is utilized to compensate the neural network's approximation errors. The stability of the closed-loop system can be guaranteed with the proposed adaptive neural sliding mode control. Numerical simulations are investigated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive neural sliding mode control scheme.
Inertia Matching Manipulability and Load Matching Optimization for Humanoid Jumping Robot
Authors: Xu Zhaohong , Lü Tiansheng , Wang Xuyang
Published: June 2012

Human jumping motion includes stance phase, flight phase and landing impact phase. Jumping robot belongs to a variable constraints system because every phase has different constraint conditions. An unified dynamics equation during stance phase and flight phase is established based on floated-basis space. Inertia matching is used to analyze actuator/gear systems and select the optimum gear ratio based on the transmission performance between the torque produced at the actuator and the torque applied to the load. Load matching is an important index which affects jumping performance and reflects the capability of supporting a weight or mass. It also affects the distributing of the center of gravity (COG). Regarding jumping robot as a redundant manipulator with a load at end-effector, inertia matching can be applied to optimize load matching for jumping robot. Inertia matching manipulability and directional manipulability are easy to analyze and optimize the load matching parameters. A 5th order polynomial function is defined to plan COG trajectory of jumping motion, taking into account the constraint conditions of both velocity and acceleration. Finally, the numerical simulation of vertical jumping and experimental results show inertia matching is in direct proportion to jumping height, and inertia matching manipulability is a valid method to load matching optimization and conceptual design of robot.
Optimization of Watt's Six-Bar Linkage to Generate Straight and Parallel Leg Motion
Authors: Mehdigholi Hamid , Akbarnejad Saeed
Published: June 2012

This paper considers optimal synthesis of a special type of four-bar linkages. Combination of this optimal four-bar linkage with on of it's cognates and elimination of two redundant cognates will result in a Watt's six-bar mechanism, which generates straight and parallel motion. This mechanism can be utilized for legged machines. The advantage of this mechanism is that the leg remains straight during it's contact period and because of it's parallel motion, the legs can be as wide as desired to increase contact area and decrease the number of legs required to keep body's stability statically and dynamically.

“Genetic algorithm” optimization method is used to find optimal lengths. It is especially useful for problems like the coupler curve equation which are completely nonlinear or extremely difficult to solve.
Humanoid Upper Torso Complexity for Displaying Gestures
Authors: Richardson Robert , Devereux David , Burt Jennifer , Nutter Paul
Published: June 2012

Body language is an important part of human-to-human communication; therefore body language in humanoid robots is very important for successful communication and social interaction with humans. The number of degrees of freedom (d.o.f) necessary to achieve realistic body language in robots has been investigated. Using animation, three robots were simulated performing body language gestures; the complex model was given 25 d.o.f, the simplified model 18 d.o.f and the basic model 10 d.o.f. A subjective survey was created online using these animations, to obtain people's opinions on the realism of the gestures and to see if they could recognise the emotions portrayed. It was concluded that the basic system was the least realistic, complex system the most realistic, and the simplified system was only slightly less realistic than the human. Modular robotic joints were then fabricated so that the gestures could be implemented experimentally. The experimental results demonstrate that through simplification of the required degrees of freedom, the gestures can be experimentally reproduced.
Multi-Focal Vision and Gaze Control Improve Navigation Performance
Authors: Kühnlenz Kolja , Buss Martin
Published: June 2012

Multi-focal vision systems comprise cameras with various fields of view and measurement accuracies. This article presents a multi-focal approach to localization and mapping of mobile robots with active vision. An implementation of the novel concept is done considering a humanoid robot navigation scenario where the robot is visually guided through a structured environment with several landmarks. Various embodiments of multi-focal vision systems are investigated and the impact on navigation performance is evaluated in comparison to a conventional mono-focal stereo set-up. The comparative studies clearly show the benefits of multi-focal vision for mobile robot navigation: flexibility to assign the different available sensors optimally in each situation, enhancement of the visible field, higher localization accuracy, and, thus, better task performance, i.e. path following behavior of the mobile robot. It is shown that multi-focal vision may strongly improve navigation performance.
A Real-Time Range Finding System with Binocular Stereo Vision
Authors: Lai Xiao-Bo , Wang Hai-Shun , Xu Yue-Hong
Published: June 2012

To acquire range information for mobile robots, a TMS320DM642 DSP-based range finding system with binocular stereo vision is proposed. Firstly, paired images of the target are captured and a Gaussian filter, as well as improved Sobel kernels, are achieved. Secondly, a feature-based local stereo matching algorithm is performed so that the space location of the target can be determined. Finally, in order to improve the reliability and robustness of the stereo matching algorithm under complex conditions, the confidence filter and the left-right consistency filter are investigated to eliminate the mismatching points. In addition, the range finding algorithm is implemented in the DSP/BIOS operating system to gain real-time control. Experimental results show that the average accuracy of range finding is more than 99% for measuring single-point distances equal to 120cm in the simple scenario and the algorithm takes about 39ms for ranging a time in a complex scenario. The effectivity, as well as the feasibility, of the proposed range finding system are verified.
Design of a Parallel Robotic Manipulator Using Evolutionary Computing
Authors: Lopes António M. , Pires E.J. Solteiro , Barbosa Manuel R.
Published: June 2012

In this paper the kinematic design of a 6-dof parallel robotic manipulator is analysed. Firstly, the condition number of the inverse kinematic jacobian is considered as the objective function, measuring the manipulator's dexterity and a genetic algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem. In a second approach, a neural network model of the analytical objective function is developed and subsequently used as the objective function in the genetic algorithm optimization search process. It is shown that the neuro-genetic algorithm can find close to optimal solutions for maximum dexterity, significantly reducing the computational burden. The sensitivity of the condition number in the robot's workspace is analysed and used to guide the designer in choosing the best structural configuration. Finally, a global optimization problem is also addressed.
Managing Returnable Containers Logistics – A Case Study
Authors: Maleki Reza A. , Reimche Jonathan
Published: June 2012

This case study paper is the result of a project conducted on behalf of a company, hereon referred to as Midwest Assembly and Manufacturing or MAAN. The company's operations include component manufacturing, painting, and assembling products. The company also purchases a relatively large percentage of components and major assemblies that are needed to support final assembly operations. MAAN uses its own returnable containers to transport purchased parts from suppliers. Due to poor tracking of the containers, the company has been experiencing lost containers and occasional production disruptions at its facility well as at the supplier sites. The objective of this project was to develop a proposal to enable MAAN to more effectively track and manage its returnable containers. The research activities in support of this project included the analysis and documentation of both the physical flow and the information flow associated with the containers as well as some of the technologies that can help with automatic identification and tracking of containers. The focal point of this paper is on a macro-level approach for the analysis of container and information flow within the logistics chain. A companion paper deals with several of the automatic identification technologies that have the potential to improve the management of MAAN's returnable containers.
Development of a Computational Simulation Model for Conflict Management in Team Building
Authors: Wang W. M. , Ting S. L.
Published: June 2012

Conflict management is one of the most important issues in leveraging organizational competitiveness. However, traditional social scientists built theories or models in this area which were mostly expressed in words and diagrams are insufficient. Social science research based on computational modeling and simulation is beginning to augment traditional theory building. Simulation provides a method for people to try their actions out in a way that is cost effective, faster, appropriate, flexible, and ethical.

In this paper, a computational simulation model for conflict management in team building is presented. The model is designed and used to explore the individual performances related to the combination of individuals who have a range of conflict handling styles, under various types of resources and policies. The model is developed based on agent-based modeling method. Each of the agents has one of the five conflict handling styles: accommodation, compromise, competition, contingency, and learning. There are three types of scenarios: normal, convex, and concave. There are two types of policies: no policy, and a reward and punishment policy. Results from running the model are also presented. The simulation has led us to derive two implications concerning conflict management. First, a concave type of resource promotes competition, while convex type of resource promotes compromise and collaboration. Second, the performance ranking of different styles can be influenced by introducing different policies. On the other hand, it is possible for us to promote certain style by introducing different policies.
Tidal Power in the UK and Worldwide to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Authors: Hammons T. J.
Published: June 2012

This paper discusses the role of Tidal Power in the UK in fulfilling the UK's requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Generating electricity from tidal range of the Severn Estuary has the potential to generate some 5% of UK electricity from a renewable indigenous resource.

The paper focuses primarily on the proposed Severn Barrage considering potential benefits, conditions for sustainable development, energy policy context and compliance with environment legislation. UK tidal resource is reviewed: stream resource (that is KE contained in fast-flowing tidal currents), and tidal range resource (that refers to gravitation potential energy). The top tidal range and tidal stream sites in the UK with the resource (in TWh/year) are indicated.

A feasibility study for Tidal Range development in the Mersey Estuary is also summarised and other schemes including the Loughor Estuary (Wales), Duddon Estuary (located on the Cumbrian coast) and the Thames Estuary proposals are reported. Also given is a strategic overview of the Severn Estuary resource, electric output and characteristics, carbon emissions (carbon payback and carbon reduction potential) and physical implications of a barrage.
A Risk Management Model for Merger and Acquisition
Authors: Chui B. S.
Published: June 2012

In this paper, a merger and acquisition risk management model is proposed for considering risk factors in the merger and acquisition activities. The proposed model aims to maximize the probability of success in merger and acquisition activities by managing and reducing the associated risks. The modeling of the proposed merger and acquisition risk management model is described and illustrated in this paper. The illustration result shows that the proposed model can help to screen the best target company with minimum associated risks in the merger and acquisition activity.
A Financial Data Mining Model for Extracting Customer Behavior
Authors: Mak Mark K.Y. , Ho George T.S. , Ting S.L.
Published: June 2012

Facing the problem of variation and chaotic behavior of customers, the lack of sufficient information is a challenge to many business organizations. Human analysts lacking an understanding of the hidden patterns in business data, thus, can miss corporate business opportunities. In order to embrace all business opportunities, enhance the competitiveness, discovery of hidden knowledge, unexpected patterns and useful rules from large databases have provided a feasible solution for several decades. While there is a wide range of financial analysis products existing in the financial market, how to customize the investment portfolio for the customer is still a challenge to many financial institutions. This paper aims at developing an intelligent Financial Data Mining Model (FDMM) for extracting customer behavior in the financial industry, so as to increase the availability of decision support data and hence increase customer satisfaction. The proposed financial model first clusters the customers into several sectors, and then finds the correlation among these sectors. It is noted that better customer segmentation can increase the ability to identify targeted customers, therefore extracting useful rules for specific clusters can provide an insight into customers' buying behavior and marketing implications. To validate the feasibility of the proposed model, a simple dataset is collected from a financial company in Hong Kong. The simulation experiments show that the proposed method not only can improve the workflow of a financial company, but also deepen understanding of investment behavior. Thus, a corporation is able to customize the most suitable products and services for customers on the basis of the rules extracted.
ARIMA Modeling with Intervention to Forecast and Analyze Chinese Stock Prices
Authors: Jarrett Jeffrey E , Kyper Eric
Published: June 2012

In this study, we demonstrate the usefulness of ARIMA-Intervention time series analysis as both an analytical and forecast tool. The data base for this study is from the PACAP-CCER China Database developed by the Pacific-Basin Capital Markets (PACAP) Research Center at the University of Rhode Island (USA) and the SINOFIN Information Service Inc, affiliated with the China Center for Economic Research (CCER) of Peking University (China). These data are recent and not fully explored in any published study. The forecasting analysis indicates the usefulness of the developed model in explaining the rapid decline in the values of the price index of Shanghai A shares during the world economic debacle stating in China in 2008. Explanation of the fit of the model is described using the latest development in statistical validation methods. We note that the use of a simpler technique although parsimonious will not explain the variation properly in predicting daily Chinese stock prices. Furthermore, we infer that the daily stock price index contains an autoregressive component; hence, one can predict stock returns.
Microwave Inter-Connections and Switching by Means of Carbon Nano-Tubes
Authors: De Angelis Giorgio , Lucibello Andrea , Proietti Emanuela , Marcelli Romolo , Pochesci Daniele , Bartolucci Giancarlo , Dragoman Mircea , Dragoman Daniela
Published: June 2012

In this work, carbon nanotube (CNT) based interconnections and switches will be reviewed, discussing the possibility to use nanotubes as potential building blocks for signal routing in microwave networks. In particular, theoretical design of coplanar waveguide (CPW), micro-strip single-pole-single-throw (SPST) and single-pole-double-throw (SPDT) devices has been performed to predict the electrical performances of CNT-based RF switching configurations. Actually, by using the semiconductor-conductor transition obtained by properly biasing the CNTs, an isolation better than 30 dB can be obtained between the ON and OFF states of the switch for very wide bandwidth applications. This happens owing to the shape deformation and consequent change in the band-gap due to the external pressure caused by the electric field. State-of-art for other switching techniques based on CNTs and their use for RF nano-interconnections is also discussed, together with current issues in measurement techniques.
Synthesis, Structural and Optical Properties of PVP Encapsulated CdS Nanoparticles
Authors: Saravanan L. , Diwakar S. , Mohankumar R. , Pandurangan A. , Jayavel R.
Published: June 2012

Highly monodispersed CdS nanoparticles using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as the capping agent were synthesised by chemical coprecipitation method. The surface-modified cadmium sulfide nanoparticles were found to be remarkably stable. In the presence of PVP, cubic phase with small grain size of CdS were observed in XRD. The peaks were identified to originate from (111), (220) and (311) planes of CdS, respectively. The crystallite size of the synthesised CdS nanoparticles was about 3 nm calculated from the (111) plane of XRD pattern and it was also confirmed through HRTEM. Morphology and elemental mapping of the synthesised nanoparticles were studied by SEM and EDX analyses. Increase in the band gap with decrease in the particle size was observed from the reflectance mode UV spectrum, which confirms the quantum confinement effect. From the photoluminescence studies, enhanced near-band-edge blue light emission and significantly reduced defect-related green emission were observed. Longitudinal optical (LO) phonon modes, corresponds to pure CdS were observed in Raman spectrum.
Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Yttria Stabilized Zirconia for SOFC
Authors: Biswas Mridula , Ojha Prasant Kumar , Jayasingh E. Moses , Prasad C. Durga
Published: June 2012

Nanocrystalline zirconia powders stabilized with varying concentration of yttria (YSZ) were synthesized following urea solution combustion route. Thermogravimetric analysis combined with differential scanning calorimetry was carried out for the intermediate gel for analyzing reaction kinetics. The final products were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy and specific surface area measurements. Sintering behavior of theses powders were studied. The powder quality is poor in respect of surface area and sintered density.
Minimize Pipeline Installation Risks in Geohazard Zones
Authors: Even Greg , Porter Michael
Published: June 2012

The United States is second only to Japan in economic damages resulting from natural disasters. Proper pipeline installation is critical to mitigate damage in areas prone to natural hazards. This article discusses geohazard risk management (GRM), a proven method for mitigating geohazards (geological or hydrological processes that pose a threat to people and their property) and asset risks.
Strengthening the “Marriage” of CIS and GIS
Authors: Washington Marietta , Mormon Darlene
Published: June 2012

The Newport News (Virginia) Department of Public Utilities, also known as Newport News Waterworks, had several major information systems, resulting in information silos and data redundancy. In some cases, duplication of effort and process inefficiencies existed. Integrating information from four closely related systems became a priority that was accomplished in phases. This article discusses the first phase where Newport News Waterworks replaced its mainframe‐based public utilities billing system with a customer information system (CIS). As part of that implementation, GIS was integrated with the new CIS.
Bridging Water and Wastewater Containment System Gaps
Authors: Priest Tom
Published: June 2012

Many water and wastewater containment structures depend on the integrity of containment system linings ‐ often consisting of coatings ‐ to provide long‐term, thorough protection against leakage. Choosing the right material to line primary and secondary containment vessels and dikes is critical, particularly in water and wastewater treatment facilities that are in demand around the clock. This article discusses an engineered elastomeric lining system that can be applied to primary and secondary containment structures.
Fluidization of mixtures of two solids: A unified model of the transition to the fluidized state
Authors: Formisani B. , Girimonte R. , Vivacqua V.
Published: June 2012

Fluidization of binary beds of dissimilar solids has place along a fluidization velocity interval bounded by the “initial” and the “final fluidization velocity” of the mixture, with segregation phenomena that continuosly change the internal distribution of its components. Varying with the relative importance of size and density differences between components, the fluidization process may follow more than one mechanism, depending on whether the process of fluidization starts from bed top or bottom. It is shown how, irrespective of the fluidization pattern exhibited by the two‐solid system, the limiting velocities of its fluidization interval can be calculated with good accuracy by the same relationships, derived from the analysis of the fluidization force equilibrium. The model proposed provides a unique theoretical frame for the analysis of the fluidization behavior of any two‐solid system and encompasses as a particular case the behavior of simpler mixtures, whose components differ only in density or size. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 729–735, 2013
Filamin A mutation associated with normal reading skills and dyslexia in a family with periventricular heterotopia
Authors: Reinstein Eyal , Chang Bernard S. , Robertson Stephen P. , Rimoin David L. , Katzir Tami
Published: June 2012

Periventricular heterotopia (PH) is a disorder of neuronal migration during fetal development that is characterized by morphologically normal neurons being located in an anatomically abnormal position in the mature brain. PH is usually diagnosed in patients presenting with a seizure disorder, when neuroimaging demonstrates the ectopically placed nodules of neurons. PH is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous disorder. The most commonly identified genetic cause is the X‐linked dominant inheritance of mutations in the Filamin A (FLNA) gene. Multiple lines of evidence support the contribution of genetic factors in dyslexia. As dyslexia does not show a single‐gene pattern of inheritance, it is classified as a complex genetic disorder. We have recently identified a specific reading fluency deficit in a variable group of patients with PH, in the context of normal intelligence. Here, we present a study of a mother–daughter pair who share bilateral widespread gray matter heterotopia caused by a novel mutation in FLNA and the same pattern of X‐chromosome inactivation but who exhibit divergent reading and cognitive profiles. This novel observation highlights the uncertainty of using heterotopia anatomy in clinical practice to predict behavioral outcome. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bite Force Estimation and the Fiber Architecture of Felid Masticatory Muscles
Authors: Hartstone‐Rose Adam , Perry Jonathan M. G. , Morrow Caroline J.
Published: June 2012

Increasingly, analyses of craniodental dietary adaptations take into account mechanical properties of foods. However, masticatory muscle fiber architecture has been described for relatively few lineages, even though an understanding of the scaling of this anatomy can yield important information about adaptations for stretch and strength in the masticatory system. Data on the mandibular adductors of 28 specimens from nine species of felids representing nearly the entire body size range of the family allow us to evaluate the influence of body size and diet on the masticatory apparatus within this lineage. Masticatory muscle masses scale isometrically, tending toward positive allometry, with body mass and jaw length. This allometry becomes significant when the independent variable is a geometric mean of cranial variables. For all three body size proxies, the physiological cross‐sectional area and predicted bite forces scale with significant positive allometry. Average fiber lengths (FL) tend toward negative allometry though with wide confidence intervals resulting from substantial scatter. We believe that these FL residuals are affected by dietary signals within the sample; though the mechanical properties of felid diets are relatively similar across species, the most durophagous species in our sample (the jaguar) appears to have relatively higher force production capabilities. The more notable dietary trend in our sample is the relationship between FL and relative prey size: felid species that predominantly consume relatively small prey have short masticatory muscle fibers, and species that regularly consume relatively large prey have relatively long fibers. This suggests an adaptive signal related to gape. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sensory and Autonomic Neurons Project Both to the Smooth Retractor Penis and to the Striated Bulbospongiosus Muscles. Neurochemical Features of the Sympathetic Subset
Authors: Botti Maddalena , Gazza Ferdinando , Ragionieri Luisa , Minelli Luisa Bo , Panu Rino
Published: June 2012

Aim of the present study was to verify, by means of double retrograde neuronal tracers technique, the hypothesis that a subpopulation of sensory and autonomic neurons send collateral axons to both smooth and striated genital muscles. We also wanted to define the neurochemical content of the eventually retrogradelly double labeled (RDL) neurons in the sympathetic trunk ganglia (STG). We used six intact pigs and we injected the tracer Diamidino Yellow (DY) in the smooth left retractor penis muscle (RPM) and the tracer Fast Blue (FB) in the striated left bulbospongiosus muscle (BSM). Rare (2 ± 0.6) RDL neurons were found in the ipsilateral S2 spinal ganglion (SG), 220 ± 42 in the ipsilateral STGs, from L3 to S3, 19 ± 15 in the contralateral S1–S2 ones and 22 ± 5 in the bilateral caudal mesenteric ganglia (CMG). The RDL neurons of the STG were IR for TH (85 ± 13%), DβH (69 ± 17%), NPY (69 ± 23%), nNOS (60 ± 11%), LENK (54 ± 19%), VIP (53±26%), SOM (40 ± 8%), CGRP (34 ± 12%), SP (31 ± 16%), and VAChT (28 ± 3%). Our research highlights the presence of sensory and sympathetic neurons with qualitatively different neurochemical content sending axons both to the smooth RPM and to the striated BSM of the pig. These RDL neurons are likely to project to the smooth vasal musculature to create the ideal physiological conditions in which these muscles can optimize the erectile function. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis and luminescence properties of two novel lanthanide (III) complexes of acetophenonylcarboxymethyl sulphoxide
Authors: Li Wen‐Xian , Liu Yu , Li Ying‐Jie , Feng Shu‐Yan , Zhang Jing , Ao Bo‐Yang , Sun Xiao‐Jun , Saiji Lahu
Published: June 2012

A novel ligand containing multiple coordinating groups (sulfinyl, carboxyl and carbonyl groups), acetophenonylcarboxymethyl sulphoxide, was synthesized. Its corresponding two lanthanide (III) binary complexes were synthesized and characterized by element analysis, molar conductivity, FT‐IR, TG‐DTA and UV spectroscopy. Results showed that the composition of these complexes was REL3L‐ (ClO4)2·3H2O (RE = Eu (III), Tb (III); L = C6H5COCH2SOCH2COOH; L‐ = C6H5COCH2SOCH2COO‐). FT‐IR results indicated that acetophenonylcarboxymethyl sulphoxide was bonded with an RE (III) ion by an oxygen atom of the sulfinyl and carboxyl groups and not by an oxygen atom of the carbonyl group due to high steric hinderance. Fluorescent spectra showed that the Tb (III) complex had excellent luminescence as a result of a transfer of energy from the ligand to the excitation state energy level (5D4) of Tb (III). The Eu (III) complex displayed weak luminescence, attributed to low energy transfer efficiency between the triplet state energy level of its ligand and the excited state (5D0) of Eu (III). As a result, the Tb (III) complex displayed a good antenna effect for luminescence. The fluorescence decay curves of Eu (III) and Tb (III) complexes were also measured. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Echocardiographic Serial Changes of Hypertensive Cardiomyopathy With Severely Reduced Ejection Fraction: Comparison With Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Park Dae‐Gyun , Kim Sung‐Eun , Lee Jun‐Hee , Han Kyoo‐Rok , Oh Dong‐Jin
Published: June 2012

Background:

Hypertensive cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction (HTCMREF) is known as an important cause of reversible cardiomyopathy, but its serial changes on echocardiography is yet to be elucidated.

Hypothesis:

HTCMREF on serial echocardiography has distinctive points as compared to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (idDCM).

Methods:

We retrospectively studied 18 hypertensive patients (mean age, 63 ± 13 years, 56% women) admitted with severe left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction and heart failure. We compared clinical characteristics and echocardiographic parameters at admission and follow‐up between the patients with HTCMREF and 18 age‐matched patients with idDCM. Left ventricular mass (LVM) and left atrial volume (LAV) were calculated by a formula using echocardiographic measurement.

Results:

In HTCMREF, left ventricular ejection fraction improved to 52.3 ± 8.8% during a mean follow‐up of 574 days. In HTCMREF, initial left atrial diameter was greater than in idDCM (43.6 ± 5.8 mm vs 38.9 ± 6.3, p = 0.027). At follow‐up, LAV index decreased in HTCMREF (from 31.9 ± 8.3 mL/m2 to 21.0 ± 8.9, P < 0.001), as opposed to a significant increase in idDCM (from 28.5 ± 10.9 mL/m2 to 31.9 ± 8.3, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in initial LVM index between the 2 groups, but only in HTCMREF did LVM index decrease significantly (151.4 ± 42.1 g/m2 from 192.2 ± 43.7, P < 0.01) at follow‐up. In HTCMREF, LV wall on M‐mode was thicker than in idDCM.

Conclusions:

Hypertensive cardiomyopathy with severe LV systolic dysfunction might be characterized by eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy and enlarged left atrium in comparison with idDCM. Clin. Cardiol. 2012 doi: 10.1002/clc.22012

The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.