bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterizing and modelling the trapping efficiency of sedimentation basins downstream of harvested peat bog
Authors: Samson-Dô Myriam , St-Hilaire André
Published: January 2018

Peat moss harvesting is an important industry in Canada. To harvest peat, the water table of the peatland must be lowered to allow the surficial peat layer to dry and be harvested. Drainage water can contain suspended sediments, so at most harvesting sites, the water is routed through sedimentation basins. This work focuses on characterizing and modelling their trapping efficiency. Eight basins with different volume/watershed area ratios (705 to 4170 m3/km2) were studied in three Quebec regions. Suspended sediment concentration and discharge were monitored up- and downstream of each basin during the ice-free season. Basins with high ratios of volume/drainage area, multiple basin configurations (i.e., two basins in series or in parallel), and those equipped with a flow regulation structure were more efficient than regular basins. Moreover, the nature of sediments (size, decomposition level, and organic content) influences loads, but not the trapping efficiency. Finally, two empirical models developed to predict trapping efficiency of municipal sedimentation basins were tested and adapted for basins that capture peat sediments.
The tunneling effect for a class of difference operators
Authors: Klein Markus , Rosenberger Elke
Published: January 2018

We analyze a general class of self-adjoint difference operators [Formula: see text] on [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a multi-well potential and [Formula: see text] is a small parameter. We give a coherent review of our results on tunneling up to new sharp results on the level of complete asymptotic expansions (see [30–35]).Our emphasis is on general ideas and strategy, possibly of interest for a broader range of readers, and less on detailed mathematical proofs.

The wells are decoupled by introducing certain Dirichlet operators on regions containing only one potential well. Then the eigenvalue problem for the Hamiltonian [Formula: see text] is treated as a small perturbation of these comparison problems. After constructing a Finslerian distance [Formula: see text] induced by [Formula: see text], we show that Dirichlet eigenfunctions decay exponentially with a rate controlled by this distance to the well. It follows with microlocal techniques that the first [Formula: see text] eigenvalues of [Formula: see text] converge to the first [Formula: see text] eigenvalues of the direct sum of harmonic oscillators on [Formula: see text] located at several wells. In a neighborhood of one well, we construct formal asymptotic expansions of WKB-type for eigenfunctions associated with the low-lying eigenvalues of [Formula: see text]. These are obtained from eigenfunctions or quasimodes for the operator [Formula: see text], acting on [Formula: see text], via restriction to the lattice [Formula: see text].

Tunneling is then described by a certain interaction matrix, similar to the analysis for the Schrödinger operator (see [22]), the remainder is exponentially small and roughly quadratic compared with the interaction matrix. We give weighted [Formula: see text]-estimates for the difference of eigenfunctions of Dirichlet-operators in neighborhoods of the different wells and the associated WKB-expansions at the wells. In the last step, we derive full asymptotic expansions for interactions between two “wells” (minima) of the potential energy, in particular for the discrete tunneling effect. Here we essentially use analysis on phase space, complexified in the momentum variable. These results are as sharp as the classical results for the Schrödinger operator in [22].
Eighth-order explicit two-step hybrid methods with symmetric nodes and weights for solving orbital and oscillatory IVPs
Authors: Franco J. M. , Rández L.
Published: January 2018

The construction of new two-step hybrid (TSH) methods of explicit type with symmetric nodes and weights for the numerical integration of orbital and oscillatory second-order initial value problems (IVPs) is analyzed. These methods attain algebraic order eight with a computational cost of six or eight function evaluations per step (it is one of the lowest costs that we know in the literature) and they are optimal among the TSH methods in the sense that they reach a certain order of accuracy with minimal cost per step. The new TSH schemes also have high dispersion and dissipation orders (greater than 8) in order to be adapted to the solution of IVPs with oscillatory solutions. The numerical experiments carried out with several orbital and oscillatory problems show that the new eighth-order explicit TSH methods are more efficient than other standard TSH or Numerov-type methods proposed in the scientific literature.
The Impact of the Structure of the Payoff Matrix on the Final Decision made Under Uncertainty
Authors: Gaspars-Wieloch Helena
Published: January 2018

When decisions are made under uncertainty (DMUU), the decision maker either disposes of an interval of possible profits for each alternative (the interval DMUU) or disposes of a discrete set of payoffs for each decision and then the amount of the profit related to a given alternative depends on the state of nature (the scenario DMUU). Existing methods, used to generate the ranking of decisions and applied to the second problem mentioned, take, to a different extent, into consideration how particular profits assigned to alternatives are ordered in the payoff matrix and what the position of a given outcome is in comparison with other outcomes for the same state of nature. The author proposes and describes several alternative procedures that enable connecting the structure of the payoff matrix with the selected decision. These methods are adjusted to the purpose and the nature of the decision maker. They refer to the Savage’s approach, to the maximin joy criterion, to the normalization technique and to some elements used in expected utility maximization and prospect theory.
Optimal Pricing Decisions for the Online Video Platform Under Customer Choice
Authors: Cheng Xiaoying , Mu Lifeng , Sun Yanhong , Bian Yiwen
Published: January 2018

With the development of the video-on-demand (VOD) technology, the audiences can decide to skip the advertisements by paying the video platform. This paper examines the optimal pricing decisions for an online video platform by considering the customer’s choice behavior. Based on a two-sided market that is composed of a monopolistic video platform, advertisers and audiences, we show that the platform’s optimal price charging from the advertisers is decreasing in the degree of audiences’ disutility for advertisements, while the optimal price charging from the audiences is convex in the degree of audiences’ disutility for advertisements. More interestingly, we find that the equilibrium number of advertisers on the platform and the video platform’s profit are both convex in the degree of audiences’ disutility for advertisements, which are counter-intuitive. We also extend our model to the case with two duopolistic platforms and find that the optimal number of advertisers on the platform is concave in the degree of audiences’ disutility for advertisements. Numerical experiments are further presented to reveal the managerial insights.
The Joint Stock and Capacity Rationings of a Make-To-Stock System with Flexible Demand
Authors: Lin Bing , Chen Shaoxiang , Feng Yi , Xu Jianjun
Published: January 2018

This paper studies the joint stock and production capacity rationing polices for a make-to-stock system with two partially substitutable products manufactured at two factories, respectively. Customers are classified into three types with each type further segmented into multiple classes. Type I and Type II customers are selective and accept their favorite products only. Type III accepts either of the two products and hence its demand is regarded as the flexible demand. The management has to decide whether to run or stop production and whether the various classes of demand for each type of customers have to be satisfied from available inventory or not — in which case demand is lost — in order to minimize the firm’s inventory and production costs. We formulate the problem as a make-to-stock queue system and characterize the optimal joint stock and production rationing policies as monotone switching curves. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the optimal policies and demonstrate the value of flexible demand. Moreover, we develop a simple heuristic policy and compare the costs associated with the optimal and heuristic policies for different parameters.
A Motion Artifact Reduction Method in Cerebrovascular DSA Sequence Images
Authors: Wang Guanglei , Wang Pengyu , Li Yan , Su Tianqi , Liu Xiuling , Wang Hongrui
Published: January 2018

Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) can be used for diagnosing the pathologies of vascular system including systemic vascular disease, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, valvular disease and congenital heart disease. Previous studies have provided some image enhancement algorithms for DSA images. However, these studies are not suitable for automated processes in huge amounts of data. Furthermore, few algorithms solved the problems of image contrast corruption after artifact removal. In this paper, we propose a fully automatic method for cerebrovascular DSA sequence images artifact removal based on rigid registration and guided filter. The guided filtering method is applied to fuse the original DSA image and registered DSA image, the results of which preserve clear vessel boundary from the original DSA image and remove the artifacts by the registered procedure. The experimental evaluation with 40 DSA sequence images shows that the proposed method increases the contrast index by 24.1% for improving the quality of DSA images compared with other image enhancement methods, and can be implemented as a fully automatic procedure.
FPGA Implementation of Linear Congruential Generator Based on Block Reduction Technique
Authors: Tchendjeu A. E. Tchahou , Tchitnga R. , Fotsin H. B.
Published: January 2018

This paper exposes circuit design of linear congruential generator (LCG) and implementation in FPGA based on block reduction technique. The circuit is derived from LCG algorithm proposed by Lehmer. Block reduction technique has been used to simplify the circuit. Several net connections among the blocks of the circuit are ignored or disconnected and the multiplier is replaced by a shifter. Simulations of both behavior and timing have been done and the results confirm its algorithm. The Cyclone II EP2C8Q208C8N and Cyclone IV E EP4CE115F29C7N of Altera have been chosen to extract comparison data of speed and occupied area. Further comparison of shift technique and the wordlengths reduction technique has been made. In general, the proposed design is far simpler than the previous published LCG circuit.
A PROPOSAL FOR MODIFIED GALVANIC CORROSION MODEL: INVESTIGATING EFFECTS OF MICRO-ARC OXIDATION ON Al ALLOY
Authors: YANG YUANHANG , GU YANHONG , LIANG JIAN , YUE WEN
Published: January 2018

Corrosion is generally an undesirable phenomenon in most engineering applications. The effects of micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating on Al alloy on the galvanic corrosion performance have been studied. The surface micro-structures were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and metallographic microscope before and after corrosion. Electrochemical studies on the corrosion behaviors have been reported by using open circuit potential (OCP) and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) measurements in a slurry solution. All measurements were consistent with each other and showed that the MAO coating can significantly reduce the corrosion rate of Al alloy. A model for elucidating corrosion mechanism and corrosion process of the MAO coating on Al alloy is proposed.
Coalition Formation with Externalities: The Case of the Northeast Atlantic Mackerel Fishery in a Pre- and Post-Brexit Context
Authors: Toumasatos Evangelos , Steinshamn Stein Ivar
Published: January 2018

The partition function approach is applied to study coalition formation in the Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery in the presence of externalities. Atlantic mackerel is mainly exploited by the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland. Two games are considered. First, a four-player game where the UK is still a member of the EU. Second, a five-player game where the UK is no longer a member of the union. Each game is modeled in two stages. In the first stage, players form coalitions following a predefined set of rules. In the second stage, given the coalition structure that has been formed, each coalition chooses the economic strategy that maximizes its own net present value of the fishery, given the behavior of the other coalitions. The game is solved using backward induction to obtain the set of Nash equilibria coalition structures in pure strategies, if any. We find that the current management regime is among the stable coalition structures in all eight scenarios of the four-player game but in only one case of the five-player game. In addition, stability in the five-player game is sensitive to the growth function applied and the magnitude of the stock elasticity parameter.
A Technical Analysis Information Fusion Approach for Stock Price Analysis and Modeling
Authors: Lahmiri Salim
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we address the problem of technical analysis information fusion in improving stock market index-level prediction. We present an approach for analyzing stock market price behavior based on different categories of technical analysis metrics and a multiple predictive system. Each category of technical analysis measures is used to characterize stock market price movements. The presented predictive system is based on an ensemble of neural networks (NN) coupled with particle swarm intelligence for parameter optimization where each single neural network is trained with a specific category of technical analysis measures. The experimental evaluation on three international stock market indices and three individual stocks show that the presented ensemble-based technical indicators fusion system significantly improves forecasting accuracy in comparison with single NN. Also, it outperforms the classical neural network trained with index-level lagged values and NN trained with stationary wavelet transform details and approximation coefficients. As a result, technical information fusion in NN ensemble architecture helps improving prediction accuracy.
Pore-size effects on thermal conductivity of SiO2 quartz using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Cha Jin Hyeok , Hong Woongpyo , Noh Sujung , Cho Shinhu
Published: January 2018

Porous materials are commonly used to decrease or regulate thermal transport in insulating materials due to the very low thermal conductivity of the pores. More pores can achieve a better insulating effect; however, this can also be a shortcoming when the materials are directly involved in physical movement with friction, such as an interior wall of a cylinder in an automobile engine intended to prevent heat loss. Thus, it is important to clarify the mechanisms of the pore-dependent thermal properties of porous materials. In this study, the effects of the number and size of pores in silica quartz on thermal conductivity were investigated using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The results revealed that the thermal conductivity of porous silica quartz decreased in all cases with an increase in the volume fraction of pores. A lower number of pores in the system showed higher thermal conductivity in the range of low volume fractions. We also showed that the interstitial distance between pores mostly governs thermal conduction at low volume fractions [Formula: see text] vol.%. Additionally, the mechanism of thermal conduction was assessed with respect to several theoretical models.
Computational study on the mechanism of transition metal-catalyzed formation of highly substituted furo [3,4-d] [1,2] oxazines
Authors: Gyamfi Abigail Owusuwaa , Yeboah Martin Amponsah , Tia Richard , Adei Evans
Published: January 2018

The mechanism of gold(III)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar [[Formula: see text]] cycloaddition reactions of 2-(1-alkynyl)-2-alken-1-ones with nitrones to afford highly-substituted furo [3,4-d] [1,2] oxazines, which are useful as structural skeletons in biologically active compounds and as synthetic building blocks in organic synthesis, have been studied computationally. The results show that the reaction proceeds via the formation of a [Formula: see text]-complex in which the gold moiety coordinates to the triple bond of the 2-(1-alkynyl)-2-alken-1-ones, resulting in an intramolecular cyclization of the gold intermediate to generate a carbocation intermediate which is trapped by the nucleophilic oxygen of the nitrone to form a furanyl–gold complex, which upon subsequent cyclization affords the furo [3,4-d] [1,2] oxazine as well as regenerates the gold catalyst. The highest activation barrier in the entire cycle is 19.5[Formula: see text]kcal/mol which accompanies the intramolecular cyclization step. The activation barriers for the reactions of 2-(1-alkynyl)2-alken-1-ones with electron-donating and cyclic substituents are generally lower compared to those of the parent 2-(1-alkynyl)2-alken-1-one while the reactions of 2-(1-alkynyl)2-alken-1-ones with electron-withdrawing substituents have higher activation barriers. Preliminary exploratory calculations on the possibility of replacing gold, an expensive and rare metal, with a copper-based catalyst for the reaction, show that for the key elementary steps, the Cu (III) catalyst is at least as active as the Au (III) complex, thus providing a cheaper route to furo [3,4-d] [1,2] oxazine.
Potential HIV-1 fusion inhibitors mimicking gp41-specific broadly neutralizing antibody 10E8: In silico discovery and prediction of antiviral potency
Authors: Andrianov Alexander M. , Kashyn Ivan A. , Tuzikov Alexander V.
Published: January 2018

An integrated computational approach to in silico drug design was used to identify novel HIV-1 fusion inhibitor scaffolds mimicking broadly neutralizing antibody (bNab) 10E8 targeting the membrane proximal external region (MPER) of the HIV-1 gp41 protein. This computer-based approach included (i) generation of pharmacophore models representing 3D-arrangements of chemical functionalities that make bNAb 10E8 active towards the gp41 MPER segment, (ii) shape and pharmacophore-based identification of the 10E8-mimetic candidates by a web-oriented virtual screening platform pepMMsMIMIC, (iii) high-throughput docking of the identified compounds with the gp41 MPER peptide, and (iv) molecular dynamics simulations of the docked structures followed by binding free energy calculations. As a result, eight hits-able to mimic pharmacophore properties of bNAb 10E8 by specific and effective interactions with the MPER region of the HIV-1 protein gp41 were selected as the most probable 10E8-mimetic candidates. Similar to 10E8, the predicted compounds target the critically important residues of a highly conserved hinge region of the MPER peptide that provides a conformational flexibility necessary for its functioning in cell-virus membrane fusion process. In light of the data obtained, the identified small molecules may present promising HIV-1 fusion inhibitor scaffolds for the design of novel potent antiviral drugs.
RPPAware: A software suite to preprocess, analyze and visualize reverse phase protein array data
Authors: Ranjitha Dhanasekaran A. , Gardiner Katheleen J.
Published: January 2018

Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA) is a high-throughput technology used to profile levels of protein expression. Handling the large datasets generated by RPPA can be facilitated by appropriate software tools. Here, we describe RPPAware, a free and intuitive software suite that was developed specifically for analysis and visualization of RPPA data. RPPAware is a portable tool that requires no installation and was built using Java. Many modules of the tool invoke R to utilize the statistical features. To demonstrate the utility of RPPAware, data generated from screening brain regions of a mouse model of Down syndrome with 62 antibodies were used as a case study. The ease of use and efficiency of RPPAware can accelerate data analysis to facilitate biological discovery. RPPAware 1.0 is freely available under GNU General Public License from the project website at http://downsyndrome.ucdenver.edu/iddrc/rppaware/home.htm along with a full documentation of the tool.
Investigation of Ionic Transport Through Track-Etched Conical Nanopores of PET Membrane
Authors: Chander Mukesh , Kumar Rajesh , Kumar Sushil , Kumar Narinder , Chakarvarti S. K.
Published: January 2018

The control of ionic transportation inside the multi asymmetric conical nanopores in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) membrane was investigated. The conical nanopores were prepared by chemical etching in irradiated PET foil using etchant (9 M NaOH) and stopping solution (1 M NaCl [Formula: see text] 1 M HCOOH). The behavior of ionic current was recorded under stepping voltage [Formula: see text]2[Formula: see text]V to [Formula: see text]2[Formula: see text]V at different molar concentrations of potassium halides (KCl, KBr and KI) under symmetric bathing condition in electrochemical cell. It is found that the presence of multiple ionic species and the occurrence of counterion condensation of charge regulated polyelectrolyte play an effective role in ionic current rectification (ICR). The electrical conductance of conical nanopores may be estimated by measuring the ionic current rectification properties of track-etched nanopores. The charge transport properties vary with molar concentration and pH of electrolyte. Moreover, ICR may be used as a voltage gating phenomena with wide technological applications.
Nanogels for Bromelain Stabilization
Authors: Xia Jingjing , Asiri Abdullah M. , Alamry Khalid A.
Published: January 2018

Hydrogels with different weight percent of [Formula: see text]-hydroxylethyl acrylamide and [Formula: see text]-(2-mannosylethyl) acrylamide were prepared, using [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]-methylenebis (acrylamide) (MBA) (1.0[Formula: see text]wt.%) and ammonium persulfate (APS) (1.0[Formula: see text]wt.%) as the crosslinker and initiator, respectively. The successful preparation of hydrogels was confirmed by both inverted vial test and rheological measurements. These hydrogels were grinded into nanogel powders and applied as a bromelain stabilizer against high temperature by measuring the proteolytic activities of bromelain, which increased from 47% to [Formula: see text]95% under nanogel protection. This indicated that nanogels can be potentially applied as an enzyme stabilizer in food industry.
Numerical Study on Geometric Parameter effects of Power Generation Performances for Segmented Thermoelectric Generator
Authors: Patil Mahesh Suresh , Seo Jae-Hyeong , Lee Moo-Yeon
Published: January 2018

Thermoelectric generator (TEG) is a promising option in waste heat recovery with various advantages including nonmoving components, very low operating noise and overall high stability. However, low power generation efficiency of TEGs is still concerned for application in wider fields. The objective of the present study is to investigate the parameters affecting the performance and efficiency of segmented TEG. The physical parameters including length ratio, length-to-area ratio and thickness of conducting plate were considered. In addition, the effect of varying hot side temperature was analyzed. Performance of segmented TEG was compared based on the power generation and conversion efficiency. The results of the investigation showed that increasing Bi2Te3 length in the segmented TEG made up of Bi2Te3 and SiGe increased the maximum power generation and efficiency. As length-to-area ratio increased, the power generation decreased, however, efficiency increased slightly. In addition, as the hot side temperature increased from 150[Formula: see text]C to 650[Formula: see text]C, the power generation and efficiency both increased. Power generation and efficiency of segmented TEG increased when the conducting plate thickness was increased. The power generation and efficiency were 39.2% and 51.9% higher for TEG with asymmetrical element than TEG with symmetrical element showing that asymmetrical element would be better option for same thermoelectric element volume.
Structural Stability, Electronic and Magnetic Properties of (Ni1−xCox)2MnSn Quaternary Heusler Alloys
Authors: Seddik L. , Amari S. , Obodo K. O. , Beldi L. , Faraoun H. I. , Bouhafs B.
Published: January 2018

In this study, we present the calculated structural, electronic and magnetic properties of mixed Heusler alloys (Ni[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]MnSn. Using ab initio calculations with the full-potential augmented plane-wave method (FP-LAPW), we evaluated the various possible configurations of Ni and Co sites in the (Ni[Formula: see text]Co[Formula: see text]MnSn crystallographic lattice. The lowest energy configuration is determined based on energetic considerations. The calculated equilibrium lattice parameters and magnetic moments are in a reasonable agreement with available experimental data. Of interest, we found that the change of total magnetic moment can be interpreted as a linear variation of the magnetic moment of manganese and cobalt atoms.
Magnetic Properties of the Cylindrical Ising Nanowire: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study
Authors: Jabar A. , Masrour R. , Hamedoun M. , Benyoussef A.
Published: January 2018

A cylindrical ferrimagnetic magnetic nanowire system of core and shell layers has been investigated using Monte Carlo simulation. Critical temperature is obtained for different values of exchange couplings at the core–shell interface, at shell–shell and core–core. The total magnetization has been the determinate for different values of crystal field. Hysteresis loop, coercive field and remanent magnetization of a core and shell layers are obtained using the Monte Carlo simulation. A number of characteristic behaviors are found, such as the occurrence of single and triple hysteresis loops for appropriate values of crystal field, temperatures values and exchange interaction values.
A Novel Approach for Reducing Attributes and Its Application to Small Enterprise Financing Ability Evaluation
Authors: Shi Baofeng , Meng Bin , Yang Hufeng , Wang Jing , Shi Wenli
Published: January 2018

Attribute reduction is viewed as a kind of preprocessing steps for reducing large dimensionality in data mining of all complex systems. A great deal of researchers have proposed various approaches to reduce attributes or select key features in multicriteria decision making evaluation. In practice, the existing approaches for attribute reduction focused on improving the classification accuracy or saving the cost of computational time, without considering the influence of the reduction results on the original data set. To help address this gap, we develop an advanced novel attribute reduction approach combining Pearson correlation analysis with F test significance discrimination for the screening and identification of key characteristics related to the original data set. The proposed model has been verified using the financing ability evaluation data of 713 small enterprises of a city commercial bank in China. And the experimental results show that the proposed reduction model is efficient and effective. Moreover, our experimental findings help to locate the qualified partners and alleviate the difficulties faced by enterprises when applying loan.
A Case of Early Stage Bladder Carcinosarcoma in Late Recurrence of Urothelial Carcinoma after Transurethral Resection
Authors: Hirano Daisaku , Yoshida Toshiyuki , Funakoshi Daigo , Sakurai Fuminori , Ohno Shou , Kusumi Yoshiaki
Published: January 2018

Carcinosarcomas of the urinary bladder are rare biphasic neoplasms, consisting of both malignant epithelial and malignant mesenchymal components, and the prognosis of this tumor is unfavorable in most patients with even possibility of resection of disease. A 77-year-old male with a history of transurethral resection (TUR) of urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder and adjuvant intravesical chemotherapy with pirarubicin 10 years ago revisited our department with a gross hematuria. Cystoscopy demonstrated an approximately 2.5 cm nonpapillary tumor on the right wall of the bladder. Pelvic MRI showed the tumor without extending the base of the bladder wall. The tumor could be completely removed with TUR. The malignant epithelial elements consisted of high-grade UC and the majority of mesenchymal components were fibrosarcomatous differentiation based on immunohistochemical studies. The tumor could be pathologically also suspected to be an early stage on TUR specimens. Although he has received no additional intervention due to the occurrence of myocardial infarction at three weeks after the TUR, he has been alive with no evidence of recurrence of the disease 27 months after the TUR. Some early stages of bladder carcinosarcoma might have a favorable prognosis without aggressive treatments.
Evaluating the Difference between Virtual and Paper-Based Clinical Cases in Family Medicine Undergraduate Education
Authors: Klemenc-Ketis Zalika , Cagran Branka , Dinevski Dejan
Published: January 2018

Introduction. A “virtual patient” is defined as a computer program which simulates real patients’ cases. The aim of this study was to determine whether the inclusion of virtual patients affects the level of factual knowledge of family medicine students at the undergraduate level. Methods. This was a case-controlled prospective study. The students were randomly divided into experimental (EG: N=51) and control (CG: N=48) groups. The students in the EG were asked to practice diagnosis using virtual patients instead of the paper-based clinical cases which were solved by the students in the CG. The main observed variable in the study was knowledge of family medicine, determined by 50 multiple choice questions (MCQs) about knowledge of family medicine. Results. There were no statistically significant differences in the groups’ initial knowledge. At the final assessment of knowledge, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups, but there was a statistically significant difference between their initial and final knowledge. Conclusions. The study showed that adding virtual patient cases to the curriculum, instead of paper clinical cases, did not affect the level of factual knowledge about family medicine. Virtual patients can be used, but a significant educational outcome is not expected.
The Effects of Structured Physical Activity Program on Social Interaction and Communication for Children with Autism
Authors: Zhao Mengxian , Chen Shihui
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of structured physical activity program on social interaction and communication of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Fifty children with ASD from a special school were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. 25 children with ASD were placed in the experimental group, and the other 25 children as the control group participated in regular physical activity. A total of forty-one participants completed the study. A 12-week structured physical activity program was implemented with a total of 24 exercise sessions targeting social interaction and communication of children with ASD, and a quasi-experimental design was used for this study. Data were collected using quantitative and qualitative instruments. SSIS and ABLLS-R results showed that an overall improvement in social skills and social interaction for the experimental group across interim and posttests, F=8.425, p=0.001 (p<0.005), and significant improvements appeared in communication, cooperation, social interaction, and self-control subdomains (p<0.005). Conversely, no statistically significant differences were found in the control group (p>0.005). The study concluded that the special structured physical activity program positively influenced social interaction and communication skills of children with ASD, especially in social skills, communication, prompt response, and frequency of expression.
The Impact of Façade Orientation and Woody Vegetation on Summertime Heat Stress Patterns in a Central European Square: Comparison of Radiation Measurements and Simulations
Authors: Kántor Noémi , Gál Csilla Viktória , Gulyás Ágnes , Unger János
Published: January 2018

Increasing summertime air temperature deteriorates human health especially in cities where the warming tendency is exacerbated by urban heat island. Human-biometeorological studies shed light on the primary role of radiation conditions in the development of summertime heat stress. However, only a limited number of field investigations have been conducted up to now. Based on a 26-hour long complex radiation measurement, this study presents the evolved differences within a medium-sized rectangular square in Szeged, Hungary. Besides assessing the impact of woody vegetation and façade orientation on the radiation heat load, different modeling software programs (ENVI-met, SOLWEIG, and RayMan) are evaluated in reproducing mean radiant temperature (Tmrt). Although daytimeTmrtcan reach an extreme level at exposed locations (65–75°C), mature shade trees can reduce it to 30–35°C. Nevertheless, shading from buildings adjacent to sidewalks plays also an important role in mitigating pedestrian heat stress. Sidewalks facing SE, S, and SW do not benefit from the shading effect of buildings; therefore, shading them by trees or artificial shading devices is of high importance. The measurement–model comparison revealed smaller or larger discrepancies that raise awareness of the careful adaptation of any modeling software and of the relevance of fine-resolution field measurements.
Gamma-Tocotrienol Stimulates the Proliferation, Differentiation, and Mineralization in Osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 Cells
Authors: Xu Weili , He Pan , He Shenghua , Cui Pengju , Mi Yaqing , Yang Yang , Li Yang , Zhou Shaobo
Published: January 2018

Gamma-tocotrienol, a major component of tocotrienol-rich fraction of palm oil, has been suggested to exhibit bone protective effectsin vivo. However, the effects ofγ-tocotrienol on osteoblast cells are still unclear. In this study, the effects ofγ-tocotrienol on the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were investigated. Our results showed thatγ-tocotrienol (2–8 μmol/L) significantly improved the cell proliferation (p<0.05), but it did not affect cell cycle progression.γ-Tocotrienol significantly increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (p<0.05), secretion levels of osteocalcin (OC) and osteonectin (ON), and mRNA levels of collagen type I (Col I) of MC3T3-E1 cells. Meanwhile, we found thatγ-tocotrienol is promoted in differentiation MC3T3-E1 cells by upregulation of the expression of Runx2 protein. Moreover, the number of bone nodules increased over 2.5-fold in cells treated withγ-tocotrienol (2–8 μmol/L) for 24 d compared to control group. These results indicated thatγ-tocotrienol at low dose levels, especially 4 μmol/L, could markedly enhance the osteoblastic function by increasing the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Moreover, our data also indicated that Runx2 protein may be involved in these effects. Further studies are needed to determine the potential ofγ-tocotrienol as an antiosteoporotic agent.
Improving Early Childhood Development among Vulnerable Populations: A Pilot Initiative at a Women, Infants, and Children Clinic
Authors: Ferguson Brian A. , Downey Jacy L. , Shriver Amy E. , Goff Karen L. , Ferguson Alyssa M. , Cabral de Mello Meena
Published: January 2018

Objective. Early childhood development (ECD) programs have demonstrated drastic improvements in survival, growth, health, and social productivity. An ECD pilot intervention was delivered to vulnerable populations of a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic in Des Moines, Iowa, to assess ECD outcomes and parental receivability in this setting. Study Design. In a randomized, single blinded control initiative, WIC group sessions of mothers (children aged 2 years and younger) were selected for pilot ECD intervention (37 participants) or control (36). Care for Child Development ECD course material was supplemented to intervention groups. Survey results were assessed with paired samples T-testing and by an ANOVA. Results. Pilot session receivability demonstrated significance in all areas relative to control: enjoyment, p=0.008; learning capacity, p=0.011; and participant sharing, p=0.023. Furthermore, the previously validated ECD intervention demonstrated significantly improved cumulative 1 month behavior outcomes following the intervention: p=0.006. Conclusions. The WIC setting provides an ideal environment for delivering ECD education beyond traditional counseling in nutrition. High receivability indices among parents demonstrate remarkable capacity for improvement and growth. The significance in receivability, as well as 1 month behavior outcomes, represents parents’ overall readiness to enhance the home environment for their child if merely educated how.
Prevalence and Associated Symptoms ofHelicobacter pyloriInfection among Schoolchildren in Kassala State, East of Sudan
Authors: Abbas Mohammed , Sharif Faiza A. , Osman Shamselfalah M. , Osman Abdallah M. , El Sanousi Sulieman M. , Magzoub Mamoun , Ibrahim Mutasim E.
Published: January 2018

This study aimed to determine the prevalence ofH. pyloriinfections among schoolchildren and investigate the associations betweenH. pyloriseropositivity and existence of gastrointestinal symptoms.Methods. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted during a period from January to December 2012 at Kassala state, east of Sudan. Schoolchildren from different primary schools were enrolled in the study. Sociodemographic characteristics and gastrointestinal symptoms were recorded from each child. A rapid immunochromatographic test was performed for the detection ofH. pyloriIgG antibodies. Data on patient demographic characteristics, clinical diagnosis, and findings ofH. pyloriinfection were analyzed by simple descriptive statistics.Results. Among 431 schoolchildren,H. pyloriseropositivity was found to be 21.8%. The majority of children (79; 84%) had BMI below the normal range. The most frequent symptoms associated withH. pyloriinfections were nausea (25.5%), followed by gastric pain (24.5%) and heart pain (20.2%). There were statistically significant differences inH. pyloriseropositivity between boys and girls (p=0.003).Conclusions. The prevalence ofH. pyloriinfection among schoolchildren in Kassala city has been documented. Although the majority of the disease was associated with several gastrointestinal symptoms, the role of infection in the etiology of abdominal symptoms needs further investigations.
Presenting a New Standard Drug Model for Turmeric and Its Prized Extract, Curcumin
Authors: Cavaleri Franco
Published: January 2018

Various parts of the turmeric plant have been used as medicinal treatment for various conditions from ulcers and arthritis to cardiovascular disease and neuroinflammation. The rhizome’s curcumin extract is the most studied active constituent, which exhibits an expansive polypharmacology with influence on many key inflammatory markers. Despite the expansive reports of curcucmin’s therapeutic value, clinical reliability and research repeatability with curcumin treatment are still poor. The pharmacology must be better understood and reliably mapped if curcumin is to be accepted and used in modern medical applications. Although the polypharmacology of this extract has been considered, in mainstream medicine, to be a drawback, a perspective change reveals a comprehensive and even synergistic shaping of the NF-kB pathway, including transactivation. Much of the inconsistent research data and unreliable clinical outcomes may be due to a lack of standardization which also pervades research standard samples. The possibility of other well-known curcumin by-products contributing in the polypharmacology is also discussed. A new flowchart of crosstalk in transduction pathways that lead to shaping of nuclear NF-kB transactivation is generated and a new calibration or standardization protocol for the extract is proposed which could lead to more consistent data extraction and improved reliability in therapy.
Real-Time EEG Signal Enhancement Using Canonical Correlation Analysis and Gaussian Mixture Clustering
Authors: Lin Chin-Teng , Huang Chih-Sheng , Yang Wen-Yu , Singh Avinash Kumar , Chuang Chun-Hsiang , Wang Yu-Kai
Published: January 2018

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are usually contaminated with various artifacts, such as signal associated with muscle activity, eye movement, and body motion, which have a noncerebral origin. The amplitude of such artifacts is larger than that of the electrical activity of the brain, so they mask the cortical signals of interest, resulting in biased analysis and interpretation. Several blind source separation methods have been developed to remove artifacts from the EEG recordings. However, the iterative process for measuring separation within multichannel recordings is computationally intractable. Moreover, manually excluding the artifact components requires a time-consuming offline process. This work proposes a real-time artifact removal algorithm that is based on canonical correlation analysis (CCA), feature extraction, and the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) to improve the quality of EEG signals. The CCA was used to decompose EEG signals into components followed by feature extraction to extract representative features and GMM to cluster these features into groups to recognize and remove artifacts. The feasibility of the proposed algorithm was demonstrated by effectively removing artifacts caused by blinks, head/body movement, and chewing from EEG recordings while preserving the temporal and spectral characteristics of the signals that are important to cognitive research.
GH, IGF-1, and Age Are Important Contributors to Thyroid Abnormalities in Patients with Acromegaly
Authors: Wu Xia , Gao Lu , Guo Xiaopeng , Wang Qiang , Wang Zihao , Lian Wei , Liu Wei , Sun Jian , Xing Bing
Published: January 2018

Purpose. To determine the prevalence, risk factors, and possible mechanisms of structural and endocrinological changes to the thyroid in acromegaly. Methods. We studied 93 acromegalic patients from PUMCH between January 2013 and December 2013. The demographic and clinical information were recorded. Specimens of pituitary adenomas and thyroid cancer were collected for BRAF mutation assessments. Results. Thyroid morphological abnormalities were found in 72 (77.4%) patients. Three (3.2%) were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The thyroid gland volume was significantly increased in patients with higher random GH (p=0.01), higher nadir GH (p=0.008), and higher IGF-1 level (p=0.018). Age (p=0.002) was an independent risk factor for thyroid morphological abnormalities in acromegaly. The GH burden was significantly higher in patients with thyroid morphological abnormalities (p=0.036). The BRAF V600E mutation was detected in the PTCs of the two patients with thyroid cancer. Conclusions. Both benign and malignant thyroid abnormalities are increased in the acromegalic population compared to those in the general population. Age at diagnosis is an independent risk factor for thyroid abnormalities, and GH burden may be a partial contributor. Early diagnosis, early treatment, and monitoring of postoperational endocrine levels are important for acromegalic patients.
Influence of Temperature on the Performance of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 Prepared by High‐Temperature Ball‐Milling Method
Authors: Tian Ming , Li Xuetian , Shao Zhongbao , Shen Fengman
Published: January 2018

Aiming at the preparation of high electrochemical performance LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode material for lithium‐ion battery, LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 was prepared with lithium carbonate, nickel (II) oxide, cobalt (II, III) oxide, and manganese dioxide as raw materials by high‐temperature ball‐milling method. Influence of ball‐milling temperature was investigated in this work. It was shown that the fine LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 powder with high electrochemical performance can be produced by the high‐temperature ball‐milling process, and the optimal ball‐milling temperature obtained in the current study was 750°C. Its initial discharge capacity was 146.0 mAhg−1 at the rate of 0.1 C, and over 50 cycles its capacity retention rate was 90.2%.
SDNManager: A Safeguard Architecture for SDN DoS Attacks Based on Bandwidth Prediction
Authors: Wang Tao , Chen Hongchang , Cheng Guozhen , Lu Yulin
Published: January 2018

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has quickly emerged as a promising technology for future networks and gained much attention. However, the centralized nature of SDN makes the system vulnerable to denial-of-services (DoS) attacks, especially for the currently widely deployed multicontroller system. Due to DoS attacks, SDN multicontroller model may additionally face the risk of the cascading failures of controllers. In this paper, we propose SDNManager, a lightweight and fast denial-of-service detection and mitigation system for SDN. It has five components: monitor, forecast engine, checker, updater, and storage service. It typically follows a control loop of reading flow statistics, forecasting flow bandwidth changes based on the statistics, and accordingly updating the network. It is worth noting that the forecast engine employs a novel dynamic time-series (DTS) model which greatly improves bandwidth prediction accuracy. What is more, to further optimize the defense effect, we also propose a controller dynamic scheduling strategy to ensure the global network state optimization and improve the defense efficiency. We evaluate SDNManager through a prototype implementation tested in a real SDN network environment. The results show that SDNManager is effective with adding only a minor overhead into the entire SDN/OpenFlow infrastructure.
Adaptive Differential Thrust Methodology for Lateral/Directional Stability of an Aircraft with a Completely Damaged Vertical Stabilizer
Authors: Lu Long K. , Turkoglu Kamran
Published: January 2018

This paper investigates the utilization of differential thrust to help a commercial aircraft with a damaged vertical stabilizer in order to regain its lateral/directional stability. In the event of an aircraft losing its vertical stabilizer, the consequential loss of the lateral/directional stability and control is likely to cause a fatal crash. In this paper, an aircraft with a completely damaged vertical stabilizer is investigated, and a unique differential thrust-based adaptive control approach is proposed to achieve a stable flight envelope. The propulsion dynamics of the aircraft is modeled as a system of differential equations with engine time constant and time delay terms to study the engine response time with respect to a differential thrust input. The proposed differential thrust control module is then presented to map the rudder input to differential thrust input. Model reference adaptive control based on the Lyapunov stability approach is implemented to test the ability of the damaged aircraft to track the model aircraft’s (reference) response in an extreme scenario. Investigation results demonstrate successful application of such differential thrust approach to regain lateral/directional stability of a damaged aircraft with no vertical stabilizer. Finally, the conducted robustness and uncertainty analysis results conclude that the stability and performance of the damaged aircraft remain within desirable limits and demonstrate a safe flight mission through the proposed adaptive control methodology.