bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Xingnaojing Treatment for Stroke
Authors: Peng Weijun , Yang Jingjing , Wang Yang , Wang Weihao , Xu Jianxia , Wang Lexing , Xing Zhihua
Published: February 2014

Objective. Xingnaojing injection (XNJ) is a well‐known traditional Chinese patent medicine (TCPM) for stroke. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of XNJ for stroke including ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods. An extensive search was performed within using eight databases up to November 2013. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on XNJ for treatment of stroke were collected. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and meta‐analysis were conducted according to the Cochrane standards, and RevMan5.0 was used for meta‐analysis. Results. This review included 13 RCTs and a total of 1,514 subjects. The overall methodological quality was poor. The meta‐analysis showed that XNJ combined with conventional treatment was more effective for total efficacy, neurological deficit improvement, and reduction of TNF‐α levels compared with those of conventional treatment alone. Three trials reported adverse events, of these one trial reported mild impairment of kidney and liver function, whereas the other two studies failed to report specific adverse events. Conclusion. Despite the limitations of this review, we suggest that XNJ in combination with conventional medicines might be beneficial for the treatment of stroke. Currently there are various methodological problems in the studies. Therefore, high‐quality, large‐scale RCTs are urgently needed.
Bayes Network Based Collaborating Control Algorithm in Active Multicamera Network with Applications to Object Tracking
Authors: Zhao Rui , Wei Zhihua , Wu Yan , Zhao Cairong , Miao Duoqian
Published: February 2014

Intelligent video surveillance network has many practical applications such as human tracking, vehicle tracking, and event detection. In this paper, an active multicamera network framework is designed for human detection and tracking by optimizing the cameras collaborating control. A multicamera collaborating control algorithm is proposed based on Bayes network to minimize the number of PTZ cameras with control and optimize the cameras′ field of view. Hybrid human local feature transform selected by AdaBoost algorithm is adopted to improve the tracking precision. Experimental results on real world environment indicate the effectiveness and efficiency of proposed framework and algorithm.
Language Recognition Using Latent Dynamic Conditional Random Field Model with Phonological Features
Authors: Boonsuk Sirinoot , Suchato Atiwong , Punyabukkana Proadpran , Wutiwiwatchai Chai , Thatphithakkul Nattanun
Published: February 2014

Spoken language recognition (SLR) has been of increasing interest in multilingual speech recognition for identifying the languages of speech utterances. Most existing SLR approaches apply statistical modeling techniques with acoustic and phonotactic features. Among the popular approaches, the acoustic approach has become of greater interest than others because it does not require any prior language‐specific knowledge. Previous research on the acoustic approach has shown less interest in applying linguistic knowledge; it was only used as supplementary features, while the current state‐of‐the‐art system assumes independency among features. This paper proposes an SLR system based on the latent‐dynamic conditional random field (LDCRF) model using phonological features (PFs). We use PFs to represent acoustic characteristics and linguistic knowledge. The LDCRF model was employed to capture the dynamics of the PFs sequences for language classification. Baseline systems were conducted to evaluate the features and methods including Gaussian mixture model (GMM) based systems using PFs, GMM using cepstral features, and the CRF model using PFs. Evaluated on the NIST LRE 2007 corpus, the proposed method showed an improvement over the baseline systems. Additionally, it showed comparable result with the acoustic system based on i‐vector. This research demonstrates that utilizing PFs can enhance the performance.
Free Vibrations of a Trapezoidal Plate with an Internal Line Hinge
Authors: Quintana María Virginia , Grossi Ricardo Oscar
Published: February 2014

This paper deals with a general variational formulation for the determination of natural frequencies and mode shapes of free vibrations of laminated thin plates of trapezoidal shape with an internal line hinge restrained against rotation. The analysis was carried out by using the kinematics corresponding to the classical laminated plate theory (CLPT). The eigenvalue problem is obtained by employing a combination of the Ritz method and the Lagrange multipliers method. The domain of the plate is transformed into a rectangular domain in the computational space by using nonorthogonal triangular coordinates and the transverse displacements are approximated with a set of simple polynomials automatically generated and expressed in the triangular coordinates. The developed algorithm allows obtaining approximate analytical solutions for mentioned plate with different geometries, aspect ratio, position of the line hinge, and boundary conditions including translational and rotational elastically restrained edges. It allows studying the influence of the mentioned line on the vibration frequencies and respective mode shapes. The algorithm can easily be programmed and it is numerically stable. Additionally, as a particular case, the results of triangular plates can be easily generated.
Hypocholesterolemic Activity ofMonascusFermented Product in the Absence of Monacolins with Partial Purification for Functional Food Applications
Authors: Ajdari Zahra , Abd Ghani Maaruf , Khan Ayob Mohd , Bayat Saadi , Mokhtar Mazlin , Abbasiliasi Sahar , Khoramnia Anahita , Rahman Heshu Sulaiman , Mehrbod Parvaneh , Ajdari Daniel , Ariff Arbakariya B.
Published: February 2014

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the most common chronic diseases in human. Along with chemical therapy traditional medication is used as hypocholesterolemic remedy, however, with unfavorable side effects. Recently,Monascusfermented product (MFP) has become a popular hypocholesterolemic natural supplement. In the present study, the hypocholesterolemic activity ofMonascus purpureusFTC5391 fermented product ethanolic extract (MFPe) was investigated in hypercholesterolemic rats. Results showed that MFPe not only reduced the serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, TG concentration, and TC/HDL-C ratio but also increased the HDL-C. Further, solid phase extraction (SPE) was carried out to obtain the hypocholesterolemic bioactive fraction. The high polar fraction of SPE increased the HDL-C (42%) and decreased the TC (53.3%), LDL-C (47%), and TG (50.7%) levels as well as TC/HDL-C ratio (69.1%) in serum. The GC-MS results of the active fraction revealed two main compounds, isosorbide and erythritol, which act as coronary vasodilator compounds.
Use of the Wavelet Transform for Interference Detection and Mitigation in Global Navigation Satellite Systems
Authors: Musumeci Luciano , Dovis Fabio
Published: February 2014

Radio frequency interference detection and mitigation are becoming of paramount importance due to the increasing number of services and applications based on the position obtained by means of Global Navigation Satellite Systems. A way to cope with such threats is the implementation in the receiver of advanced signal processing algorithm able to raise proper warning or improve the receiver performance. In this paper, we propose a method based on the Wavelet Transform able to split the useful signal from the interfering component in a transformed domain. The wavelet packet decomposition and proper statistical thresholds allow the algorithm to show very good performance in case of multiple pulse interference as well as in the case of narrowband interference, two scenarios in which traditional countermeasures might not be effective.
A Pathological Study of the Epidemiology of Atherosclerosis in Mexico City
Authors: Rodríguez-Saldaña Joel , Rodriguez-Flores Marcela , Cantú-Brito Carlos , Aguirre-Garcia Jesús
Published: February 2014

Objective. To examine the frequency and patterns of association of cardiovascular risk factors with atherosclerosis in five different arterial territories at post-mortem in Mexico City.Methods. We obtained five arterial territories arteries (circle of Willis, coronary, carotid, renal, and aorta) of 185 men and women 0 to 90 years of age who underwent autopsy at the Medical Forensic Service of Mexico City. We determined the prevalence and extent of atherosclerotic lesions by histopathology according to the classification of the American Heart Association as early (types I–III) and advanced (types IV–VI), and according to the degree of stenosis and correlated with cardiovascular risk factors.Results. Atherosclerotic lesions were identified in at least one arterial territory in 181 subjects (97.8%), with involvement of two ore more territories in 178 subjects (92.2%). Advanced lesions were observed in 36% and 67% of subjects under 15 and between 16 and 35 years, respectively. Any degree of atherosclerosis was associated with the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, overweight, obesity, and smoking, and to a greater extent with the presence of two or more risk factors (P<0.001). However, emerging and advanced athersoclerosis was observed in 53% and 20% people with no risk factors.Conclusions. The study shows a high prevalence of atherosclerosis in all age groups and both sexes. There is considerable development of atherosclerotic disease in subjects without known risk factors.
Imaging Formation Algorithm of the Ground and Space‐Borne Hybrid BiSAR Based on Parameters Estimation from Direct Signal
Authors: Zhang Qingjun , Hu Cheng , Wu Lixin , Zeng Tao , Long Teng
Published: February 2014

This paper proposes a novel image formation algorithm for the bistatic synthetic aperture radar (BiSAR) with the configuration of a noncooperative transmitter and a stationary receiver in which the traditional imaging algorithm failed because the necessary imaging parameters cannot be estimated from the limited information from the noncooperative data provider. In the new algorithm, the essential parameters for imaging, such as squint angle, Doppler centroid, and Doppler chirp‐rate, will be estimated by full exploration of the recorded direct signal (direct signal is the echo from satellite to stationary receiver directly) from the transmitter. The Doppler chirp‐rate is retrieved by modeling the peak phase of direct signal as a quadratic polynomial. The Doppler centroid frequency and the squint angle can be derived from the image contrast optimization. Then the range focusing, the range cell migration correction (RCMC), and the azimuth focusing are implemented by secondary range compression (SRC) and the range cell migration, respectively. At last, the proposed algorithm is validated by imaging of the BiSAR experiment configured with china YAOGAN 10 SAR as the transmitter and the receiver platform located on a building at a height of 109 m in Jiangsu province. The experiment image with geometric correction shows good accordance with local Google images.
Design of a Compact Planar Rectenna for Wireless Power Transfer in the ISM Band
Authors: Zhang Fang , Liu Xin , Meng Fan-Yi , Wu Qun , Lee Jong-Chul , Xu Jin-Feng , Wang Cong , Kim Nam-Young
Published: February 2014

This paper presents a compact planar rectenna with high conversion efficiency in the ISM band. The proposed rectenna is developed by the decomposing of a planar rectenna topology into two functional parts and then recombining the two parts into a new topology to make the rectenna size reduction. The operation mechanism of the antenna and rectifying circuit in the proposed novel topology is explained and the design methodology is presented in detail. The proposed topology not only reduces the rectenna design cycle time but also leads to easy realization at the required frequency ranges with a very low cost. For validation, a 2.45 GHz rectenna system is designed and measured to show their microwave performances.
SNAP II and SNAPPE II as Predictors of Neonatal Mortality in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Does Postnatal Age Play a Role?
Authors: Mesquita Ramirez Mirta Noemi , Godoy Laura Evangelina , Alvarez Barrientos Elizabeth
Published: February 2014

Introduction. In developing countries, a lack of decentralization of perinatal care leads to many high-risk births occurring in facilities that do not have NICU, leading to admission to a PICU.Objective. To assess SNAP II and SNAPPE II as predictors of neonatal death in the PICU.Methodology. A prospective study of newborns divided into 3 groups according to postnatal age: Group 1 (G1), of 0 to 6 days; Group 2 (G2) of 7 to 14 days; and Group 3 (G3), of 15 to 28 days. Variables analyzed were SNAP II, SNAPPE II, perinatal data, and known risk factors for death. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test and the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve were used with SPSS 17.0 for statistical analysis. An Alpha error <5% was considered significant.Results. We analyzed 290 newborns, including 192 from G1, 41 from G2, and 57 from G3. Mortality was similar in all 3 groups. Median SNAP II was higher in newborns that died in all 3 groups (P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve for SNAP II for G1 was 0.78 (CI 95% 0.70–0.86), for G2 0.66 (CI 95% 0.37–0.94), and for G3 0.74 (CI 95% 0.53–0.93). The area under the ROC curve for SNAPPE II for G1 was 0.76 (CI 95% 0.67–0.85), for G2 0.60 (CI 95% 0.30–0.90), and for G3 0.74 (CI 95% 0.52–0.95).Conclusions. SNAP II and SNAPPE II showed moderate discrimination in predicting mortality. The results are not strong enough to establish the correlation between the score and the risk of mortality.
Finite-Time Control for Attitude Tracking Maneuver of Rigid Satellite
Authors: Huo Mingyi , Huo Xing , Karimi Hamid Reza , Ni Jianfei
Published: February 2014

The problem of finite-time control for attitude tracking maneuver of a rigid spacecraft is investigated. External disturbance, unknown inertia parameters are addressed. As stepping stone, a sliding mode controller is designed. It requires the upper bound of the lumped uncertainty including disturbance and inertia matrix. However, this upper bound may not be easily obtained. Therefore, an adaptive sliding mode control law is then proposed to release that drawback. Adaptive technique is applied to estimate that bound. It is proved that the closed-loop attitude tracking system is finite-time stable. The tracking errors of the attitude and the angular velocity are asymptotically stabilized. Moreover, the upper bound on the lumped uncertainty can be exactly estimated in finite time. The attitude tracking performance with application of the control scheme is evaluated through a numerical example.
An Exploration on the Suitability of Airborne Carbonyl Compounds Analysis in relation to Differences in Instrumentation (GC-MS versus HPLC-UV) and Standard Phases (Gas versus Liquid)
Authors: Kim Ki-Hyun , Szulejko Jan E. , Kim Yong-Hyun , Lee Min-Hee
Published: February 2014

The relative performance figure of merits was investigated for the two most common analytical methods employed for carbonyl compounds (CC), for example, between high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV detector (with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) derivatization) and thermal desorption (TD)-gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) (without derivatization). To this end, the suitability of each method is assessed by computing the relative recovery (RR) between the gas- and liquid-phase standards containing a suite of CC such as formaldehyde (FA), acetaldehyde (AA), propionaldehyde (PA), butyraldehyde (BA), isovaleraldehyde (IA), and valeraldehyde (VA) along with benzene (B) as a recovery reference for the GC method. The results confirm that a TD-GC-MS is advantageous to attain the maximum recovery for the heavier CCs (i.e., with molecular weights (MW) above BA−MW ≥ 74). On the other hand, the HPLC-UV is favorable for the lighter CCs (like FA and AA) with the least bias. Such compound-specific responses for each platform are validated by relative ordering of CCs as a function of response factor (RF), method detection limit (MDL), and recovery pattern. It is thus desirable to understand the advantages and limitations of each method to attain the CC data with the least experimental bias.
Analysis of Heat Transfers inside Counterflow Plate Heat Exchanger Augmented by an Auxiliary Fluid Flow
Authors: Khaled A.-R. A.
Published: February 2014

Enhancement of heat transfers in counterflow plate heat exchanger due to presence of an intermediate auxiliary fluid flow is investigated. The intermediate auxiliary channel is supported by transverse conducting pins. The momentum and energy equations for the primary fluids are solved numerically and validated against a derived approximate analytical solution. A parametric study including the effect of the various plate heat exchanger, and auxiliary channel dimensionless parameters is conducted. Different enhancement performance indicators are computed. The various trends of parameters that can better enhance heat transfer rates above those for the conventional plate heat exchanger are identified. Large enhancement factors are obtained under fully developed flow conditions. The maximum enhancement factors can be increased by above 8.0- and 5.0-fold for the step and exponential distributions of the pins, respectively. Finally, counterflow plate heat exchangers with auxiliary fluid flows are recommended over the typical ones if these flows can be provided with the least cost.
Rotordynamic Evaluation of Full Scale Rotor on Tilting Pad Bearings with 0.1 and 0.3 Preload
Authors: Wang Weimin , Li Qihang , Gao Jinji , He Feng , Diamond Tim , Allaire Paul
Published: February 2014

A system identification method for rotating machinery stability evaluation is investigated based on sine sweep excitation testing with electromagnetic actuator. The traditional MIMO FRF is transformed into dFRF from real number field to complex field with a transformation matrix, eliminating the influence of forward and backward modal overlap and providing higher accuracy to identify rotor’s first forward modal parameters using the rational polynomial method. The modal parameters are acquired for stability estimation. Furthermore, two sets of bearing with preloads of 0.1 and 0.3 under both load-on-pad (LOP) and load-between-pad (LBP) conditions are investigated. The effects of oil inlet pressure (1.0 bar–1.75 bar) and temperature (43°C–51°C) on the stability of rotor are investigated in detail. Results indicate that the stability of rotor will be improved by increasing the oil inlet temperature and pressure. It is found that the rotor is more stable on bearing with 0.1 preload than that of 0.3 preload. Load-on-pad provides more damping to rotor than load-between-pad. The method and outcomes of this paper can provide both theory basis and technology foundation for improving the rotor stability of centrifugal compressors.
Streamlining Cutaneous Melanomas in Young Women of the Belgian Mosan Region
Authors: Hermanns-Lê Trinh , Piérard Sébastien
Published: February 2014

Sporadic cutaneous melanoma (SCM) has shown a dramatic increase in incidence in Caucasian populations over the past few decades. A particular epidemiological increase was reported in women during their childbearing age. In the Belgian Mosan region, a progressive unremitting increase in SCM incidence was noticed in young women for the past 35 years. The vast majority of these SCMs were of the superficial type without any obvious relationship with a large number of melanocytic nevi or with signs of frequent and intense sunlight exposures as disclosed by the extent in the mosaic subclinical melanoderma. A series of investigations pointed to a possible relationship linking the development of some SCM to the women hormonal status including the effect of hormonal disruptors. These aspects remain, however, unsettled and controversial. It is possible to differentiate and clearly quantify the SCM shape, size, scalloped border, and variegated pigmentation using computerized morphometry as well as fractal and multifractal methods.
Does Proximity to Wetland Shrubland Increase the Habitat Value for Shrubland Birds of Small Patches of Upland Shrubland in the Northeastern United States?
Authors: Buffum Bill , McKinney Richard A.
Published: February 2014

The loss of shrubland habitat is linked to population declines for many wildlife species, including several bird species of conservation concern. Conservation agencies in the northeastern United States encourage private landowners to clearcut patches of forest to create shrubland habitat. Many private landowners are only willing to create small clearcuts; therefore, it is important to understand how to maximize the impact of small clearcuts on bird habitat use. In this study we examined whether proximity to wetland shrubland increases the habitat value of small patches of upland shrubland. We conducted point counts at 22 sites containing small patches of upland shrubland ranging in size from 0.1 to 7 ha. Shrubland bird species richness was significantly positively correlated with the proportion of wetland shrubland habitat within 100 m of a site, and with the extent of all shrubland habitat within 100 m, but not with the proportion of upland shrubland. Occupancy modeling indicated that the size of adjacent wetland shrub patches increased occupancy at the sites for five of eight species observed with sufficient rates of detection. Our results suggest that creating clearcuts adjacent to existing areas of wetland shrubland may enhance the habitat value of the patches for shrubland birds.
Effect of Annealing on the Properties of Antimony Telluride Thin Films and Their Applications in CdTe Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Zhouling , Hu Yu , Li Wei , Zeng Guanggen , Feng Lianghuan , Zhang Jingquan , Wu Lili , Gao Jingjing
Published: February 2014

Antimony telluride alloy thin films were deposited at room temperature by using the vacuum coevaporation method. The films were annealed at different temperatures in N2ambient, and then the compositional, structural, and electrical properties of antimony telluride thin films were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and Hall measurements. The results indicate that single phase antimony telluride existed when the annealing temperature was higher than 488 K. All thin films exhibited p-type conductivity with high carrier concentrations. Cell performance was greatly improved when the antimony telluride thin films were used as the back contact layer for CdTe thin film solar cells. The dark current voltage and capacitance voltage measurements were performed to investigate the formation of the back contacts for the cells with or without Sb2Te3buffer layers. CdTe solar cells with the buffer layers can reduce the series resistance and eliminate the reverse junction between CdTe and metal electrodes.
Characteristics of Anodized Layer in Investment Cast Ni50Ti50 Shape Memory Alloy
Authors: El-Hadad Shimaa H. , Ibrahim Khaled M. , Wagner Lothar
Published: February 2014

NiTi shape memory alloys are promising implant materials due to their shape memory effect and super elasticity. In the current study, some Ni50Ti50 (mass %) SMAs samples were prepared by investment casting. These samples were then anodized and thermally treated to improve the surface properties. A fully saturated oxide layer was obtained. The structure and hardness properties of the anodized surfaces were then investigated. A hard porous layer with no free Ni atoms could be obtained which can be used as prebiomimetic surface for biological application.
Evaluation of Resilient Modulus of Subgrade and Base Materials in Indiana and Its Implementation in MEPDG
Authors: Ji Richard , Siddiki Nayyarzia , Nantung Tommy , Kim Daehyeon
Published: February 2014

In order to implement MEPDG hierarchical inputs for unbound and subgrade soil, a database containing subgradeMR, index properties, standard proctor, and laboratoryMRfor 140 undisturbed roadbed soil samples from six different districts in Indiana was created. TheMRdata were categorized in accordance with the AASHTO soil classifications and divided into several groups. Based on each group, this study develops statistical analysis and evaluation datasets to validate these models. Stress-based regression models were evaluated using a statistical tool (analysis of variance (ANOVA)) andZ-test, and pertinent material constants (k1,k2andk3) were determined for different soil types. The reasonably good correlations of material constants along withMRwith routine soil properties were established. Furthermore, FWD tests were conducted on several Indiana highways in different seasons, and laboratory resilient modulus tests were performed on the subgrade soils that were collected from the falling weight deflectometer (FWD) test sites. A comparison was made of the resilient moduli obtained from the laboratory resilient modulus tests with those from the FWD tests. Correlations between the laboratory resilient modulus and the FWD modulus were developed and are discussed in this paper.
The Influence of Tool Path Strategies on Cutting Force and Surface Texture during Ball End Milling of Low Curvature Convex Surfaces
Authors: Shajari Shaghayegh , Sadeghi Mohammad Hossein , Hassanpour Hamed
Published: February 2014

Advancement in machining technology of curved surfaces for various engineering applications is increasing. Various methodologies and computer tools have been developed by the manufacturers to improve efficiency of freeform surface machining. Selection of the right sets of cutter path strategies and appropriate cutting conditions is extremely important in ensuring high productivity rate, meeting the better quality level, and lower cutting forces. In this paper, cutting force as a new decision criterion for the best selection of tool paths on convex surfaces is presented. Therefore, this work aims at studying and analyzing different finishing strategies to assess their influence on surface texture, cutting forces, and machining time. Design and analysis of experiments are performed by means of Taguchi technique and analysis of variance. In addition, the significant parameters affecting the cutting force in each strategy are introduced. Machining strategies employed include raster, 3D-offset, radial, and spiral. The cutting parameters were feed rate, cutting speed, and step over. The experiments were carried out on low curvature convex surfaces of stainless steel 1.4903. The conclusion is that radial strategy provokes the best surface texture and the lowest cutting forces and spiral strategy signifies the worst surface texture and the highest cutting forces.
Expression of Toll-Like Receptors 3, 7, and 9 in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Klonowska-Szymczyk Agnieszka , Wolska Anna , Robak Tadeusz , Cebula-Obrzut Barbara , Smolewski Piotr , Robak Ewa
Published: February 2014

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology. The results of experimental studies point to the involvement of innate immunity receptors—toll-like receptors (TLR)—in the pathogenesis of the disease. The aim of the study was to assess the expression of TLR3, 7, and 9 in the population of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and in B lymphocytes (CD19+), T lymphocytes (CD4+and CD8+) using flow cytometry. The study group included 35 patients with SLE and 15 healthy controls. The patient group presented a significantly higher percentage of TLR3- and TLR9-positive cells among all PBMCs and their subpopulations (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD19+lymphocytes) as well as TLR7 in CD19+B-lymphocytes, compared to the control group. There was no correlation between the expression of all studied TLRs and the disease activity according to the SLAM scale, and the degree of organ damage according to the SLICC/ACR Damage Index. However, a correlation was observed between the percentage of various TLR-positive cells and some clinical (joint lesions) and laboratory (lymphopenia, hypogammaglobulinemia, anaemia, and higher ESR) features and menopause in women. The results of the study suggest that TLR3, 7, and 9 play a role in the pathogenesis of SLE and have an impact on organ involvement in SLE.
A New Wideband Mutual Coupling Compensation Method for Adaptive Arrays Based on Element Pattern Reconstruction
Authors: Huang Qiulin , Wei Feng , Yuan Lihua , Zhou Hongxing , Shi Xiaowei
Published: February 2014

A new mutual coupling compensation method for wideband adaptive arrays is proposed. The new method is developed by combining the element pattern reconstruction method and the system identification method. The element pattern reconstruction method is valid and effective in the mutual coupling compensation for adaptive arrays such as dipole arrays and microstrip arrays. Each entry of the wideband compensation matrix is represented as an analytical expression against frequency. The polynomial coefficients and orders of all entries are obtained via the system identification method. The new wideband compensation method is characterized by the good adaptability of element structures and polarizations owing to the advantages of element pattern reconstruction method. A wideband microstrip array is designed to test the validity and effectiveness of the wideband compensation method.
Social and Behavioral Risk Marker Clustering Associated with Biological Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease: NHANES 2001–2004
Authors: Everage Nicholas J. , Linkletter Crystal D. , Gjelsvik Annie , McGarvey Stephen T. , Loucks Eric B.
Published: February 2014

Background. Social and behavioral risk markers (e.g., physical activity, diet, smoking, and socioeconomic position) cluster; however, little is known whether clustering is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Objectives were to determine if sociobehavioral clustering is associated with biological CHD risk factors (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, and diabetes) and whether associations are independent of individual clustering components.Methods. Participants included 4,305 males and 4,673 females aged ≥20 years from NHANES 2001–2004. Sociobehavioral Risk Marker Index (SRI) included a summary score of physical activity, fruit/vegetable consumption, smoking, and educational attainment. Regression analyses evaluated associations of SRI with aforementioned biological CHD risk factors. Receiver operator curve analyses assessed independent predictive ability of SRI.Results. Healthful clustering (SRI = 0) was associated with improved biological CHD risk factor levels in 5 of 6 risk factors in females and 2 of 6 risk factors in males. Adding SRI to models containing age, race, and individual SRI components did not improve C-statistics.Conclusions. Findings suggest that healthful sociobehavioral risk marker clustering is associated with favorable CHD risk factor levels, particularly in females. These findings should inform social ecological interventions that consider health impacts of addressing social and behavioral risk factors.
Operational Risk Aggregation across Business Lines Based on Frequency Dependence and Loss Dependence
Authors: Li Jianping , Zhu Xiaoqian , Chen Jianming , Gao Lijun , Feng Jichuang , Wu Dengsheng , Sun Xiaolei
Published: February 2014

In loss distribution approach (LDA), the most popular approach in operational risk modeling, frequency dependence and loss distribution dependence across business lines are two dependences which banks should consider. In practice, mainly for simplicity, many banks only model frequency dependence although they think that the impact of frequency dependence is insignificant. In this study, two approaches, respectively, models frequency dependence and loss distribution dependence, are introduced. Both approaches are modeled by copula function, which is capable of capturing nonlinear correlation. Based on the most comprehensive operational risk dataset of Chinese banking as far as we know, the operational risk capital charge of the overall Chinese banking is calculated by the two approaches. The results show that there is an obvious distinction between the capital calculated by modeling frequency dependence and the capital calculated by modeling loss dependence. The approach with very limited attention exactly yields a much larger capital result. So it is advised in this paper that banks should not just rely on the approach to modeling frequency dependence for it is natural and easy to deal with. A safer and more effective way for banks is to comprehensively take the results of the two kinds of approach into consideration.
Dynamic Model of a Wind Turbine for the Electric Energy Generation
Authors: Rubio José de Jesús , Soriano Luis Arturo , Yu Wen
Published: February 2014

A novel dynamic model is introduced for the modeling of the wind turbine behavior. The objective of the wind turbine is the electric energy generation. The analytic model has the characteristic that considers a rotatory tower. Experiments show the validity of the proposed method.
Solving the Bilevel Facility Location Problem under Preferences by a Stackelberg‐Evolutionary Algorithm
Authors: Camacho-Vallejo José-Fernando , Cordero-Franco Álvaro Eduardo , González-Ramírez Rosa G.
Published: February 2014

This research highlights the use of game theory to solve the classical problem of the uncapacitated facility location optimization model with customer order preferences through a bilevel approach. The bilevel model provided herein consists of the classical facility location problem and an optimization of the customer preferences, which are the upper and lower level problems, respectively. Also, two reformulations of the bilevel model are presented, reducing it into a mixed‐integer single‐level problem. An evolutionary algorithm based on the equilibrium in a Stackelberg’s game is proposed to solve the bilevel model. Numerical experimentation is performed in this study and the results are compared to benchmarks from the existing literature on the subject in order to emphasize the benefits of the proposed approach in terms of solution quality and estimation time.
Maximum Principles for Dynamic Equations on Time Scales and Their Applications
Authors: Zhou Shuqing , Li Hui
Published: February 2014

We consider the second dynamic operators of elliptic type on time scales. We establish basic generalized maximum principles and apply them to obtain weak comparison principle for second dynamic elliptic operators and to obtain the uniqueness of Dirichlet boundary value problems for dynamic elliptic equations.
Metallothionein-II Inhibits Lipid Peroxidation and Improves Functional Recovery after Transient Brain Ischemia and Reperfusion in Rats
Authors: Diaz-Ruiz Araceli , Vacio-Adame Patricia , Monroy-Noyola Antonio , Méndez-Armenta Marisela , Ortiz-Plata Alma , Montes Sergio , Rios Camilo
Published: February 2014

After transient cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R), damaging mechanisms, such as excitotoxicity and oxidative stress, lead to irreversible neurological deficits. The induction of metallothionein-II (MT-II) protein is an endogenous mechanism after I/R. Our aim was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of MT-II after I/R in rats. Male Wistar rats were transiently occluded at the middle cerebral artery for 2 h, followed by reperfusion. Rats received either MT (10 μg per rat i.p.) or vehicle after ischemia. Lipid peroxidation (LP) was measured 22 h after reperfusion in frontal cortex and hippocampus; also, neurological deficit was evaluated after ischemia, using the Longa scoring scale. Infarction area was analyzed 72 hours after ischemia. Results showed increased LP in frontal cortex (30.7%) and hippocampus (26.4%), as compared to control group; this effect was fully reversed by MT treatment. Likewise, we also observed a diminished neurological deficit assessed by the Longa scale in those animals treated with MT compared to control group values. The MT-treated group showed a significant (P<0.05) reduction of 39.9% in the infarction area, only at the level of hippocampus, as compared to control group. Results suggest that MT-II may be a novel neuroprotective treatment to prevent ischemia injury.
Nonlinear Methodologies for Identifying Seismic Event and Nuclear Explosion Using Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Naive Bayes Classification
Authors: Dong Longjun , Li Xibing , Xie Gongnan
Published: February 2014

The discrimination of seismic event and nuclear explosion is a complex and nonlinear system. The nonlinear methodologies including Random Forests (RF), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Naïve Bayes Classifier (NBC) were applied to discriminant seismic events. Twenty earthquakes and twenty-seven explosions with nine ratios of the energies contained within predetermined “velocity windows” and calculated distance are used in discriminators. Based on the one out cross-validation, ROC curve, calculated accuracy of training and test samples, and discriminating performances of RF, SVM, and NBC were discussed and compared. The result of RF method clearly shows the best predictive power with a maximum area of 0.975 under the ROC among RF, SVM, and NBC. The discriminant accuracies of RF, SVM, and NBC for test samples are 92.86%, 85.71%, and 92.86%, respectively. It has been demonstrated that the presented RF model can not only identify seismic event automatically with high accuracy, but also can sort the discriminant indicators according to calculated values of weights.
The Role of Gender in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-Associated Uveitis
Authors: Moradi Ahmadreza , Amin Rowayda M. , Thorne Jennifer E.
Published: February 2014

Uveitis is a common complication of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) affecting up to 30% of patients with JIA. Although the typical bilateral chronic anterior uveitis associated with the persistent and extended oligoarticular and polyarticular, rheumatoid factor negative variants of JIA occurs predominantly in girls, boys may be more commonly affected in the HLA-B27 positive, enthesitis variant of JIA. While female gender has been associated with the development of the chronic anterior uveitis in children with JIA, the clinical course of JIA-associated uveitis may be worse in boys than in girls. The purpose of this paper is to review the available published literature to determine the role of gender in the clinical presentation and outcomes of patients with JIA-associated uveitis.
A Prefiltered Cuckoo Search Algorithm with Geometric Operators for Solving Sudoku Problems
Authors: Soto Ricardo , Crawford Broderick , Galleguillos Cristian , Monfroy Eric , Paredes Fernando
Published: February 2014

The Sudoku is a famous logic-placement game, originally popularized in Japan and today widely employed as pastime and as testbed for search algorithms. The classic Sudoku consists in filling a9×9grid, divided into nine3×3regions, so that each column, row, and region contains different digits from 1 to 9. This game is known to be NP-complete, with existing various complete and incomplete search algorithms able to solve different instances of it. In this paper, we present a new cuckoo search algorithm for solving Sudoku puzzles combining prefiltering phases and geometric operations. The geometric operators allow one to correctly move toward promising regions of the combinatorial space, while the prefiltering phases are able to previously delete from domains the values that do not conduct to any feasible solution. This integration leads to a more efficient domain filtering and as a consequence to a faster solving process. We illustrate encouraging experimental results where our approach noticeably competes with the best approximate methods reported in the literature.
Safety Study of Photodynamic Therapy Using Talaporfin Sodium in the Pancreas and Surrounding Tissues in the Syrian Golden Hamster
Authors: Wittmann Johannes , Huggett Matthew T. , Bown Stephen G. , Pereira Stephen P.
Published: February 2014

Aim. To assess the safety of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using talaporfin sodium on the pancreas and surrounding organs in normal hamsters.Methods. Fluorescence microscopy documented talaporfin levels in liver, duodenum, and pancreas up to 24 hours after photosensitisation. Lesion size in liver 3 days after PDT (50 J, 5 mg/kg, variable drug-light interval (DLI)) was documented to optimise the DLI. Using optimum DLI, pancreas and surrounding organs were treated with laser fibre touching the surface and animals were killed at 3 or 21 days.Results. Peak fluorescence was seen in duodenum and pancreas at 15 mins (second lower peak at 2 hours). Liver fluorescence was consistently high (peak 1 hour) until after 4 hours. Optimum DLI was seen at 15 minutes. The pancreas was relatively resistant to direct PDT injury (small lesions at high doses) but surrounding stomach, duodenum, and liver were more susceptible with evidence of adhesions and full thickness damage (localised peritonitis and duodenal perforation at highest doses).Conclusion. The safety profile is similar to PDT with longer acting photosensitisers. The pancreas appears safe to treat, but care is required to avoid high light doses to the intestinal tract, particularly the duodenum.
Modeling of Unsteady Flow through the Canals by Semiexact Method
Authors: Ehsani Farshad , Hosseini Seyed Ghorban , Soury Hossein
Published: February 2014

The study of free-surface and pressurized water flows in channels has many interesting application, one of the most important being the modeling of the phenomena in the area of natural water systems (rivers, estuaries) as well as in that of man-made systems (canals, pipes). For the development of major river engineering projects, such as flood prevention and flood control, there is an essential need to have an instrument that be able to model and predict the consequences of any possible phenomenon on the environment and in particular the new hydraulic characteristics of the system. The basic equations expressing hydraulic principles were formulated in the 19th century by Barre de Saint Venant and Valentin Joseph Boussinesq. The original hydraulic model of the Saint Venant equations is written in the form of a system of two partial differential equations and it is derived under the assumption that the flow is one-dimensional, the cross-sectional velocity is uniform, the streamline curvature is small and the pressure distribution is hydrostatic. The St. Venant equations must be solved with continuity equation at the same time. Until now no analytical solution for Saint Venant equations is presented. In this paper the Saint Venant equations and continuity equation are solved with homotopy perturbation method (HPM) and comparison by explicit forward finite difference method (FDM). For decreasing the present error between HPM and FDM, the st.venant equations and continuity equation are solved by HAM. The homotopy analysis method (HAM) contains the auxiliary parameterħthat allows us to adjust and control the convergence region of solution series. The study has highlighted the efficiency and capability of HAM in solving Saint Venant equations and modeling of unsteady flow through the rectangular canal that is the goal of this paper and other kinds of canals.
Role of Platinum Deposited on TiO2in Photocatalytic Methanol Oxidation and Dehydrogenation Reactions
Authors: Ahmed Luma M. , Ivanova Irina , Hussein Falah H. , Bahnemann Detlef W.
Published: February 2014

Titania modified nanoparticles have been prepared by the photodeposition method employing platinum particles on the commercially available titanium dioxide (Hombikat UV 100). The properties of the prepared photocatalysts were investigated by means of the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-visible diffuse spectrophotometry (UV-Vis). XRD was employed to determine the crystallographic phase and particle size of both bare and platinised titanium dioxide. The results indicated that the particle size was decreased with the increasing of platinum loading. AFM analysis showed that one particle consists of about 9 to 11 crystals. UV-vis absorbance analysis showed that the absorption edge shifted to longer wavelength for 0.5% Pt loading compared with bare titanium dioxide. The photocatalytic activity of pure and Pt-loaded TiO2was investigated employing the photocatalytic oxidation and dehydrogenation of methanol. The results of the photocatalytic activity indicate that the platinized titanium dioxide samples are always more active than the corresponding bare TiO2for both methanol oxidation and dehydrogenation processes. The loading with various platinum amounts resulted in a significant improvement of the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. This beneficial effect was attributed to an increased separation of the photogenerated electron-hole charge carriers.
On Positive Radial Solutions for a Class of Elliptic Equations
Authors: Wu Ying , Han Guodong
Published: February 2014

A class of elliptic boundary value problem in an exterior domain is considered under some conditions concerning the first eigenvalue of the relevant linear operator, where the variables of nonlinear termfs,uneed not to be separated. Several new theorems on the existence and multiplicity of positive radial solutions are obtained by means of fixed point index theory. Our conclusions are essential improvements of the results in Lan and Webb (1998), Lee (1997), Mao and Xue (2002), Stańczy (2000), and Han and Wang (2006).
High Performance Numerical Computing for High Energy Physics: A New Challenge for Big Data Science
Authors: Pop Florin
Published: February 2014

Modern physics is based on both theoretical analysis and experimental validation. Complex scenarios like subatomic dimensions, high energy, and lower absolute temperature are frontiers for many theoretical models. Simulation with stable numerical methods represents an excellent instrument for high accuracy analysis, experimental validation, and visualization. High performance computing support offers possibility to make simulations at large scale, in parallel, but the volume of data generated by these experiments creates a new challenge for Big Data Science. This paper presents existing computational methods for high energy physics (HEP) analyzed from two perspectives: numerical methods and high performance computing. The computational methods presented are Monte Carlo methods and simulations of HEP processes, Markovian Monte Carlo, unfolding methods in particle physics, kernel estimation in HEP, and Random Matrix Theory used in analysis of particles spectrum. All of these methods produce data-intensive applications, which introduce new challenges and requirements for ICT systems architecture, programming paradigms, and storage capabilities.
Nonlinear Recurrent Neural Network Predictive Control for Energy Distribution of a Fuel Cell Powered Robot
Authors: Chen Qihong , Long Rong , Quan Shuhai , Zhang Liyan
Published: February 2014

This paper presents a neural network predictive control strategy to optimize power distribution for a fuel cell/ultracapacitor hybrid power system of a robot. We model the nonlinear power system by employing time variant auto-regressive moving average with exogenous (ARMAX), and using recurrent neural network to represent the complicated coefficients of the ARMAX model. Because the dynamic of the system is viewed as operating- state- dependent time varying local linear behavior in this frame, a linear constrained model predictive control algorithm is developed to optimize the power splitting between the fuel cell and ultracapacitor. The proposed algorithm significantly simplifies implementation of the controller and can handle multiple constraints, such as limiting substantial fluctuation of fuel cell current. Experiment and simulation results demonstrate that the control strategy can optimally split power between the fuel cell and ultracapacitor, limit the change rate of the fuel cell current, and so as to extend the lifetime of the fuel cell.