bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of Mechanical Durable Polysiloxane Superhydrophobic Materials
Authors: Qu Mengnan , He Jinmei , Zhe Sun , Li Kanshe , Liu Xiangrong , Yu Chunxia
Published: August 2015

A mechanical durable polysiloxane superhydrophobic surface was successfully prepared by means of polymerization of silanes blending with particles. The as‐prepared polysiloxane surface showed stable superhydrophobicity even after the surface underwent a long distance friction. The superhydrophobicity of the polysiloxane materials can be even slightly enhanced by the surface abrasion. The scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the micro‐ and nanometer structures distributed through the whole materials thickness are responsible for the mechanical durable superhydrophobicity.
Antrochoanal Polyps: How Long Should Follow-Up Be after Surgery?
Authors: Chaiyasate Saisawat , Roongrotwattanasiri Kannika , Patumanond Jayanton , Fooanant Supranee
Published: August 2015

Objective. To investigate the length of follow-up needed to detect recurrence of antrochoanal polyps.Methods. A retrospective investigation was performed on patients who had been operated on with a preoperative diagnosis of antrochoanal polyps in Chiang Mai University hospital from 2006 to 2012.Results and Discussion. Of the 38 cases of choanal polyps, 27 were adults (71%). The median age was 23.5, ranging from 7 to 64 years old. Eighteen patients were male (47.4%). The origin of choanal polyps was the maxillary antrum in 32 patients. The most common symptom was nasal obstruction (97.4%). The surgical procedures were polypectomy in one child and combined endoscopic and transcanine fossa approach in two adults. The remainder of the patients underwent endoscopic removal of the polyps. The follow-up time ranged from 1 day to 8 years. There were 5 cases of recurrence of which four were in children. The time for recurrence was 1.2±0.6 years (95% CI 0.51, 1.97).Conclusion. Antrochoanal polyps are more common in younger patients. Recurrence was significantly higher in children. Follow-up of patients should be for at least 2 years postoperatively in order to detect 95% of recurrence.
A Complex Facial Trauma Case with Multiple Mandibular Fractures and Dentoalveolar Injuries
Authors: Guven Yeliz , Zorlu Sevgi , Cankaya Abdulkadir Burak , Aktoren Oya , Gencay Koray
Published: August 2015

The principles of management of mandibular fractures differ in children when compared to adults and depend on the specific age-related status of the growing mandible and the developing dentition. This paper presents a case report with a complex facial trauma affecting the mandibular body and condyle region and dentoalveolar complex. Clinical examination revealed soft tissue injuries, limited mouth opening, lateral deviation of the mandible, an avulsed incisor, a subluxated incisor, and a fractured crown. CBCT examination revealed a nondisplaced fracture and an oblique greenstick fracture of the mandibular body and unilateral fracture of the condyle. Closed reduction technique was chosen to manage fractures of the mandible. Favorable healing outcomes on multiple fractures of the mandible throughout the 6-year follow-up period proved the success of the conservative treatment. This case report is important since it presents a variety of pathological sequelae to trauma within one case.
Prognostic Value of MRS Metabolites in Postoperative Irradiated High Grade Gliomas
Authors: Tolia Maria , Verganelakis Dimitrios , Tsoukalas Nikolaos , Kyrgias George , Papathanasiou Matilda , Mosa Eftichia , Kokakis Ioannis , Kouvaris John R. , Pissakas George , Pistevou-Gombaki Kyriaki , Kelekis Nikolaos , Kouloulias Vasileios
Published: August 2015

Purpose. We studied the prognostic significance of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) in operated high grade gliomas.Materials and Methods. Twelve patients were treated with radiotherapy and Temozolomide. The MRS data were taken four weeks after operation (before radiotherapy) and every six months after the completion of RT. The N-acetyl aspartate, choline, creatine, and myo-inositol parameters were quantified, analyzed, and correlated to recurrence-free survival (RFS).Results. The median RFS was 26.06 months. RFS was significantly worse in elderly patients(P=0.001)along with the higher choline/creatine ratios at either baseline(P= 0.003)or six months post Radiotherapy(P=0.042). Median RFS was 23 months in high choline/creatine levels ≥2 at 6 months after radiotherapy and 11 months for those with <2 choline/creatine levels. There was a significant correlation of maximum difference of choline/creatine ratio with RFS (rho = 0.64,P=0.045).Conclusion. Age and choline/creatine ratio are strong independent prognostic factors in high grade gliomas.
Novel Virtual User Models of Mild Cognitive Impairment for Simulating Dementia
Authors: Segkouli Sofia , Paliokas Ioannis , Tzovaras Dimitrios , Tsakiris Thanos , Tsolaki Magda , Karagiannidis Charalampos
Published: August 2015

Virtual user modeling research has attempted to address critical issues of human-computer interaction (HCI) such as usability and utility through a large number of analytic, usability-oriented approaches as cognitive models in order to provide users with experiences fitting to their specific needs. However, there is demand for more specific modules embodied in cognitive architecture that will detect abnormal cognitive decline across new synthetic task environments. Also, accessibility evaluation of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) requires considerable effort for enhancing ICT products accessibility for older adults. The main aim of this study is to develop and test virtual user models (VUM) simulating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through novel specific modules, embodied at cognitive models and defined by estimations of cognitive parameters. Well-established MCI detection tests assessed users’ cognition, elaborated their ability to perform multitasks, and monitored the performance of infotainment related tasks to provide more accurate simulation results on existing conceptual frameworks and enhanced predictive validity in interfaces’ design supported by increased tasks’ complexity to capture a more detailed profile of users’ capabilities and limitations. The final outcome is a more robust cognitive prediction model, accurately fitted to human data to be used for more reliable interfaces’ evaluation through simulation on the basis of virtual models of MCI users.
Synthesis and Characterization of an Iron Nitride Constructed by a Novel Template of Metal Organic Framework
Authors: Liu Suyan , Huo Quan , Chen Rongna , Chen Peipei , Li Yuan , Han Yang
Published: August 2015

An iron nitride with high surface area was synthesized from an iron-based metal organic framework (Fe-MOF) in this work. During the synthesis process, the Fe-MOF of MIL-53 served as a hard template, a template to impart a certain degree of morphology for iron oxide products and to form porosities for iron nitride products. Moreover, it played the roles of iron sources for the synthesis of the final iron oxides and the iron nitrides. The physicochemical properties of the materials were characterized by a series of technologies including XRD, SEM, and N2-adsorption/desorption. The results showed that the iron nitride synthesized from MIL-53 wasα-Fe2-3N. And, theα-Fe2-3N showed the morphology with loosely aggregated particles which favored the formation of rich interparticle porosities. As a result, the surface area of theα-Fe2-3N was larger than those of samples usingα-Fe2O3as precursors and its value was 41 m2/g. In addition, the results agreed that both raw material properties (such as crystallinity and surface areas) and nitriding approaches had significant effects on the surface areas of iron nitrides. Also the results were proved by the iron oxide synthesized with different methods. This new synthetic strategy could be a general approach for the preparation of late transition metal nitrides with peculiar properties.
Expected Utility Based Decision Making underZ-Information and Its Application
Authors: Aliev Rashad R. , Mraiziq Derar Atallah Talal , Huseynov Oleg H.
Published: August 2015

Real-world decision relevant information is often partially reliable. The reasons are partial reliability of the source of information, misperceptions, psychological biases, incompetence, and so forth.Z-numbers based formalization of information (Z-information) represents a natural language (NL) based value of a variable of interest in line with the related NL based reliability. What is important is thatZ-information not only is the most general representation of real-world imperfect information but also has the highest descriptive power from human perception point of view as compared to fuzzy number. In this study, we present an approach to decision making underZ-information based on direct computation overZ-numbers. This approach utilizes expected utility paradigm and is applied to a benchmark decision problem in the field of economics.
Cuckoo Search Algorithm Based on Repeat-Cycle Asymptotic Self-Learning and Self-Evolving Disturbance for Function Optimization
Authors: Wang Jie-sheng , Li Shu-xia , Song Jiang-di
Published: August 2015

In order to improve convergence velocity and optimization accuracy of the cuckoo search (CS) algorithm for solving the function optimization problems, a new improved cuckoo search algorithm based on the repeat-cycle asymptotic self-learning and self-evolving disturbance (RC-SSCS) is proposed. A disturbance operation is added into the algorithm by constructing a disturbance factor to make a more careful and thorough search near the bird’s nests location. In order to select a reasonable repeat-cycled disturbance number, a further study on the choice of disturbance times is made. Finally, six typical test functions are adopted to carry out simulation experiments, meanwhile, compare algorithms of this paper with two typical swarm intelligence algorithms particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm. The results show that the improved cuckoo search algorithm has better convergence velocity and optimization accuracy.
Preprocessing Techniques for High-Efficiency Data Compression in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks
Authors: Park Junho , Yoo Jaesoo
Published: August 2015

We have proposed preprocessing techniques for high-efficiency data compression in wireless multimedia sensor networks. To do this, we analyzed the characteristics of multimedia data under the environment of wireless multimedia sensor networks. The proposed preprocessing techniques consider the characteristics of sensed multimedia data to perform the first stage preprocessing by deleting the low priority bits that do not affect the image quality. The second stage preprocessing is also performed for the undeleted high priority bits. By performing these two-stage preprocessing techniques, it is possible to reduce the multimedia data size in large. To show the superiority of our techniques, we simulated the existing multimedia data compression scheme with/without our preprocessing techniques. Our experimental results show that our proposed techniques increase compression ratio while reducing compression operations compared to the existing compression scheme without preprocessing techniques.
Glaze Icing on Superhydrophobic Coating Prepared by Nanoparticles Filling Combined with Etching Method for Insulators
Authors: Guo Chao , Liao Ruijin , Yuan Yuan , Zuo Zhiping , Zhuang Aoyun
Published: August 2015

Icing on insulators may cause flashover or even blackout accidents in the power transmission system. However, there are few anti‐icing techniques for insulators which consume energy or manpower. Considering the water repelling property, the superhydrophobic surface is introduced for anti‐icing of insulators. Among the icing forms, the glaze icing owns the highest density, strongest adhesion, and greatest risk to the power transmission system but lacks researches on superhydrophobic surface. In this paper, superhydrophobic surfaces with contact angle of 166.4°, contact angle hysteresis of 0.9°, and sliding angle of less than 1° are prepared by nanoparticle filling combined with etching method. The coated glass slide and glass insulator showed excellent anti‐icing performance in the glaze icing test at −5°C. The superhydrophobicity and anti‐icing property of the coatings benefit from the low surface energy and hierarchical rough structure containing micron scale pits and nanoscale coralloid bulges supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization.
Fivefold Symmetric Photonic Quasi-Crystal Fiber for Dispersion Compensation from S- to L-Band and Optimized at 1.55 μm
Authors: Rajalingam Sivacoumar , Alex Zachariah C.
Published: August 2015

A highly dispersive dual core quasi-periodic photonic crystal fiber is proposed for chromatic dispersion compensation. The dispersion for the dual concentric core fiber is optimized to compensate the chromatic dispersion with a high negative dispersion, accomplishing the communication bandwidth from S-band (1460 nm) to L-band (1625 nm). By precise control of structural parameter we have achieved a maximum dispersion of −18,838 ps/nm-km with the phase matching wavelength centred around 1.55 μm. We also numerically investigate the influence of structural parameter and doping effects and its response on peak dispersion parameter.
A Self-Adaptive Wireless Sensor Network Coverage Method for Intrusion Tolerance Based on Trust Value
Authors: Chen Zuo , Li Xue , Yang Bing , Zhang Qian
Published: August 2015

The sensor is quite easily attacked or invaded during the process of the node coverage optimization. It is a great challenge to make sure that the wireless sensor network could still carry out a secure communication and reliable coverage under the condition of being attacked. Therefore, this paper proposes a network coverage method for intrusion tolerance based on trust value of nodes by combining the trust value model with the reliable coverage optimization. It first estimates trust value of nodes through which to regulate the perception radius and decision-making radius. Furthermore, this algorithm also combines the classical methods of wireless network coverage, such as GSO and PSO, to realize the networks coverage of invasive tolerant sensor. After comparing with the conventional single cover mechanism, it can improve the security and coverage rate of network under the condition of invasion. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the algorithm.
A Method for Estimating View Transformations from Image Correspondences Based on the Harmony Search Algorithm
Authors: Cuevas Erik , Díaz Margarita
Published: August 2015

In this paper, a new method for robustly estimating multiple view relations from point correspondences is presented. The approach combines the popular random sampling consensus (RANSAC) algorithm and the evolutionary method harmony search (HS). With this combination, the proposed method adopts a different sampling strategy than RANSAC to generate putative solutions. Under the new mechanism, at each iteration, new candidate solutions are built taking into account the quality of the models generated by previous candidate solutions, rather than purely random as it is the case of RANSAC. The rules for the generation of candidate solutions (samples) are motivated by the improvisation process that occurs when a musician searches for a better state of harmony. As a result, the proposed approach can substantially reduce the number of iterations still preserving the robust capabilities of RANSAC. The method is generic and its use is illustrated by the estimation of homographies, considering synthetic and real images. Additionally, in order to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach within a real engineering application, it is employed to solve the problem of position estimation in a humanoid robot. Experimental results validate the efficiency of the proposed method in terms of accuracy, speed, and robustness.
Photocorrosion Mechanism of TiO2-Coated Photoanodes
Authors: Didden Arjen , Hillebrand Philipp , Dam Bernard , van de Krol Roel
Published: August 2015

Atomic layer deposition was used to coat CdS photoanodes with 7 nm thick TiO2films to protect them from photocorrosion during photoelectrochemical water splitting. Photoelectrochemical measurements indicate that the TiO2coating does not provide full protection against photocorrosion. The degradation of the film initiates from small pinholes and shows oscillatory behavior that can be explained by an Avrami-type model for photocorrosion that is halfway between 2D and 3D etching. XPS analysis of corroded films indicates that a thin layer of CdS remains present on the surface of the corroded photoanode that is more resilient towards photocorrosion.
Characterization of the Key Material for Elimination of PM2.5 Particles in the Atmosphere
Authors: Qiu Bo , Li Qingshan , Hong Wei , Xing Guangzhong
Published: August 2015

In recent years, with the gradual deterioration of air quality and with the more and more frequency of haze weather phenomenon, it intrudes into the human body and brings great harm to human health when people are unprepared. The basic theory that anion could purify air and eliminate positive ion explains that anion balata modified bitumen could reduce PM2.5, and the number of anion pavement release relates to the air purification. At the same time, building materials plaza and pavement materials with many functions were designed which can release negative ions, eliminate PM2.5 particles, and decompose harmful components of fuel vehicle exhaust.
Effect of Modifying Prosthetic Socket Base Materials by Adding Nanodiamonds
Authors: Ma Lifang , Hu Xiaogang , Zhang Shizhong , Chen Yu
Published: August 2015

The curing process of prosthetic socket base materials requires attention owing to a series of associated problems that are yet to be addressed and solved. However, to date, few relevant studies have been reported. In this paper, nanodiamonds modified with a silane coupling agent were dispersed into a prosthetic socket base material, and the performance of the modified base materials was investigated. Adding a predetermined amount of nanodiamonds to the prosthetic socket base material increased the glass transition temperature, improved the mechanical properties of the cured base material, and reduced the influence of the volatile gas formed during the curing process on the environment. With increasing nanodiamond contents, the glass transition temperature increased and the mechanical properties improved slightly. Owing to the high thermal conductivity of the nanodiamonds, the localized heat, as a result of the curing process, could be dissipated and released. Thus, adding nanodiamonds led to a more uniform temperature field forming in the curing system. This improved the curing process and reduced the formation of volatile monomers, thereby decreasing the adverse impact of the generated volatile gases on the environment. All of these provide a potential strategy for modifying prosthetic socket base materials.
Applying a Weight-of-Evidence Approach to Evaluate Relevance of Molecular Landscapes in the Exposure-Disease Paradigm
Authors: Gross Sherilyn A. , Fedak Kristen M.
Published: August 2015

Information on polymorphisms, mutations, and epigenetic events has become increasingly important in our understanding of molecular mechanisms associated with exposures-disease outcomes. Molecular landscapes can be developed to illustrate the molecular characteristics for environmental carcinogens as well as associated disease outcomes, although comparison of these molecular landscapes can often be difficult to navigate. We developed a method to organize these molecular data that uses a weight-of-evidence approach to rank overlapping molecular events by relative importance for susceptibility to an exposure-disease paradigm. To illustrate the usefulness of this approach, we discuss the example of benzene as an environmental carcinogen and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) as a causative disease endpoint. Using this weight-of-evidence method, we found overlapping polymorphisms in the genes for the metabolic enzymesGSTandNQO1, both of which may infer risk of benzene-induced MDS. Polymorphisms in the tumor suppressor gene,TP53, and the inflammatory cytokine gene,TNF-α, were also noted, albeit inferring opposing outcomes. The alleles identified in the DNA repair geneRAD51indicated an increased risk for MDS in MDS patients and low blood cell counts in benzene-exposed workers. We propose the weight-of-evidence approach as a tool to assist in organizing the sea of emerging molecular data in exposure-disease paradigms.
Interleukin-1βModulates Melatonin Secretion in Ovine Pineal Gland:Ex VivoStudy
Authors: Herman A. P. , Bochenek J. , Skipor J. , Król K. , Krawczyńska A. , Antushevich H. , Pawlina B. , Marciniak E. , Tomaszewska-Zaremba D.
Published: August 2015

The study was designed to determine the effect of proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin- (IL-) 1β, on melatonin release and expression enzymes essential for this hormone synthesis: arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT) and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT) in ovine pineal gland, taking into account the immune status of animals before sacrificing. Ewes were injected by lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 400 ng/kg) or saline, two hours after sunset during short day period (December). Animals were euthanized three hours after the injection. Next, the pineal glands were collected and divided into four explants. The explants were incubated with (1) medium 199 (control explants), (2) norepinephrine (NE; 10 µM), (3) IL-1β(75 pg/mL), or (4) NE + IL-1β. It was found that IL-1βabolished (P<0.05) NE-induced increase in melatonin release. Treatment with IL-1βalso reduced (P<0.05) expression of AA-NAT enzyme compared to NE-treated explants. There was no effect of NE or IL-1βtreatment on gene expression of HIOMT; however, the pineal fragments isolated from LPS-treated animals were characterized by elevated (P<0.05) expression of HIOMT mRNA and protein compared to the explants from saline-treated ewes. Our study proves that IL-1βsuppresses melatonin secretion and its action seems to be targeted on the reduction of pineal AA-NAT protein expression.
Localization in an Industrial Environment: A Case Study on the Difficulties for Positioning in a Harsh Environment
Authors: Hölzl Michael , Neumeier Roland , Ostermayer Gerald
Published: August 2015

While indoor localization has become a highly growing application domain in the last few years, it is hardly investigated in industrial environments. Interferences of magnetic fields, shadowing, and multipath propagation discourage positioning system vendors from porting their techniques to these harsh environments. However, the actual influence of these interferences on the positioning accuracy and the differences between an industrial and a nonindustrial environment have never been evaluated. This paper analyzes the actual differences for a positioning technique that is based on Wi-Fi fingerprinting, map matching, dead reckoning, filtering, and a plausibility determination. An investigation of the Wi-Fi signal strengths and compass sensor values in an industrial and a nonindustrial environment thereby showed that the differences between them are significant. In fact, it shows that more interferences and shadowing in the industrial environment resulted in even more accurate positioning.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Tear Samples of Patientswith Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: Rentka Anikó , Hársfalvi Jolán , Berta András , Köröskényi Krisztina , Szekanecz Zoltán , Szücs Gabriella , Szodoray Peter , Kemény-Beke Ádám
Published: August 2015

Background. Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, characterized by widespread small vessel vasculopathy, immune dysregulation with production of autoantibodies, and progressive fibrosis. Changes in levels of proangiogenic cytokines had already been determined largely in serum. Our aim was to assess the levels of VEGF in human tears of patients with SSC. Patients and methods. Forty‐three patients (40 female and 3 men, mean (SD) age 61 (48–74) years) with SSc and 27 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Basal tear sample collection and tear velocity investigations were carried out followed by an ophthalmological examination. Total protein concentrations and VEGF levels were determined in tear samples. Results. The average collected tear fluid volume developed 10.4 μL (1.6–31.2) in patients and 15.63 μL (3.68–34.5) in control subjects. The average total protein level was 6.9 μg/μL (1.8–12.3) in tears of patients and control tears contained an average of 4.132 μg/μL (0.1–14.1) protein. In patients with SSc the average concentration of VEGF was 4.9 pg/μL (3.5–8.1) and 6.15 pg/μL (3.84–12.3) in healthy samples. Conclusions. Total protein production was increased because of the smaller tear volume. Decreased VEGF in tear of SSc patients can be explained also by the decreased tear secretion of patients.
A Pest Management Model with Stage Structure and Impulsive State Feedback Control
Authors: Pang Guoping , Liang Zhiqing , Xu Weijian , Li Lijie , Fu Gang
Published: August 2015

A pest management model with stage structure and impulsive state feedback control is investigated. We get the sufficient condition for the existence of the order-1 periodic solution by differential equation geometry theory and successor function. Further, we obtain a new judgement method for the stability of the order-1 periodic solution of the semicontinuous systems by referencing the stability analysis for limit cycles of continuous systems, which is different from the previous method of analog of Poincarè criterion. Finally, we analyze numerically the theoretical results obtained.
Relaxation Techniques for People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis
Authors: Volpato Eleonora , Banfi Paolo , Rogers Sheena Michelle , Pagnini Francesco
Published: August 2015

Introduction. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) people suffer from severe physical impairments, which often elicit significant psychological distress and impact their quality of life. This meta-analysis aimed to assess evidence from the scientific literature on the effects of relaxation techniques.Methods. We investigated 9 databases to select 25 RCTs. Studies included both inpatients and outpatients with COPD. Both respiratory and psychological outcomes were considered.Results. Relaxation techniques showed a little positive effect on the value of the percentage of predicted FEV1(d=0.20; 95% Cl: 0.40–−0.01) as well as a slight effect on levels of both the anxiety (d=0.26; 95% Cl: 0.42–0.10) and depression (d=0.33; 95% Cl: 0.53–0.13). The higher effect size was found in the quality of life value (d=0.38; 95% Cl: 0.51–0.24). The assessed quality of the studies, based on the PEDro Scale, was generally medium/high.Conclusion. Relaxation training can have a moderate impact on both psychological well-being and respiratory function, resulting in noticeable improvements in both. Although higher quality research is required, our results sustain the importance of relaxation techniques as a tool to manage COPD.
Neuroimaging and Neuromonitoring Effects of Electro and Manual Acupuncture on the Central Nervous System: A Literature Review and Analysis
Authors: Scheffold Brigitte Elisabeth , Hsieh Ching-Liang , Litscher Gerhard
Published: August 2015

The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the different effects of manual and electroacupuncture on the central nervous system in studies with different neuroimaging interventions. The Database PubMed was searched from 1/1/2000 to 1/6/2014 with restriction to human studies in English language. Data collection for functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) studies was restricted to the period from 1/1/2010 to 1/6/2014 due to a recently published review which included all published randomized and nonrandomized controlled clinical studies as well as observational studies with control groups, no blinding required. Only studies comparing manual or electroacupuncture with sham acupuncture were eligible. All participants were healthy adult men and women. A majority of 25 studies compared manual versus sham, a minority of 7 trials compared electro versus sham and only 1 study compared electro versus manual acupuncture. In 29 out of 33 studies verum acupuncture results were found to present either more or different modulation effects on neurological components measured by neuroimaging and neuromonitoring methods than sham acupuncture. Only four studies reported no effects of verum in comparison to sham acupuncture. Evaluation of the very heterogeneous results shows evidence that verum acupuncture elicits more modulation effects on neurological components than sham acupuncture.
Normal Forms of Hopf Bifurcation for a Reaction-Diffusion System Subject to Neumann Boundary Condition
Authors: Zhang Cun-Hua , Yan Xiang-Ping
Published: August 2015

A reaction-diffusion system coupled by two equations subject to homogeneous Neumann boundary condition on one-dimensional spatial domain(0,lπ)withl>0is considered. According to the normal form method and the center manifold theorem for reaction-diffusion equations, the explicit formulas determining the properties of Hopf bifurcation of spatially homogeneous and nonhomogeneous periodic solutions of system near the constant steady state(0,0)are obtained.
AcconPred: Predicting Solvent Accessibility and Contact Number Simultaneously by a Multitask Learning Framework under the Conditional Neural Fields Model
Authors: Ma Jianzhu , Wang Sheng
Published: August 2015

Motivation. The solvent accessibility of protein residues is one of the driving forces of protein folding, while the contact number of protein residues limits the possibilities of protein conformations. The de novo prediction of these properties from protein sequence is important for the study of protein structure and function. Although these two properties are certainly related with each other, it is challenging to exploit this dependency for the prediction.Method. We present a method AcconPred for predicting solvent accessibility and contact number simultaneously, which is based on a shared weight multitask learning framework under the CNF (conditional neural fields) model. The multitask learning framework on a collection of related tasks provides more accurate prediction than the framework trained only on a single task. The CNF method not only models the complex relationship between the input features and the predicted labels, but also exploits the interdependency among adjacent labels.Results. Trained on 5729 monomeric soluble globular protein datasets, AcconPred could reach 0.68 three-state accuracy for solvent accessibility and 0.75 correlation for contact number. Tested on the 105 CASP11 domain datasets for solvent accessibility, AcconPred could reach 0.64 accuracy, which outperforms existing methods.
Preparation and Application of Titanate Nanotubes on Dye Degradation from Aqueous Media by UV Irradiation
Authors: Liu Rui , Yang Wein-Duo , Chueng Hui-Ju , Ren Bin-Qiao
Published: August 2015

Titanate nanotubes were synthesized by a hydrothermal method using commercial TiO2powder and then used as a photocatalyst. The titanate nanotubes were synthesized by varying the hydrothermal temperature from 110°C to 180°C. The morphological changes and phase transformation of the TiO2nanotubes were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The particles’ scattering behavior was investigated by Raman studies, and the surface area of the nanotubes was determined by a Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) analysis. Comparative studies show that the surface area of nanotubes increases with increasing temperature up to 130°C. The catalytic behavior of the synthesized nanotubes was also studied. The as-prepared titanate nanotubes were applied to methylene blue (MB, an organic dye) degradation in aqueous media by UV irradiation. Approximately 99% of the dye was removed from the aqueous media using 2 g/L titanate nanotube when the initial dye concentration was 9 mg/L. The total irradiation time was 2 h.
Usefulness of an Image Fusion Model Using Three-Dimensional CT and MRI with Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Endoscopy as a Multimodal Assistant System in Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery
Authors: Inoue Akihiro , Ohnishi Takanori , Kohno Shohei , Nishida Naoya , Nakamura Yawara , Ohtsuka Yoshihiro , Matsumoto Shirabe , Ohue Shiro
Published: August 2015

Purpose. We investigate the usefulness of multimodal assistant systems using a fusion model of preoperative three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) along with endoscopy with indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence in establishing endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (ETSS) as a more effective treatment procedure.Methods. Thirty-five consecutive patients undergoing ETSS in our hospital between April 2014 and March 2015 were enrolled in the study. In all patients, fusion models of 3D-CT and MRI were created by reconstructing preoperative images. In addition, in 10 patients, 12.5 mg of ICG was intravenously administered, allowing visualization of surrounding structures. We evaluated the accuracy and utility of these combined modalities in ETSS.Results. The fusion model of 3D-CT and MRI clearly demonstrated the complicated structures in the sphenoidal sinus and the position of the internal carotid arteries (ICAs), even with extensive tumor infiltration. ICG endoscopy enabled us to visualize the surrounding structures by the phasic appearance of fluorescent signals emitted at specific consecutive elapsed times.Conclusions. Preoperative 3D-CT and MRI fusion models with intraoperative ICG endoscopy allowed distinct visualization of vital structures in cases where tumors had extensively infiltrated the sphenoidal sinus. Additionally, the ICG endoscope was a useful real-time monitoring tool for ETSS.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of High Crystalline Silicalite from Rice Husk Ash
Authors: Kongmanklang Chaiwat , Rangsriwatananon Kunwadee
Published: August 2015

The objective of this research work was to evaluate the hydrothermal synthesis of silicalite with high crystallinity within a small particle size. The current study focused on investigating the effects of silica sources such as rice husk ash (RHA) and silica gel (SG), crystallization time, and ratios of NaOH/SiO2, H2O/NaOH, and SiO2/TPABr. The crystallinity, particle size, and morphology were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, particle size analyser, and SEM. The conclusion of the main findings indicated that the XRD patterns of these samples clearly showed a pure phase of MFI structure corresponding to FT-IR spectra with vibration mode at 550 and 1223 cm−1. The highest crystallinity was obtained at reaction time only 6 hours with the mole ratios of NaOH/SiO2, H2O/NaOH and SiO2/TPABr as 0.24, 155, and 30, respectively. When SG was used as a silica source, it was found that the particle size was smaller than that from RHA. The morphologies of all silicalite samples were coffin and cubic-like shape.
The Immunomodulatory Effects of Nidus Vespae on Human Peripheral Blood Immune CellsIn Vitro
Authors: Zhu Ming , Ling Yang , Qi Qiufeng , Zhang Yaping , Bao Yanqing , Liu Yongping
Published: August 2015

Nidus Vespae has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat various cancers, but the underlying mechanisms were not yet clarified. This study was to investigate the effect of Nidus Vespae decoction (NVD) on tumor cell viability and immunoregulating functions of human peripheral blood immune cells. The effects on tumor cell viability, peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation activity, and the tumor cell phagocytosis of monocytes were evaluated by cell counting kit-8. Tumor-killing activity of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) was analyzed by51Cr releasing assay. IgG production of B cells and cytokine (TNF-αand IL-6) secretion of monocytes were determined by ELISA method. Data showed that NVD has no significant inhibiting effects on gastric cancer cells growth. Nevertheless, it could obviously promote PBMC proliferation in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. After treatment with NVD, the CTL cytotoxicity against SGC-7901 was significantly greater than control. The TNF-αand IL-6 secretion of monocytes and the IgG production of B cells also increased remarkably. Furthermore, NVD could significantly promote the phagocytosis of monocytes on tumor cells. These results suggest that NVD appears to have an immunoenhancing effect on immune cells, indicating that Nidus Vespae is worth exploring for immunomodulatory effects in tumor treatment.
Trust-Aware and Low Energy Consumption Security Topology Protocol of Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Chen Zuo , He Min , Liang Wei , Chen Kai
Published: August 2015

Wireless sensor network (WSN) is a kind of distributed and self-organizing networks, in which the sensor nodes have limited communication bandwidth, memory, and limited energy. The topology construction of this network is usually vulnerable when attacked by malicious nodes. Besides, excessive energy consumption is a problem that can not be ignored. Therefore, this paper proposes a secure topology protocol of WSN which is trust-aware and of low energy consumption, called TLES. The TLES considers the trust value as an important factor affecting the behavior of node. In detail, the TLES would take trust value, residual energy of the nodes, and node density into consideration when selecting cluster head nodes. Then, TLES constructs these cluster head nodes by choosing the next hop node according to distance to base station (BS), nodes’ degrees, and residual energy, so as to establish a safe, reliable, and energy saving network. Experimental results show that the algorithm can effectively isolate the malicious node in the network and reduce the consumption of energy of the whole network.
Predictive Modeling in Race Walking
Authors: Wiktorowicz Krzysztof , Przednowek Krzysztof , Lassota Lesław , Krzeszowski Tomasz
Published: August 2015

This paper presents the use of linear and nonlinear multivariable models as tools to support training process of race walkers. These models are calculated using data collected from race walkers’ training events and they are used to predict the result over a 3 km race based on training loads. The material consists of 122 training plans for 21 athletes. In order to choose the best model leave-one-out cross-validation method is used. The main contribution of the paper is to propose the nonlinear modifications for linear models in order to achieve smaller prediction error. It is shown that the best model is a modified LASSO regression with quadratic terms in the nonlinear part. This model has the smallest prediction error and simplified structure by eliminating some of the predictors.
Application ofZ-Number Based Modeling in Psychological Research
Authors: Aliev Rafik , Memmedova Konul
Published: August 2015

Pilates exercises have been shown beneficial impact on physical, physiological, and mental characteristics of human beings. In this paper,Z-number based fuzzy approach is applied for modeling the effect of Pilates exercises on motivation, attention, anxiety, and educational achievement. The measuring of psychological parameters is performed using internationally recognized instruments: Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), Test of Attention (D2 Test), and Spielberger’s Anxiety Test completed by students. The GPA of students was used as the measure of educational achievement. Application ofZ-information modeling allows us to increase precision and reliability of data processing results in the presence of uncertainty of input data created from completed questionnaires. The basic steps ofZ-number based modeling with numerical solutions are presented.
Plasticity of Neuron-Glial Transmission: Equipping Glia for Long-Term Integration of Network Activity
Authors: Croft Wayne , Dobson Katharine L. , Bellamy Tomas C.
Published: August 2015

The capacity of synaptic networks to express activity-dependent changes in strength and connectivity is essential for learning and memory processes. In recent years, glial cells (most notably astrocytes) have been recognized as active participants in the modulation of synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity, implicating these electrically nonexcitable cells in information processing in the brain. While the concept of bidirectional communication between neurons and glia and the mechanisms by which gliotransmission can modulate neuronal function are well established, less attention has been focussed on the computational potential of neuron-glial transmission itself. In particular, whether neuron-glial transmission is itself subject to activity-dependent plasticity and what the computational properties of such plasticity might be has not been explored in detail. In this review, we summarize current examples of plasticity in neuron-glial transmission, in many brain regions and neurotransmitter pathways. We argue that induction of glial plasticity typically requires repetitive neuronal firing over long time periods (minutes-hours) rather than the short-lived, stereotyped trigger typical of canonical long-term potentiation. We speculate that this equips glia with a mechanism for monitoring average firing rates in the synaptic network, which is suited to the longer term roles proposed for astrocytes in neurophysiology.
A Multiuser Manufacturing Resource Service Composition Method Based on the Bees Algorithm
Authors: Xie Yongquan , Zhou Zude , Pham Duc Truong , Xu Wenjun , Ji Chunqian
Published: August 2015

In order to realize an optimal resource service allocation in current open and service-oriented manufacturing model, multiuser resource service composition (RSC) is modeled as a combinational and constrained multiobjective problem. The model takes into account both subjective and objective quality of service (QoS) properties as representatives to evaluate a solution. The QoS properties aggregation and evaluation techniques are based on existing researches. The basic Bees Algorithm is tailored for finding a near optimal solution to the model, since the basic version is only proposed to find a desired solution in continuous domain and thus not suitable for solving the problem modeled in our study. Particular rules are designed for handling the constraints and finding Pareto optimality. In addition, the established model introduces a trusted service set to each user so that the algorithm could start by searching in the neighbor of more reliable service chains (known as seeds) than those randomly generated. The advantages of these techniques are validated by experiments in terms of success rate, searching speed, ability of avoiding ingenuity, and so forth. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in handling multiuser RSC problems.
Impairments of Antigen-Presenting Cells in Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Sakhno Ludmila V. , Shevela Ekaterina Ya. , Tikhonova Marina A. , Nikonov Sergey D. , Ostanin Alexandr A. , Chernykh Elena R.
Published: August 2015

The phenotype and functional properties of antigen-presenting cells (APC), that is, circulating monocytes and generatedin vitromacrophages and dendritic cells, were investigated in the patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) differing in lymphocyte reactivity toM. tuberculosisantigens (PPD-reactive versus PPD-anergic patients). We revealed the distinct impairments in patient APC functions. For example, the monocyte dysfunctions were displayed by low CD86 and HLA-DR expression, 2-fold increase in CD14+CD16+expression, the high numbers of IL-10-producing cells, and enhanced IL-10 and IL-6 production upon LPS-stimulation. The macrophages which werein vitrogenerated from peripheral blood monocytes under GM-CSF were characterized by Th1/Th2-balance shifting (downproduction of IFN-γcoupled with upproduction of IL-10) and by reducing of allostimulatory activity in mixed lymphocyte culture. The dendritic cells (generatedin vitrofrom peripheral blood monocytes upon GM-CSF + IFN-α) were characterized by impaired maturation/activation, a lower level of IFN-γproduction in conjunction with an enhanced capacity to produce IL-10 and IL-6, and a profound reduction of allostimulatory activity. The APC dysfunctions were found to be most prominent in PPD-anergic patients. The possible role of APC impairments in reducing the antigen-specific T-cell response toM. tuberculosiswas discussed.
The Two‐Way Association of Periodontal Infection with Systemic Disorders: An Overview
Authors: Nagpal Ravinder , Yamashiro Yuichiro , Izumi Yuichi
Published: August 2015

Oral cavity that harbors diverse bacterial populations could also act as a site of origin for spread of pathogenic microorganisms to different body sites, particularly in immunocompromised hosts, patients, the elderly, or the underprivileged. A number of recent publications have advocated that patients with periodontal diseases are more susceptible to metabolic endotoxemia, inflammation, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other related systemic complications, concluding that periodontal diseases could be a potential contributing risk factor for a wide array of clinically important systemic diseases. However, despite a significant increase in the prevalence of periodontal infections and systemic diseases in the past few decades, the fundamental biological mechanisms of connection between these ailments are still not fully explicated. Consequently, the mechanisms by which this bidirectional damage occurs are being explored with a concentric vision to develop strategies that could prevent or control the complications of these ailments. This paper attempts to summarize and hypothesize the diverse mechanisms that hint to a certain connection between the two prevalent chronic situations.
Surface Morphology and Growth of Anodic Titania Nanotubes Films: Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Studies
Authors: Lai Chin Wei
Published: August 2015

Design and development of one‐dimensional nanoarchitecture titania (TiO) assemblies have gained significant scientific interest, which have
become the most studied material as they exhibit promising functional properties. In the present study, anodic TiO2 films with different surface morphologies can be synthesized in an organic electrolyte of ethylene glycol (EG) by controlling an optimum content of ammonium fluoride (NH4F) using electrochemical anodization technique. Based on the results obtained, well‐aligned and bundle‐free TiO2 nanotube arrays with diameter of 100 nm and length of 8 µm were successfully synthesized in EG electrolyte containing ≈5 wt% of NH4F for 1 h at 60 V. However, formation of nanoporous structure and compact oxide layer would be favored if the content of NH4F was less than 5 wt%. In the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting studies, well‐aligned TiO2 nanotubular structure exhibited higher photocurrent density of ≈1 mA/cm2 with photoconversion efficiency of ≈2% as compared to the nanoporous and compact oxide layer due to the higher active surface area for the photon absorption to generate more photo‐induced electrons during photoexcitation stage.