bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of perforations on uplift capacity of skirted foundations on clay
Authors: Li Xiaojun , Gaudin Christophe , Tian Yinghui , Cassidy Mark J.
Published: December 2013

The retrieval of deep water subsea installations resting on soft soil, such as “mudmat” shallow foundations, can be a difficult and costly operation if significant resistance to uplift is experienced. At the mudmat invert, suctions may develop, increasing the uplift resistance to greater than the weight of the mat. In this paper, a series of centrifuge model tests are performed to determine the uplift resistance of rectangular mudmats resting on lightly overconsolidated kaolin clay. The study investigates the influence of perforation, in combination with skirt length and eccentric uplift, on the uplift resistance and suction generation at the foundation invert. The outcomes demonstrate that the central and eccentric uplift of mudmats have different failure mechanisms, resulting in a different distribution of excess pore pressure at the foundation invert. In contrast, perforations do not change the failure mechanism and only alter the magnitude of suction generated. The two different configurations of perforation investigated significantly reduce the suction at the mat invert and the uplift resistance, and may potentially shorten the operating time for centred uplift. The combination of perforation and eccentric uplift has the most beneficial effect on the reduction of the uplift resistance.
Engineering properties and microstructural characteristics of cement-stabilized zinc-contaminated kaolin
Authors: Du Yan-Jun , Jiang Ning-Jun , Liu Song-Yu , Jin Fei , Singh Devendra Narain , Puppala Anand J.
Published: December 2013

This paper presents details of a study that deals with determination of engineering properties, identification of phases of major hydration products, and microstructural characteristics of a zinc-contaminated (referred to as Zn-contaminated in this paper) kaolin clay when it is stabilized by a cement additive. Investigations were carried out with respect to the effect of the level of zinc (Zn) concentration on the overall soil properties including Atterberg limits, water content, pH, stress–strain characteristics, unconfined compressive strength, and secant modulus. In addition, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and mercury intrusion porosimetry studies were conducted to understand the mechanisms controlling the changes in engineering properties of the stabilized kaolin clay. The study reveals that the level of Zn concentration has a considerable influence on the engineering properties, phases of hydration products formed, and microstructural characteristics of the stabilized kaolin clay. These changes are attributed to the retardant effect of Zn on the hydration and pozzolanic reactions, which in turn alters the phases of hydration products and cementation structure – bonding of the soils. Theoretical simulation of the pore-size distribution curves demonstrates that the cement-stabilized kaolin exhibits bimodal type when the Zn concentration is less than 2%, whereas it displays unimodal type when the Zn concentration is 2%. With an increase in the Zn concentration, the characteristics of the interaggregate pores in terms of volume and mean diameter change considerably, whereas those of intra-aggregate pores remain nearly unchanged.
Numerical simulation of magnetohydrodynamic micropolar fluid flow and heat transfer in a channel with shrinking walls
Authors: Ali Kashif , Ashraf Muhammad , Jameel Nimra
Published: December 2013

We numerically study the steady hydromagnetic (magnetohydrodynamic) flow and heat transfer characteristics of a viscous incompressible electrically conducting micropolar fluid in a channel with shrinking walls. Unlike the classical shooting methodology, two distinct numerical techniques are employed to solve the transformed self-similar nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). One is the combination of a direct and an iterative method (successive over-relaxation with optimal relaxation parameter) for solving the sparse system of linear algebraic equations arising from the finite difference discretization of the linearised ODEs. For the second one, a pseudotransient method is used where time plays the role of an iteration parameter until the steady state is reached. The two approaches may be easily extended to other geometries (for example, sheets, disks, and cylinders) with possible wall conditions like slip, stretching, rotation, suction, and injection. Effects of some physical parameters on the flow and heat transfer are discussed and presented through tables and graphs. Detailed description of the computational procedure and the results of the study may be beneficial for the researchers in the flow and thermal control of polymeric processing.
Entropy and thermodynamics of ghost dark energy
Authors: Sheykhi Ahmad
Published: December 2013

We study the thermodynamics of the ghost model of dark energy in a flat Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) universe enveloped by a Hubble horizon. We show that the Friedmann equation of the FRW universe, in the presence of ghost dark energy, can be transformed to the first law of thermodynamics on the Hubble horizon. Using this procedure, we extract the entropy expression associated with the horizon in this model. We find that the area relation for the entropy expression is modified and an additional term that is proportional to the volume of the system, A3/2, appears in the entropy relation. We also find that for late time, where the temperature of the Universe scales as the temperature of its horizon, T = bTin, the generalized second law of thermodynamics can be secured provided 1/2 ≤ b ≤ 1, where T and Tin are the horizon and the matter fields’ temperatures, respectively.
FUGACITY AND REHEATING OF PRIMORDIAL NEUTRINOS
Authors: BIRRELL JEREMIAH , YANG CHENG-TAO , CHEN PISIN , RAFELSKI JOHANN
Published: December 2013

We clarify in a quantitative way the impact that distinct chemical Tc and kinetic Tk freeze-out temperatures have on the reduction of the neutrino fugacity ϒν below equilibrium, i.e. ϒν<1, and the increase of the neutrino temperature Tν via partial reheating. We establish the connection between ϒν and Tk via the modified reheating relation Tν(ϒν)/Tγ, where Tγ is the temperature of the background radiation. Our results demonstrate that one must introduce the chemical nonequilibrium parameter, i.e. the fugacity, ϒν, as an additional standard cosmological model parameter in the evaluation of CMB fluctuations as its value allows measurement of Tk.
GAMMA-RAY BURST PROMPT EMISSION
Authors: ZHANG BING
Published: December 2013

The origin of gamma-ray burst (GRB) prompt emission, bursts of γ-rays lasting from shorter than one second to thousands of seconds, remains not fully understood after more than 40 years of observations. The uncertainties lie in several open questions in the GRB physics, including jet composition, energy dissipation mechanism, particle acceleration mechanism and radiation mechanism. Recent broad-band observations of prompt emission with Fermi sharpen the debates in these areas, which stimulated intense theoretical investigations invoking very different ideas. I will review these debates, and argue that the current data suggest the following picture: A quasi-thermal spectral component originating from the photosphere of the relativistic ejecta has been detected in some GRBs. Even though in some cases (e.g. GRB 090902B) this component dominates the spectrum, in most GRBs, this component either forms a sub-dominant "shoulder" spectral component in the low energy spectral regime of the more dominant "Band" component, or is not detectable at all. The main "Band" spectral component likely originates from the optically thin region due to synchrotron radiation. The diverse magnetization in the GRB central engine is likely the origin of the observed diverse prompt emission properties among bursts.
ONLINE CLASS IMBALANCE LEARNING AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN FAULT DETECTION
Authors: WANG SHUO , MINKU LEANDRO L. , YAO XIN
Published: December 2013

Although class imbalance learning and online learning have been extensively studied in the literature separately, online class imbalance learning that considers the challenges of both fields has not drawn much attention. It deals with data streams having very skewed class distributions, such as fault diagnosis of real-time control monitoring systems and intrusion detection in computer networks. To fill in this research gap and contribute to a wide range of real-world applications, this paper first formulates online class imbalance learning problems. Based on the problem formulation, a new online learning algorithm, sampling-based online bagging (SOB), is proposed to tackle class imbalance adaptively. Then, we study how SOB and other state-of-the-art methods can benefit a class of fault detection data under various scenarios and analyze their performance in depth. Through extensive experiments, we find that SOB can balance the performance between classes very well across different data domains and produce stable G-mean when learning constantly imbalanced data streams, but it is sensitive to sudden changes in class imbalance, in which case SOB's predecessor undersampling-based online bagging (UOB) is more robust.
Crystal growth and property characterization for PIN–PMN–PT ternary piezoelectric crystals
Authors: Tian Jian , Han Pengdi
Published: December 2013

Binary piezoelectric crystal Pb ( Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3) O 3– PbTiO 3 (PMN–PT) has excellent dielectric and piezoelectric properties, which has led to the commercialization for medical ultrasound imaging. Recently, there is a growing demand for piezoelectric crystals with improved thermal and electrical properties. Ternary piezoelectric crystals Pb ( In 1/2 Nb 1/2) O 3– Pb ( Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3) O 3– PbTiO 3 (PIN–PMN–PT) have increased depoling temperature and coercive field than binary PMN–PT. To better understand the ternary crystal system and improve crystal properties, we systematically investigated crystal growth of PIN–PMN–PT with modified Bridgman method. Like PMN–PT, PIN–PMN–PT crystals have excellent piezoelectric properties (e.g., k33 ~ 0.87–0.92, d33 ~ 1000–2200 pm/V ). Higher PIN content leads to ~40°C increase in depoling temperature and more than doubling of coercive field(~7.0 kV/cm). Such improvements are advantageous for applications where high temperature and/or high-drive are needed.
Raman and dielectric response of BaTi1-x(Mg1/3Nb2/3)xO3 solid solution
Authors: Zhang Jingji , Ji Ludong , Wang Jiangying
Published: December 2013

Structural evolution and dielectric analysis have been performed for BaTi 1-x( Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3)x O 3 solid solutions with x ≤ 0.07, together with the analysis of Raman spectroscopy. X-Ray diffraction and Raman results show a structural evolution from a tetragonal phase to a cubic one with increasing x. Dielectric analysis reveals a low critical concentration corresponding to ferroelectric–relaxor crossover (xc = 0.05). Activation energy with dozens meV is obtained using the Vogel–Fulcher relationship, which is attributed to thermally activated off-center ion hopping.
Calorimetric study of ferroelectric BaTiO3 in cubic phase
Authors: Grabovsky S. V. , Shnaidshtein I. V. , Takesada M. , Onodera A. , Strukov B. A.
Published: December 2013

Specific heat of barium titanate single crystals of different quality has been precisely measured with special attention to the temperature region above the ferroelectric phase transition. It was assumed that excess specific heat in the paraelectric phase has a fluctuation nature and the experimental data were analyzed in the framework of Levanyuk's theory for multiaxial ferroelectrics. Within this approach the correlation parameter δ is estimated to be 0.66 × 10-16 cm2 for Remeika-type crystals and 0.45 × 10-16 cm2 for TSSG (top-seeded solution growth) crystals. These values are in good accordance with earlier estimations.
Structural, dielectric and magnetic properties of Pr-, Tb- and Dy-doped (Bi0.95RE0.05)(Fe0.95Mn0.05)O3 ceramics synthesized by solid-state reaction method
Authors: Rai Radheshyam , Thakur Shweta , Valente M. A. , Kholkin Andrei L.
Published: December 2013

The multiferroic ( Bi 0.95 RE 0.05)( Fe 0.95 Mn 0.05) O 3 (where RE = Pr , Tb and Dy ) has been synthesized using solid-state reaction technique. Effects of Pr , Tb and Dy substitution on the structure, electrical and ferroelectric properties of ( Bi 0.95 RE 0.05)( Fe 0.95 Mn 0.05) O 3 samples have been studied by performing X-ray diffraction, dielectric measurements and magnetic measurements. The crystal structure of the ceramic samples have a monoclinic phase. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurement shows a significant change in the magnetic properties of Pr -, Tb - and Dy -doped ( Bi 0.95 RE 0.05)( Fe 0.95 Mn 0.05) O 3. It is seen that coercive field (Hc) and remanent magnetization (Mr) increases for Pr but decreases for Dy and Tb .
Fitness trackers
Authors: Miller Andrew
Published: December 2013

Digital activity sensors are no longer confined to research labs; they're in the wild and they come in lime green. They offer the promise to improve our health and even to affect the ways that we interact with others.
Guest column
Authors: Bhattacharyya Arnab
Published: December 2013

An affine-invariant property over a finite field is a property of functions over Fn/p that is closed under all affine transformations of the domain. This class of properties includes such well-known beasts as low-degree polynomials, polynomials that nontrivially factor, and functions of low spectral norm. The last few years has seen rapid progress in characterizing the affine-invariant properties which are testable with a constant number of queries. We survey the current state of this project.
On measuring mechanical oscillations using smartphone sensors
Authors: Höpfner Hagen , Morgenthal Guido , Schirmer Maximilian , Naujoks Marcel , Halang Christoph
Published: December 2013

Modern smartphones provide various sensors for measuring physical phenomena in their surroundings. Due to the increased CPU performance and storage space, smartphones become able to process measured data in a more and more complex way. However, different limitations do exist that hamper the usage of smartphones as wirelessly communicating sensor platforms. The research presented in this paper is motivated by a real world application: the measurement of oscillations in the context of building monitoring. We discuss approaches for measuring oscillations using smartphones and analyse their limitations.
Coarse-Grained Multifractality Analysis Based on Structure Function Measurements to Discriminate Healthy from Distressed Foetuses
Authors: Oudjemia Souad , Zaylaa Amira , Haddab Salah , Girault Jean-Marc
Published: December 2013

This paper proposes a combined coarse-grained multifractal method to discriminate between distressed and normal foetuses. The coarse-graining operation was performed by means of a coarse-grained procedure and the multifractal operation was based on a structure function. The proposed method was evaluated by one hundred recordings including eighty normal foetuses and twenty distressed foetuses. We found that it was possible to discriminate between distressed and normal foetuses using the Hurst exponent, singularity, and Holder spectra.
Bifurcations and Dynamics of Cancer Signaling Network Regulated by MicroRNA
Authors: Zheng Qianqian , Shen Jianwei
Published: December 2013

MicroRNAs are currently considered as key regulators of a wide variety of biological pathways and regulate many processes of life and obtained more and more attention in recent years. In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of gene network regulated by miR-34a (microRNA) involved in triple negative feedback loop. As we know that the p53 network involve in cancer, How the cancer arise is unclear. We investigate this negative feedback network by using mathematical model and drive the theoretical results of globally asymptotic stability and provide the sufficient conditions for the periodic oscillation. These results are propitious to understand how p53 network involved in miR-34a induces the cancer.
Solar Air Heaters with Thermal Heat Storages
Authors: Saxena Abhishek , Goel Varun
Published: December 2013

Solar energy can be converted into different forms of energy, either to thermal energy or to electrical energy. Solar energy is converted directly into electrical power by photovoltaic modules, while solar collector converts solar energy into thermal energy. Solar collector works by absorbing the direct solar radiation and converting it into thermal energy, which can be stored in the form of sensible heat or latent heat or a combination of sensible and latent heats. A theoretical study has been carried out to rate the various thermal energy storage commonly used in solar air heaters. During the investigations rock bed storages have been found to be low type thermal heat storage, while phase change materials have been found to be high heat thermal storages. Besides this, a few other heat storing materials have been studied and discussed for lower to higher ratings in terms of thermal performance purposely for solar heaters.
Anomalous Right Coronary Artery from Left Main Coronary Artery and Subsequent Coursing between Aorta and Pulmonary Trunk
Authors: Swaminath Deephak , Panikkath Ragesh , Strefling Jason , Rosales Alvaro , Narayanan Roshni , Wischmeyer Jason
Published: December 2013

Anomalous origin of left main coronary artery or right coronary artery from the aorta with subsequent coursing between the aorta and pulmonary trunk is rare and can be sometimes life threatening. After hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery anomalies are the second most common cause of sudden cardiac deaths among young athletes. This is a case presentation of an anomalous origin of right coronary artery from left main coronary artery coursing between the pulmonary trunk and aorta. Patient presented with STEMI and had coronary bypass surgery.
Schizencephaly and Psychosis: A Rare Association
Authors: Melo Matias Carvalho Aguiar , Albuquerque Saulo Giovanni Castor , Luz José Henrique Sousa , Lima Alexandre Bastos
Published: December 2013

Schizencephaly is a rare malformation of the central nervous system defined as a gray matter-lined cleft filled with cerebrospinal fluid that extends from the pial surface to the ventricle. Few cases of association with psychosis were reported in the scientific literature. We present a case of a 46-year-old woman, admitted into a psychiatric hospital with crises of psychomotor agitation, disorganized and erotized behavior, persecutory and self-reference delusions, and auditory and visual hallucinations. She also reported seizures since her childhood. A head CT scan revealed a large subarachnoid space communication with the adjacent lateral ventricle in the topography of occipital, temporal, and parietal lobes to the right, suggestive of schizencephaly.
The Australian Community Does Not Support Gender Selection by IVF for Social Reasons
Authors: Gab Kovacs , Julian McCrann , Michele Levine , Gary Morgan
Published: December 2013

This study was carried out to determine the attitudes of the Australian community to IVF by a reliable community poll. Cross-sectional surveys, conducted by telephone of a random sample of 650 Australians were undertaken. The sample was drawn from the residential phone numbers in the Australian electronic “White Pages” and stratified by geographical area with quotas controlled by gender and age to be representative of the Australian population. The participants were asked to answer to three questions about gender selection, and their response was measured as “yes-allowed,” “no-not allowed,” or “undecided” for each of the questions. Whilst 91% of respondents supported the use of IVF to help infertile couples, only 20% supported gender selection within IVF or for family balancing. When it came to the use of IVF only for gender selection, only 17% were in favour. This survey shows that Australian community overwhelmingly opposes gender selection for social reasons.
Metastatic Insulinoma Managed with Radiolabeled Somatostatin Analog
Authors: Costa Ricardo , Costa Rubens , Bacchi Carlos E. , Almeida Filho Paulo
Published: December 2013

Insulinoma is a rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Overproduction of insulin and associated hypoglycemia are hallmark features of this disease. Diagnosis can be made through demonstration of hypoglycemia and elevated plasma levels of insulin or C-Peptide. Metastatic disease can be detected through computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy can be used not only to document metastatic disease but also as a predictive marker of the benefit from therapy with radiolabeled somatostatin analog. Unresectable metastatic insulinomas may present as a major therapeutic challenge for the treating physician. When feasible, resection is the mainstay of treatment. Prevention of hypoglycemia is a crucial goal of therapy for unresectable/metastatic tumors. Diazoxide, hydrochlorothiazide, glucagon, and intravenous glucose infusions have been used for glycemic control yielding temporary and inconsistent results. Sandostatin and its long-acting depot forms have occasionally been used in the treatment of Octreoscan-positive insulinomas. Herein, we report a case of metastatic insulinoma with very difficult glycemic control successfully treated with the radiolabeled somatostatin analog lutetium (177LU).
Prediction of Convective Storms at Convection-Resolving 1 km Resolution over Continental United States with Radar Data Assimilation: An Example Case of 26 May 2008 and Precipitation Forecasts from Spring 2009
Authors: Xue Ming , Kong Fanyou , Thomas Kevin W. , Gao Jidong , Wang Yunheng , Brewster Keith , Droegemeier Kelvin K.
Published: December 2013

For the first time ever, convection-resolving forecasts at 1 km grid spacing were produced in realtime in spring 2009 by the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS) at the University of Oklahoma. The forecasts assimilated both radial velocity and reflectivity data from all operational WSR-88D radars within a domain covering most of the continental United States. In preparation for the realtime forecasts, 1 km forecast tests were carried out using a case from spring 2008 and the forecasts with and without assimilating radar data are compared with corresponding 4 km forecasts produced in realtime. Significant positive impact of radar data assimilation is found to last at least 24 hours. The 1 km grid produced a more accurate forecast of organized convection, especially in structure and intensity details. It successfully predicted an isolated severe-weather-producing storm nearly 24 hours into the forecast, which all ten members of the 4 km real time ensemble forecasts failed to predict. This case, together with all available forecasts from 2009 CAPS realtime forecasts, provides evidence of the value of both convection-resolving 1 km grid and radar data assimilation for severe weather prediction for up to 24 hours.
The Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Preoperative Planning for Patients Undergoing Therapeutic Mammoplasty
Authors: Hicks Gareth , Turton Philip , Rajan Sree , Nunn April , Sharma Nisha , Achuthan Raj
Published: December 2013

Background. Assessment of the ratio between tumour volume and breast volume in therapeutic mammoplasty is paramount. Traditionally based on clinical assessment and conventional breast imaging, the role of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in this context has not been established.
Methods. Data was collected from all women undergoing therapeutic mammoplasty (TM) between 2006 and 2011. Each case was discussed at an MDT where MRI was considered to facilitate surgical planning. The contribution of MRI to disease assessment and surgical outcome was then reviewed.
Results. 35 women underwent TM, 15 of whom had additional MRI. 33% of patients within the MRI subgroup had abnormalities not seen on either mammography or USS. Of those undergoing MRI, 1/15 patients required completion mastectomy versus 3 patients requiring completion mastectomy and 1 patient requiring further wide local excision (4/20) in the conventional imaging group. No statistical difference was seen between size on MRI and size on mammography versus final histological size, but a general trend for greater correlation between size on MRI and final histological size was seen. Conclusion. MRI should be considered in selected patients undergoing therapeutic mammoplasty. Careful planning can identify those who are most likely to benefit from MRI, potentially reducing the need for further surgery.
Vulvar and Perianal Condyloma Superimposed Inflammatory Linear Verrucous Epidermal Nevus: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Avcioğlu Sümeyra Nergız , Altinkaya Sündüz Özlem , Küçük Mert , Yüksel Hasan , Demircan-Sezer Selda , Uçar Gonca
Published: December 2013

Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN) is a benign cutaneous hamartoma characterized by intensely erythematous, pruritic, and inflammatory papules that occur as linear bands along the lines of Blaschko. There is a considerable clinical and histological resemblance between ILVEN and linear psoriasis, lichen striatus, linear lichen planus, and invasion of epidermal nevus by psoriasis. The pathogenesis of ILVEN is unknown. It is regarded as a genetic dyskeratotic disease reflecting genetic mosaicism. Here, a case of vulvar and perianal condyloma superimposed ILVEN is presented.
An Effective Hybrid Self‐Adapting Differential Evolution Algorithm for the Joint Replenishment and Location‐Inventory Problem in a Three‐Level Supply Chain
Authors: Wang Lin , Qu Hui , Chen Tao , Yan Fang-Ping
Published: December 2013

The integration with different decisions in the supply chain is a trend, since it can avoid the suboptimal decisions. In this paper, we provide an effective intelligent algorithm for a modified joint replenishment and location‐inventory problem (JR‐LIP). The problem of the JR‐LIP is to determine the reasonable number and location of distribution centers (DCs), the assignment policy of customers, and the replenishment policy of DCs such that the overall cost is minimized. However, due to the JR‐LIP’s difficult mathematical properties, simple and effective solutions for this NP‐hard problem have eluded researchers. To find an effective approach for the JR‐LIP, a hybrid self‐adapting differential evolution algorithm (HSDE) is designed. To verify the effectiveness of the HSDE, two intelligent algorithms that have been proven to be effective algorithms for the similar problems named genetic algorithm (GA) and hybrid DE (HDE) are chosen to compare with it. Comparative results of benchmark functions and randomly generated JR‐LIPs show that HSDE outperforms GA and HDE. Moreover, a sensitive analysis of cost parameters reveals the useful managerial insight. All comparative results show that HSDE is more stable and robust in handling this complex problem especially for the large‐scale problem.
A Systematic Method of Interconnection Optimization for Dense‐Array Concentrator Photovoltaic System
Authors: Siaw Fei-Lu , Chong Kok-Keong
Published: December 2013

This paper presents a new systematic approach to analyze all possible array configurations in order to determine the most optimal dense‐array configuration for concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems. The proposed method is fast, simple, reasonably accurate, and very useful as a preliminary study before constructing a dense‐array CPV panel. Using measured flux distribution data, each CPV cells’ voltage and current values at three critical points which are at short‐circuit, open‐circuit, and maximum power point are determined. From there, an algorithm groups the cells into basic modules. The next step is I-V curve prediction, to find the maximum output power of each array configuration. As a case study, twenty different I-V predictions are made for a prototype of nonimaging planar concentrator, and the array configuration that yields the highest output power is determined. The result is then verified by assembling and testing of an actual dense‐array on the prototype. It was found that the I-V curve closely resembles simulated I-V prediction, and measured maximum output power varies by only 1.34%.
High Genetic Diversity and Insignificant Interspecific Differentiation in Opisthopappus Shih, an Endangered Cliff Genus Endemic to the Taihang Mountains of China
Authors: Guo Rongmin , Zhou Lihua , Zhao Hongbo , Chen Fadi
Published: December 2013

Opisthopappus Shih is endemic to the Taihang Mountains, China. It grows in the crevice of cliffs and is in fragmented distribution. This genus consists of two species, namely, O. taihangensis (Ling) Shih and O. longilobus Shih, which are both endangered plants in China. This study adopted intersimple sequence repeat markers (ISSR) to analyze the genetic diversity and genetic structure from different levels (genus, species, and population) in this genus. A total of 253 loci were obtained from 27 primers, 230 of which were polymorphic loci with a proportion of polymorphic bands (PPB) of up to 90.91% at genus level. At species level, both O. taihangensis (PPB = 90.12%, H = 0.1842, and I = 0.289) and O. longilobus (PPB = 95.21%, H = 0.2226, and I = 0.3542) have high genetic diversity. Their respective genetic variation mostly existed within the population. And genetic variation in O. longilobus (84.95%) was higher than that in O. taihangensis (80.45%). A certain genetic differentiation among populations in O. taihangensis was found (Gst = 0.2740, Φst = 0.196) and genetic differentiation in O. longilobus was very small (Gst = 0.1034, Φst = 0.151). Gene flow in different degrees (Nm = 1.325 and 4.336, resp.) and mating system can form the existing genetic structures of these two species. Furthermore, genetic differentiation coefficient (Gst = 0.0453) between species and the clustering result based on the genetic distance showed that interspecific differentiation between O. taihangensis and O. longilobus was not significant and could occur lately.
Polydimethylsiloxane and Castor Oil Comodified Waterborne Polyurethane
Authors: Ji Xuan , Zhou Yanming , Zhang Baoling , Hou Caiying , Ma Guozhang
Published: December 2013

In view of both improving properties of waterborne polyurethane (WPU) and sufficient utilization of renewable resources, a series of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and castor oil (C.O.) comodified anionic WPUs with internal cross-linking was prepared through a prepolymer mixing process. The chemical structure of synthesized polymers was characterized by Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). In comparison with traditional linear WPU synthesized from petroleum-based polyols, these novel WPU films exhibited superior properties in solvent and water resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical strength, which suggest promising applications of these new environmentally friendly materials, particularly in the area of decorative and protective coatings. In addition, the results showed that with the increase in PDMS content in these co-modified WPUs the average particle size, the water resistance, and the thermal stability increased accordingly while the solvent resistance and the mechanical properties decreased.
A Rare Case of Malignant Glomus Tumor of the Esophagus
Authors: Bali Gurvinder Singh , Hartman Douglas J. , Haight Joel B. , Gibson Michael K.
Published: December 2013

Glomus tumors are rare neoplasms that usually occur on the hands in a subungual location, or sometimes in palms, wrists or soles of the feet. They are described as purple/pink tiny painful lesions with a triad of pain, local point tenderness, and cold hypersensitivity. They are almost always benign, but rare malignant variants have been reported. They have also been reported to be present at unusual locations, like the lung, stomach, or liver. Gastrointestinal glomus tumors are extremely rare tumors and very few cases have been reported in the literature. Most that have been reported were usually benign in nature. A rare esophageal glomangioma, mimicking a papilloma, was reported in 2006. We report a case of glomangiosarcoma (malignant glomus tumor) in a 49-year-old female, who presented with symptoms of dysphagia including some spasm and hoarseness and subjective unintentional weight loss. On endoscopic exam, she was found to have a distal esophageal mass with malignant features. Radiologically, the mass had a size of about 8 cm on the CT scan without evidence of metastases. Pathology and immunostaining of the biopsy showed features resembling a malignant glomus tumor. She underwent an endoscopic and laparoscopic staging of the tumor along with ultrasound. Based on the laparoscopic findings, which were consistent with the preoperative diagnosis, she was scheduled for an esophagectomy. Histopathology and immunophenotypic features of the excised mass were consistent with a diagnosis of malignant glomus tumor.
Collaborative Relay Beamforming Based on Minimum Power for M2M Devices in Multicell Systems
Authors: Zhang Xiaoning , Wang Da , Bai Lin , Chen Chen
Published: December 2013

Recently, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication has been studied in the single cell system. However, in themulticell system multiple M2M type devices at the edge of a cell may suffer from the strong interference that consists of the intercell interference from other cells and the intracell interference from other M2M devices in the local cell. In this paper, we study the relay beamforming strategy to guarantee the quality of service (QoS) requirements of the multiple destination devices in multicell systems. We minimize the transmit power of the base stations (BSs) and relays to save the power of M2M devices, while guaranteeing the receive signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) of the destination devices. The main contribution of this paper is that we propose an iterative algorithm to jointly optimize the BS and relay beamforming weights with minimizing the BS and relay power under the receive SINR constraints in the perfect channel state information (CSI). Using the semidefinite relaxation (SDR) technology, the optimization problems for the BS and relay beamforming weights can be effectively solved. In addition, we also discuss the issue of imperfect CSI in practice. Simulation results validate our theoretical analysis and demonstrate that our proposed iterative scheme can achieve near-optimal performance within a few iterations.
Cytokines Association with Clinical and Pathological Changes in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Diakowska Dorota
Published: December 2013

Carcinogenic transformation of cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is characterized on molecular level by, among other things, changes in protein expression. Among all proteins related to inflammation, cytokines may be implicated as possible biological markers of esophageal cancer. These biomarkers, near imaging techniques, may be helpful in diagnosis and monitoring therapy in ESCC patients. This review demonstrates findings of researches on dysregulation of cytokines in ESCC and their clinical and pathological implications. Articles on cytokines were selected according to the following criteria: (i) the study was performed at protein level, (ii) the differences in cytokines expression or concentration were detected in tissues or serum from ESCC patients, (iii) the alterations of cytokines levels were detected by: immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot (WB) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Members of VEGF family seem to play an essential role as potential markers in ESCC. The results of all cytokines researches are promising but further studies are necessary to establish the biological significance of these peptydes in ESCC, their potential usefulness for early diagnosis, pre- and postoperative prognosis and monitoring of the respond to chemo- and radiotherapy of cancer patients.
Mitochondrial PCR-RFLP Assay to DistinguishTriatoma brasiliensis macromelasomafromTriatoma brasiliensis brasiliensisSubspecies (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)
Authors: Vendrami Daniel Pagotto , Ceretti-Junior Walter , Obara Marcos Takashi , Marrelli Mauro Toledo
Published: December 2013

Triatoma brasiliensis sensu lato(s.l.), the main vector of Chagas disease in northeastern Brazil, is a species complex comprising four species, one with two subspecies (T. brasiliensis brasiliensis,T. brasiliensis macromelasoma,T. juazeirensis,T. sherlocki, andT. melanica), and each taxon displaying distinct ecological requirements. In order to evaluate the genetic relationships among nineT. brasiliensiss.l. populations from northeastern Brazil, we analyzed their mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 sequences and suggested a PCR-RFLP assay to distinguish betweenT. b. macromelasomaandT. b. brasiliensissubspecies. All the specimens were morphologically identified asT. b. brasiliensis. The resulting phylogenies identified two major clades that are congruent with the geographical populations studied. Based on collection sites and in accordance with type-location, one clade was identified as the subspeciesT. b. macromelasoma.The second clade groupedT. b. brasiliensispopulations. Restriction endonuclease sites were observed in the sequences and used in PCR-RFLP assays, producing distinct fingerprints forT. b. macromelasomaandT. b. brasiliensispopulations. The results suggest that these are different species and that gene flow occurs only amongT. b. brasiliensispopulations, possibly associated with human activity in the area.
Preparative Purification of Recombinant Proteins: Current Status and Future Trends
Authors: Saraswat Mayank , Musante Luca , Ravidá Alessandra , Shortt Brian , Byrne Barry , Holthofer Harry
Published: December 2013

Advances in fermentation technologies have resulted in the production of increased yields of proteins of economic, biopharmaceutical, and medicinal importance. Consequently, there is an absolute requirement for the development of rapid, cost-effective methodologies which facilitate the purification of such products in the absence of contaminants, such as superfluous proteins and endotoxins. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of a selection of key purification methodologies currently being applied in both academic and industrial settings and discuss how innovative and effective protocols such as aqueous two-phase partitioning, membrane chromatography, and high-performance tangential flow filtration may be applied independently of or in conjunction with more traditional protocols for downstream processing applications.
Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma and Tonsil Metastasis
Authors: Marcotullio Dario , Iannella Giannicola , Macri Gian Franco , Marinelli Caterina , Zelli Melissa , Magliulo Giuseppe
Published: December 2013

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common renal tumor in adults. Clear cell carcinoma represents 85% of all histological subtypes. In February 2012 a 72-year-old woman came to our department due to the appearance of massive hemoptysis and pharyngodinia. Previously, this patient was diagnosed with a renal cell carcinoma treated with left nephrectomy. We observed an exophytic, grayish, and ulcerated mass in the left tonsillar lodge and decided to subject the patient to an immediate tonsillectomy. Postoperative histology showed nests of cells with highly hyperchromatic nuclei and clear cytoplasm. These features enabled us to make the diagnosis of renal clear cell carcinoma metastasis. Only few authors described metastasis of renal cell carcinoma in this specific site.
Global Exponential Stability of Discrete-Time Neural Networks with Time-Varying Delays
Authors: Udpin S. , Niamsup P.
Published: December 2013

This paper presents some global stability criteria of discrete-time neural networks with time-varying delays. Based on a discrete-type inequality, a new global stability condition for nonlinear difference equation is derived. We consider nonlinear discrete systems with time-varying delays and independence of delay time. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of our theoretical results.
Spatially Nonlinear Interdependence of Alpha-Oscillatory Neural Networks under Chan Meditation
Authors: Lo Pei-Chen , Chang Chih-Hao
Published: December 2013

This paper reports the results of our investigation of the effects of Chan meditation on brain electrophysiological behaviors from the viewpoint of spatially nonlinear interdependence among regional neural networks. Particular emphasis is laid on the alpha-dominated EEG (electroencephalograph). Continuous-time wavelet transform was adopted to detect the epochs containing substantial alpha activities. Nonlinear interdependence quantified by similarity indexS(X∣Y), the influence ofsourcesignalYonsinksignalX, was applied to the nonlinear dynamical model in phase space reconstructed from multichannel EEG. Experimental group involved ten experienced Chan-Meditation practitioners, while control group included ten healthy subjects within the same age range, yet, without any meditation experience. Nonlinear interdependence among various cortical regions was explored for five local neural-network regions, frontal, posterior, right-temporal, left-temporal, and central regions. In the experimental group, the inter-regional interaction was evaluated for the brain dynamics under three different stages, at rest (stage R, pre-meditation background recording), in Chan meditation (stage M), and the unique Chakra-focusing practice (stage C). Experimental group exhibits stronger interactions among various local neural networks at stages M and C compared with those at stage R. The intergroup comparison demonstrates thatChan-meditation brainpossesses better cortical inter-regional interactions than theresting brainof control group.
A Review of Adult Obesity Prevalence, Trends, Risk Factors, and Epidemiologic Methods in Kuwait
Authors: Karageorgi Stalo , Alsmadi Osama , Behbehani Kazem
Published: December 2013

Objective. Kuwait is among the countries with the highest obesity rates worldwide; however, little is known about the state of obesity epidemiology research in Kuwait. In this paper, we therefore review the findings and methodology of studies on the prevalence, trends and risk factors of obesity in Kuwait.Methods. The PubMed database was searched using the keyword combination: obesity and adults and Kuwait. Out of 111 articles, 39 remained after abstract review, and 18 were selected after full-text review.Results. The studies were all cross-sectional and published in the last fifteen years (1997–2012). The sample size ranged from 177 to 38,611 individuals. Only 30% of studies used random sampling. The prevalence (BMI ≥ 30) in studies with a nationally representative sample ranged from 24% to 48% overall and in adults>50 years was greater than 52%. Rates were significantly higher in women than those in men. Studies that examined trends showed an increase in obesity prevalence between 1980 and 2009. Multiple risk factors including sociocultural factors were investigated in the studies; however, factors were only crudely assessed.Conclusion. There is a need for future studies, particularly surveillance surveys and prospective cohort studies utilizing advanced methods, to monitor trends and to comprehensively assess the factors contributing to the obesity epidemic in Kuwait.
The Effect of Thermal Annealing Processes on Structural and Photoluminescence of Zinc Oxide Thin Film
Authors: Chin Huai-Shan , Chao Long-Sun
Published: December 2013

This study used radio frequency sputtering at room temperature to prepare a zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film. After deposition, the thin film was placed in a high‐temperature furnace to undergo thermal annealing at different temperatures (300, 400, 500, and 600°C) and for different dwelling times (15, 30, 45, and 60 min). The objective was to explore the effects that the described process had on the thin film’s internal structure and luminescence properties. A scanning electron microscope topographic image showed that the size of the ZnO crystals grew with increases in either the thermal annealing temperature or the dwelling time. However, significant differences in the levels of influence caused by increasing the thermal annealing temperature or dwelling time existed; the thermal annealing temperature had a greater effect on crystal growth when compared to the dwelling time. Furthermore, the crystallization directions of ZnO (002), (101), (102), and (103) can be clearly observed through an X‐ray diffraction analysis, and crystallization strength increased with an increase in the thermal annealing temperature. The photoluminescence measurement spectra showed that ultraviolet (UV) emission intensity increased with increases in thermal annealing temperature and dwelling time. However, when the thermal annealing temperature reached 600°C or when the dwelling time reached 60 min, even exhibited a weak green light emission peak.
Region-Based Partial Volume Correction Techniques for PET Imaging: Sinogram Implementation and Robustness
Authors: Sattarivand Mike , Armstrong Jennifer , Szilagyi Gregory M. , Kusano Maggie , Poon Ian , Caldwell Curtis
Published: December 2013

Background/Purpose. Limited spatial resolution of positron emission tomography (PET) requires partial volume correction (PVC). Region-based PVC methods are based on geometric transfer matrix implemented either in image-space (GTM) or sinogram-space (GTMo), both with similar performance. Although GTMo is slower, it more closely simulates the 3D PET image acquisition, accounts for local variations of point spread function, and can be implemented for iterative reconstructions. A recent image-based symmetric GTM (sGTM) has shown improvement in noise characteristics and robustness to misregistration over GTM. This study implements the sGTM method in sinogram space (sGTMo), validates it, and evaluates its performance. Methods. Two 3D sphere and brain digital phantoms and a physical sphere phantom were used. All four region-based PVC methods (GTM, GTMo, sGTM, and sGTMo) were implemented and their performance was evaluated. Results. All four PVC methods had similar accuracies. Both noise propagation and robustness of the sGTMo method were similar to those of sGTM method while they were better than those of GTMo method especially for smaller objects. Conclusion. The sGTMo was implemented and validated. The performance of the sGTMo in terms of noise characteristics and robustness to misregistration is similar to that of the sGTM method and improved compared to the GTMo method.
Analytical Solutions of the One-Dimensional Heat Equations Arising in Fractal Transient Conduction with Local Fractional Derivative
Authors: Yang Ai-Ming , Cattani Carlo , Jafari Hossein , Yang Xiao-Jun
Published: December 2013

The one-dimensional heat equations with the heat generation arising in fractal transient conduction associated with local fractional derivative operators are investigated. Analytical solutions are obtained by using the local fractional Adomian decomposition method via local fractional calculus theory. The method in general is easy to implement and yields good results. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the new technique.