bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-Time Recognition Non-Intrusive Electrical Appliance Monitoring Algorithm for a Residential Building Energy Management System
Authors: Agyeman Kofi , Han Sekyung , Han Soohee
Published: August 2015

The concern of energy price hikes and the impact of climate change because of energy generation and usage forms the basis for residential building energy conservation. Existing energy meters do not provide much information about the energy usage of the individual appliance apart from its power rating. The detection of the appliance energy usage will not only help in energy conservation, but also facilitate the demand response (DR) market participation as well as being one way of building energy conservation. However, energy usage by individual appliance is quite difficult to estimate. This paper proposes a novel approach: an unsupervised disaggregation method, which is a variant of the hidden Markov model (HMM), to detect an appliance and its operation state based on practicable measurable parameters from the household energy meter. Performing experiments in a practical environment validates our proposed method. Our results show that our model can provide appliance detection and power usage information in a non-intrusive manner, which is ideal for enabling power conservation efforts and participation in the demand response market.
The Importance of the Management of Infectious Complications for Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Device
Authors: Hieda Michinari , Sata Makoto , Nakatani Takeshi
Published: August 2015

A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy is the viable option for patients with advanced heart failure as a bridge to transplantation, bridge to recovery, or destination therapy. Although application of LVAD support has become a standard option, serious complications or adverse events related with LVAD remain a concern. LVAD-related infection including driveline infection (DLI) and bloodstream infection (BSI) is one of the serious clinical matters for LVAD patients, and especially BSI leads to the high incidence of mortality. The LVAD-related infections negatively impact patient’s quality of life. Therefore, control of infection is one of the primary goals of management in LVAD patients. Several efforts including early and appropriate intervention including antibiotics and wound care may contribute to avert the progress into BSI from localized DLI. Particularly, there are clinical secrets in how to use antibiotics and how to treat wound care in LVAD patients. The rational way of thinking for wound care will be introduced in this review.
A Meta-Analysis of Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk in Offspring
Authors: Tang Shiming , Wang Ying , Gong Xuan , Wang Gaohua
Published: August 2015

The association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in offspring has been investigated in several studies, but the evidence is not conclusive. We, therefore, conducted this meta-analysis to explore whether an association exists between maternal smoking during pregnancy and ASD risk in offspring. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for studies of maternal smoking during pregnancy and ASD risk in offspring up to 10 June 2015. The random-effects model was used to combine results from individual studies. 15 observational studies (6 cohort studies and 9 case-control studies), with 17,890 ASD cases and 1,810,258 participants were included for analysis. The pooled odds ratio (OR) was 1.02 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.93–1.13) comparing mothers who smoked during pregnancy with those who did not. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis suggested the overall result of this analysis was robust. Results from this meta-analysis indicate that maternal smoking during pregnancy is not associated with ASD risk in offspring. Further well-designed cohort studies are needed to confirm the present findings.
MicroRNA-224 Induces G1/S Checkpoint Release in Liver Cancer
Authors: An Fangmei , Olaru Alexandru , Mezey Esteban , Xie Qing , Li Ling , Piontek Klaus , Selaru Florin
Published: August 2015

Profound changes in microRNA (miR) expression levels are frequently found in liver cancers compared to the normal liver. In this study, we evaluate the expression of miR-224 in human HCC and CCA, as well as its downstream targets and affected pathways. We show that miR-224 is upregulated in a large cohort of human CCA, similar to its upregulation in human HCC. For the purpose of studying the roles of miR-224 in HCC and CCA, we enforced miR-224 expression in cells. mRNA arrays followed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA)-identified putative molecules and pathways downstream of miR-224. Phenotypically, we report that enforced expression of miR-224 increases the growth rate of normal cholangiocytes, CCA cell lines, and HCC cell lines. In addition, we identified, in an unbiased fashion, that one of the major biologic processes affected by miR-224 is Gap1 (G1) to Synthesis (S) transition checkpoint release. We next identified p21, p15, and CCNE1 as downstream targets of miR-224 and confirmed the coordinated downregulation results in the increased phosphorylation of Retinoblastoma (Rb) with resulting G1/S checkpoint release. Our data suggest that miR-224 is a master regulator of cell cycle progression, and that its overexpression results in G1/S checkpoint release followed by accelerated cell growth.
On the Interaction between a Nanoparticulate System and the Human Body in Body Area Nanonetworks
Authors: Loscrí Valeria , Vegni Anna , Fortino Giancarlo
Published: August 2015

In this work, we investigate the interaction of a nanoparticulate system for nanomedicine applications with the biological environment, i.e., the human body. Following the molecular communication paradigm, we assess how our nanoparticulate system model is suitable for coexistence in a biological environment. Specifically, we assume the presence of the human immune system that can affect the optimal behavior of nanoparticles, aiming to locally deliver drug inside the human body. When a flow of nanoparticles is injected into the blood, the interference due to the immune system can provide a strong decrease of the nanoparticle concentration, by means of “humoral immunity”, the phagocytosis process, etc. As a consequence, the correct drug delivery will occur with a lower probability. Since the mechanism behind the biological immune system is very complicated, in this paper, we start from a simplistic nanoparticulate model, where the nanoparticles and the cells of the immune system are subject to the diffusion laws. Finally, we derive the end-to-end physical model of our nanoparticulate nanomedicine system with the presence of the human immune system cells. The error analysis is then investigated in terms of how these errors can affect the performance of the system, i.e., nanoparticle survival probability.
Cost-Effective Hyperspectral Transmissometers for Oceanographic Applications: Performance Analysis
Authors: Ramírez-Pérez Marta , Röttgers Rüdiger , Torrecilla Elena , Piera Jaume
Published: August 2015

The recent development of inexpensive, compact hyperspectral transmissometers broadens the research capabilities of oceanographic applications. These developments have been achieved by incorporating technologies such as micro-spectrometers as detectors as well as light emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources. In this study, we evaluate the performance of the new commercial LED-based hyperspectral transmissometer VIPER (TriOS GmbH, Rastede, Germany), which combines different LEDs to emulate the visible light spectrum, aiming at the determination of attenuation coefficients in coastal environments. For this purpose, experimental uncertainties related to the instrument stability, the effect of ambient light and derived temperature, and salinity correction factors are analyzed. Our results identify some issues related to the thermal management of the LEDs and the contamination of ambient light. Furthermore, the performance of VIPER is validated against other transmissometers through simultaneous field measurements. It is demonstrated that VIPER provides a compact and cost-effective alternative for beam attenuation measurements in coastal waters, but it requires the consideration of several optimizations.
Recommendations for Recruiting and Retaining Adolescent Girls in Chronic Exercise (Training) Research Studies
Authors: Massie Rachel , Smith Brett , Tolfrey Keith
Published: August 2015

Extensive challenges are often encountered when recruiting participants to chronic exercise (training) studies. High participant burden during chronic exercise training programmes can result in low uptake to and/or poor compliance with the study. The aim of this qualitative study was to identify factors affecting adolescent girls’ recruitment and adherence to chronic exercise training research studies. Twenty-six adolescent girls (aged 12 to 15 years) participated in one of five focus groups discussing recruitment and retention to exercise physiology research involving a chronic exercise training programme. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and eight final themes were inductively identified. Seven evidence-based practical recommendations are suggested to improve the recruitment and retention of participants for prospective, chronic exercise training studies. Successful recruitment requires: (i) the defining of exercise-related terms; (ii) appropriate choice of recruitment material; and (iii) an understanding of participant motivations. Retention strategies include: (iv) regular monitoring of participant motives; and (v) small groups which foster peer and researcher support. Finally, (vi) friendship and ability groups were favoured in addition to (vii) a variety of activities to promote adherence to an exercise training programme.
Comparing Sustainable Universities between the United States and China: Cases of Indiana University and Tsinghua University
Authors: Zou Yonghua , Zhao Wanxia , Mason Robert , Li Meizhen
Published: August 2015

It is widely accepted that universities can play critical roles in promoting sustainability. In the United States and China, many universities have initiated sustainability programs. Employing Indiana University, Bloomington, the U.S. (IUB) and Tsinghua University, Beijing, China (Tsinghua) as two cases, we examine the conceptualization and implementation of university sustainability programs through a comparison of their respective definitions, goals, organizational dynamics, and strategies. We find that IUB’s sustainability scheme is more detailed and specific, while Tsinghua’s is more general; this is principally attributable to differences in national and local contexts. Furthermore, IUB values the environmental, economic, and social aspects of university sustainability equally, while Tsinghua focuses more on the environmental aspect. In addition, IUB has a more loosely-structured and more inclusive sustainability organizational dynamic while Tsinghua has a more hierarchical one. This comparative study helps us to understand how these two research universities understand and implement sustainability within the respective cultural, political, and institutional contexts of the United States and China.
Optimal Intra-Urban Hierarchy of Activity Centers—A Minimized Household Travel Energy Consumption Approach
Authors: Zhang Jie , Xie Yang
Published: August 2015

An intra-urban hierarchy of activity centers interconnected by non-motorized and public transportation is broadly believed to be the ideal urban spatial structure for sustainable cities. However, the proper hinterland area for centers at each level lacks empirical study. Based on the concentric structure of everyday travel distances, working centers, shopping centers, and neighborhood centers are extracted from corresponding types of POIs in 286 Chinese cities at the prefectural level and above. A U-shaped curve between Household Transportation Energy Consumption (HTEC) per capita and center density at each of the three levels has been found through regression analysis. An optimal intra-urban hierarchy of activity centers is suggested to construct energy-efficient cities.
Intradetrusorial Botulinum Toxin in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Neurophysiological Study
Authors: Conte Antonella , Giannantoni Antonella , Gubbiotti Marilena , Pontecorvo Simona , Millefiorini Enrico , Francia Ada , Porena Massimo , Berardelli Alfredo
Published: August 2015

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) often complain of urinary disturbances characterized by overactive bladder syndrome and difficulties in bladder emptying. The aim of the study was to investigate the pathophysiology of bladder dysfunction and the neurophysiological effects of intradetrusorial incobotulinum toxin A (BoNT/A) in patients with MS having both brain and spinal MS-related lesions. Twenty-five MS patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) underwent clinical evaluation and soleus Hoffmann reflex (H reflex) study during urodynamics. Of the 25 patients, 14 underwent a further session one month after intradetrusorial BoNT/A injection. Eighteen healthy subjects acted as the control. In healthy subjects, the H reflex size significantly decreased at maximum cystometric capacity (MCC), whereas in MS patients with NDO, the H reflex remained unchanged. In the patients who received intradetrusorial BoNT/A, clinical and urodynamic investigations showed that NDO improved significantly. Volumes at the first, normal and strong desire to void and MCC increased significantly. Despite its efficacy in improving bladder symptoms and in increasing volumes for first desire, normal and strong desire to void, BoNT/A left the H reflex modulation during bladder filling unchanged. In the MS patients we studied having both brain and spinal MS-related lesions, the H reflex size remained unchanged at maximum bladder filling. Since this neurophysiological pattern has been previously found in patients with spinal cord injury, we suggest that bladder dysfunction arises from the MS-related spinal lesions. BoNT/A improves bladder dysfunction by changing bladder afferent input, as shown by urodynamic findings on bladder filling sensations, but its effects on H reflex modulation remain undetectable.
Tetrodotoxin and Its Analogues in the Pufferfish Arothron hispidus and A. nigropunctatus from the Solomon Islands: A Comparison of Their Toxin Profiles with the Same Species from Okinawa, Japan
Authors: Puilingi Clyde , Kudo Yuta , Cho Yuko , Konoki Keiichi , Yotsu-Yamashita Mari
Published: August 2015

Pufferfish poisoning has not been well documented in the South Pacific, although fish and other seafood are sources of protein in these island nations. In this study, tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its analogues in each organ of the pufferfish Arothron hispidus and A. nigropunctatus collected in the Solomon Islands were investigated using high resolution LC-MS. The toxin profiles of the same two species of pufferfish from Okinawa, Japan were also examined for comparison. TTXs concentrations were higher in the skin of both species from both regions, and relatively lower in the liver, ovary, testis, stomach, intestine, and flesh. Due to higher TTX concentrations (51.0 and 28.7 µg/g at highest) detected in the skin of the two species from the Solomon Islands (saxitoxin was <0.02 µg/g), these species should be banned from consumption. Similar results were obtained from fish collected in Okinawa, Japan: TTX in the skin of A. hispidus and A. nigropunctatus were 12.7 and 255 µg/g, respectively, at highest, and saxitoxin was also detected in the skin (2.80 µg/g at highest) and ovary of A. hispidus. TTX, 5,6,11-trideoxyTTX (with its 4-epi form), and its anhydro forms were the most abundant, and 11-oxoTTX was commonly detected in the skin.
Effects of Dietary Exposure to Zearalenone (ZEN) on Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)
Authors: Pietsch Constanze , Kersten Susanne , Valenta Hana , Dänicke Sven , Schulz Carsten , Burkhardt-Holm Patricia , Junge Ranka
Published: August 2015

The mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) is frequently contaminating animal feeds including feed used in aquaculture. In the present study, the effects of dietary exposure to ZEN on carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) were investigated. ZEN at three different concentrations (low dose: 332 µg kg−1, medium dose: 621 µg kg−1 and high dose: 797 µg kg−1 final feed, respectively) was administered to juvenile carp for four weeks. Additional groups received the mycotoxin for the same time period but were fed with the uncontaminated diet for two more weeks to examine the reversibility of the ZEN effects. No effects on growth were observed during the feeding trial, but effects on haematological parameters occurred. In addition, an influence on white blood cell counts was noted whereby granulocytes and monocytes were affected in fish treated with the medium and high dose ZEN diet. In muscle samples, marginal ZEN and α-zearalenol (α-ZEL) concentrations were detected. Furthermore, the genotoxic potential of ZEN was confirmed by analysing formation of micronuclei in erythrocytes. In contrast to previous reports on other fish species, estrogenic effects measured as vitellogenin concentrations in serum samples were not increased by dietary exposure to ZEN. This is probably due to the fact that ZEN is rapidly metabolized in carp.
Pyridine-promoted dediazoniation of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates: Application to the synthesis of SF5-substituted phenylboronic esters and iodobenzenes
Authors: Iakobson George , Du Junyi , Slawin Alexandra M Z , Beier Petr
Published: August 2015

Pyridine promotes dediazoniation of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates. The formed aryl radicals were trapped with B2pin2, iodine, or tetrahydrofuran to afford boronic esters, iodobenzenes and benzenes, respectively. The application to the synthesis of (pentafluorosulfanyl)phenylboronic esters, iodo(pentafluorosulfanyl)benzenes and (pentafluorosulfanyl)benzene is shown.
Interference Mitigation with Power Control and Allocation in the Heterogeneous Small Cell Networks
Authors: Xu Xiaodong , Gao Rui , Li Mingyang , Wang Yunting
Published: August 2015

With the introduction of Small Cell into current cellular structure, the ever-growing demand for mobile traffic gets the opportunity to be fulfilled. But the overlapped dense deployment caused by the Small Cell Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) also arouses the interference problems. In order to solve those problems, this chapter focuses on Game Theory based uplink power control and downlink power allocation strategies for the interference mitigation of the heterogeneous Small Cell Network (SCN). For the uplink scenario, this chapter proposes the non-cooperative game model based power control algorithm, which can optimize the initial transmission power of both Macro Cell and Small Cell users through the Nash Equilibrium solution. For the downlink scenario with multiple service types in the SCN, the non-cooperative game model based scheme is proposed to optimize the transmission power allocation with constraints of different Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. The simulation results show the merits of the proposed strategies over current works.
Game Theory-Based Radio Resource Optimization in Heterogeneous Small Cell Networks (HSCNs)
Authors: Peng Mugen , Sun Yaohua , Sun Chengdan , Ahmed Manzoor
Published: August 2015

To optimize radio resource allocation, the game theory is utilized as a powerful tool because its characteristic can be adaptive to the distribution characteristics of in heterogeneous small cell networks (HSCNs). This chapter summarizes the recent achievements for the game theory based radio resource allocation in HSCNs, where macro base stations (MBSs) and dense small cell base stations (SBSs) share the same frequency spectrum and interfere with each other. Two kinds of game models are introduced to optimize the radio resource allocation, namely the non-cooperative Stackelberg and the cooperative coalition. System models, optimization problem formulation, problem solution, and simulation results for these two kinds of game models are presented. Particularly, the Stackelberg models for HSCNs are presented with the Stackelberg equilibrium and the closed-form expressions. The coalition formations for traditional HCSNs, cloud small cell networks, and heterogeneous cloud small cell networks are introduced. Simulation results are shown to demonstrate the proposed game theory based radio resource optimization strategies converged and efficient.
A Game Theoretic Framework for Green HetNets Using D2D Traffic Offload and Renewable Energy Powered Base Stations
Authors: Yaacoub Elias , Ghazzai Hakim , Alouini Mohamed-Slim
Published: August 2015

This chapter investigates the interplay between cooperative device-to-device (D2D) communications and green communications in LTE heterogeneous networks (HetNets). Two game theoretic concepts are studied and analyzed in order to perform dynamic HetNet base station (BS) on/off switching. The first approach is a coalition-based method whereas the second is based on the Nash bargaining solution. Afterwards, a method for coupling the BS on/off switching approach with D2D collaborative communications is presented and shown to lead to increased energy efficiency. The savings are additionally increased when a portion of the small cell BSs in a HetNet are powered by renewable energy sources. Different utility functions, modeling the game theoretic framework governing the energy consumption balance between the cellular network and the mobile terminals (MTs), are proposed and compared, and their impact on MT quality of service (QoS) is analyzed.
Recent Trends in Antennas for Modern Wireless Communications
Authors: Matin Mohammad Abdul
Published: August 2015

The rapid development in wireless communications has demanded multiband or wideband antennas to support wireless communication devices such as smart phones, tablets, laptop computers, radar system, satellite communication, airplane, and unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV) radar. It has also demanded compact wireless devices that allow more space to integrate other electronic components. The aim of this chapter is to provide an idea of current R&D trends and novel approaches in design, analysis and synthesis of broadband, multiband and reconfigurable antennas for the new generation of mobile communication devices, as well as for UWB communications, radars and so on.
High-Gain Broadband Antennas for 60-GHz Short-Range Wireless Communications
Authors: Haraz Osama , Almorqi Sultan , Sebak Abdel-Razik , Alshebeili Saleh A.
Published: August 2015

This chapter introduces design and implementation of high-gain broadband antennas for 60-GHz short-range communications. It presents different antenna configurations and architectures that can be good candidates for the 60-GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band. Printed dipole array (PDA) antennas and especially the Printed log-periodic dipole array (PLPDA) antennas will be discussed in this chapter. Loading these kind of antennas with low-cost spherical or hemispherical dielectric lenses will also be presented and demonstrated to increase the gain of the antenna. Another type of antennas called electromagnetically coupled (EMC) elliptical patch antenna arrays will be investigated. Antipodal Vivaldi antenna and corrugated antipodal Vivaldi antenna are also introduced as good candidates for 60-GHz short-range communication applications.
Reconfigurable Antenna
Authors: Kamal A Rahim Mohamad , Majid Huda A. A. , Hamid Mohamad Rijal
Published: August 2015

Reconfigurable antennas have attracted a lot of attention especially in future wireless communication systems. Superior features such as reconfigurable capability, low cost, multi-purpose functions and size miniaturization have given reconfigurable antennas advantage to be integrated into a wireless systems. In this chapter, two types of reconfigurable antennas are discussed. First, frequency reconfigurable narrowband microstrip slot antenna (FRSA) is presented. The proposed antenna is designed to operate at six reconfigurable frequency bands from 2 GHz to 5 GHz with bidirectional radiation pattern. The second antenna design is frequency reconfigurable narrowband patch-slot antenna (FRPSA) is presented. The antenna is a combination of a microstrip patch and slot antenna. Nine different narrow bands are produced by tuning the effective length of the slot. The performances of the antenna in term of simulated and measured results are presented. In conclusion, good agreement between the simulated and measured results has been attained.
Novel Nature-Derived Intelligent Algorithms and Their Applications in Antenna Optimization
Authors: Xing Bo
Published: August 2015

With the rapidly developing of wireless communications, their adoption and utilization is increasing swiftly in various contexts. Among others, the issues relevant to antenna optimization are popularly known as the most important research subject for different wireless communications. Nowadays, a large number of studies have been published but spreading in a number of unrelated publishing directions which may hamper the use of such published resources. Furthermore, traditional approaches applied to this topic are normally based on simplified electromagnetic calculations which can only approximate real antenna performance. More recently, nature-inspired intelligent algorithms have become available to investigate antenna characteristics before construction. The advent of these algorithms has allowed different antenna design to be improved using mathematical optimization techniques. These provide us with the motivation of analyzing the existing studies in order to categorize and synthesize them in a meaningful manner.
Radio Channel Modeling and Propagation Prediction for 5G Mobile Communication Systems
Authors: Kourogiorgas Charilaos , Moraitis Nektarios , Panagopoulos Athanasios D.
Published: August 2015

5G mobile communication networks are emerging in order to cover the extreme needs for high data rates for delivering multimedia data to mobile communication users. The required bandwidth may be found if millimeter wave bands are fully employed for the establishment of such cellular systems. In this Book Chapter the propagation issues for 5G mobile communication systems are rigorously analyzed and presented. Firstly, the most popular scenarios and architectures of the next generation mobile systems are described and the channel models utilized for the evaluation of physical layer techniques (air interface are given. Secondly, the channel effects are described, i.e. effects due to local environment of the transceivers, atmospheric effects and their combination and the state of the art on the modeling of these effects is analytically presented. Finally, future directions for the propagation and channel model prediction for the next generation mobile communication systems -5G millimeter wave cellular systems are analyzed. Open issues and technical challenges of millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G cellular systems are finally described.
Spectral Efficient Opportunistic Relay Selection Policies for Next Generation Mobile Systems
Authors: Nomikos Nikolaos , Vouyioukas Demosthenes
Published: August 2015

This book chapter presents various relay selection policies based on spectral efficient techniques for the next generation mobile systems. Successive opportunistic relaying (SOR) that leverages the half-duplex constraint of conventional relays through concurrent transmissions is described, while proposing techniques to reduce the effect of inter-relay interference (IRI). An extension of SOR is defined for the case of out-of-band relaying, when additional spectrum bands are available and in networks with buffer-aided relays. Moreover, the use of full-duplex (FD) relays is outlined, in view of the effect of loop-interference (LI) from the relay's output to its input and, also, the power reduction is presented. As networks with multiple relays suffer from increased coordination overhead, a reduced Channel State Information (CSI) policy is proposed. For every policy, performance evaluation is provided in terms of outage probability, average throughput, power reduction and switching rate. Finally, open problems in spectral-efficient opportunistic relay selection policies are discussed.
Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Hayes Tom , Ali Falah
Published: August 2015

The improved availability of sensor nodes has caused an increase in the number of researchers studying sensor networks. More recently, the introduction of mobility to these networks has been able to find solutions and create applications that were previously not possible. For this reason, this chapter firstly introduces the topic of mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSNs). It then explores the potential applications of the technology and discusses the challenges and requirements of the communications systems with a focus on routing. It also looks at performance metrics and evaluation techniques in terms of mathematical analysis, simulations and testbed implementations.
Wireless Grids
Authors: Curiel H. Mariela J.
Published: August 2015

Wireless grids extend the capability of Grid Computing by including a collection of wireless devices of diverse characteristics, such as sensors, mobile phones, laptops and special instruments. These new resources increase the power and accessibility of grids. Wireless devices can be grid resource consumers or grid resource providers. This chapter focuses in the use of mobile devices as resource providers. Some characteristics of these resources, such as limited CPU power, small screen, short battery life, and intermittent disconnection, are genuine challenges for the development of job management strategies. Our goal is to depict recent proposals in resource discovering, monitoring and job scheduling. The main contributions of the last five years will be described along the chapter. The highlights of the review includes: the use of agent technology; solutions oriented to applications composed of independent tasks and the lack of studies using either real platforms or real data in simulation models.
Self-Organized Future Mobile Communication Networks
Authors: Diab Ali , Mitschele-Thiel Andreas
Published: August 2015

The chapter highlights the state of art and provides a comprehensive investigation of current research efforts in the field of SONs in the upcoming 5G mobile communication networks. It goes through SON functionalities and discusses their cyclic behavior. Moreover, the chapter investigates in detail the construction of a unified SON framework to self-organize future networks, which are expected to have a high degree of heterogeneity. A major contribution in this context is the study of how various SON activities can be coordinated to guarantee systems' stability and reliability in addition to performance optimization. Furthermore, the chapter handles SON use cases currently present and those expected to appear in 5G networks going through their goals, operation, proposed solutions and research challenges.
Alzheimer's Electroencephalogram Event Scalp and Source Localization
Authors: Rodrigues Pedro Miguel , Teixeira João Paulo , Freitas Diamantino R. S.
Published: August 2015

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia which causes a progressive and irreversible impairment of several cognitive functions. The aging population has been increasing significantly in recent decades and this disease affects mainly the elderly. Its diagnostic accuracy is relatively low and there is not a biomarker able to detect AD without invasive tests. Despite the progress in better understanding the disease there remains no prospect of cure at least in the near future. The electroencephalogram (EEG) test is a widely available technology in clinical settings. It may help diagnosis of brain disorders, once it can be used in patients who have cognitive impairment involving a general decrease in overall brain function or in patients with a located deficit. This study is a new approach to improve the scalp localization and the detection of brain anomalies (EEG temporal events) sources associated with AD by using the EEG.
Computer-Aided Analysis of Nailfold Capillaroscopy Images
Authors: Doshi Niraj , Schaefer Gerald
Published: August 2015

Nailfold capillaroscopy (NC) is a non-invasive imaging technique employed to assess the condition of blood capillaries in the nailfold, and is routinely used for the detection of scleroderma spectral disorders, Raynaud's phenomenon and other connective tissue diseases. In this chapter, we present computer-aided approaches for capillary inspection, in particular focussing on the tasks of image enhancement, binarisation and skeletonisation. We evaluate the performance of a number image enhancement/noise removal techniques for NC images, as a pre-cursor to edge detection aimed at identifying capillaries. Results show that bilateral filters and enhancers provide the best overall image quality. Following noise removal, NC images typically get converted into binary form. For this purpose, we employed a difference-of-Gaussian approach before thresholding. The final stage is that of skeletonisation, which can be effectively performed using a rule-based thinning algorithm. Thus the complete imaging pipeling of pre-processing, binarisation and skeletonisation is represented in this chapter.
Computer Predictive Model for Plaque Formation and Progression in the Artery
Authors: Filipovic Nenad , Radovic Milos , Nikolic Dalibor D. , Saveljic Igor , Milosevic Zarko , Exarchos Themis P. , Pelosi Gualtiero , Fotiadis Dimitrios I. , Parodi Oberdan
Published: August 2015

In this chapter we described predictive model for plaque formation and progression in the coronary and carotid artery. A full three-dimensional model for plaque formation and progression, coupled with blood flow and LDL concentration is analysed. The Navier-Stokes equations together with the Darcy law for model blood filtration and Kedem-Katchalsky equations are implemented. Additionally, the system of three additional reaction-diffusion equations for simulation of the inflammatory process is coupled with full incremental iterative procedure. We developed hybrid genetic algorithm for fitting parameters of ODE model for oxidized LDL, macrophage, smooth muscle cell and foam cell concentration evolution in time. The animal carotid and coronary artery after 2 month of high fat diet are examined. We compared with CT our computer model of the plaque size for three groups of patients: De-novo, Old-lesions and Control patients. Detailed shear stress distributions for baseline and follow-up for these patients are given. There is a good matching for plaque size and location.
Proliferation and Nonlinear Dynamics of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Revisited
Authors: Lambrou George I.
Published: August 2015

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) is the most common neoplasm in children but the mechanisms underlying leukemogenesis along with the dynamics of leukemic cell proliferation are poorly understood. The importance in understanding the proliferation dynamics of leukaemia lies in the fact that our knowledge from the point of first appearance to the moment of clinical presentation, we know almost nothing. Further on, describing cell proliferation dynamics in a more mature, probably mathematical, way it could lead us to the understanding of disease ontogenesis and thus its aetion. This chapter reviews the current knowledge on proliferation dynamics and proliferation non-linear dynamics of the leukemic cell. Furthermore, we present some “in-house” experimental data that support the view that it is possible to model leukemic cell proliferation and explain how this has been performed in in vitro experiments.
Clinical Practice Ontology Automatic Learning from SOAP Reports
Authors: Mendes David , Rodrigues Irene Pimenta , Baeta Carlos Fernandes
Published: August 2015

We show how we implemented an end-to-end process to automatically develop a clinical practice knowledge base acquiring from SOAP notes. With our contribution we intend to overcome the “Knowledge Acquisition Bottleneck” problem by jump-starting the knowledge gathering from the most widely available source of clinical information that are natural language reports. We present the different phases of our process to populate automatically a proposed ontology with clinical assertions extracted from daily routine SOAP notes. The enriched ontology becomes a reasoning able knowledge base that depicts accurately and realistically the clinical practice represented by the source reports. With this knowledge structure in place and novel state-of-the-art reasoning capabilities, based in consequence driven reasoners, a clinical QA system based in controlled natural language is introduced that reveals breakthrough possibilities regarding the applicability of Artificial Intelligence techniques to the medical field.
Health Guidance Provision Infrastructure for Personalized Diabetes Management
Authors: Giokas Kostas , Iliopoulou Dimitra , Koutsouri Georgia , Koutsouris Dimitris
Published: August 2015

Over the last 30 years, diabetes mellitus has changed from being seen as a relatively mild ailment associated with ageing and the elderly (‘just a touch of sugar') to one of the major contemporary causes of premature mortality and morbidity in most countries. HealthDiab aims at proposing the development of an innovative personal health management system overcoming the current limitations patients and their physicians find at managing the disease. The central element for such system will be patient's own daily health records, as base for the provision of personalised and real-time guidance in the treatment of diabetes. The proposed solution could easily be adopted as a commercial product by a company willing to bring an innovative and effective Personal Health Management technology platform into market. Such a platform could help reduce the risks for the patient by getting new comorbidities associated to their disease while helping decrease the billionaire public costs linked with health assistance in our European welfare states
Definition of a Pervasive Architecture for a Central Monitoring of Homecare Systems
Authors: Librelotto Giovani Rubert , Freitas Leandro Oliveira , Bastiani Ederson , Ribeiro Cicero , Vizzotto Samuel
Published: August 2015

Every year the queues in hospitals publics and privates grows due to, among others, the increasing of the world population and the delay in the patients service. This is a serious problem faced by administrators of hospitals, which believe that it is increasingly difficult to offer a service of quality to those who search for them. One of the ways to decrease these queues is through the development of homecare systems that allow the patient to receive the clinic treatment directly in his house. The development of these kinds of systems would help to decrease the queues and consequently, would improve the attendance of those who goes to the hospitals looking for assistance. Considering this, this work has as main purpose to present the architecture modeling of a pervasive system to be applied in homecare environments. The pervasive systems developed from this modeling aim to improve the services provided by healthcare professionals in the treatment of patients that are located in their houses. The architecture proposed by the methodology uses concepts of pervasive computing to provide access to information any- time and wherever the user is, once that a homecare environment has a high level of dynamicity. The knowledge representation of the homecare environment needed in the modeling of the architecture is made through ontologies due to the possibility of reuse of the information stored, as well as the interoperability of information among different computational devices. To validate the proposed methodology, we present two use cases, which are also used to demonstrate the workflow of the pervasive system of homecare.
Assistive Technologies and Computers
Authors: Pousada Thais , Groba Betania , Nieto Laura , Pereira Javier , Pazos Alejandro
Published: August 2015

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) (WHO, 2001) provides the term disability as a part of the multi-aspects of the interaction between the individual and social environmental context in which it operates. Therefore a disabled person is a person who has impairment, activity limitation or participation restriction. A person in this situation can present difficulties in occupational performance. It is necessary to develop a set of resources, technological or otherwise, to offset these difficulties, decrease the distance between exclusion and participation and contribute to the integration of people with functional diversity in society. These resources are called support products or technology support, but do not eliminate the deficits, they can eliminate the limitation of the performance of persons with disabilities.
mHealth Environments for Chronic Disease Management
Authors: Georga Eleni I. , Papadopoulos Athanasios N. , Fotiadis Dimitrios I.
Published: August 2015

The management of chronic diseases requires the continuous monitoring and control of an extensive set of medical and lifestyle parameters affecting the health status of patients. The purpose of this chapter is to present an overview of the state of the art in wearable medical systems and mobile self-management support interventions in the daily care of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. In both cases, research and commercial approaches to the integration of specialized sensors in a wearable smart module are presented and their ability to provide real-time estimations for crucial parameters is emphasized. Moreover, special emphasis is placed on mobile self-monitoring applications which are progressively enhanced with decision support, pattern recognition and predictive capabilities which can be used by the patient. The way in which mobile health technology can improve health outcomes is discussed and future research directions are described.
Computational Intelligence in Cryptology
Authors: Awad Wasan , El-Alfy El-Sayed M.
Published: August 2015

Computational intelligence (CI) has attracted the attention of many researchers for its effectiveness in solving different kinds of problems. It has been applied to solve problems in a wide area of applications. The aim of this chapter is to present an overview of existing literature about the applications of CI in cryptology. It demonstrates and studies the applicability of CI in cryptology. The problems examined in this chapter are the automated design of cipher systems, and the automated cryptanalysis of cipher systems. It has been shown that CI methods, such as genetic algorithms, genetic programming, Tabu search, and memetic computing are effective tools to solve most of cryptology problems.
Chaotic-Based and Biologically Inspired Cryptosystems for Secure Image Communication and Storage
Authors: El-Alfy El-Sayed M.
Published: August 2015

Protecting confidentiality of sensitive data is growing in importance in many personal, commercial, governmental, medical and military applications. Data encryption remains the most prevalent mechanism for this goal in cybersecurity to store and communicate data in unintelligible form. However, images are known to have intrinsic characteristics different from text, which limit the applicability of conventional cryptographic algorithms. This chapter provides a review of the work related to image cryptosystems based on chaos theory and biologically-inspired algorithms. Then, a case study is presented using ideas from genetic crossover and mutation to confuse and diffuse images to generate secure cipher images with very low correlation between pixels.
Computational Aspects of Lattice-Based Cryptography on Graphical Processing Unit
Authors: Akleylek Sedat , Tok Zaliha Yuce
Published: August 2015

In this chapter, the aim is to discuss computational aspects of lattice-based cryptographic schemes focused on NTRU in view of the time complexity on a graphical processing unit (GPU). Polynomial multiplication algorithms, having a very important role in lattice-based cryptographic schemes, are implemented on the GPU using the compute unified device architecture (CUDA) platform. They are implemented in both serial and parallel way. Compact and efficient implementation architectures of polynomial multiplication for lattice-based cryptographic schemes are presented for the quotient ring both Zp [x]/(xn-1) and Zp [x]/(xn+1), where p is a prime number. Then, by using these implementations the NTRUEncrypt and signature scheme working over Zp [x]/(xn+1) are implemented on the GPU using CUDA platform. Implementation details are also discussed.
Finite Element Modeling of Intermetallic Compound (IMC) Solder Joints Fracture: Part A
Authors: Ooi Eang Pang , Daud Ruslizam , Amin N.A.M. , Hong T.W. , Abdul Majid M.S. , Afendi Mohd , Mohamad Azizul , Ariffin Ahmad Kamal
Published: August 2015

Solder joints failure due to thermal loads and mechanical loads is a significant reliability concern in electronic devices. From literatures, little attention is paid to the development of methods on predicting fracture behavior of solder joint under mixed-mode loading. This paper presents a finite element modeling of intermetallic compounds solder joints failure based on displacement extrapolation method (DEM). Conceptual study on single edge crack on intermetallic IMC solder joints is presented.
Preliminary CFD Investigation of Syngas Combustion at Different Operating Pressures
Authors: Mat Zian Norhaslina , Hasini Hasril , Om Nur Irmawati
Published: August 2015

Study on the flow and combustion behavior inside gas turbine combustor used in thermal power plant is described in this paper. The combustion process takes place using synthetic gas and emphasis is given to the effect of pressure variation on flame profile, temperature distribution and emissions as compared to the conventional combustion using methane. The operating pressure of the can-type combustor varies in the range of 1-10 atm. while the syngas composition is assumed to have fixed values of 10% CH4, 55% CO, 30% H2 and 5% N2. Preliminary result shows that the flow inside the can-combustor is highly swirling which indicates good mixing of fuel and air prior to the entrance of the mixture to the main combustion zone. The temperature distribution at combustor mid plane show identical pattern for pressure range between 1-10 atm for both maximum and average temperature magnitude.
Recent Developments in Efficiency Enhancement of Non-Concentrating Photovoltaic Systems by Thermal Methods
Authors: Kaneesamamkandi Zakariya , Almujahid Abdulaziz , Al-Sanea Sami Ali
Published: August 2015

Two different methods for reducing the operating temperatures of non-concentrating photovoltaic panels are analyzed and the performances are compared. Forced air cooling using a low power fan and use of a thermo siphon heat pipe are the modifications proposed for the purpose of efficiency enhancement. Experimental results of the two techniques are compared. It was found that, using a specific flow rate and selection of the proper heat pipe fluid and its operating conditions could help to reduce panel temperature considerably.