bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Construction of a Biodiesel Batch Reactor With Improved Settling Capability
Authors: Nwaigwe Kevin N. , Ogueke Nnamdi V. , Kamalu Clifford , Anyanwu Emmanuel E.
Published: March 2016

A work on the design and construction of biodiesel batch reactor with improved settling capability for production of biodiesel from fresh palm oil (FPO) and fresh vegetable oil (FVO) is presented. A centrifuge separator, 41 litres capacity, operating at 1400rpm was incorporated into the integrated reactor. Biodiesel production was done using transesterification method. Two experiments were carried out under different reaction conditions such as time and temperature to determine biodiesel yield. The optimum biodiesel yield was achieved at a reaction time of 56 minutes and reaction temperature of 140°F and a lower yield was gotten at a temperature of 131°F and 50 minutes. A clear yellow color was obtained at a temperature of 140°F. The centrifuge achieved separation and settling within an average of 55 minutes. A characterization test carried out to determine the biodiesel density, specific density, flash point, pour point, and cloud point showed that the produced biodiesel agreed with the ASTMD 6751 standard for biodiesel test and have similar properties with conventional diesel which can therefore be used in diesel engines so as to reduce environmental pollution and encourage diversity in energy source.
Structural and compositional analyses of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin film solar cells with different cell performances
Authors: Kim Minjung , Lee Jihye , Lee Yeonhee , Jeong Jeung-hyun , Lee Kang-Bong
Published: March 2016

Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) absorber thin films were deposited on bilayer Mo back contacts with and without a SiOx film on a soda-lime glass substrate. This was done to control the quantity of alkali metals in the films and to apply the growth method to a substrate that does not contain alkaline elements. The average concentrations of major elements Cu, In, Ga, and Se in the CIGS solar cells were measured by electron probe microanalysis, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and Auger electron spectrometry. The SIMS technique was also used to obtain and compare depth profiles of the relative ion intensities of sodium and potassium alkali metals for CIGS thin films with varying cell efficiencies. The CIGS/Mo interfaces also were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), whereby a cross-sectional view of Mo films prepared with and without an initial SiOx layer made possible the detection of a MoSe2/Mo bilayer with a columnar-type microstructure. Scanning TEM images and corresponding elemental maps via energy-dispersive x-ray spectra and high-resolution TEM images revealed the clear formation and orientation of a MoSe2 layer between the CIGS and Mo layers. The solar cell sample exhibiting high efficiency had a thick well-oriented MoSe2 layer at the CIGS/Mo interface, in contrast to the cell sample exhibiting low efficiency.
Electrical characterization of dry and wet processed interface layer in Ge/High-K devices
Authors: Ding Y. M. , Misra D. , Bhuyian M. N. , Tapily Kandabara , Clark Robert D. , Consiglio Steve , Wajda Cory S. , Leusink Gert J.
Published: March 2016

In this work, the dry and wet processed interface layers for three different p type Ge/atomic layer deposition (ALD) 1 nm-Al2O3/ALD 3.5 nm-ZrO2/ALD TiN gate stacks on 300 mm wafers were studied at low temperatures by capacitance–voltage (CV), conductance–voltage measurement, and deep level transient spectroscopy. The interface treatments were (1) simple chemical oxidation (Chemox); (2) chemical oxide removal (COR) followed by 1 nm oxide by slot-plane-antenna (SPA) plasma (COR and SPAOx); and (3) COR followed by vapor O3 treatment (COR and O3). Since low temperature measurements are more reliable, several parameters like equivalent oxide thickness, flatband voltage, bulk doping, and surface potential as a function of gate voltage are reported. Different temperature CV measurement suggests that all the samples are pinned at flat band voltage (Cit give a pseudoaccumulation region) due to large Dit (larger than 1013 cm−2/eV). Room temperature measurement indicates that superior results were observed for slot-plane-plasma-oxidation processed samples.
Lost: Young Canadian physician-scientists need a map
Authors: Lewinson Ryan T. , Keough Michael B. , Beck Paul L. , Hollenberg Morley D. , Yipp Bryan G.
Published: March 2016

The termination of dedicated funding for integrated MD-PhD trainees has left biomedical researchers to question the future of physician-scientists in Canada.
Point-of-care breast cancer diagnosis biochip
Authors: Bhatti Pamela
Published: March 2016

A biochip discriminates benign from malignant tissue by measuring mechanical, electrical, and thermal tissue properties.
Felsic Mineral Inclusions in Zircon from the Port Leyden Nelsonite, Western Adirondack Highlands, New York: A Product of Magma Mixing?
Authors:   SUNY College at Cortland, Darling Robert S.
Published: March 2016

The Port Leyden nelsonite is small magnetite-apatite-ilmenite ore body occurring in Mesoproterozoic metapelitic gneiss on the western margin of the Adirondack Highlands. It is unusual in that no compositionally adequate parent magma (e.g. jotunite or oxide-apatite gabbronorite) has been identified in the area (Darling and Florence, 1995).

The nelsonite typically contains elevated levels of Zr (1400 to 2500 ppm) largely present in abundant modal zircon. The Zr abundances are considerably higher than normal levels of Zr solubility in non-peralkaline melts and suggests that some of the zircon modal fraction is inherited (Hanchar and Harrison, 2003).

The zircon grains display both euhedral, oscillatory zoned cores (interpreted as igneous) and anhedral, irregular, compositionally homogeneous rims (interpreted as metamorphic or igneous). The oscillatory zoned cores contain small (2-10 micrometer), solid inclusions that have energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS) consistent with quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, biotite, and apatite. Remarkably, no low-silica mafic mineral inclusions (e.g. orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, olivine) were observed in zircon.

Felsic mineral inclusions in zircon from an igneous rock that has mafic magma affinities provides further evidence that the included cores of zircons in the Port Leyden nelsonite are inherited. This unusual occurrence may be possible considering that the mafic igneous rocks described above are part of the bimodal anorthosite-mangerite-charnockite-granite (AMCG) magmatic complex in the Adirondacks (McLelland et al, 1988). It is conceivable that during magma mixing, zircon from granite or charnockite may have become incorporated into coeval jotunite or oxide-apatite gabbronorite. Subsequently, the latter magma experienced either unmixing (Philpotts, 1967) or crystal settling (Dymek and Owens, 2001) to produce the Port Leyden nelsonite.
Solitary plasmacytoma of the mandible: report of two cases
Authors: Kucukkurt Sercan , Karan Nazife Begüm , Senguven Burcu , Kahraman Sevil
Published: March 2016

Plasma cell neoplasms (plasmacytoma) are discrete, solitary masses of lymphoid neoplastic proliferations of B cells. Plasmacytomas comprise three groups: multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytoma (SP) and extramedullary plasmacytoma. SP originates as a clone of transformed malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. SP of the jaw is a rare condition; therefore diagnosis is quite difficult and often results in misdiagnosis. MM is a lymphoproliferative disease the prognosis of which is worse than SP. SP can progress to MM in a few months to years after diagnosis. In this regard, early diagnosis of the disease is of utmost importance. This article presents two cases of SP diagnosed in the mandible and documented with clinical, radiographic and histological findings.
Early and delayed presentation of traumatic small bowel injury
Authors: McGuigan Andrew , Brown Robin
Published: March 2016

Traumatic small bowel injury (TSBI) is rare and presents in only 1% of patients following blunt trauma. Delay in diagnosis can result in significant morbidity so a high index of suspicion is required in patients with abdominal injuries and a significant mechanism of injury. We discuss three cases of TSBI with varying presentations, and discuss their investigation and treatment.
Multimodality imaging in heart valve disease
Authors: Chambers John B , Myerson Saul G , Rajani Ronak , Morgan-Hughes Gareth J , Dweck Marc R
Published: March 2016

In patients with heart valve disease, echocardiography is the mainstay for diagnosis, assessment and serial surveillance. However, other modalities, notably cardiac MRI and CT, are used if echocardiographic imaging is suboptimal but can also give complementary information to improve assessment of the valve lesion and cardiac compensation to aid the timing of surgery and determine risk. This statement discusses the way these imaging techniques are currently integrated to improve care beyond what is possible with echocardiography alone.
Campaigns and counter campaigns: reactions on Twitter to e-cigarette education
Authors: Allem Jon-Patrick , Escobedo Patricia , Chu Kar-Hai , Soto Daniel W , Cruz Tess Boley , Unger Jennifer B
Published: March 2016

Background

Social media present opportunities for public health departments to galvanise interest in health issues. A challenge is creating content that will resonate with target audiences, and determining reactions to educational material. Twitter can be used as a real-time surveillance system to capture individuals’ immediate reactions to education campaigns and such information could lead to better campaigns in the future. A case study testing Twitter's potential presented itself when the California Department of Public Health launched its ‘Still Blowing Smoke’ media campaign about the potential harmful effects of e-cigarettes. Pro-e-cigarette advocacy groups, in response, launched a counter campaign titled ‘Not Blowing Smoke’. This study tracked the popularity of the two campaigns on Twitter, analysed the content of the messages and determined who was involved in these discussions.

Methods

The study period was from 22 March 2015 to 27 June 2015. A stratified sampling procedure supplied 2192 tweets for analysis. Content analysis identified pro, anti and neutral e-cigarette tweets, and five additional themes: Marketing Elements, Money, Regulation/propaganda, Health, and Other. Metadata were analysed to obtain additional information about Twitter accounts.

Results

‘Not Blowing Smoke’ was referenced more frequently than ‘Still Blowing Smoke’ on Twitter. Messages commonly objected to government regulation of e-cigarettes, refuted claims that e-cigarette manufactures were aligned with big tobacco, and touted the health benefits of e-cigarette use. E-cigarette companies and vape shops used campaign slogans to communicate with customers on Twitter.

Conclusions

Findings showed the time dynamics of Twitter and the possibility for real-time monitoring of education campaigns.
Shear and dewatering behaviour of densified gold tailings in a laboratory simulation of multi-layer deposition
Authors: Daliri Farzad , Simms Paul , Sivathayalan Siva
Published: March 2016

Tailings may undergo desiccation stress history under varied climatic and depositional parameters. While tailings substantially dewatered prior to deposition may experience desiccation under the greatest range of climatic variation, even conventionally deposited tailings may desiccate in arid climates at lower rates of rise. Bench-scale research has shown that the stress history imparted by desiccation substantially improves strength in gold tailings. The present study further investigates this phenomenon by simulating multi-layer deposition of high-density tailings using a modular drying box, 0.7 m by 1 m in plan. The box is instrumented for directly measuring evaporation, drainage, water content, vertical volume change, and matric suction. Additional measurements included total suction at the surface as well as observations of crack development. The dewatering behaviour conforms to that predicted by previously published generic modelling, specifically that the presence of partially desiccated tailings initially accelerates, but then decelerates dewatering of fresh tailings. The shear behaviour of samples obtained using buried tubes and by driving thin-wall tubes into the multi-layer simulation are compared with shear behaviour of samples from bench-scale experiments. Shear strength of samples from the multi-layer simulation is independent of the sampling method, and shows higher strength than the bench-scale samples. The higher strength may be due to the greater number of wet–dry cycles or other age-related processes.
Is the Lomagundi Event present on the Rae craton? A case study from the Murmac Bay Group
Authors: McDonald Brayden , Partin Camille A.
Published: March 2016

Shortly after the initial rise of atmospheric oxygen in the Paleoproterozoic Era, a major perturbation occurred in the global carbon cycle, which is manifested as a long-lived positive carbon isotope excursion recorded in ∼2.22–2.06 Ga carbonate rocks, known as the Lomagundi Event. Beyond its significance for evolving seawater composition, this geochemical event can be used as an indirect age marker in Paleoproterozoic sedimentary successions. Documenting further occurrences of this event in other Paleoproterozoic carbonate rocks confirms that the event was global and reflects ambient seawater composition. This event, however, has only been documented in two successions in Canada, despite the ubiquity of Paleoproterozoic-aged rocks on the Canadian Shield. Our study focuses on metacarbonate rocks from the Paleoproterozoic-aged Murmac Bay Group on the southwestern margin of the Rae craton in northern Saskatchewan. Measured δ13C values (up to 7.8‰) fall within the range of the Lomagundi Event, but most values are relatively low, suggesting CO2 loss (decarbonation) altered the δ13C values. Stable carbon isotope data coupled with major element geochemical data allowed us to account for the degree to which the values have changed due to metamorphic CO2 loss. We also compare δ13C values from micro-drilled (dolomite and calcite phases) with whole-rock δ13C values from the same samples to characterize the δ13C composition of pre-metamorphic carbonate minerals. Both measured and corrected δ13C values place the Murmac Bay Group metacarbonates within the range of values that characterize the Lomagundi Event and indicate, for the first time, the presence of the Lomagundi Event on the Rae craton.
Effects of ATP-sensitive potassium channel blockers on vascular hyporeactivity, mesenteric blood flow, and survival in lipopolysaccharide-induced septic shock model
Authors: Boz Mustafa , Atilla Pergin , Iskit Alper B. , Ilhan Mustafa
Published: March 2016

In this study, the possible therapeutic effects of various ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) blockers (glibenclamide, repaglinide, 5-HD, HMR-1098) have been tested in experimental septic shock model. Rats were given lipopolysaccharide (1 mg·kg−1) to create experimental shock model and 4 h later, under 400 mg·kg−1 chloral hydrate anesthesia, parameters such as blood pressure, mesenteric blood flow, the response of mesenteric circulation to phenylephrine (vasoconstrictor stimulation), and organ and oxidative damage were analyzed. Also 75 mg·kg−1 lethal dose of lipopolysaccharide was given to mice and effects of KATP blockers on survival have been tested. Non-selective blocker glibenclamide with sulphonylurea structure and sarcolemmal KATP channel blocker HMR-1098, which have the similar chemical structure, have improved the pathological parameters such as decrease in mesenteric blood flow, vascular hyporeactivity, but could not prevent the decrease in blood pressure, and oxidative and organ damage that were observed in the shock model. Also, both blockers have decreased the mortality rate from 80% to 40%–50%. Similar (preventive) therapeutic effects were not observed with non-selective blocker repaglinide and mitochondrial KATP channel blocker 5-HD, which were non-sulphonylurea structure. As a result, only KATP channel blockers that have sulphonylurea structure can be a new therapeutic approach in septic shock.
Field effects on inversion walls in nematic films: A computer simulation study
Authors: Chiccoli Cesare , Pasini Paolo , Evangelista Luiz Roberto , De Souza Rodolfo Teixeira , Zannoni Claudio
Published: March 2016

Monte Carlo simulations of lattice spin models are employed to investigate the effects of an external field on the creation and evolution of inversion walls in nematic films with conical boundary conditions. The simulations, based on the well known Lebwohl-Lasher potential, allow to produce simulated polarized microscopy images which are followed during their evolution when the field is applied.
Effect of phenolic radicals on the geometry and electronic structure of DNA base pairs: computational study
Authors: Zarei Mohammad , Seif Abdolvahab , Azizi Khaled , Zarei Mohanna , Bahrami Jamil
Published: March 2016

In this paper, we show the reaction of a hydroxyl, phenyl and phenoxy radicals with DNA base pairs by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The influence of solvation on the mechanism is also presented by the same DFT calculations under the continuum solvation model. The results showed that hydroxyl, phenyl and phenoxy radicals increase the length of the nearest hydrogen bond of adjacent DNA base pair which is accompanied by decrease in the length of furthest hydrogen bond of DNA base pair. Also, hydroxyl, phenyl and phenoxy radicals influenced the dihedral angle between DNA base pairs. According to the results, hydrogen bond lengths between AT and GC base pairs in water solvent are longer than vacuum. All of presented radicals influenced the structure and geometry of AT and GC base pairs, but phenoxy radical showed more influence on geometry and electronic properties of DNA base pairs compared with the phenyl and hydroxyl radicals.
Loss distribution of systemic defaults in different interbank networks
Authors: Li Shouwei , He Jianmin
Published: March 2016

We analyze the impact of the network structure, the default probability and the loss given default (LGD) on the loss distribution of systemic defaults in the interbank market, where network structures analyzed include random networks, small-world networks and scale-free networks. We find that the network structure has little effect on the shape of the loss distribution, whereas the opposite is true to the default probability; the LGD changes the shape of the loss distribution significantly when default probabilities are high; the maximum of the possible loss is sensitive to the network structure and the LGD.
Photoconductivity in nanostructured sulfur-doped V2O5 thin films
Authors: Mousavi M. , Yazdi Sh. Tabatabai
Published: March 2016

In this paper, S-doped vanadium oxide thin films with doping levels up to 40 at.% are prepared via spray pyrolysis method on glass substrates, and the effect of S-doping on the structural and photoconductivity related properties of [Formula: see text]-V2O5 thin films is studied. The results show that most of the films have been grown in the tetragonal [Formula: see text]-V2O5 phase structure with the preferred orientation along [200]. With increasing the doping level, the samples tend to be amorphous. The structure of the samples reveals to be nanobelt-shaped whose width decreases from nearly 100 nm to 40 nm with S concentration. The photoconductivity measurements show that by increasing the S-doping level, the photosensitivity increases, which is due to the prolonged electron’s lifetime as a result of enhanced defect states acting as trap levels.
High Frequency Unity Gain Buffer in 90-nm CMOS Technology
Authors: Li Shuo , Zhang Xiaomeng , Ren Saiyu
Published: March 2016

A new unity gain buffer architecture is presented for on-chip CMOS mixed signal applications. The proposed two-stage common source active load (CSAL) buffer with source feedback offers improved performance compared to previously published source follower and source-coupled differential-pair-based unity gain buffers. A 90-nm CMOS design ([Formula: see text] equals 1.2[Formula: see text]V) of the buffer has the following performance parameters. With [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] of 10 fF/250 fF, [Formula: see text] is 4.4[Formula: see text]GHz, low frequency gain is 0.16[Formula: see text]dB, maximum input range within 2% gain variation is 260[Formula: see text]mV, total harmonic distortion (THD) is [Formula: see text]63.3[Formula: see text]dB, offset error (input offset minus output offset) is 26[Formula: see text]mV, and 1.06[Formula: see text]mW power consumption. The active load, low gain amplifiers eliminate stability issues and any need for compensation capacitors. The architecture facilitates a relatively large input/output voltage swing while keeping transistors operating in the saturation region, making it suitable for submicron technologies with low rail voltages.
Power Oriented Design of Linear Phase FIR Filters
Authors: Ye Wenbin , Yu Ya Jun
Published: March 2016

In the design of low computational complexity and low power FIR filters, researchers have made every effort to reduce the number of adders when coefficients multipliers are considered as the multiple constant multiplication problem. In this paper, for the first time, we propose a power oriented optimization of linear phase FIR filters, where a power cost is used as the criteria in the discrete coefficient searches and synthesis. The power cost is computed based on a newly proposed power model, which takes both the static power and dynamic power into consideration. With the new power model, a new coefficient synthesis scheme is proposed such that the synthesized coefficient consumes the minimum power. Compared to the adder-cost oriented algorithm, the proposed power-oriented algorithm has two advantages: First, the algorithm can optimize filters with lower power consumption, and second, the optimal design in the sense of power consumption is frequency aware. Unlike the adder-cost oriented algorithms that generate the same final coefficient set and the same synthesis of the coefficient set regardless of the frequency for a given filter specification, the proposed algorithm search and synthesizes the coefficients with the awareness of the working frequency; different designs may be resulted for the same filter specification but different working frequency, and each designed filter has lower power consumption in its specified frequency. Transistor level simulations of benchmark filters verified the above claims.
Fast and Secure Chaos-Based Cryptosystem for Images
Authors: Farajallah Mousa , El Assad Safwan , Deforges Olivier
Published: March 2016

Nonlinear dynamic cryptosystems or chaos-based cryptosystems have been attracting a large amount of research since 1990. The critical aspect of cryptography is to face the growth of communication and to achieve the design of fast and secure cryptosystems. In this paper, we introduce three versions of a chaos-based cryptosystem based on a similar structure of the Zhang and Fridrich cryptosystems. Each version is composed of two layers: a confusion layer and a diffusion layer. The confusion layer is achieved by using a modified 2-D cat map to overcome the fixed-point problem and some other weaknesses, and also to increase the dynamic key space. The 32-bit logistic map is used as a diffusion layer for the first version, which is more robust than using it in 8-bit. In the other versions, the logistic map is replaced by a modified Finite Skew Tent Map (FSTM) for three reasons: to increase the nonlinearity properties of the diffusion layer, to overcome the fixed-point problem, and to increase the dynamic key space. Finally, all versions of the proposed cryptosystem are more resistant against known attacks and faster than Zhang cryptosystems. Moreover, the dynamic key space is much larger than the one used in Zhang cryptosystems. Performance and security analysis prove that the proposed cryptosystems are suitable for securing real-time applications.
Hidden and Nonstandard Bifurcation Diagram of an Alternate Quadratic System
Authors: Pastor G. , Romera M. , Danca M.-F. , Martin A. , Orue A. B. , Montoya F. , Encinas L. Hernández
Published: March 2016

Alternate quadratic systems [Formula: see text]

where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are different parameters, seem to be interval maps in a range of the parameter values. However, after a careful graphical analysis of their bifurcation diagrams we conclude that this is true only for system B, but not for system A. In system A we find a hidden and nonstandard bifurcation diagram (“hidden” because it is not visible at normal resolution and “nonstandard” because the bifurcation diagram is empty for some ranges of the parameter values). The different behavior of the underlying critical polynomial in the range of parameter values in both alternate quadratic systems explains why the hidden and nonstandard bifurcation diagram is present in system A and not in system B. The analysis of the Lyapunov exponent also shows both the existence and the different behavior of the hidden bifurcation diagram of system A.
Framing functions and a strengthened version of Dehn’s lemma
Authors: Ito Tetsuya
Published: March 2016

We prove the following strengthened version of Dehn’s lemma: if a knot in a three-sphere possesses a compressing disc which intersects with the knot at only two points of opposite sign, then it is the unknot. This result was conjectured by Greene–Wiest.
Unstabilized dual Heegaard splittings of 3-manifolds
Authors: Du Kun
Published: March 2016

Let [Formula: see text] be a [Formula: see text]-manifold, [Formula: see text] be an essential planar surface which cuts [Formula: see text] into two 3-manifolds [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Suppose [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] is a Heegaard splitting of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is the dual Heegaard splitting of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] along [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we give a condition of unstabilized dual Heegaard splittings of [Formula: see text]-manifolds by using Hempel’s distance and the method of proof of Gordon’s Conjecture. Also, we give a counterexample for stabilized dual Heegaard splittings of [Formula: see text]-manifolds for any Hempel’s distance.
Berwald and Favard Type Inequalities for Fuzzy Integrals
Authors: Hong Dug Hun
Published: March 2016

This paper propose a Berwald type inequality and a Favard type inequality for Sugeno integrals. That is, we first show that [Formula: see text] holds for some constant [Formula: see text] where f is a monotone and concave function on [0, 1] and [Formula: see text] is the Lebesgue measure on [Formula: see text]. If q = 1, then as a special case of the Berwald type inequality, we show that the following Favard type inequality holds for Sugeno integrals [Formula: see text] A deeper discussion for Favard type inequality for Sugeno integrals using Berwald type inequality is also considered. Some examples are provided to illustrate the optimality of the proposed inequality.
A Set Covering-Based Diagnostic Expert System to Economic and Financial Applications
Authors: Hu Cheng-Kai , Liu Fung-Bao , Hu Cheng-Feng
Published: March 2016

This paper considers the identification of problems which generate anomalies at firms through the observed symptoms on the basis of fuzzy relations and Zadeh's compositional rule of inference. A procedure for determining the fuzzy cause vector of an economic and financial diagnosis problem is proposed, which consists of the design of fuzzy relational matrix and the resolution of a system of fuzzy relational equations. An efficient algorithm for solving fuzzy relational equations in terms of the associated set covering problem is introduced. It utilizes a back-tracking method to generate each minimal covering, where no duplicate or non-minimal coverings exist. A numerical example of firms' insolvency causes diagnosis is also included.
Some sufficient and necessary conditions for p-supersolvablity and p-nilpotence of a finite group
Authors: Yu Haoran
Published: March 2016

In this paper, we generalize the main results of Guo and Isaacs, Archiv der Mathematik 105 (2015) 215–222. We also obtain some criteria for [Formula: see text]-nilpotency of a finite group.
Novel Polymeric Nanoformulation of Mancozeb – An Eco-Friendly Nanomaterial
Authors: Venugopal N. V. S. , Sainadh N. V. S.
Published: March 2016

The best alternative to conventional pesticides is nanopesticide. Severe pollution is caused due to the rapid degradation and uncontrolled, unconstrained utilization of conventional pesticides. Nanopesticides can provide better penetration through the plants and control different diseases. Nanoformulation of pesticide certainly protects the premature degradation in the environment and delivers high impact on target species. Less environmental contamination and safe handling are the advantages of nanopesticides. In this paper, we reported the novel nano-mancozeb pesticide for plant disease control. Our study provides a novel nanoformulation of mancozeb pesticide by using Polyethylene glycol as a capping agent. Nanoparticles of the encapsulated complex were characterized by UV-Vis, Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Biological evaluation was conducted against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus. The developed method is useful to farmers and it is an eco-friendly pesticide formulation.
DFT study of opto-electronic properties of benzothiazole derivatives for use in solar cells
Authors: Aicha Youssef Ait , Bouzzine Si Mohamed , Zair Touriya , Bouachrine Mohammed , Hamidi Mohamed , Fahim Zakaria Mohyieddine , Morán Guillermo Salgado , Mendoza-Huizar Luis , Alvarado-Soto Leonor , Ramirez-Tagle Rodrigo
Published: March 2016

A variety of organic donor–acceptor–donor materials based on thienylbenzothiadiazole (BTD[Formula: see text]–5) combined with different [Formula: see text]-conjugated systems are studied by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) for the ground- and excited-state properties, respectively, using B3LYP and the 6-31G(d, p) basis set. The effect of different electron-donor groups on the structural, electronic and optoelectronic properties is studied. To provide for the bandgap and to guide the synthesis of novel low bandgap materials, we applied quantum chemistry techniques to calculate the difference in the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest occupied molecular orbital LUMO energies. However, we have studied the effect of the reduction and oxidation properties on the electronic excitation transitions for all compounds. The emission energies have been obtained from TD-DFT calculations performed on the excited-state optimized S1 geometries. The theoretical results suggest that both the introduction of electron-donor groups and the doping process contribute significantly to the electronic and optoelectronic properties of the alternating donor–acceptor–donor conjugated systems studied.
Characterization of integral curves of a linear vector field in Lorentz 3-space
Authors: Turhan Tunahan , Ayyıldız Nihat
Published: March 2016

We propose a detail study of integral curves or flow lines of a linear vector field in Lorentz [Formula: see text]-space. We construct the matrix [Formula: see text] depending on the causal characters of the vector [Formula: see text] by analyzing the non-zero solutions of the equation [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] in such a space, where [Formula: see text] is the skew-symmetric matrix corresponding to the linear map [Formula: see text]. Considering the structure of a linear vector field, we obtain the linear first-order system of differential equations. The solutions of this system of equations give rise to integral curves of linear vector fields from which we provide a classification of such curves.
Green Supply Chain Management: A New Market Approach for Climate Governance
Authors: ZHANG Wen , WANG Mou
Published: March 2016

Climate change has become a spot issue of the international community, and how to efficiently carry out international cooperation to deal with climate change is a serious problem to be solved. Actions on climate change launched by government have become a national consensus to various countries, while actions by private sectors, establishment and operation of relevant market mechanisms are also an important approach to address climate change through global cooperation. We have undertaken the construction of international or regional carbon market, clean energy quota market, Energy Management Contracting (EMC) and other market mechanisms, laying a solid foundation for further exploring market mechanism that enhances international climate governance, which also illustrates the significance of market mechanism to international community. New market mechanisms continue to be explored in market activities, and green supply chain management is one of them. Green supply chain management refers to the monitoring and management of impact on environment in the processes of acquisition, transportation, and storage of raw materials, distribution and utilization of products, and disposal of waste products while considering the impact of production processes on environment as well. Green supply chain management, as a market-based mean which balances climate environmental performance and economic benefits, will enable enterprises to include the influence of whole process of production on the climate and environment into decision-making process, launch green monitoring to the whole production cycle of product, so as to realize green and low-carbon development of enterprises. Green supply chain management not only has direct influence on enterprises to achieve greenhouse gas emission reduction, but also has positive meaning to industrial transformation and upgrading, high-end development of manufacturing industry, and promoting the construction of ecological civilization, which accords with economic and industrial development of China in the future, worth being explored and practiced as a new market mechanism.
Serotonin modulates the excitatory synaptic transmission in the dentate granule cells
Authors: Nozaki Kanako , Kubo Reika , Furukawa Yasuo
Published: March 2016

Serotonergic fibers from the raphe nuclei project to the hippocampal formation, the activity of which is known to modulate the inhibitory interneurons in the dentate gyrus. On the other hand, serotonergic modulation of the excitatory synapses in the dentate gyrus is not well examined. In the present study, we examined the effects of 5-HT on the excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in the dentate granule cells evoked by the selective stimulation of the lateral perforant path (LPP), the medial perforant path (MPP), or the mossy cell fibers (MCF). 5-HT depressed the amplitude of unitary EPSPs (uEPSPs) evoked by the stimulation of LPP or MPP, whereas uEPSPs evoked by MCF stimulation were little affected. The effect was partly explained by the decrease of the resting membrane resistance following the activation of 5-HT1A receptors, which was confirmed by computer simulations. We also found that the probability of evoking uEPSP by LPP stimulation but not MPP or MCF stimulation was reduced by 5-HT and that the paired-pulse ratio of LPP-evoked EPSP but not that of MPP- or MCF-evoked ones was increased by 5-HT. These effects were blocked by 5-HT2 antagonist, suggesting that the transmitter release in the LPP-granule cell synapse is inhibited by the activation of 5-HT2 receptors. The present results suggest that 5-HT can modulate the EPSPs in the dentate granule cells by at least two distinct mechanisms
Altered Mitochondrial Respiration and Other Features of Mitochondrial Function inParkin-Mutant Fibroblasts from Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Authors: Haylett William , Swart Chrisna , van der Westhuizen Francois , van Dyk Hayley , van der Merwe Lize , van der Merwe Celia , Loos Ben , Carr Jonathan , Kinnear Craig , Bardien Soraya
Published: March 2016

Mutations in theparkingene are the most common cause of early-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is involved in respiratory chain function, mitophagy, and mitochondrial dynamics. Human cellular models withparkinnull mutations are particularly valuable for investigating the mitochondrial functions of parkin. However, published results reporting on patient-derivedparkin-mutant fibroblasts have been inconsistent. This study aimed to functionally compareparkin-mutant fibroblasts from PD patients with wild-type control fibroblasts using a variety of assays to gain a better understanding of the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in PD. To this end, dermal fibroblasts were obtained from three PD patients with homozygous whole exon deletions inparkinand three unaffected controls. Assays of mitochondrial respiration, mitochondrial network integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell growth were performed as informative markers of mitochondrial function. Surprisingly, it was found that mitochondrial respiratory rates were markedly higher in theparkin-mutant fibroblasts compared to control fibroblasts (p= 0.0093), while exhibiting more fragmented mitochondrial networks (p=0.0304). Moreover, cell growth of theparkin-mutant fibroblasts was significantly higher than that of controls (p=0.0001). These unanticipated findings are suggestive of a compensatory mechanism to preserve mitochondrial function and quality control in the absence of parkin in fibroblasts, which warrants further investigation.
The Use of Lidocaine and Bupivacaine Mix in Adult Safe Male Circumcision: Less Is More
Authors: Galukande M. , Hodges S. , Duffy K. , Coutinho A. , Kaggwa S.
Published: March 2016

Introduction. Lignocaine is (with or without bupivacaine) the only drug recommended for local anesthesia for safe adult male circumcision (SMC). This study evaluated the effectiveness of postoperative pain control when using two different concentrations. Methods. An observational analytical study conducted at an urban high volume site. Pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale. Mixtures of lignocaine 2%, bupivacaine 0.5% (LiB), and water in ratios of 4 : 4 : 2 and 3 : 3 : 4 were compared. Results. Data from 217 clients were analyzed: 100 in the 4 : 4 : 2 group and 117 in the 3 : 3 : 4 group. Clients in the 4 : 4 : 2 group had more pain, at 60 minutes, compared to the 3 : 3 : 4 group (p=0.035). The 3 : 3 : 4 mix used 70% less lignocaine and 90% less bupivacaine (60 mg and 15 mg); the allowable maximum dosages are 200 mg and 150 mg, respectively. Conclusion. The 3 : 3 : 4 mix was superior to the 4 : 4 : 2 mix. This has implications for supply chain management and potential reduction of LA toxicity. We therefore recommend the 3 : 3 : 4 mix for routine adult SMC.
A Transmembrane Polymorphism of Fcγ Receptor IIb Is Associated with Kidney Deficiency Syndrome in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Mo Na , Lai Ruogu , Luo Shizi , Xie Jianglin , Wang Xizi , Liu Lijuan , Liu Xiaoling , Chen Guangxing
Published: March 2016

Objective. The purpose is to investigate the role of kidney deficiency and the association between kidney deficiency and a polymorphism FcγRIIb 695T>C coding for nonsynonymous substitution IIe232Thr (I232T) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Clinical parameters and autoantibodies were analyzed and genotyping was performed in 159 kidney deficiency and 161 non‐kidney‐deficiency RA patients. Results. The age of disease onset and disease duration exhibited significant differences between two groups (P < 0.01). Patients with kidney deficiency tend to have higher activity of disease (P < 0.05). Anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptides antibodies (ACPA) levels of patients with kidney deficiency were higher than the controls (P = 0.039). 125 (78.6%) kidney deficiency and 114 (70.8%) non‐kidney‐deficiency patients had both ACPA‐positive and RF‐positive (P = 0.04, OR = 3.29). FcγRIIb I232TT homozygotes were identified in 10 of 159 (6.3%) kidney deficiency subjects and 1 of 161 (0.6%) controls (P = 0.000, OR = 16.45). Furthermore, in pooled genotype analysis, I232IT and I232TT homozygotes were significantly enriched in kidney deficiency individuals compared with the controls (P = 0.000, OR = 3.79). Frequency of T allele was associated with kidney deficiency RA population (P = 0.000, OR = 3.18). Conclusion. This study confirmed that kidney deficiency was closely associated with disease activity and autoimmune disorder in RA. Kidney deficiency in RA is first to reveal a strong genetic link to FcγRIIb variants.
An ISO/IEC/IEEE21451 Smart Sensor Network for Distributed Measurement of Pavement Structural Temperature
Authors: Cai Shuxiang , Yuan Haiwen , Cui Yong , Tian Bo , Lv Jianxun
Published: March 2016

An ISO/IEC/IEEE21451 smart sensor network for distributed measurement of pavement structural temperature (PST) is proposed in this paper. The proposed network architecture is a star network based on GPRS communication, adapting to the measurement environment of PST. The proposed network node consists of autonomous power supply system, network capable application processor (NCAP), and smart transducer interface module (STIM). The design of hardware and software is based on ISO/IEC/IEEE21451-1 and ISO/IEC/IEEE21451-2 standards. A human-computer interaction website is designed based on B/S three-layer architecture. Users having access rights can access the PST data using a browser connected to the internet. The proposed system has been used in the experimental research of the PST distribution of asphalt and cement pavement. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed smart sensor network can adapt to the distributed fieldwork and unattended measurement environment of PST. The validity and reliability of the system have also been verified.
Fluidized Bed Agglomeration Diagnosis Based on Wavelet Packet Entropy and Gaussian Test
Authors: Lin Weiguo , Wu Shuochen , Wu Haiyan , Mu Changli , Qi Yuanhua
Published: March 2016

Aiming at the synthesis process through the ethylene polymerization by virtue of fluidized bed reactors, this paper proposed a different approach for agglomeration monitoring and early alarming in polymerization reaction with Gaussian test of wavelet packet entropies from low-frequency audible acoustic signals. In comparison to high-frequency acoustic emission signals, audible acoustic signals can reduce the signal bandwidth, simplify the signal processing circuit, facilitate the real-time measurement, and fault detection. Compared with the approach based on regression modeling and pattern recognition, this approach can overcome the defects of false alarm and missing alarm caused by inadequate samples and weak generalization capability of diagnosis model and is easy to be implemented. Experiments in a pilot plant have verified the effectiveness of the approach, and earlier warning could be realized compared with the existing approaches on the production apparatus (material level detection and temperature measurement).
Ecoefficiency of Intensive Agricultural Production and Its Influencing Factors in China: An Application of DEA-Tobit Analysis
Authors: You Heyuan , Zhang Xiaoling
Published: March 2016

The excessive use of inputs per unit of agricultural land poses a great threat to ecological sustainability. Using an input-oriented data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, this study analyzes ecoefficiency of intensive agricultural production in 31 provinces in China. The results show that the total efficiency of only six provinces can be considered fully efficient and that scale efficiencies are generally lower than technical efficiencies. Then, the spatial distribution of ecoefficiency is analyzed. The findings demonstrate that the provinces whose ecoefficiencies are maximal are primarily located in western China. The technical efficiencies in the western region are better than those in the eastern and middle regions. Imperfect scale efficiencies are distributed across all three regions. Furthermore, using the Tobit model, an analysis of the factors that influence ecoefficiency shows that the variables of farmland area per capita (FA), income per capita (IC), population per household (PH), and population burden coefficient (PB) have statistically significant impacts on total efficiency. The distinct effects of the variables on total efficiency are caused by their differential effects on technical efficiency and scale efficiency. Finally, suitable policies designed to improve ecoefficiency are proposed according to the local circumstances of each of the three regions.
Experimental Correlation between Nonlinear Optical and Magnetotransport Properties Observed in Au-Co Thin Films
Authors: Yang Kaida , Kryutyanskiy Victor , Kolmychek Irina , Murzina Tatiana V. , Lukaszew R. Alejandra
Published: March 2016

Magnetic materials where at least one dimension is in the nanometer scale typically exhibit different magnetic, magnetotransport, and magnetooptical properties compared to bulk materials. Composite magnetic thin films where the matrix composition, magnetic cluster size, and overall composite film thickness can be experimentally tailored via adequate processing or growth parameters offer a viable nanoscale platform to investigate possible correlations between nonlinear magnetooptical and magnetotransport properties, since both types of properties are sensitive to the local magnetization landscape. It has been shown that the local magnetization contrast affects the nonlinear magnetooptical properties as well as the magnetotransport properties in magnetic-metal/nonmagnetic metal multilayers; thus, nanocomposite films showcase another path to investigate possible correlations between these distinct properties which may prove useful for sensing applications.
Effect of Preoperative Inflammatory Status and Comorbidities on Pain Resolution and Persistent Postsurgical Pain after Inguinal Hernia Repair
Authors: Bugada Dario , Lavand’homme Patricia , Ambrosoli Andrea Luigi , Cappelleri Gianluca , Saccani Jotti Gloria MR , Meschi Tiziana , Fanelli Guido , Allegri Massimo
Published: March 2016

Poor acute pain control and inflammation are important risk factors for Persistent Postsurgical Pain (PPSP). The aim of the study is to investigate, in the context of a prospective cohort of patients undergoing hernia repair, potential risk factors for PPSP. Data about BMI, anxious-depressive disorders, neutrophil-tolymphocyte ratio (NLR), proinflammatory medical comorbidities were collected. An analysis for correlation between comorbidities and PPSP was performed in those patients experiencing chronic pain at 3 months after surgery. Tramadol resulted less effective in pain at movement in patients with a proinflammatory status. Preoperative hypertension and NLR > 4 were correlated with PPSP intensity. Regional anesthesia was significantly protective on PPSP when associated with ketorolac. Patients with pain at 1 month were significantly more prone to develop PPSP at 3 months. NSAIDs or weak opioids are equally effective on acute pain and on PPSP development after IHR, but Ketorolac has better profile in patients with inflammatory background or undergoing regional anesthesia. Drug choice should be based on their potential side effects, patient’s profile (comorbidities, preoperative inflammation, and hypertension), and type of anesthesia. Close monitoring is necessary to early detect pain conditions more prone to progress to a chronic syndrome.