bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Future Tense: Quantum Precog
Authors: Clegg Brian
Published: September 2013

From the intersection of computational science and technological speculation, with boundaries limited only by our ability to imagine what could be.

Spared a horrible death, it was murder just the same.
Algorithms Fit for Compilation?
Authors: Simpson Olivia
Published: September 2013

Should there be a standard in the way of algorithms languages to improve productivity and remove ambiguity?
CyLab Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory (Pittsburgh, PA)
Authors: Shay Rich
Published: September 2013

CUPS, a research lab at Carnegie Mellon University, is dedicated to addressing the broad array of challenges collectively called "usable privacy and security."
It's Not About Winning, it's About Sending a Message: Hiding information in games
Authors: Ritchey Philip C.
Published: September 2013

New information hiding techniques use online games to transmit secrets covertly. The technique is simple, but the problem of detecting these covert channels is far from solved.
Biomechanical properties and mechanobiology of the articular chondrocyte
Authors: Chen Cheng , Tambe Dhananjay T. , Deng Linhong , Yang Liu
Published: September 2013

To withstand physiological loading over a lifetime, human synovial joints are covered and protected by articular cartilage, a layer of low-friction, load-bearing tissue. The unique mechanical function of articular cartilage largely depends on the composition and structural integrity of the cartilage matrix. The matrix is produced by highly specialized resident cells called chondrocytes. Under physiological loading, chondrocytes maintain the balance between degradation and synthesis of matrix macromolecules. Under excessive loading or injury, however, degradation exceeds synthesis, causing joint degeneration and, eventually, osteoarthritis (OA). Hence, the mechanoresponses of chondrocytes play an important role in the development of OA. Despite its clear importance, the mechanobiology of articular chondrocytes is not well understood. To summarize our current understanding, here we review studies of the effect of mechanical forces on mechanical and biological properties of articular chondrocytes. First, we present the viscoelastic properties of the cell nucleus, chondrocyte, pericellular matrix, and chondron. Then we discuss how these properties change in OA. Finally, we discuss the responses of normal and osteoarthritic chondrocytes to a variety of mechanical stimuli. Studies reviewed here may provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of OA and may help in development of effective biophysical treatment.
Postnatal shifts in ischemic tolerance and cell survival signaling in murine myocardium
Authors: Liaw Norman Y. , Hoe Louise See , Sheeran Freya L. , Peart Jason N. , Headrick John P. , Cheung Michael M. H. , Pepe Salvatore
Published: September 2013

The immature heart is known to be resistant to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, key proteins engaged in phospho-dependent signaling pathways crucial to cell survival are not yet defined. Our goal was to determine the postnatal changes in myocardial tolerance to I/R, including baseline expression of key proteins governing I/R tolerance and their phosphorylation during I/R. Hearts from male C57Bl/6 mice (neonates, 2, 4, 8, and 12 wk of age, n = 6/group) were assayed for survival signaling/effectors [Akt, p38MAPK, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), connexin-43, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and caveolin-3] and regulators of apoptosis (Bax and Bcl-2) and autophagy (LC3B, Parkin, and Beclin1). The effect of I/R on ventricular function was measured in isolated perfused hearts from immature (4 wk) and adult (12 wk) mice. The neonatal myocardium exhibits a large pool of inactive Akt; high phospho-activation of p38MAPK, HSP27 and connexin-43; phospho-inhibition of GSK-3β; and high expression of caveolin-3, HIF-1α, LC3B, Beclin1, Bax, and Bcl-2. Immature hearts sustained less dysfunction and infarction following I/R than adults. Emergence of I/R intolerance in adult vs. immature hearts was associated with complex proteomic changes: decreased expression of Akt, Bax, and Bcl-2; increased GSK-3β, connexin-43, HIF-1α, LC3B, and Bax:Bcl-2; enhanced postischemic HIF-1α, caveolin-3, Bax, and Bcl-2; and greater postischemic GSK-3β and HSP27 phosphorylation. Neonatal myocardial stress resistance reflects high expression of prosurvival and autophagy proteins and apoptotic regulators. Notably, there is high phosphorylation of GSK-3β, p38MAPK, and HSP27 and low phosphorylation of Akt (high Akt “reserve”). Subsequent maturation-related reductions in I/R tolerance are associated with reductions in Akt, Bcl-2, LC3B, and Beclin1, despite increased expression and reduced phospho-inhibition of GSK-3β.
Norepinephrine increases NADPH oxidase-derived superoxide in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells via α-adrenergic receptors
Authors: Deo Shekhar H. , Jenkins Nathan T. , Padilla Jaume , Parrish Alan R. , Fadel Paul J.
Published: September 2013

Many diseases associated with sympathoexcitation also exhibit elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS). A recent animal study indicated that exogenous administration of the sympathetic neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) increased systemic ROS via circulating leukocytes. The mechanisms contributing to this effect of NE and whether these findings can be translated to humans is unknown. Thus we tested the hypothesis that NE increases superoxide production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) via NADPH oxidase. Primary human PBMCs were freshly isolated from healthy young men and placed in culture. After NE (50 pg/ml, 50 ng/ml, and 50 μg/ml concentrations) or control treatments, NADPH oxidase mRNA expression (gp91phox, p22phox, and p67phox) was assessed using real-time RT-PCR, and intracellular superoxide production was measured using dihydroethidium fluorescence. PBMCs were also treated with selective adrenergic agonists-antagonists to determine the receptor population involved. In addition, CD14+monocyte-endothelial cell adhesion was determined using a fluorescent-based assay. NE significantly increased NADPH oxidase gene expression and intracellular superoxide production in a time-dependent manner (superoxide: 0.9 ± 0.2 fold, 6 h vs. 3.0 ± 0.3 fold, 36 h; NE, 50 μg/ml; P < 0.05). The sustained increase in NE-induced superoxide production was primarily mediated via α-adrenergic receptors, preferentially α2-receptors. The NADPH oxidase blocker diphenylene iodonium and protein kinase C inhibitor Staurosporine significantly attenuated NE-induced increases in superoxide production. Importantly, NE treatment increased CD14+monocyte-endothelial cell adhesion. These findings indicate for the first time that NE increases superoxide production in freshly isolated primary human PBMCs via NADPH oxidase through α-adrenergic receptors, an effect facilitating monocyte adhesion to the endothelium.
Whole body motion-detection tasks can yield much lower thresholds than direction-recognition tasks: implications for the role of vibration
Authors: Chaudhuri Shomesh E. , Karmali Faisal , Merfeld Daniel M.
Published: September 2013

Earlier spatial orientation studies used both motion-detection (e.g., did I move?) and direction-recognition (e.g., did I move left/right?) paradigms. The purpose of our study was to compare thresholds measured with motion-detection and direction-recognition tasks on a standard Moog motion platform to see whether a substantial fraction of the reported threshold variation might be explained by the use of different discrimination tasks in the presence of vibrations that vary with motion. Thresholds for the perception of yaw rotation about an earth-vertical axis and for interaural translation in an earth-horizontal plane were determined for four healthy subjects with standard detection and recognition paradigms. For yaw rotation two-interval detection thresholds were, on average, 56 times smaller than two-interval recognition thresholds, and for interaural translation two-interval detection thresholds were, on average, 31 times smaller than two-interval recognition thresholds. This substantive difference between recognition thresholds and detection thresholds is one of our primary findings. For motions near our measured detection threshold, we measured vibrations that matched previously established vibration thresholds. This suggests that vibrations contribute to whole body motion detection. We also recorded yaw rotation thresholds on a second motion device with lower vibration and found direction-recognition and motion-detection thresholds that were not significantly different from one another or from the direction-recognition thresholds recorded on our Moog platform. Taken together, these various findings show that yaw rotation recognition thresholds are relatively unaffected by vibration when moderate (up to ∼0.08 m/s2) vibration cues are present.
The dynamics of sensorimotor calibration in reaching-to-grasp movements
Authors: Bingham Geoffrey P. , Mon-Williams Mark A.
Published: September 2013

Reach-to-grasp movements require information about the distance and size of target objects. Calibration of this information could be achieved via feedback information (visual and/or haptic) regarding terminal accuracy when target objects are grasped. A number of reports suggest that the nervous system alters reach-to-grasp behavior following either a visual or haptic error signal indicating inaccurate reaching. Nevertheless, the reported modification is generally partial (reaching is changed less than predicted by the feedback error), a finding that has been ascribed to slow adaptation rates. It is possible, however, that the modified reaching reflects the system's weighting of the visual and haptic information in the presence of noise rather than calibration per se. We modeled the dynamics of calibration and showed that the discrepancy between reaching behavior and the feedback error results from an incomplete calibration process. Our results provide evidence for calibration being an intrinsic feature of reach-to-grasp behavior.
Retinal NMDA receptor function and expression are altered in a mouse lackingd-amino acid oxidase
Authors: Gustafson Eric C. , Morgans Catherine W. , Tekmen Merve , Sullivan Steven J. , Esguerra Manuel , Konno Ryuichi , Miller Robert F.
Published: September 2013

d-serine is present in the vertebrate retina and serves as a coagonist for the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors of ganglion cells. Although the enzyme d-amino acid oxidase (DAO) has been implicated as a pathway for d-serine degradation, its role in the retina has not been established. In this study, we investigated the role of DAO in regulating d-serine levels using a mutant mouse line deficient in DAO (ddY/DAO−) and compared these results with their wild-type counterparts (ddY/DAO+). Our results show that DAO is functionally present in the mouse retina and normally serves to reduce the background levels of d-serine. The enzymatic activity of DAO was restricted to the inner plexiform layer as determined by histochemical analysis. Using capillary electrophoresis, we showed that mutant mice had much higher levels of d-serine. Whole cell recordings from identified retinal ganglion cells demonstrated that DAO-deficient animals had light-evoked synaptic activity strongly biased toward a high NMDA-to-AMPA receptor ratio. In contrast, recordings from wild-type ganglion cells showed a more balanced ratio between the two receptor subclasses. Immunostaining for AMPA and NMDA receptors was carried out to compare the two receptor ratios by quantitative immunofluorescence. These studies revealed that the mutant mouse had a significantly higher representation of NMDA receptors compared with the wild-type controls. We conclude that 1) DAO is an important regulatory enzyme and normally functions to reduce d-serine levels in the retina, and 2) d-serine levels play a role in the expression of NMDA receptors and the NMDA-to-AMPA receptor ratio.
In vivo electrophysiology of nigral and thalamic neurons in alpha-synuclein-overexpressing mice highlights differences from toxin-based models of parkinsonism
Authors: Lobb C. J. , Zaheer A. K. , Smith Y. , Jaeger D.
Published: September 2013

Numerous studies have suggested that alpha-synuclein plays a prominent role in both familial and idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Mice in which human alpha-synuclein is overexpressed (ASO) display progressive motor deficits and many nonmotor features of PD. However, it is unclear what in vivo pathophysiological mechanisms drive these motor deficits. It is also unknown whether previously proposed pathophysiological features (i.e., increased beta oscillations, bursting, and synchronization) described in toxin-based, nigrostriatal dopamine-depletion models are also present in ASO mice. To address these issues, we first confirmed that 5- to 6-mo-old ASO mice have robust motor dysfunction, despite the absence of significant nigrostriatal dopamine degeneration. In the same animals, we then recorded simultaneous single units and local field potentials (LFPs) in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr), the main basal ganglia output nucleus, and one of its main thalamic targets, the ventromedial nucleus, as well as LFPs in the primary motor cortex in anesthetized ASO mice and their age-matched, wild-type littermates. Neural activity was examined during slow wave activity and desynchronized cortical states, as previously described in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. In contrast to toxin-based models, we found a small decrease, rather than an increase, in beta oscillations in the desynchronized state. Similarly, synchronized burst firing of nigral neurons observed in toxin-based models was not observed in ASO mice. Instead, we found more subtle changes in pauses of SNpr firing compared with wild-type control mice. Our results suggest that the pathophysiology underlying motor dysfunction in ASO mice is distinctly different from striatal dopamine-depletion models of parkinsonism.
Management of Crown Root Fracture by Interdisciplinary Approach
Authors: Nair K. Radhakrishnan , Das Anoop N. , Kuriakose Manoj C. , Krishnankutty Nandakumar
Published: September 2013

Fracture of tooth after trauma is distressing to a person because of the discomfort and pain due to pulpal injury. Crown root fractures of anterior teeth cause concomitant periodontal injury and there will be concern about appearance, and aesthetics. Management of pulpal and periodontal tissue relieves pain and restoration of tooth form regains patients confidence. Restoration of fractured tooth will be accepted readily if it is minimally invasive, less expensive, and aesthetically acceptable. Reattachment is an option for restoration of anterior teeth compared to other artificial replacements because of its appearance as natural. This method is favourable when the fractured fragment is intact and available. Utilization of pulp space for retention of fragment is achieved by the insertion of a dentine bonding post. This case report describes a case of tooth reattachment after trauma in which the pulp space is utilized to bond a fiber-reinforced post for retention after periodontal tissue management.
Enzyme Reaction Annotation Using Cloud Techniques
Authors: Huang Chuan-Ching , Lin Chun-Yuan , Chang Cheng-Wen , Tang Chuan Yi
Published: September 2013

An understanding of the activities of enzymes could help to elucidate the metabolic pathways of thousands of chemical reactions that are catalyzed by enzymes in living systems. Sophisticated applications such as drug design and metabolic reconstruction could be developed using accurate enzyme reaction annotation. Because accurate enzyme reaction annotation methods create potential for enhanced production capacity in these applications, they have received greater attention in the global market. We propose the enzyme reaction prediction (ERP) method as a novel tool to deduce enzyme reactions from domain architecture. We used several frequency relationships between architectures and reactions to enhance the annotation rates for single and multiple catalyzed reactions. The deluge of information which arose from high-throughput techniques in the postgenomic era has improved our understanding of biological data, although it presents obstacles in the data-processing stage. The high computational capacity provided by cloud computing has resulted in an exponential growth in the volume of incoming data. Cloud services also relieve the requirement for large-scale memory space required by this approach to analyze enzyme kinetic data. Our tool is designed as a single execution file; thus, it could be applied to any cloud platform in which multiple queries are supported.
Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Diabetes Mellitus and Serum Concentration of Asymmetrical Dimethylarginine
Authors: Jawalekar Seema L. , Karnik Aarti , Bhutey Anil
Published: September 2013

Introduction. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a nonselective nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. ADMA plays an important role in the regulation of vascular tone by acting as an endogenous inhibitor of NO synthesis.Objectives. This study aimed to investigate ADMA with respect to diabetes and its clinical relevance as an independent predictor of CAD (Coronary Artery Disease).Methodology. The present case control study includes two hundred and forty patients selected randomly. Serum ADMA was analyzed by using enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative determination of endogenous ADMA, and serum nitric oxide was estimated by the method of Cortes.Results. Elevated NO level levels was a strong predictor and significantly (t: 9.86,P<0.001) associated with occurrence of CAD. Increased ADMA level was found to be another strong predictor and associated significantly (t: 8.02,P<0.001) with CAD. On intra group analysis, the relationship between ADMA and NO in diseased group, is significant negative correlation (r=-0.743).P(0.001) was found between ADMA and NO.Conclusion. ADMA level was found to be one of the strong predictors for CAD. ADMA is an emerging independent risk marker for future CVD (cardiovascular disease) events.
A Method to Dynamic Stochastic Multicriteria Decision Making with Log‐Normally Distributed Random Variables
Authors: Wang Xin-Fan , Wang Jian-Qiang , Deng Sheng-Yue
Published: September 2013

We investigate the dynamic stochastic multicriteria decision making (SMCDM) problems, in which the criterion values take the form of log‐normally distributed random variables, and the argument information is collected from different periods. We propose two new geometric aggregation operators, such as the log‐normal distribution weighted geometric (LNDWG) operator and the dynamic log‐normal distribution weighted geometric (DLNDWG) operator, and develop a method for dynamic SMCDM with log‐normally distributed random variables. This method uses the DLNDWG operator and the LNDWG operator to aggregate the log‐normally distributed criterion values, utilizes the entropy model of Shannon to generate the time weight vector, and utilizes the expectation values and variances of log‐normal distributions to rank the alternatives and select the best one. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this developed method.
An Intelligent Energy Management System for Educational Buildings
Authors: Al-Daraiseh Ahmad , Shah Nazaraf , El-Qawasmeh Eyas
Published: September 2013

There is a wide variation in the energy consumption between different educational institutions due to the adoption of different management strategies and different levels of occupants’ environmental understanding. The presence of large amounts of information and communication technology (ICT) equipment and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system causes a major consumption of energy in higher education institution (HEI) buildings. The main objective of this research is to investigate the use of ICT to optimize the energy consumption in HEI buildings and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emission. The first phase of the system has been implemented at King Saud University to measure energy consumption through sensors that read energy consumption of electrical appliances and devices every 10 seconds. The analysis of collected data allows us to develop and employ energy saving strategies that lead to a reduction in total energy consumption. Our preliminary results show that up to 17% of energy consumption can be reduced by simply dealing with standby energy loss of labs’ computers. The novelty of this research comes from the use of a functional database approach to deal with high volume of data and query performance and the incorporation of a timetabling system in energy management system.
Phytochemical Compositions and Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Crude Extracts fromFicus pandurataH. (Moraceae)
Authors: Lv Huiqing , Zhang Xiaoping , Chen XueZhi , Xie Zhijun , Hu Changfeng , Wen Chengping , Jiang Kezhi
Published: September 2013

Background.Ficus pandurataH. (Moraceae) is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine as a healthy food condiment or a medicine for treatment of various diseases including inflammation.Objective. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the phytochemical compositions and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of crude water (FPW) and ethanolic extracts (FPE) fromFicus pandurataH.Methods. Phytochemical compositions were identified by a high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry method (HPLC-ESI-MS). The antioxidant activities were evaluated by diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical assays, and the anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by paw edema and levels of inflammatory mediator TNF-αand PGE2 in monosodium urate (MSU) crystal-induced rats.Results. Six compounds were identified by HPLC-MS method, and abundance of phenolics was found in FPE. The FPE showed concentration-dependent-significant scavenging of DPPH and hydroxyl radicals with IC50 values 118.4 and 192.9 μg/mL, respectively. The FPE treatment significantly inhibited the paw edema and the production of TNF-αand PGE2 in MSU crystal-induced rats.Conclusion. The FPE exerted stronger antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities which may be attributed to its high phenolic content.
Packings and Coverings of Various Complete Graphs with the 4-Cycle with a Pendant Edge
Authors: Coker Brandon , Coker Gary D. , Gardner Robert , Xia Yan
Published: September 2013

We consider the packings and coverings of complete graphs with isomorphic copies of the 4-cycle with a pendant edge. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for such structures for (1) complete graphs , (2) complete bipartite graphs , and (3) complete graphs with a hole . In the last two cases, we address both restricted and unrestricted coverings.
Active Tension Control for WT Wheelchair Robot by Using a Novel Control Law for Holonomic or Nonholonomic Systems
Authors: Wang Jian , Wang Ting , Yao Chen , Li Xiaofan , Wu Chengdong
Published: September 2013

Interactional characteristics between WT wheelchair robot and stair environment are analyzed, and possible patterns of WT wheelchair robot during the stair-climbing process are summarized, with the criteria of the wheelchair robot for determining the pattern proposed. Aiming at WT wheelchair robot's complicated mechanism with holonomic constraints and combined with the computed torque method, a novel control law that is called active tension control is presented for holonomic or nonholonomic robotic systems, by which the wheelchair robot with a holonomic or nonholonomic mechanism can track the reference input of the constraint forces of holonomic or nonholonomic constraints as well as tracking the reference input of the generalized coordinate of each joint. A stateflow module of Matlab is used to simulate the entire stair-climbing process for WT wheelchair robot. A comparison of output curve with the reference input curve of each joint is made, with the effectiveness of the presented control law verified.
Investigation of Time Series Representations and Similarity Measures for Structural Damage Pattern Recognition
Authors: Liu Wenjia , Chen Bo , Swartz R. Andrew
Published: September 2013

This paper investigates the time series representation methods and similarity measures for sensor data feature extraction and structural damage pattern recognition. Both model‐based time series representation and dimensionality reduction methods are studied to compare the effectiveness of feature extraction for damage pattern recognition. The evaluation of feature extraction methods is performed by examining the separation of feature vectors among different damage patterns and the pattern recognition success rate. In addition, the impact of similarity measures on the pattern recognition success rate and the metrics for damage localization are also investigated. The test data used in this study are from the System Identification to Monitor Civil Engineering Structures (SIMCES) Z24 Bridge damage detection tests, a rigorous instrumentation campaign that recorded the dynamic performance of a concrete box‐girder bridge under progressively increasing damage scenarios. A number of progressive damage test case datasets and damage test data with different damage modalities are used. The simulation results show that both time series representation methods and similarity measures have significant impact on the pattern recognition success rate.
Asymmetric and Symmetric Dimethylarginine in Adolescents with Hyperuricemia
Authors: Tenderenda-Banasiuk Edyta , Wasilewska Anna , Taranta-Janusz Katarzyna , Korzeniecka-Kozerska Agata
Published: September 2013

The purpose of this work was to investigate if in adolescents with hyperuricemia serum levels of asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA, SDMA) are increased and if their levels correlate with serum uric acid (UA).Patients and Methods. The study group consisted of 58 hyperuricemic patients aged median 16.15 (14–17). The reference group contained 27 healthy individuals with normal serum UA level. ADMA and SDMA were measured by immunoenzymatic ELISA commercial kits and expressed inμmol/L. Serum UA was measured by the colorimetric method.Results. In hyperuricemic patients serum ADMA values did not differ between two estimated groups (); however, SDMA was significantly higher than in reference group (). Serum ADMA and SDMA correlated positively with UA (, ) (, ) and hs-CRP (, ) (, ), respectively.Conclusion. We demonstrated increased SDMA but not ADMA levels in adolescents with hyperuricemia and their correlation with serum uric acid levels. However, at the moment it is difficult to answer the question if it is just coexistence of these factors or any mechanism linking uric acid and methylated arginines really exists.
Lumbar Spondylolysis in Juveniles from the Same Family: A Report of Three Cases and a Review of the Literature
Authors: Yamada Atsuhisa , Sairyo Koichi , Shibuya Isao , Kato Ko , Dezawa Akira , Sakai Toshinori
Published: September 2013

Spondylolysis is reported as a stress fracture of the pars interarticularis with a strong hereditary basis. Three cases of lumbar spondylolysis in juveniles from the same family are reported, and the genetics of the condition are reviewed. The first boy, a 13-year-old soccer player, was diagnosed with terminal stage L5 bilateral spondylolysis with grade 1 slippage. The second boy, a 10-year-old baseball player, had terminal stage right side unilateral spondylolysis. The third boy, also a 10-year-old baseball player, was diagnosed with early stage bilateral L5 spondylolysis. The second and third boys are identical twins, and all three cases exhibited concomitant spina bifida occulta. Lumbar spondylolysis has a strong hereditary basis and is reported to be an autosomal dominant condition.
Controllability in Hybrid Kinetic Equations Modeling Nonequilibrium Multicellular Systems
Authors: Bianca Carlo
Published: September 2013

This paper is concerned with the derivation of hybrid kinetic partial integrodifferential equations that can be proposed for the mathematical modeling of multicellular systems subjected to external force fields and characterized by nonconservative interactions. In order to prevent an uncontrolled time evolution of the moments of the solution, a control operator is introduced which is based on the Gaussian thermostat. Specifically, the analysis shows that the moments are solution of a Riccati‐type differential equation.
New Criteria for Functions to Be in a Class of p‐Valent Alpha Convex Functions
Authors: Arif Muhammad , Ayaz Muhammad , Aouf Mohamed Kamal
Published: September 2013

We obtain certain simple sufficiency criteria for a class of p‐valent alpha convex functions. Many known results appear as special consequences of our work. Some applications of our work to the generalized integral operator are also given.
Distributional Fractal Creating Algorithm in Parallel Environment
Authors: Liu Shuai , Fu Weina , Deng Huimin , Lan Caihe , Zhou Jiantao
Published: September 2013

Nowadays, the fractal is used widely everywhere. Then, its creating time becomes an important study area for complex iteration functions because the escape-time algorithm (ETA), which is the most used algorithm in fractal creating, performs not so well in this condition. In this paper, in order to solve this problem, we improve ETA into the parallel environment and reach well performance. At first, we provide a separation method of ETA to reform it into a SIMC-MC2 grid. Secondly, we prove its correctness and compute the complexity of this novel parallel algorithm. Meantime, we separate an improved ETA which we have presented into the same parallel environment and compute its complexity. Additionally, theoretical and experimental results show the characteristics of this novel algorithm. Finally, the computational result shows that a novel environment is needed to decrease large manual allocation strategies, which block the improved benefit.
Adaptive Semidiscrete Finite Element Methods for Semilinear Parabolic Integrodifferential Optimal Control Problem with Control Constraint
Authors: Lu Zuliang
Published: September 2013

The aim of this work is to study the semidiscrete finite element discretization for a class of semilinear parabolic integrodifferential optimal control problems. We derive a posteriori error estimates inL2(J;L2(Ω))-norm andL2(J;H1(Ω))-norm for both the control and coupled state approximations. Such estimates can be used to construct reliable adaptive finite element approximation for semilinear parabolic integrodifferential optimal control problem. Furthermore, we introduce an adaptive algorithm to guide the mesh refinement. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the theoretical results.
The Control Data Method: A New Method of Modeling in Population Dynamics
Authors: Nie Lin-Fei , Teng Zhi-Dong
Published: September 2013

A novel modeling method for population dynamics is developed. Based on the classical Lotka-Volterra model, we construct a new predator-prey model with unknown parameters to simulate the behaviors of predator and prey. Using a the approximation property and the machine learning approach of artificial neural networks, a tuning algorithm of unknown parameters is obtained and the factual data of predator-prey can be asymptotically stabilized using a neural network controller. Numerical examples and analysis of the results are presented.
A Comparative Study of Renewable Energy Industry Regulation on Feed-In Tariffs Based on Pricing Strategy of Value Standard Method
Authors: Sun Peng
Published: September 2013

Based on pricing strategy of value standard method, we establish a three-stage game model of energy production to compare the differences of optimal regulated price and social welfare under three regulation types of feed-in tariffs. We show that the optimal price levels under three main regulation types are different. But the choice of regulation type does not impact the optimal social welfare. So policymakers with different preferences may make regulation decisions in different ways. This successfully explains why many regulation types exist in different countries. Moreover, although it is difficult to determine the optimal price by the value standard method in practice, the conclusions of this paper also provide a judgment criterion for other pricing strategies on how to choose a suboptimal regulation type.
The Importance of IgG Avidity and the Polymerase Chain Reaction in Treating Toxoplasmosis during Pregnancy: Current Knowledge
Authors: Bortoletti Filho João , Araujo Júnior Edward , Carvalho Natália da Silva , Helfer Talita Micheletti , Nogueira Serni Priscila de Oliveira , Nardozza Luciano Marcondes Machado , Moron Antonio Fernandes
Published: September 2013

A brief report on the nature and epidemiology ofT. gondiiinfection is firstly presented. The importance of the specific IgG avidity test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for toxoplasmosis is discussed, along with their significance and importance as auxiliary methods for determining the most likely time for the initial infection by this coccidian and for defining the therapeutic strategy. Lastly, practical comments are made in relation to the classical therapeutic regimens, with special attention to the indications for fetal treatment, when this is necessary.
Generalized Numerical Index and Denseness of Numerical Peak Holomorphic Functions on a Banach Space
Authors: Kim Sung Guen , Lee Han Ju
Published: September 2013

The generalized numerical index of a Banach space is introduced, and its properties on certain Banach spaces are studied. Ed-dari's theorem on the numerical index is extended to the generalized index and polynomial numerical index of a Banach space. The denseness of numerical strong peak holomorphic functions is also studied.
Effects and Safety of Gyejibongnyeong-Hwan on Dysmenorrhea Caused by Blood Stagnation: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Park Jeong-Su , Park Sunju , Cheon Chun-Hoo , Jo Seong-Cheon , Cho Han Baek , Lim Eun-Mee , Lim Hyung Ho , Jang Bo-Hyoung , Shin Yong-Cheol , Ko Seong-Gyu
Published: September 2013

Objective. This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and controlled trial with two parallel arms: the GJBNH group and the placebo group. This trial recruited 100 women aging 18 to 35 years with primary dysmenorrhea caused by blood stagnation. The investigational drugs, GJBNH or placebo, were administered for two menstrual periods (8 weeks) to the participants three times per day. The participants were followed up for two menstrual cycles after the administration.Results. The results were analyzed by the intention-to-treat (ITT) dataset and the per-protocol (PP) dataset. In the ITT dataset, the change of the average menstrual pain VAS score in the GJBNH group was statistically significantly lower than that in the control group. Significant difference was not observed in the SF-MPQ score change between the GJBNH group and the placebo group. No significant difference was observed in the PP analyses. In the follow-up phase, the VAS scores of the average menstrual pain and the maximum menstrual pain continually decreased in the placebo group, but they increased in the GJBNH group.Conclusion. GJBNH treatment for eight weeks improved the pain of the dysmenorrhea caused by blood stagnation, but it should be successively administered for more than two menstrual cycles.Trial Registration. This trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials no.ISRCTN30426947.
A Type II Arabinogalactan fromAnoectochilus formosanusfor G-CSF Production in Macrophages and Leukopenia Improvement in CT26-Bearing Mice Treated with 5-Fluorouracil
Authors: Yang Li-Chan , Lu Ting-Jang , Lin Wen-Chuan
Published: September 2013

Anoectochilus formosanusis an herb well known in Asian countries. The polysaccharide isolated fromA. formosanusconsists of type II arabinogalactan (AGAF), with branched 3,6-Gal as the major moiety. In this study, AGAF was examined for the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) production and related protein expression in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. The signaling pathway of G-CSF production involves AGAF and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) inhibitors and pattern-recognition receptor antibodies. AGAF was evaluated to ease the leukopenia in CT26-colon-cancer-bearing mice treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The results of this study showed that AGAF was a stimulant for Toll-like receptor 2 and Dectin-1 and that it induced G-CSF production, through p38 and ERK MAPK, and NF-κB pathways. In vivo examination showed that the oral administration of AGAF mitigated the side effects of leukopenia caused by 5-FU in colon-cancer-bearing mice. In conclusion, the botanic type II AGAF in this study was a potent G-CSF inducer in vivo and in vitro.
Predicting Falls in People with Multiple Sclerosis: Fall History Is as Accurate as More Complex Measures
Authors: Cameron Michelle H. , Thielman Emily , Mazumder Rajarshi , Bourdette Dennis
Published: September 2013

Background.Many people with MS fall, but the best method for identifying those at increased fall risk is not known.Objective.To compare how accurately fall history, questionnaires, and physical tests predict future falls and injurious falls in people with MS.Methods.52 people with MS were asked if they had fallen in the past 2 months and the past year. Subjects were also assessed with the Activities-specific Balance Confidence, Falls Efficacy Scale-International, and Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 questionnaires, the Expanded Disability Status Scale, Timed 25-Foot Walk, and computerized dynamic posturography and recorded their falls daily for the following 6 months with calendars. The ability of baseline assessments to predict future falls was compared using receiver operator curves and logistic regression.Results.All tests individually provided similar fall prediction (area under the curve (AUC) 0.60–0.75). A fall in the past year was the best predictor of falls (AUC 0.75, sensitivity 0.89, specificity 0.56) or injurious falls (AUC 0.69, sensitivity 0.96, specificity 0.41) in the following 6 months.Conclusion.Simply asking people with MS if they have fallen in the past year predicts future falls and injurious falls as well as more complex, expensive, or time-consuming approaches.
The Antitumor Effects of Triterpenoid Saponins from theAnemone flaccidaand the Underlying Mechanism
Authors: Han Lin-Tao , Fang Ying , Li Ming-Ming , Yang Hong-Bing , Huang Fang
Published: September 2013

Anemone flaccidaFr. Schmidt, a family of ancient hopanoids, have been used as traditional Asian herbs for the treatments of inflammation and convulsant diseases. Previous study on HeLa cells suggested that triterpenoid saponins fromAnemone flaccidaFr. Schmidt may have potential antitumor effect due to their apoptotic activities. Here, we confirmed the apoptotic activities of the following five triterpenoid saponins: glycoside St-I4a (1), glycoside St-J (2), anhuienoside E (3), hedera saponin B (4), and flaccidoside II (5) on human BEL-7402 and HepG2 hepatoma cell lines, as well as the model of HeLa cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway, which plays key roles in the development of cancer, is involved in the antitumor activities of these saponins. These data provide the evidence that triterpenoid saponins can induce apoptosis via COX-2/PGE2 pathway, implying a preventive role of saponins fromAnemone flaccidain tumor.
Experimental Evaluation of Balance Prediction Models for Sit-to-Stand Movement in the Sagittal Plane
Authors: Pena Cabra Oscar David , Watanabe Takashi
Published: September 2013

Evaluation of balance control ability would become important in the rehabilitation training. In this paper, in order to make clear usefulness and limitation of a traditional simple inverted pendulum model in balance prediction in sit-to-stand movements, the traditional simple model was compared to an inertia (rotational radius) variable inverted pendulum model including multiple-joint influence in the balance predictions. The predictions were tested upon experimentation with six healthy subjects. The evaluation showed that the multiple-joint influence model is more accurate in predicting balance under demanding sit-to-stand conditions. On the other hand, the evaluation also showed that the traditionally used simple inverted pendulum model is still reliable in predicting balance during sit-to-stand movement under non-demanding (normal) condition. Especially, the simple model was shown to be effective for sit-to-stand movements with low center of mass velocity at the seat-off. Moreover, almost all trajectories under the normal condition seemed to follow the same control strategy, in which the subjects used extra energy than the minimum one necessary for standing up. This suggests that the safety considerations come first than the energy efficiency considerations during a sit to stand, since the most energy efficient trajectory is close to the backward fall boundary.
The Characteristic Solutions to the V-Notch Plane Problem of Anisotropy and the Associated Finite Element Method
Authors: Tian Ge , Fu Xiang-Rong , Yuan Ming-Wu , Song Meng-Yan
Published: September 2013

This paper presents a novel way to calculate the characteristic solutions of the anisotropy V-notch plane problem. The material eigen equation of the anisotropy based on the Stroh theory and the boundary eigen equation of the V-notch plane problem are studied separately. A modified Müller method is utilized to calculate characteristic solutions of anisotropy V-notch plane problem, which are employed to formulate the analytical trial functions (ATF) in the associated finite element method. The numerical examples show that the proposed subregion accelerated Müller method is an efficient method to calculate the solutions of the equation involving the complex variables. The proposed element ATF-VN based on the analytical trial functions, which contain the characteristic solutions of the anisotropy V-notch problem, presents good performance in the benchmarks.
Nonnegative Signal Decomposition with Supervision
Authors: Li Teng , Chang Huan , Wu Jun
Published: September 2013

This paper presents a novel algorithm to numerically decompose mixed signals in a collaborative way, given supervision of the labels that each signal contains. The decomposition is formulated as an optimization problem incorporating nonnegative constraint. A nonnegative data factorization solution is presented to yield the decomposed results. It is shown that the optimization is efficient and decreases the objective function monotonically. Such a decomposition algorithm can be applied on multilabel training samples for pattern classification. The real-data experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly facilitate the multilabel image classification performance with weak supervision.
Craniofacial Anthropometric Profile of Adult Bangladeshi Buddhist Chakma Females
Authors: Mostafa Asma , Banu Laila Anjuman , Rahman Fashiur , Paul Sudip
Published: September 2013

The present descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional study was designed to establish the baseline measurements of the craniofacial anthropometrical parameters and indices of 100 adult Bangladeshi Buddhist Chakma females aged between 25 and 45 years, residing at different locations of Chittagong and Rangamati cities. A total of ten craniofacial variables were measured using physical and photographic procedures. Craniofacial indices were calculated from those craniofacial variables. The craniofacial indices showed that Chakma females are mostly hyperbrachycephalic, hypereuryprosopic, and mesorrhine, with intermediate eyes and long narrow ears.
Comparative Analysis of Barophily-Related Amino Acid Content in Protein Domains ofPyrococcus abyssiandPyrococcus furiosus
Authors: Yafremava Liudmila S. , Di Giulio Massimo , Caetano-Anollés Gustavo
Published: September 2013

Amino acid substitution patterns between the nonbarophilicPyrococcus furiosusand its barophilic relativeP. abyssiconfirm that hydrostatic pressure asymmetry indices reflect the extent to which amino acids are preferred by barophilic archaeal organisms. Substitution patterns in entire protein sequences, shared protein domains defined at fold superfamily level, domains in homologous sequence pairs, and domains of very ancient and very recent origin now provide further clues about the environment that led to the genetic code and diversified life. The pyrococcal proteomes are very similar and share a very early ancestor. Relative amino acid abundance analyses showed that biases in the use of amino acids are due to their shared fold superfamilies. Within these repertoires, only two of the five amino acids that are preferentially barophilic, aspartic acid and arginine, displayed this preference significantly and consistently across structure and in domains appearing in the ancestor. The more primordial asparagine, lysine and threonine displayed a consistent preference for nonbarophily across structure and in the ancestor. Since barophilic preferences are already evident in ancient domains that are at least ~3 billion year old, we conclude that barophily is a very ancient trait that unfolded concurrently with genetic idiosyncrasies in convergence towards a universal code.
Computer-Assisted System with Multiple Feature Fused Support Vector Machine for Sperm Morphology Diagnosis
Authors: Tseng Kuo-Kun , Li Yifan , Hsu Chih-Yu , Huang Huang-Nan , Zhao Ming , Ding Mingyue
Published: September 2013

Sperm morphology is an important technique in identifying the health of sperms. In this paper we present a new system and novel approaches to classify different kinds of sperm images in order to assess their health. Our approach mainly relies on a one-dimensional feature which is extracted from the sperm’s contour with gray level information. Our approach can handle rotation and scaling of the image. Moreover, it is fused with SVM classification to improve its accuracy. In our evaluation, our method has better performance than the existing approaches to sperm classification.
Reorientation of Asymmetric Rigid Body Using Two Controls
Authors: Kim Donghoon , Turner James D. , Leeghim Henzeh
Published: September 2013

Most spacecrafts are designed to be maneuvered to achieve pointing goals. This is accomplished usually by designing a three-axis control system, which can achieve arbitrary maneuvers, where the goal is to repoint the spacecraft and match a desired angular velocity at the end of the maneuver. New control laws are required, however, if one of the three-axis control actuators fails. This paper explores suboptimal maneuver strategies when only two control torque inputs are available. To handle this underactuated system control problem, the three-axis maneuver strategy is transformed to two successive independent submaneuver strategies. The first maneuver is conducted on one of the available torque axes. Next, the second maneuver is conducted on the torque available plane using two available control torques. However, the resulting control law is more complicated than the general three-axis control law. This is because an optimal switch time needs to be found for determining the end time for the single-axis maneuver or the start time for the second maneuver. Numerical simulation results are presented that compare optimal maneuver strategies for both nominal and failed actuator cases.
An Implicit Method for Numerical Solution of Singular and Stiff Initial Value Problems
Authors: Hasan M. Kamrul , Ahamed M. Suzan , Alam M. S. , Hossain M. Bellal
Published: September 2013

An implicit method has been presented for solving singular initial value problems. The method is simple and gives more accurate solution than the implicit Euler method as well as the second order implicit Runge-Kutta (RK2) (i.e., implicit midpoint rule) method for some particular singular problems. Diagonally implicit Runge-Kutta (DIRK) method is suitable for solving stiff problems. But, the derivation as well as utilization of this method is laborious. Sometimes it gives almost similar solution to the two-stage third order diagonally implicit Runge-Kutta (DIRK3) method and the five-stage fifth order diagonally implicit Runge-Kutta (DIRK5) method. The advantage of the present method is that it is used with less computational effort.