bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chapter 18 Ordovician and Silurian polychaete diversity and biogeography
Authors: Eriksson Mats E. , Hints Olle , Paxton Hannelore , Tonarová Petra
Published: November 2013

Eunicidan polychaetes formed a significant part of Early Palaeozoic marine invertebrate communities, as shown by the abundance and diversity of scolecodonts (polychaete jaws) in the fossil record. In this study we summarize the early radiation and biodiversity trends and discuss the palaeobiogeography of these fossils. The oldest (latest Cambrian–Early Ordovician) representatives had primitive, usually symmetrical, placognath/ctenognath type jaw apparatuses. The first more advanced taxa, possessing labidognath-type jaw apparatuses or placognath apparatuses with compound maxillae, are first recorded in the Middle Ordovician. The most significant increase in generic diversity occurred in the Darriwilian, when many common taxa appeared and diversified. The Ordovician and Silurian scolecodont occurrences allow some palaeobiogeographical units and distribution patterns to be explored and outlined. The most robust data presently at hand derive from successions in Baltica and Laurentia. That information, together with new records from other palaeocontinents, reveals a wide distribution for the most frequent and species-rich genera and families, similar to the biogeographical patterns of extant polychaetes. Like many other benthic and pelagic fossil groups, scolecodont-bearing polychaetes show an increased cosmopolitan character in the Silurian as compared with the Ordovician. Species-level endemism appears to be relatively common, inferring a potential for scolecodonts as biogeographical tools in the future.
Chapter 19 Global Cambrian trilobite palaeobiogeography assessed using parsimony analysis of endemicity
Authors: Álvaro J. Javier , Ahlberg Per , Babcock Loren E. , Bordonaro Osvaldo L. , Choi Duck K. , Cooper Roger A. , Ergaliev Gappar KH. , Gapp I. Wesley , Pour Mansoureh Ghobadi , Hughes Nigel C. , Jago James B. , Korovnikov Igor , Laurie John R. , Lieberman Bruce S. , Paterson John R. , Pegel Tatyana V. , Popov Leonid E. , Rushton Adrian W. A. , Sukhov Sergei S. , Tortello M. Franco , Zhou Zhiyi , Żylińska Anna
Published: November 2013

Palaeobiogeographical data on Cambrian trilobites obtained during the twentieth century are combined in this paper to evaluate palaeoceanographic links through
c.
30 myr, once these arthropods biomineralized. Worldwide major tectonostratigraphic units are characterized at series intervals of Cambrian time and datasets of trilobite genera (629 for Cambrian Series 2, 965 for Cambrian Series 3, and 866 for the Furongian Series) are analysed using parsimony analysis of endemicity. Special attention is given to the biogeographical observations made in microcontinents and exotic terranes. The same is done for platform-basinal transects of well-known continental margins. The parsimony analysis of endemicity analysis resulted in distinct palaeogeographical area groupings among the tectonostratigraphic units. With these groupings, several palaeobiogeographical units are distinguished, which do not necessarily fit the previously proposed biogeographical realms and provinces. Their development and spatial distributions are broadly controlled by Cambrian palaeoclimates, palaeogeographical conditions (e.g. carbonate productivity and anoxic conditions) and ocean current circulation.

Supplementary material:

Global dataset of Cambrian Epoch 2 (A), Cambrian Epoch 3 (B) and the Furongian Epoch (C) trilobite genera are provided at:
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18669
Chapter 20 A synopsis of Ordovician trilobite distribution and diversity
Authors: Adrain Jonathan M.
Published: November 2013

Ordovician trilobites are reviewed based on a new species-level relational database. The stratigraphical ranges of all 56 families with occurrences in the Ordovician are documented and the content, phylogenetic status, diversity and Ordovician distribution by major palaeocontinent/terrane are discussed. Aspects of higher classification are also dealt with. Global sampling is heavily biased towards a small number of highly sampled areas. Much of the world has a very limited record of formally named trilobite species. Even within heavily sampled units, sampling is patchy by environment and time. Genus endemism was at a peak in Laurentia, Baltic, and Avalonia in the Floian and declined more-or-less steadily through the remainder of the Ordovician.
Chapter 23 Biogeography of early to mid Palaeozoic (Cambrian–Devonian) marine phytoplankton
Authors: Molyneux Stewart G. , Delabroye Aurélien , Wicander Reed , Servais Thomas
Published: November 2013

Early to mid Palaeozoic marine phytoplankton are represented by acritarchs and associated forms, which had a global distribution from the early Cambrian to the early Carboniferous (Mississippian). Palaeozoic phytoplankton assemblages show varying degrees of cosmopolitanism and endemism through time. A high degree of cosmopolitanism was evidently characteristic of the Cambrian and much of the Late Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian, but provincialism was more marked in the Early Ordovician and Hirnantian (latest Ordovician), the latter at a time of major palaeoenvironmental perturbations. Distribution patterns of Palaeozoic phytoplankton are attributed to a number of interacting factors, including palaeolatitude, palaeotemperature, oceanic circulation patterns, the disposition of continents, differentiation between oceanic and cratonic (distal–proximal) assemblages, and sedimentary environments and facies. There are indications that biogeographical ranges of taxa shift over time. Moving our understanding of Palaeozoic phytoplankton biogeography forward requires (1) targeted investigation of regions and time periods for which no or little data exist, (2) quantitative analysis of data to investigate how similarity between regions varies through time and how this might correlate with other datasets such as carbon isotope stratigraphy or sea-level, and (3) rigorous application of well-defined time slices to compare coeval assemblages, at least within the limits of resolution.
Chapter 27 Cambrian–Ordovician cephalopod palaeogeography and diversity
Authors: Kröger Björn
Published: November 2013

Cephalopods have their earliest occurrence in Late Cambrian shallow-water carbonates on the North China Platform and rapidly dispersed across the globe within the latest Cambrian. Latest Cambrian and initial Ordovician cephalopod occurrences are restricted to the palaeotropical realm. The Ordovician records a unique morphological diversification and expansion of cephalopod habits and habitats which is expressed in a massive morphological diversification and unique palaeogeographical patterns of dispersal. The Ordovician cephalopod diversification was a complex process of appearance and disappearance of higher groups with a specific palaeogeographical signature and a clear selective component. A general Ordovician trend showed decreasing evolutionary turnover rates, increasing number of widespread genera, decreasing proportion of endemic genera, and decreasing beta-diversity. This is interpreted as a result of an increasing ecosystem stability during this time interval.
Chapter 29 Palaeophytogeography of Ordovician–Silurian land plants
Authors: Wellman Charles H. , Steemans Philippe , Vecoli Marco
Published: November 2013

A database of all reported Ordovician–Silurian land plant megafossil and dispersed spore assemblages has been assembled. For each assemblage a list of taxa has been prepared and its location plotted on new palaeocontinental reconstructions. These new data compilations are analysed with respect to palaeophytogeographical differentiation and various patterns of taxon diversity and morphological disparity that emerged during the origin, adaptive radiation and geographical spread of land plants. Our analyses include new quantitative assessments.

Supplementary material:

Appendix consisting of an abridged version of our dispersed spore database is available at:
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18680
Chapter 3 Palaeozoic palaeogeographical and palaeobiogeographical nomenclature
Authors: Servais Thomas , Cecca Fabrizio , Harper David A. T. , Isozaki Yukio , Niocaill Conall Mac
Published: November 2013

Palaeogeographers, geographers and structural geologists use different well-defined terms to designate continental and tectonic units, whereas biogeographers, palaeobiogeographers and palaeontologists use a wide range of subjective terminologies to describe biogeographical and palaeobiogeographical units. The absence of clear definitions and of rules or guidelines for palaeobiogeographical nomenclature has resulted in frequent misunderstandings and general confusion, in particular when applied to ancient time periods, such as the Palaeozoic. Palaeogeographical and palaeobiogeographical terminology used in Palaeozoic geology and palaeontology is reviewed, and recent attempts to standardize palaeobiogeographical nomenclature summarized. We make a number of proposals for future use of terms to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.
Chapter 7 Biogeography of the Ordovician and Silurian Stromatoporoidea
Authors: Nestor Heldur , Webby Barry D.
Published: November 2013

Stromatoporoid sponges first appeared during the late Mid-Ordovician (mid–late Darriwilian) accompanying an important ‘Chazy’ reef-building episode. Representatives of the order Labechiida appeared first, initially splitting into two sister groups: those from North China (nine genera) and those from Laurentia (four genera). Two genera were common to the two regions, but others in North China and Siberia were endemic. This initial provincialism was not maintained into the Late Ordovician (Sandbian) as labechiids attained a wider dispersal, covering Laurentia with peripheral terranes in Northwest Scotland and Chukchi Peninsula, cratonic Siberia, the Urals (eastern margins of Baltica), and East Gondwanan blocks of Tarim North China, marginal Tasmania and the peri-Gondwanan New South Wales island-arc terrane. Only a few endemics remained present in the Sandbian – three in Laurentia, and one in Tarim. In the Katian, maximum diversification of labechiids occurred (19 genera, including a genus possibly transitional to first actinostromatids). Also four genera of the Clathrodictyida first appeared, and overall distribution continued to increase. The Hirnantian marked a dramatic decline in the global distribution (only Anticosti Island, Manitoba, Norway and Estonia) and marked diversity loss of labechiids. Altogether
c.
70% of stromatoporoid species disappeared in response to end-Ordovician global cooling events. Llandovery stromatoporoids were widespread in Laurentia, Baltica and Siberia, with clathrodictyids as dominant and labechiids accessory (the latter group more common in Siberia and China). Gradual diversification and expansion of stromatoporoids followed in the late Llandovery, with appearances of the orders Actinostromatida and Stromatoporida. The stromatoporoids became most widespread and most diversified during the Wenlock, with clathrodictyids maintaining their leading position, and the appearances of the earliest Stromatoporellida and Syringostromatida. Rapid spread of new phylogenetic stocks indicates that widespread pandemism prevailed among Wenlock stromatoporoids. The Ludlow was characterized by final closure of the Iapetus Ocean, accompanying uplift of palaeocontinental regions, and declining prominence of stromatoporoid-bearing shallow carbonate shelves. However, clathrodictyids and actinostromatids remained dominant, whereas the incoming of Amphiporida in several regions (Somerset Island, Baltic area, West Ukraine, West and East Urals, Novaya Zemlya, Tien Shan, Japan and New South Wales) and restricted distribution of some other taxa suggest a certain provincialism developed. With regional regression and stratigraphic hiatuses, the stromatoporoids (mostly hangovers from the Ludlow) became less common in the Pridoli, and apparently even entirely absent from Gondwana and Siberia.
Web service execution model for cloud environment
Authors: Ahmad Faisal , Changder Suvamoy , Sarkar Anirban
Published: November 2013

Web services describe a standardized way of integrating Web-based applications. In recent days, with the advancement of cloud computing, web services play pivoting roles towards meeting complex business objectives on a large scale. However, engineering dynamic web services is a complex task as they can be added, modified and deleted on the fly and even without any prior notification. Executing a large scale business process using dynamic web services is very challenging. This paper proposes an execution machine, called
Web Service Dynamic Execution Machine
(
WSDE
machine), which works in the execution layer of the three layered architecture for web service dynamics [23]. The proposed machine is capable of executing business processes having both deterministic and non-deterministic flows, where the related web services are represented using a graph-based semantic based formal model. The generic nature of the
WSDE
machine is useful in improving performance, scalability and maintainability of large scale web service based information systems. In this paper, the proposed WSDE machine is also illustrated with a suitable case study.
Software re-engineering using imperialist competitive algorithm
Authors: Jeet Kawal , Dhir Renu
Published: November 2013

Maintenance is one of the important phases of the software development life cycle which contributes to the effective and long term use of any software system. It can become cumbersome and costly for software maintainers when subsystem boundaries are not clearly defined. Further, the problem gets worse due to the system evolution, lack of current documentation and lack of original design documentation. The application of clustering techniques and tools helps software maintenance programmers to recover high-level views of system designs and hence leads to better understanding and maintenance of software systems. In this paper, we have used a sociopolitical Imperialist Competitive Algorithm for software module clustering and compared it with existing evolutionary approaches. We conclude that the novel socio-political approach produces better quality clusters as compared to the earlier evolutionary genetic approaches.
Patterns of software architecture in vastu
Authors: Mary S. Roselin , Rodrigues Paul , Naganathan E. R..
Published: November 2013

Patterns play an important role in architecture. Plenty of patterns exist but remain undiscovered. Many of the patterns used in different fields are knowingly or unknowingly used in the field of software architecture. This technical paper briefly explains various patterns in the Indian architectural science Vastu and also presents a brief discussion of various available software architectural patterns. An attempt is made here to find correlations between patterns existing in vastu and software architecture. Further, based on the facts established in vastu, it may be possible to build any kind of complex systems.
Parallel Ada
Authors: Burns A.
Published: November 2013

Much of the focus with multi-core hardware has been on the mapping of tasks to cores. It is important that languages can support both static and dynamic forms of this mapping. However, as the number of cores increase and platforms become more heterogeneous it becomes necessary to identify and support parallel execution within tasks. Various forms of "parallel" statement have been discussed in the literature. Here we argue for the need for simple changes to the language that can go a long way towards exploiting fine grain parallelism.
On real-time partitioned multicore systems
Authors: Zamorano Juan , de la Puente Juan A.
Published: November 2013

Partitioning is a common approach to developing mixed-criticality systems, where partitions are isolated from each other both in the temporal and the spatial domain in order to prevent low-criticality subsystems from compromising other subsystems with high level of criticality in case of misbehaviour. The advent of many-core processors, on the other hand, opens the way to highly parallel systems in which all partitions can be allocated to dedicated processor cores. This trend will simplify processor scheduling, although other issues such as mutual interference in the temporal domain may arise as a consequence of memory and device sharing. The paper describes an architecture for multi-core partitioned systems including critical subsystems built with the Ada Ravenscar profile. Some implementation issues are discussed, and experience on implementing the ORK kernel on the XtratuM partitioning hypervisor is presented.
Incorporating the deadline floor protocol in ada
Authors: Aldea Mario , Burns Alan , Gutiérrez Marina , Harbour Michael González
Published: November 2013

The Ada 2005 standard introduced "Earliest Deadline First" (EDF) as one of the supported dispatching policies. The standard specifies the "Stack Resource Protocol" (SRP) as the protocol for resource sharing among EDF tasks. During the time the SRP has been in the standard it has shown to be a relatively complex protocol. Recently, a new protocol has been proposed for resource sharing in EDF. This new protocol, called "Deadline Floor inheritance Protocol" (DFP), is simpler and more efficient than SRP while keeping all its good properties. In this paper we briefly describe both protocols and compare them from the complexity point of view. In light of its simplicity, we propose to change the language standard to include DFP instead of SRP. Some alternative modifications of the Ada Reference Manual are pointed out in order to include DFP in the most straightforward way.
Locking policies for multiprocessor ada
Authors: Burns A. , Wellings A. J.
Published: November 2013

Lock-based resource sharing protocols for single processor systems are well understood and supported in programming languages such as Ada. In contrast, multiprocessor resource sharing protocols are less well developed with no agreed best practice. In this paper we consider what the next version of Ada should support. Two proposals are considered, one requiring a minor change to the current language, another requiring a more substantial change.
Programming simple reactive systems in ada: premature program termination
Authors: Wellings A. J. , Burns A. , Cavalcanti A. L.C. , Singh N. K.
Published: November 2013

Reactive systems are systems that respond to stimuli from the environment within the time constraints imposed by the environment. This paper identifies an ease-of-use issue with Ada for developing small reactive systems. The problem is that Ada defines program termination solely in terms of whether all tasks have terminated. There are, however, some advantages in adopting a purely interrupt-driven design in the implementation of small reactive systems. With such programs, there are no tasks other than the environment task, which typically terminates when it finishes executing the main program. We argue that this is not the expected behaviour. To avoid this unexpected premature program termination, this paper proposes changes to the program termination conditions in the language so that the environment task of an active partition terminates when (1) all its dependent tasks have terminated, (2) the partition has no active timing events, and (3) no handlers are attached to interrupts that are to be serviced by the partition. However, this would be a nonbackward compatible change, and some programs that currently terminate would not terminate with the new rules if they still have attached interrupt handlers or outstanding timing events.
Coordinating multiple administration loops using discrete control
Authors: Gueye Soguy M.K. , De Palma Noel , Rutten Eric , Tchana Alain
Published: November 2013

The increasing complexity of computer systems has led to the automation of administration functions, in the form of autonomic managers. One important aspect requiring such management is the issue of energy consumption of computing systems, in the perspective of green computing. As these managers address each a specific aspect, there is a need for using several managers to cover all the domains of administration. However, coordinating them is necessary for proper and effective global administration. Such coordination is a problem of synchronization and logical control of administration operations that can be applied by autonomous managers on the managed system at a given time in response to events observed on the state of this system. We therefore propose to investigate the use of reactive models with events and states, and discrete control techniques to solve this problem. In this paper, we illustrate this approach by integrating a controller obtained by synchronous programming, based on Discrete Controller Synthesis, in an autonomic system administration infrastructure. The role of this controller is to orchestrate the execution of reconfiguration operations of all administration policies to satisfy properties of logical consistency. We apply this approach to coordinate three managers : two energy-aware ones, which control server provisioning and processor frequency, and a repair manager.
A study on micro level traffic prediction for energy-aware routers
Authors: Koyano Sou , Ata Shingo , Iwamoto Hisashi , Yano Yuji , Kuroda Yasuto , Inoue Kazunari , Oka Ikuo
Published: November 2013

For green networking, Sliced Router Architecture was proposed, which controls the power consumption of routers by adjusting the routers' performance on the basis of the volume of traffic. In this architecture, traffic prediction is used for appropriate power control of router. For obtaining the efficient gain of power reduction, we need to consider the impact of overestimation or underestimation. In this paper, we propose a traffic prediction method by considering the impact of overestimate and underestimate on power efficiency and processing performance of Sliced Router Architecture. We evaluate our method by trace-driven simulations with real traffic, we show that our approach can control the power consumption of Sliced Router without significant performance degradation.
Cardiovascular effect of angiotensin-(1–12) in the caudal ventrolateral medullary depressor area of the rat
Authors: Kawabe Tetsuya , Kawabe Kazumi , Sapru Hreday N.
Published: November 2013

Angiotensin (ANG)-(1–12) excites neurons via ANG II type 1 receptors (AT1Rs), which are present in the caudal ventrolateral medullary depressor area (CVLM). We hypothesized that microinjections of ANG-(1–12) into the CVLM may elicit decreases in mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and sympathetic nerve activity. This hypothesis was tested in urethane-anesthetized adult male Wistar rats. Microinjections of ANG-(1–12) into the CVLM elicited decreases in MAP, HR, and greater splanchnic nerve activity (GSNA). ANG-(1–12)-induced responses consisted of initial (first 1–8 min) and delayed (8–24 min) phases. Prior microinjections of losartan, A-779, and captopril into the CVLM blocked initial, delayed, and both phases of ANG-(1–12) responses, respectively. Blockade of GABA receptors in the rostral ventrolateral medullary pressor area (RVLM) attenuated cardiovascular responses elicited by microinjections of ANG-(1–12) into the ipsilateral CVLM. Microinjections of ANG-(1–12) into the CVLM potentiated the reflex decreases and attenuated the reflex increases in GSNA elicited by intravenous injections of phenylephrine and sodium nitroprusside, respectively. These results indicate that microinjections of ANG-(1–12) into the CVLM elicit decreases in MAP, HR, and GSNA. Initial and delayed phases of these responses are mediated via ANG II and ANG-(1–7), respectively; the effects of ANG II and ANG-(1–7) are mediated via AT1Rs and Mas receptors, respectively. Captopril blocked both phases of ANG-(1–12) responses, indicating that angiotensin-converting enzyme is important in mediating these responses. GABA receptors in the RVLM partly mediate the cardiovascular responses to microinjections of ANG-(1–12) into the CVLM. Microinjections of ANG-(1–12) into the CVLM modulate baroreflex responses.
Toxicity and Binding Profile of Lectins from the GenusCanavaliaon Brine Shrimp
Authors: Arruda Francisco Vassiliepe Sousa , Melo Arthur Alves , Vasconcelos Mayron Alves , Carneiro Romulo Farias , Barroso-Neto Ito Liberato , Silva Suzete Roberta , Pereira-Junior Francisco Nascimento , Nagano Celso Shiniti , Nascimento Kyria Santiago , Teixeira Edson Holanda , Saker-Sampaio Silvana , Sousa Cavada Benildo , Sampaio Alexandre Holanda
Published: November 2013

Lectins are sugar-binding proteins widely distributed in nature with many biological functions. Although many lectins have a remarkable biotechnological potential, some of them can be cytotoxic. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the toxicity of five lectins, purified from seeds of different species ofCanavaliagenus. In order to determine the toxicity, assays withArtemianauplii were performed. In addition, a fluorescence assay was carried out to evaluate the binding of lectins toArtemianauplii. In order to verify the relationship between the structure of lectins and their cytotoxic effect, structural analysis was carried out to evaluate the volume of the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) of each lectin. The results showed that all lectins exhibited different toxicities and bound to a similar area in the digestive tract ofArtemianauplii. Concerning the structural analysis, differences in spatial arrangement and volume of CRD may explain the variation of the toxicity exhibited by each lectin. To this date, this is the first study that establishes a link between toxicity and structure of CRD from Diocleinae lectins.
Renovation and Reuse of Reactive Dyeing Effluent by a Novel Heterogeneous Fenton System Based on Metal Modified PTFE Fibrous Catalyst/H2O2
Authors: Li Bing , Dong Yongchun , Ding Zhizhong , Xu Yiming , Zou Chi
Published: November 2013

Cu-Fe bimetallic grafted polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fiber complexes were prepared and optimized as the novel heterogeneous Fenton catalysts for the degradation of reactive dyes under UV irradiation. Cotton fabrics were dyed with three reactive dyes, namely, Reactive Red 195, Reactive Yellow 145, and Reactive Blue 222, in tap fresh water using exhaustion process. The spent dyeing effluents were then collected and degraded with the optimized Cu-Fe bimetallic grafted PTFE fiber complex/H2O2system. The treated dyeing effluents were characterized and reused for the dyeing of cotton fabrics through the same process. The effect of reuse process number on quality of the dyed cotton fabrics was examined. The results indicated that the Cu-Fe bimetallic modified PTFE fiber complex with a Cu/Fe molar ratio of 2.87 was found to be the most effective fibrous catalyst, which enhanced complete decolorization of the treated dyeing effluents with H2O2in 4 h. However, the TOC removal for the treated dyeing effluents was below 80%. The dyeing quality was not affected for three successive cycles. The increase in residual TOC value influences fourth dyeing cycle. Further TOC reduction of the treated effluents is needed for its repeated reuse in more than three dyeing cycles.
Oral Anticoagulant Therapy in Patients Receiving Haemodialysis: Is It Time to Abandon It?
Authors: Saracyn Marek , Brodowska-Kania Dorota , Niemczyk Stanisław
Published: November 2013

Oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy in haemodialysis patients causes a great deal of controversy. This is because a number of pro‐ and anticoagulant factors play an important role in end‐stage renal failure due to the nature of the disease itself. In these conditions, the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the OACs used change as well. In the case of the treatment of venous thromboembolism, the only remaining option is OAC treatment according to regimens used for the general population. Prevention of HD vascular access thrombosis with the use of OACs is not very effective and can be dangerous. However, OAC treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation in dialysis population may be associated with an increase in the incidence of stroke and mortality. Doubts should be dispelled by prospective, randomised studies; at the moment, there is no justification for routine use of OACs in the above‐mentioned indications. In selected cases of OAC therapy in this group of patients, it is absolutely necessary to control and monitor the applied treatment thoroughly. Indications for the use of OACs in patients with end‐stage renal disease, including haemodialysis patients, should be currently limited.
The MINOS Experiment: Results and Prospects
Authors: Evans J. J.
Published: November 2013

The MINOS experiment has used the world’s most powerful neutrino beam to make precision neutrino oscillation measurements. By observing the disappearance of muon neutrinos, MINOS has made the world’s most precise measurement of the larger neutrino mass splitting and has measured the neutrino mixing angleθ23. Using a dedicated antineutrino beam, MINOS has made the first direct precision measurements of the corresponding antineutrino parameters. A search forνeandν-eappearance has enabled a measurement of the mixing angleθ13. A measurement of the neutral-current interaction rate has confirmed oscillation between three active neutrino flavours. MINOS will continue as MINOS+ in an upgraded beam with higher energy and intensity, allowing precision tests of the three-flavour neutrino oscillation picture, in particular a very sensitive search for the existence of sterile neutrinos.
A Comparative Study of Theoretical Graph Models for Characterizing Structural Networks of Human Brain
Authors: Li Xiaojin , Hu Xintao , Jin Changfeng , Han Junwei , Liu Tianming , Guo Lei , Hao Wei , Li Lingjiang
Published: November 2013

Previous studies have investigated both structural and functional brain networks via graph-theoretical methods. However, there is an important issue that has not been adequately discussed before: what is the optimal theoretical graph model for describing the structural networks of human brain? In this paper, we perform a comparative study to address this problem. Firstly, large-scale cortical regions of interest (ROIs) are localized by recently developed and validated brain reference system named Dense Individualized Common Connectivity-based Cortical Landmarks (DICCCOL) to address the limitations in the identification of the brain network ROIs in previous studies. Then, we construct structural brain networks based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data. Afterwards, the global and local graph properties of the constructed structural brain networks are measured using the state-of-the-art graph analysis algorithms and tools and are further compared with seven popular theoretical graph models. In addition, we compare the topological properties between two graph models, namely, stickiness-index-based model (STICKY) and scale-free gene duplication model (SF-GD), that have higher similarity with the real structural brain networks in terms of global and local graph properties. Our experimental results suggest that among the seven theoretical graph models compared in this study, STICKY and SF-GD models have better performances in characterizing the structural human brain network.
Characterization of an Antihypertensive Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptide from the Edible MushroomHypsizygus marmoreus
Authors: Kang Min-Gu , Kim Young-Hun , Bolormaa Zanabaatar , Kim Min-Kyung , Seo Geon-Sik , Lee Jong-Soo
Published: November 2013

Hypertension is one of the very serious diseases and, recently, hypertensive patient longevity has been increased significantly. Therefore, the development of new antihypertensive drugs or bioactive compounds is very important to remedy or prevent hypertension. The antihypertensive angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor in water extracts from the brown-cultivar-fruiting-body ofHypsizygus marmoreuswas purified with ultrafiltration, C18solid phase extraction chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC, and the purified ACE inhibitor with inhibitory activity of IC50value of 0.19 mg/mL was obtained. The purified ACE inhibitor was found to be a new oligopeptide with the sequence LSMGSASLSP. Its molecular weight was estimated to be 567.3 Da and the water extracts containing ACE inhibitor fromHypsizygus marmoreusshowed a clear antihypertensive action a spontaneously hypertensive rat.
Larvicidal, Ovicidal, and Repellent Activities of Marine Sponge Cliona celata (Grant) Extracts against Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Reegan Appadurai Daniel , Kinsalin Arokia Valan , Paulraj Michael Gabriel , Ignacimuthu Savarimuthu
Published: November 2013

Solvent extracts of marine sponge Cliona celata (Grant) were screened for larvicidal, ovicidal, and repellent properties against the filarial vector Culex quinquefasciatus Say and dengue vector Aedes aegypti L. Larvicidal and ovicidal activities of hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts were tested in four different concentrations ranging as 62.5, 125, 250, and 500 ppm. Among the three solvent extracts of C. celata, methanol extract showed the highest larvicidal activity at 500 ppm against both mosquito species. The LC50 and LC90 values of C. celata methanol extract were recorded as 95.63 and 242.16 ppm against C. quinquefasciatus larvae and 158.40 and 780.16 ppm against A. aegypti larvae, respectively. Ovicidal activity was high in methanol extract, in which 100% ovicidal activity was recorded in C. quinquefasciatus, and 72% ovicidal activity was recorded in A. aegypti at 500 ppm. The hexane extract was found to be the most effective protectant against the adult mosquitoes of both species. The mean protection time recorded in hexane extract was up to 273 and 165 min at 5 mg/cm2 dosage against C. quinquefasciatus and A. aegypti, respectively. Considering these bioactivities, C. celata could be used to obtain some novel pesticidal molecules.
Modeling and Application of a New Nonlinear Fractional Financial Model
Authors: Yue Yiding , He Lei , Liu Guanchun
Published: November 2013

The paper proposes a new nonlinear dynamic econometric model with fractional derivative. The fractional derivative is defined in the Jumarie type. The corresponding discrete financial system is considered by removing the limit operation in Jumarie derivative’s. We estimate the coefficients and parameters of the model by using the least squared principle. The new approach to financial system modeling is illustrated by an application to model the behavior of Japanese national financial system which consists of interest rate, investment, and inflation. The empirical results with different time step sizes of discretization are shown, and a comparison of the actual data against the data estimated by empirical model is illustrated. We find that our discrete financial model can describe the actual data that include interest rate, investment, and inflation accurately.
SVM versus MAP on Accelerometer Data to Distinguish among Locomotor Activities Executed at Different Speeds
Authors: Schmid Maurizio , Riganti-Fulginei Francesco , Bernabucci Ivan , Laudani Antonino , Bibbo Daniele , Muscillo Rossana , Salvini Alessandro , Conforto Silvia
Published: November 2013

Two approaches to the classification of different locomotor activities performed at various speeds are here presented and evaluated: a maximum a posteriori (MAP) Bayes’ classification scheme and a Support Vector Machine (SVM) are applied on a 2D projection of 16 features extracted from accelerometer data. The locomotor activities (level walking, stair climbing, and stair descending) were recorded by an inertial sensor placed on the shank (preferred leg), performed in a natural indoor-outdoor scenario by 10 healthy young adults (age 25–35 yrs.). From each segmented activity epoch, sixteen features were chosen in the frequency and time domain. Dimension reduction was then performed through 2D Sammon’s mapping. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was trained to mimic Sammon’s mapping on the whole dataset. In the Bayes’ approach, the two features were then fed to a Bayes’ classifier that incorporates an update rule, while, in the SVM scheme, the ANN was considered as the kernel function of the classifier. Bayes’ approach performed slightly better than SVM on both the training set (91.4% versus 90.7%) and the testing set (84.2% versus 76.0%), favoring the proposed Bayes’ scheme as more suitable than the proposed SVM in distinguishing among the different monitored activities.
Tannic Acid Preferentially Targets Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer
Authors: Booth Brian W. , Inskeep Beau D. , Shah Hiral , Park Jang Pyo , Hay Elizabeth J. , Burg Karen J. L.
Published: November 2013

Research efforts investigating the potential of natural compounds in the fight against cancer are growing. Tannic acid (TA) belongs to the class of hydrolysable tannins and is found in numerous plants and foods. TA is a potent collagen cross-linking agent; the purpose of this study was to generate TA-cross-linked beads and assess the effects on breast cancer cell growth. Collagen beads were stable at body temperature following crosslinking. Exposure to collagen beads with higher levels of TA inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in normal and cancer cells. TA-induced apoptosis involved activation of caspase 3/7 and caspase 9 but not caspase 8. Breast cancer cells expressing the estrogen receptor were more susceptible to the effects of TA. Taken together the results suggest that TA has the potential to become an anti-ER+breast cancer treatment or preventative agent.
The Study on Biocompatibility of Porous nHA/PLGA Composite Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering with Rabbit ChondrocytesIn Vitro
Authors: Chen Lei , Zhu Wei-Min , Fei Zhi-Qiang , Chen Jie-Lin , Xiong Jian-Yi , Zhang Ju-Feng , Duan Li , Huang Jianghong , Liu Zhiyong , Wang Daping , Zeng Yanjun
Published: November 2013

Objective. To examine the biocompatibility of a novel nanohydroxyapatite/poly[lactic-co-glycolic acid] (nHA/PLGA) composite and evaluate its feasibility as a scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering.Methods. Chondrocytes of fetal rabbit were cultured with nHA/PLGA scaffoldin vitroand the cell viability was assessed by MTT assay first. Cells adhering to nHA/PLGA scaffold were then observed by inverted microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The cell cycle profile was analyzed by flow cytometry.Results. The viability of the chondrocytes on the scaffold was not affected by nHA/PLGA comparing with the control group as it was shown by MTT assay. Cells on the surface and in the pores of the scaffold increased in a time-dependent manner. Results obtained from flow cytometry showed that there was no significant difference in cell cycle profiles between the coculture group and control (P>0.05).Conclusion. The porous nHA/PLGA composite scaffold is a biocompatible and good kind of scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering.
Handing Tolerance Problem in Fault Diagnosis of Linear-Analogue Circuits with Accurate Statistics Approach
Authors: Gao Xin , Wang HouJun , Liu Zhen
Published: November 2013

The tolerance handling in analogue fault diagnosis is a challenging problem. Although lots of methods are effective for fault diagnosis, it is hard to apply them to the case with tolerance influence. In this paper, a robust statistics-based approach is introduced for tolerance-influencing fault diagnosis. The advantage of this proposed method is that it can accurately locate the data fusion among fault states. In addition, the results in analogue benchmark (e.g., linear voltage divider circuit) indicate that it is effective in fault diagnosis in accordance with given fault diagnostic requirements (e.g., fault diagnosis error, fault detection rate).
Three Cases with Visual Hallucinations following Combined Ocular and Occipital Damage
Authors: Paradowski Bogusław , Kowalczyk Edyta , Chojdak-Łukasiewicz Justyna , Loster-Niewińska Aleksandra , Służewska-Niedźwiedź Monika
Published: November 2013

Charles Bonnet syndrome is an underrecognized disease that involves visual hallucinations in visually impaired patients. We present the cases of three patients who experienced complex visual hallucinations following various pathomechanisms. In two cases, diagnosis showed coexistence of occipital lobe damage with ocular damage, while in the third case it showed occipital lobe damage with retrobulbar optic neuritis. Theories of pathogenesis and the neuroanatomical basis of complex visual hallucinations are discussed and supported by literature review.
Pilot Study of Acupuncture Point Laterality: Evidence from Heart Rate Variability
Authors: Wang Guangjun , Tian Yuying , Jia Shuyong , Zhou Wenting , Zhang Weibo
Published: November 2013

The specificity of acupuncture points (acupoints) is one of the key concepts in traditional acupuncture theory, but the question of whether there is adequate scientific evidence to prove or disprove specificity has been vigorously debated in recent years. Laterality, or the tendency for acupoints on the right or left side of the body to produce different physiological effects, is an important aspect of acupoint specificity. Data is particularly scarce regarding the laterality of the same channel, same-named acupoint located on opposite sides of the body. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Neiguan (PC6) has laterality. A total of eighteen healthy female volunteers were recruited for this study. Electrocardiograms were recorded and heart rate variability was analyzed before, during, and after PC6 was stimulated on either the left or the right side. The results show that during acupuncture, there were significant differences in the standard deviation of RR intervals (STDRR), root mean square of successive differences between RR intervals (RMSSD), and total power between the left PC6 stimulation group and the right PC6 stimulation group, which indicates that PC6 may have laterality.
Renal Denervation for Treating Resistant Hypertension: Current Evidence and Future Insights from a Global Perspective
Authors: Castro Torres Y. , Katholi Richard E.
Published: November 2013

Adequate blood pressure control represents an important goal for all physicians due to the complications of hypertension which reduce patients' quality of life. A new interventional strategy to reduce blood pressure has been developed for patients with resistant hypertension. Catheter-based renal denervation has demonstrated excellent results in recent investigations associated with few side effects. With the growing diffusion of this technique worldwide, some medical societies have published consensus statements to guide physicians how to best apply this procedure. Questions remain to be answered such as the long-term durability of renal denervation, the efficacy in patients with other sympathetically mediated diseases, and whether renal denervation would benefit patients with stage 1 hypertension.
The Inhibitory Effect of 3β-Hydroxy-12-oleanen-27-oic Acid on Growth and Motility of Human Hepatoma HepG2 Cells through JNK and Akt Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wang Juanjuan , Chen Xiangfeng , Zhou Zhihua , Li Jinhui , Sun Hongxiang
Published: November 2013

3β-Hydroxy-12-oleanen-27-oic acid (ATA) was a main antitumor active triterpene from the rhizomes ofAstilbe chinensis. In this study, we investigated its effects on growth, apoptosis, cell cycle, motility/invasion, and metatasis in human hepatoma HepG2 cellsin vitroand antimetastasis of B16-F10 melanoma in micein vivo, as well as its molecular mechanisms of action using a high-throughput Cancer Pathway Finder PCR Array. ATA could not only induce tumor cells into apoptosis through the activation of both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, arrest HepG2 cells in G2/M phase, but also suppress the invasion and metastasis abilities of HepG2 cells and the lung metastasis of B16-F10 melanoma in mice. PCR array assay revealed that ATA upregulated 9 genes including CDKN1A, MDM2, CFLAR (CASPER), TNFRSF10B (DR5), c-Jun, IL-8, THBS1, SERPINB5 (maspin), and TNF and downregulated 8 genes such as CCNE1, AKT, ANGPT1, TEK, TGFBR1, MMP9, U-PA, and S100A4. These results indicate that ATA could exert antitumor effects through activating JNK/MAPK and suppressing AKT signal transduction pathways and that ATA might be a potent anticancer agent.
Lung Metastasis of Primary Alveolar Soft-Part Sarcoma Occurring 20 Years after Initial Treatment
Authors: Falkenstern-Ge R. F. , Kimmich M. , Wohlleber M. , Grabner A. , Friedel G. , Ott G. , Leuschner I. , Kohlhäufl M.
Published: November 2013

A 30-year old woman was referred to our center because of suspicion of a primary lung tumor of the right upper lobe. Histological examination of the lung lesion revealed lung metastasis of a previously treated alveolar soft part sarcoma of the musculus vastus medialis of the right femur, which was resected 20 years ago. Alveolar soft-part sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor that occurs most often in the soft tissue of lower limbs. It is a slow-growing malignant soft tissue tumor arising in muscle tissue, usually in young adults. Due to pleural and extensive mediastinal infiltration with bilateral lung metastases, a systemic treatment with chemotherapy doxorubicin and ifosfamide was initiated. Late metastases from previously treated alveolar part sarcoma should be considered in patients with suspicious lung lesions even if surgical treatment was performed a long time ago.
Effective Atomic Number Determination of Rare Earth Oxides with Scattering Intensity Ratio
Authors: Turşucu A. , Demir D. , Önder P.
Published: November 2013

Effective atomic numbers () of scientific samples (rare earth) were determined experimentally by scattering of 59.54 keV gamma photons from 5 Ci241Am annular radioactive source. The scattered gamma photons were collected by using a high-resolution HPGe semiconductor detector placed at to the incident beam. This experiment was carried out on several elements in the atomic range for 59.54 keV incident photons. Photopeak efficiency and air and sample absorption corrections were performed on Rayleigh to Compton scattering intensity ratio; then the ratio was plotted as a function of atomic number and a fit curve was constituted. The effective atomic numbers of rare earth oxide samples were determined by this fit curve. Also, related parameters were determined by absorption technique with the same incident photon energy. Obtained values from this fit curve were compared to theoretical values and were found to closely agree with theoretical calculations.
Iatrogenic Penile Glans Amputation: Major Novel Reconstructive Procedure
Authors: Nasr Rami , Traboulsi Samer L. , Abou Ghaida Rami R. , Bakhach Joseph
Published: November 2013

Circumcision is a very common urological practice. Even though it is relatively safe, it is not a complication-free procedure. We describe a patient that underwent a neonatal circumcision complicated by iatrogenic complete glans amputation. Reconstructive repair of a neoglans using a modified traditional method was used. Postoperative followup to 90 days is illustrated. Despite being a simple procedure, circumcision in unprofessional hands can have major complication impacting the emotional and sexual life of patients. Surgical reconstruction is possible with varying satisfactory results.