bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The economic evaluation of investments in a Performance Monitoring and Maintenance Management System for transportation companies
Authors: Ludema Ir. Marcel. W. 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTTransportation companies face the problem of recurrent maintenance activities needed during periods the transportation equipment is not near a preferred maintenance facility. By introducing a Performance Monitoring and Maintenance Management System (P3M‐system), the knowledge of these companies concerning performance and maintenance related matters may improve. This knowledge and the continuous data flow from the transportation equipment via a performance and maintenance planning computer program makes it possible for transportation companies to increase the effectiveness of their transportation system. At the same time it may decrease the maintenance costs. This research found, that only a recurrent use of a for the above described situation developed economic evaluation method will provide these transportation companies with the answer of how much they might benefit from an investment in a P3M‐system.
Test and Evaluation as an Integrated Process in IPPD Efforts
Authors: Roe Charles L. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractSystems engineering of complex systems under IPPD methodology ensures the integration of all products and processes. This approach includes test and evaluation planning, which may occur at several stages during complex system development, i.e., at the subsystem, system, and supersystem levels. The structure of a project under IPPD must include the assignment of responsible teams and the chartered interaction among those teams so that test and evaluation can be performed across the board. This will ensure the integration of all components into a total system to meet project goals.
Ranger Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) System & Software Requirements Management ‐ A Case Study
Authors: Engel Avner , Hurvitz Joshua , Winokur Michael 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThis paper describes the System and Software Requirements Management experience and lessons learned during the development of the Ranger Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) System. The Ranger Project involved a multi national collaborative effort, which despite its geographical dispersion was able to successfully produce a large scale, real time system with a complex set of requirements, testing stipulations and an extensive set of formal documentation.Requirements Management (RM), the focus of this study utilized a Commercial‐Off‐The Shelf (COTS) Data Base Management System (DBMS) and an in‐house developed man‐machine front‐end which supervised and controlled the access to the DBMS. These were used to elicit System requirements which were provided to the hardware and software engineers for further decomposition. Requirements, design, and testing documents were generated from the DBMS and from a back‐end document generator.
Understanding Complex Technology Quantitatively: Impact Estimation Tables
Authors: Gilb Tom 
Published: November 2014

AbstractImpact Estimation (IE) Tables allow you to analyze any technical or organizational idea (design idea) in relation to requirements (objectives) and costs (resources).IE is a more objective and more quantitative alternative to Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and other similar techniques. IE uses estimates of the percentage impacts of design ideas on requirements and costs. While IE is not a mathematically rigorous approach, the introduction of quantitative data greatly improves clarity and allows simple numeric calculations to determine cost‐to‐benefit ratios for design ideas and, the numeric likelihood of meeting objectives.IE also supports the planning and control of evolutionary delivery steps.
Comparative local immunogenic potential of scaffolds prepared from porcine cholecyst, jejunum, and urinary bladder in rat subcutaneous model
Authors: Muhamed Jaseer , Revi Deepa , Rajan Akhila , Anilkumar Thapasimuthu V. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractExtracellular matrices isolated from several mammalian organs/tissues have found several clinical uses as xenografts or implants. However, they may cause complications because of adverse immunologic reactions. Scaffolds that promote favorable graft‐acceptance reaction are preferred for fabricating xenografts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the immunogenic potential of a porcine cholecyst‐derived scaffold (CDS), prepared by a non‐detergent/enzymatic method, in comparison with jejunum and urinary bladder‐derived scaffolds in a rat subcutaneous model. Key graft‐rejection/acceptance reaction was evaluated at the site of implantation by studying the occurrence and/or function of immunocompetent cells in the tissue reaction. There was differential occurrence of M1‐macrophage, M2‐macrophage, T‐helper cells, T‐cytotoxic cells, B‐cells, and mast cells in the tissue reaction and the CDS attracted few cells compared with other scaffolds. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction for evaluating mRNA of functional markers like inducible nitric oxide synthase (M1 macrophage), arginase 1 (M2 macrophage), interferon gamma (TH1 lymphocytes), and interlukin‐4 (TH2 lymphocytes) suggested that the CDS, compared with the scaffolds prepared from small intestine and urinary bladder, elicited M2 macrophage and TH2 lymphocyte polarization that are congenial graft‐acceptance reactions. The results indicated that CDS has less immunogenic potential compared with the scaffolds prepared from jejunum and urinary bladder when used as subcutaneous graft in rats. It was concluded that CDS is a promising animal‐derived xenograft for biomedical application. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 103B: 1302–1311, 2015.
MS‐2 and T4 phage removal in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR): effect of gas sparging rate
Authors: Fox Rachel , Stuckey David 
Published: November 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe enhanced removal of viruses in wastewater treatments plant is important due to concerns about public health. Bacteriophages (or phages) are often used to model the behavior of pathogenic human viruses as they are similar in size, structure and behavior. This study investigated the removal of phages MS‐2 (25 nm) and T4 (200 nm) in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) with a membrane pore size of 0.4 µm.RESULTSThe membrane reactor without biomass was assessed and its log removal was 0.7 ± 0.4 log for the MS‐2 phage, and 2.3 ± 0.2 log for the T4. When anaerobic biomass was added to the reactor the log removal for both phages increased, and this was thought to be due to a complex relationship with the biofilm on the membrane.CONCLUSIONSOverall MS‐2 rejections ranged from 1.75 up to 5.5 log, with the highest rejections observed at the highest sparging rates after extensive fouling had occurred. For T4, removal in the AnMBR ranged from 5 log up to complete removal (>log 7). © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Brief exposure of embryos to steroids or aromatase inhibitor induces sex reversal in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Authors: Gennotte Vincent , Mafwila Kinkela Patrick , Ulysse Bernard , Akian Djétouan Dieudonné , Bere Sompagnimdi Frédéric , Tomson Thomas , Mélard Charles , Rougeot Carole 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to develop sex reversal procedures targeting the embryonic period as tools to study the early steps of sex differentiation in Nile tilapia with XX, XY, and YY sexual genotypes. XX eggs were exposed to masculinizing treatments with androgens (17α‐methyltestosterone, 11‐ketotestosterone) or aromatase inhibitor (Fadrozole), whereas XY and YY eggs were subjected to feminizing treatments with estrogen analog (17α‐ethynylestradiol). All treatments consisted of a single or double 4‐hr immersion applied between 1 and 36 hour post‐fertilization (hpf). Concentrations of active substances were 1000 or 2000 μg l−1 in XX and XY, and 2000 or 6500 μg l−1 in YY. Masculinizing treatments of XX embryos achieved a maximal sex reversal rate of 10% with an exposure at 24 hpf to 1000 μg l−1 of 11‐ketotestosterone or to 2000 μg l−1 of Fadrozole. Feminization of XY embryos was more efficient and induced up to 91% sex reversal with an exposure to 2000 μg l−1 of 17α‐ethynylestradiol. Interestingly, similar treatments failed to reverse YY fish to females, suggesting either that a sex determinant linked to the Y chromosome prevents the female pathway when present in two copies, or that a gene present on the X chromosome is needed for the development of a female phenotype. J. Exp. Zool. 323A: 31–38, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Kinetics and Mechanistic Approach to the Oxidative Behavior of Biological Anticancer Platinum(IV) Complex toward ‐Asparagine in Acid Medium and the Effect of Copper(II) Catalyst
Authors: FAWZY AHMED 
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACTThe catalytic effect of copper(II) ions toward the oxidation of ‐asparagine (Asn) by an anticancer platinum(IV) complex in the form of hexachloroplatinate(IV) (HCP) has been investigated in aqueous acid medium at the constant ionic strength and temperature. The progress of both uncatalyzed and copper(II)‐catalyzed oxidation reactions has been monitored spectrophotometrically. The stoichiometry in both cases is [Asn]/[HCP] = 1:1. The kinetics of both redox reactions is first order with respect to [oxidant] and less than the unit order in [acid]. The order with respect to [Asn]T decreases from unity in the uncatalyzed path to less than unity in the catalyzed one. The catalyzed path is first order in [CuII]T. Increasing ionic strength and dielectric constant decreases the oxidation rates. The final oxidation products of ‐asparagine are identified as the corresponding aldehyde (α‐formyl acetamide), ammonium ion, and carbon dioxide. Tentative mechanisms of both reactions have been suggested. The appropriate rate laws are deduced. The activation parameters of the uncatalyzed reaction have been evaluated and discussed.
Heating‐Responsive Shape‐Memory Effect in Thermoplastic Polyurethanes with Low Melt‐Flow Index
Authors: Sun Li , Huang Wei Min , Lu Haibao , Lim Kok Jiak , Zhou Ye , Wang Tao Xi , Gao Xiang Yang 
Published: November 2014

The heating‐responsive shape‐memory effect (SME) based on melting in two thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) with low melt‐flow index is experimentally investigated. It is revealed that after severe deformation in either tension or impression at room temperature, upon heating to the melting temperature, significant shape recovery is achieved. The underlying mechanism for the heating‐responsive shape recovery (based on melting) in such a type of polymers without crosslinking is proposed. This mechanism is generic and should be applicable to most thermoplastic polymers with a low melt‐flow index.
image
Preparation of Epoxy/Jeffamine Networks Modified With Phosphonium Based Ionic Liquids
Authors: Soares Bluma G. , Silva Adriana A. , Pereira Jéssica , Livi Sébastien 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThis study investigates the influence of different ionic liquids (ILs) based on tetraalkyl‐phosphonium cations on the dynamic‐mechanical, ionic conductivity as well as morphology of epoxy resin based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A cured with poly(propyleneglycol) bis(2‐aminopropyl ether), aiming to develop new thermosetting systems with confined ionic liquid. The ionic liquids include trihexyl(tetradecyl)‐phosphoniumdicyanamide, trihexyl(tetradecyl) phosphonium‐bis(trifluoromethane‐sulfonyl)imide) and tributyl(tetradecyl) phosphonium‐dodecylbenzenesulfonate. The effect of these ILs on the morphology, dynamic‐mechanical, ionic conductivity and tensile properties of DGEBA networks is investigated.
Arctigenin in combination with quercetin synergistically enhances the antiproliferative effect in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Wang Piwen , Phan Tien , Gordon David , Chung Seyung , Henning Susanne M. , Vadgama Jaydutt V. 
Published: November 2014

ScopeWe investigated whether a combination of two promising chemopreventive agents arctigenin (Arc) and quercetin (Q) increases the anticarcinogenic potency at lower concentrations than necessary when used individually in prostate cancer.Methods and resultsAndrogen‐dependent LAPC‐4 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells were treated with low doses of Arc and Q alone or in combination for 48 h. The antiproliferative activity of Arc was 10‐ to 20‐fold stronger than Q in both cell lines. Their combination synergistically enhanced the antiproliferative effect, with a stronger effect in androgen receptor (AR) wild‐type LAPC‐4 cells than in AR mutated LNCaP cells. Arc demonstrated a strong ability to inhibit AR protein expression in LAPC‐4 cells. The combination treatment significantly inhibited both AR and PI3K/Akt pathways compared to control. A protein array analysis revealed that the mixture targets multiple pathways particularly in LAPC‐4 cells including Stat3 pathway. The mixture significantly inhibited the expression of several oncogenic microRNAs including miR‐21, miR‐19b, and miR‐148a compared to control. The mixture also enhanced the inhibition of cell migration in both cell lines compared to individual compounds tested.ConclusionThe combination of Arc and Q that target similar pathways, at low physiological doses, provides a novel regimen with enhanced chemoprevention in prostate cancer.
Prehistoric Whale Bone Technology in Southern New Zealand
Authors: Cunliffe E. A. , Brooks E. 
Published: November 2014

AbstractWhale bone was used by Māori throughout New Zealand prehistory as an industrial resource for the manufacture of a range of artefacts. However, the selection of bone and the methods used to process it are poorly understood. This paper details the analysis of a southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) bone working floor that was excavated from a fifteenth‐century coastal fishing camp at Kahukura, on the southeast coast of New Zealand. The whale bone working floor assemblage, comprising a large quantity of debitage fragments, was used to reconstruct reduction methods and to determine the products being made at the site. Rib bones were the main element being worked, and were reduced longitudinally using a chipping technique. The intensive bone working assemblage at Kahukura represents the by‐products from primary processing. This stage focused on reducing the bones into workable portions so that they could be easily transported to another location, where they were likely further reduced into artefacts. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intrahepatic fat content correlates with soluble CD163 in relation to weight loss induced by Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass
Authors: Fjeldborg Karen , Pedersen Steen B. , Møller Holger J. , Rask Peter , Danielsen Allan Vestergaard , Stødkilde‐Jørgensen Hans , Richelsen Bjørn 
Published: November 2014

ObjectiveSoluble CD163 (sCD163) is a new marker of obesity‐related metabolic complications. sCD163 and CD163 mRNA were investigated in relation to the fat distribution at baseline and 12 months after Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB).MethodsThirty‐one obese subjects (BMI: 42.3 ± 4.7 kg/m2) were enrolled. Subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volume were determined by MRI, intrahepatic lipid content (IHL) by MR‐spectroscopy, and body composition by DXA. Fasting blood samples and adipose tissue samples were obtained, and ELISA and RT‐PCR were performed.ResultsRYGB‐induced weight loss (36 ± 11 kg) was accompanied by a significant reduction in sCD163 (2.1 ± 0.8 mg/l vs. 1.7 ± 0.7 mg/l), SAT, VAT, and IHL (all, P < 0.001). At baseline, sCD163 was associated with VAT (r = 0.40, P < 0.05) but not with SAT or IHL. Moreover, CD163 mRNA was significantly upregulated in VAT compared with SAT at baseline (P < 0.05) and significantly downregulated in SAT after RYGB (P < 0.001). ΔsCD163 was significantly associated with ΔIHL after RYGB compared with baseline (r = 0.40, P < 0.05).ConclusionsRYGB‐induced weight loss results in a reduction of sCD163 and CD163 mRNA. The association between ΔsCD163 and ΔIHL may reflect a reduction in sCD163‐producing Kupffer cells in the liver. Moreover, sCD163 may be a marker of “unhealthy” fat distribution in obese subjects.
Fibro‐porous poliglecaprone/polycaprolactone conduits: synergistic effect of composition and in vitro degradation on mechanical properties
Authors: Patel Harsh N , Garcia Roman , Schindler Carrie , Dean Derrick , Pogwizd Steven M , Singh Raj , Vohra Yogesh K , Thomas Vinoy 
Published: November 2014

AbstractBlends of poliglecaprone (PGC) and polycaprolactone (PCL) of varying compositions were electrospun into tubular conduits and their mechanical, morphological, thermal and in vitro degradation properties were evaluated under simulated physiological conditions. Generally, mechanical strength, modulus and hydrophilic nature were enhanced by the addition of PGC to PCL. An in vitro degradation study in phosphate‐buffered saline (pH 7.3) was carried out for up to 1 month to understand the hydrolytic degradation effect on the mechanical properties in both the longitudinal and circumferential directions. Pure PCL and 4:1 PCL/PGC blend scaffolds exhibited considerable elastic stiffening after a 1 month in vitro degradation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic and DSC techniques were used to understand the degradation behavior and the changes in structure and crystallinity of the polymeric blends. A 3:1 PCL/PGC blend was concluded to be a judicious blend composition for tubular grafts based on overall results on the mechanical properties and performance after a 1 month in vitro degradation study. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
1‐(2H‐Tetrazolyl)‐1,2,4‐triazole‐5‐amine(TzTA) – A Thermally Stable Nitrogen Rich Energetic Material: Synthesis, Characterization and Thermo‐Chemical Analysis
Authors: Nimesh Sasidharan , Ang How‐Ghee 
Published: November 2014

AbstractThe targeted high nitrogen energetic material 1‐(2H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)‐1,2,4‐triazol‐5‐amine (TzTA) was synthesized from 3‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole via a two‐step procedure using cyanogen bromide and sodium azide. TzTA was prepared in good yields and characterized using analytical (elemental) and spectroscopic (IR, Raman, NMR) techniques. The crystal structure of sulfate salt of the molecule was solved by means of low temperature X‐ray crystallography, which showed the co‐planarity of the two rings. The sulfate salt of the molecule crystallized in monoclinic system P21/n, with a crystal density of 1.856 g cm−3. The thermal stability of the molecule was assessed by DSC. The molecule showed excellent thermal stability better than many known nitrogen rich energetic molecules and showed comparable thermal stability with HMX. Non‐isothermal kinetics was performed on the molecule to derive the activation energy. Constant volume combustion energy was determined using oxygen bomb calorimeter and back calculated the heat of formation. Preliminary insight on the gas generating capability of the molecule was tested by measuring the dynamic pressure generated inside a closed bomb. Dynamic pressure of an oxygen balanced system (TzTA and ADN) was also measured using the Parr dynamic pressure measurement system.
1‐Adamantanethiol as a versatile nanografting tool
Authors: Drexler Chad I. , Causey Corey P. , Mullen Thomas J. 
Published: November 2014

SummaryStrategies to regulate the self‐assembly of adsorbates to create surface structures with molecular‐scale features and organization are of broad interest to nanoscience, biochemistry, and engineering. One approach utilizes molecules with tailored intermolecular interaction strengths and topologies to direct molecular self‐assembly as exemplified by the adsorption of 1‐adamantanethiol molecules on Au{111} substrates. 1‐Adamantanethiolate self‐assembled monolayers exhibit decreased packing densities and weaker intermolecular interaction strengths than n‐alkanethiolate self‐assembled monolayers, which result in their complete displacement upon exposure to n‐alkanethiol molecules. Herein, we explore the capabilities of the atomic force microscopy‐based lithographic technique, nanografting, to fabricate chemical patterns comprised of 1‐adamantanethiolate monolayers. Positive 1‐adamantanethiolate patterns are generated by nanografting 1‐adamantanethiol molecules into preexisting n‐alkanethiolate self‐assembled monolayers, and negative 1‐adamantanethiolate patterns are created by nanografting n‐alkanethiol molecules into preexisting 1‐adamantanethiolate self‐assembled monolayers. The patterned 1‐adamantanethiolate regions are displaced upon exposure to solutions of n‐alkanethiol molecules. This two‐step nanografting‐displacement strategy minimizes pattern dissolution as 1‐adamantanethiol molecules do not intercalate into the preexisting self‐assembled monolayer during nanografting. 1‐Adamantanethiol can be utilized create high‐resolution sacrificial chemical patterns with feature sizes beyond those afforded other 1‐adamantanethiol patterning strategies for applications such as resists for metallic and organic structures. SCANNING 37:6–16, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Experimental evaluation of various register‐pressure‐reduction heuristics
Authors: Shobaki Ghassan , Sakka Laith , Abu Rmaileh Najm Eldeen , Al‐Hamash Hasan 
Published: November 2014

SummaryMinimizing the amount of spill code is still an open problem in code generation and optimization. The amount of spill code depends on both the register allocation algorithm and the pre‐allocation instruction scheduling algorithm that controls the register pressure. In this paper, we focus on the impact of pre‐allocation instruction scheduling on the amount of spill code. Many heuristic techniques have been proposed to do instruction scheduling with the objective of minimizing register pressure and consequently the amount of spill code. However, the performance of these heuristic techniques has not been studied relative to optimality on real large‐scale programs. In this paper, we present an experimental study that evaluates the performance of several pre‐allocation scheduling heuristics. The evaluation involves computing an experimental lower bound on the size of gap between each heuristic's performance and optimal performance. We also propose a simple heuristic technique based on a specific permutation of two basic priority schemes and experimentally evaluate the performance of this technique compared with other heuristics, including the heuristics implemented in the LLVM open‐source Compiler. The evaluation is carried out by running SPEC CPU2006 on real x86‐64 hardware and measuring both the amount of spill code and the execution time. The results of our study show that the proposed heuristic technique gives better overall performance than LLVM's best heuristic on x86‐64, although it produces slightly more spilling. The proposed heuristic has better overall performance, because it achieves a better balance between register pressure and instruction‐level parallelism (ILP). This result shows the importance of ILP in pre‐allocation scheduling even on out‐of‐order machines. Furthermore, the results of the study show that there is a large gap between the performance of any of the studied heuristics and optimal performance; even the best heuristic in the study produces significantly more spill code than the optimal amount. This experimental result quantifies the intuitive belief that it is unlikely to find a heuristic that works well in all cases, thus showing the need for more rigorous solutions using combinatorial approaches. The paper discusses the challenges and complexities that are involved in developing such rigorous solutions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.