Abstract: The existence of many biological systems,
especially human societies, is based on cooperative behavior
[1, 2]. If natural selection favors selfish individuals, then what
mechanism is at work that we see so many cooperative
behaviors? One answer is the effect of network structure. On a
graph, cooperators can evolve by forming network bunches
[2, 3, 4]. In a research, Ohtsuki et al used the idea of iterated
prisoners- dilemma on a graph to model an evolutionary
game. They showed that the average number of neighbors
plays an important role in determining whether cooperation is
the ESS of the system or not [3]. In this paper, we are going to
study the dynamics of evolution of cooperation in a social
network. We show that during evolution, the ratio of
cooperators among individuals with fewer neighbors to
cooperators among other individuals is greater than unity. The
extent to which the fitness function depends on the payoff of
the game determines this ratio.
Abstract: Different pseudo-random or pseudo-noise (PN) as well as orthogonal sequences that can be used as spreading codes for code division multiple access (CDMA) cellular networks or can be used for encrypting speech signals to reduce the residual intelligence are investigated. We briefly review the theoretical background for direct sequence CDMA systems and describe the main characteristics of the maximal length, Gold, Barker, and Kasami sequences. We also discuss about variable- and fixed-length orthogonal codes like Walsh- Hadamard codes. The equivalence of PN and orthogonal codes are also derived. Finally, a new PN sequence is proposed which is shown to have certain better properties than the existing codes.
Abstract: The worldwide prevalence of H3N2 influenza virus
and its increasing resistance to the existing drugs necessitates for the
development of an improved/better targeting anti-influenza drug.
H3N2 influenza neuraminidase is one of the two membrane-bound
proteins belonging to group-2 neuraminidases. It acts as key player
involved in viral pathogenicity and hence, is an important target of
anti-influenza drugs. Oseltamivir is one of the potent drugs targeting
this neuraminidase. In the present work, we have taken subtype N2
neuraminidase as the receptor and probable analogs of oseltamivir as
drug molecules to study the protein-drug interaction in anticipation of
finding efficient modified candidate compound. Oseltamivir analogs
were made by modifying the functional groups using Marvin Sketch
software and were docked using Schrodinger-s Glide. Oseltamivir
analog 10 was detected to have significant energy value (16% less
compared to Oseltamivir) and could be the probable lead molecule. It
infers that some of the modified compounds can interact in a novel
manner with increased hydrogen bonding at the active site of
neuraminidase and it might be better than the original drug. Further
work can be carried out such as enzymatic inhibition studies;
synthesis and crystallizing the drug-target complex to analyze the
interactions biologically.
Abstract: The nanotechnology based on epitaxial systems
includes single or arranged misfit dislocations. In general, whatever
is the type of dislocation or the geometry of the array formed by the
dislocations; it is important for experimental studies to know exactly
the stress distribution for which there is no analytical expression [1,
2]. This work, using a numerical analysis, deals with relaxation of
epitaxial layers having at their interface a periodic network of edge
misfit dislocations. The stress distribution is estimated by using
isotropic elasticity. The results show that the thickness of the two
sheets is a crucial parameter in the stress distributions and then in the
profile of the two sheets.
A comparative study between the case of single dislocation and
the case of parallel network shows that the layers relaxed better when
the interface is covered by a parallel arrangement of misfit.
Consequently, a single dislocation at the interface produces an
important stress field which can be reduced by inserting a parallel
network of dislocations with suitable periodicity.
Abstract: In electronegative-electropositive gas mixtures plasma, at a total pressure varying in the range of ten to hundred Torr, the appearance of a quasi-mochromatization effect of the emitted radiation was reported. This radiation could be the result of the generating mechanisms at molecular level, which is the case of the excimer radiation but also at atomic level. Thus, in the last case, in (Ne+1%Ar/Xe+H2) gas mixtures plasma in a dielectric barrier discharge, this effect, called M-effect, consists in the reduction of the discharge emission spectrum practice at one single, strong spectral line with λ = 585.3 nm. The present paper is concerned with the characteristics comparative investigation of the principal reaction mechanisms involved in the quasi-monochromatization effect existence in the case of the excimer radiation, respectively of the Meffect. Also, the paper points out the role of the metastable electronegative atoms in the appearance of the monochromatization – effect at atomic level.
Abstract: This paper examines ethical and social issues which
have proved important when initiating and creating educational spaces within a virtual environment. It focuses on one project, identifying the key decisions made, the barriers to new practice
encountered and the impact these had on the project. It demonstrates
the importance of the 'backstage' ethical and social issues involved in
the creation of a virtual education community and offers conclusions,
and questions, which will inform future research and practice in this
area. These ethical issues are considered using Knobel-s framework
of front-end, in-process and back-end concerns, and include
establishing social practices for the islands, allocating access rights,
considering personal safety and supporting researchers appropriately
within this context.
Abstract: The present study has been conducted to characterize
the prophenoloxidase (PPO) system of the desert locust, Schistocerca
gregaria following injection of Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Bt).
The bulk of PPO system was associated with haemocytes and a little
amount was found in plasma. This system was activated by different
activators such as laminarin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and trypsin
suggesting that the stimulatory mechanism may involve an enzyme
cascade of one or more associated molecules. These activators did
not activate all the molecules of the cascade. Presence of
phenoloxidase activity (PO) coincides with the appearance of protein
band with molecular weight (MW) 70.154 KD (Kilo Dalton).
Abstract: The development of information and communication
technology, the increased use of the internet, as well as the effects of
the recession within the last years, have lead to the increased use of
cloud computing based solutions, also called on-demand solutions.
These solutions offer a large number of benefits to organizations as
well as challenges and risks, mainly determined by data visualization
in different geographic locations on the internet. As far as the specific
risks of cloud environment are concerned, data security is still
considered a peak barrier in adopting cloud computing. The present
study offers an approach upon ensuring the security of cloud data,
oriented towards the whole data life cycle. The final part of the study
focuses on the assessment of data security in the cloud, this
representing the bases in determining the potential losses and the
premise for subsequent improvements and continuous learning.
Abstract: A study was conducted in greenhouse environment to
determine the response of five tissue-cultured date palm cultivars, Al-
Ahamad, Nabusaif, Barhee, Khalas, and Kasab to irrigation water
salinity of 1.6, 5, 10, or 20 dS/ m. The salinity level of 1.6dS/m, was
used as a control. The effects of high salinity on plant survival were
manifested at 360 days after planting (DAP) onwards. Three
cultivars, Khalas, Kasab and Barhee were able to tolerate 10 dS/m
salinity level at 24 months after the start of study. Khalas tolerated
the highest salinity level of 20 dS/ m and 'Nabusaif' was found to be the
least tolerant cv. The average heights of palms and the number of
fronds were decreased with increasing salinity levels as time
progressed.
Abstract: In this paper we present an off line system for the
recognition of the handwritten numeric chains. Our work is divided
in two big parts. The first part is the realization of a recognition
system of the isolated handwritten digits. In this case the study is
based mainly on the evaluation of neural network performances,
trained with the gradient back propagation algorithm. The used
parameters to form the input vector of the neural network are
extracted on the binary images of the digits by several methods: the
distribution sequence, the Barr features and the centred moments of
the different projections and profiles. The second part is the
extension of our system for the reading of the handwritten numeric
chains constituted of a variable number of digits. The vertical
projection is used to segment the numeric chain at isolated digits and
every digit (or segment) will be presented separately to the entry of
the system achieved in the first part (recognition system of the
isolated handwritten digits). The result of the recognition of the
numeric chain will be displayed at the exit of the global system.
Abstract: A dead leg is a typical subsea production system
component. CFD is required to model heat transfer within the dead
leg. Unfortunately its solution is time demanding and thus not
suitable for fast prediction or repeated simulations. Therefore there is
a need to create a thermal FEA model, mimicking the heat flows and
temperatures seen in CFD cool down simulations.
This paper describes the conventional way of tuning and a new
automated way using parametric model order reduction (PMOR)
together with an optimization algorithm. The tuned FE analyses
replicate the steady state CFD parameters within a maximum error in
heat flow of 6 % and 3 % using manual and PMOR method
respectively. During cool down, the relative error of the tuned FEA
models with respect to temperature is below 5% comparing to the
CFD. In addition, the PMOR method obtained the correct FEA setup
five times faster than the manually tuned FEA.
Abstract: In this paper, we are concerned with the further study for system of nonlinear equations. Since systems with inaccurate function values or problems with high computational cost arise frequently in science and engineering, recently such systems have attracted researcher-s interest. In this work we present a new method which is independent of function evolutions and has a quadratic convergence. This method can be viewed as a extension of some recent methods for solving mentioned systems of nonlinear equations. Numerical results of applying this method to some test problems show the efficiently and reliability of method.
Abstract: The design of distributed systems involves the
partitioning of the system into components or partitions and the
allocation of these components to physical nodes. Techniques have
been proposed for both the partitioning and allocation process.
However these techniques suffer from a number of limitations. For
instance object replication has the potential to greatly improve the
performance of an object orientated distributed system but can be
difficult to use effectively and there are few techniques that support
the developer in harnessing object replication.
This paper presents a methodological technique that helps
developers decide how objects should be allocated in order to
improve performance in a distributed system that supports
replication. The performance of the proposed technique is
demonstrated and tested on an example system.
Abstract: Bridge is an architectural symbol in Iran as Badgir
(wind catcher); fire temples and arch are vaults are such. Therefore, from the very old ages, construction of bridges in Iran has mixed with
architecture, social customs, alms and charity and holiness. Since long ago, from Mad, Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid times which construction of bridges got an inseparable relation with social dependency and architecture, based on those dependency bridges and
dams got holy names; as Dokhtar castle and Dokhtar bridges were constructed. This method continued even after Islam and whenever
Iranians got free from political fights and the immunity of roads were established the bridge construction did also prospered. In ancient
times bridge construction passes through it growing and completion process and in Sassanid time in some way it reached to the peak of art
and glory; as after Islam especially during 4th. century (Arab calendar) it put behind a period of glory and in Safavid time it
reached to an exceptional glory and magnificence by constructing
glorious bridges on Zayandeh Roud River in Isfahan.
Having a combined style and changeability into bridge barrier, some of these bridges develop into magnificent constructions. The
sustainable structures, mentioned above, are constructed for various
reasons as follows: connecting two sides of a river, storing water,
controlling floods, using water energy to operate water windmills, making lanes of streams for farms- use, and building recreational
places for people, etc. These studies carried in bridges reveals the fact
that in construction and designing mentioned above, lots of
technological factors have been taken into consideration such as
exceeding floods in the rives, hydraulic and hydrology of the rivers and bridges, geology, foundation, structure, construction material, and adopting appropriate executing methods, all of which are being analyzed in this article.
Abstract: Recent studies demonstrated that high-fat diet increases oxidative stress in plasma and in a variety of tissues. Many researchers have been looking for natural products, which can reverse the effect of high fat diet. Recently, buckwheat is becoming common ingredient in functional food because of it properties. In study on buckwheat, it is known that, this plant plays roles as anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive. Nevertheless still little is known about buckwheat groats. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of addition of buckwheat groats to the fat diet (30% lard), on some antioxidant and oxidant stress parameters in plasma and selected tissues in Wistar rats. The experiment was carried out with three months old male Wistar rats ca. 250g of body weight fed for 5 weeks with either a high-fat (30% of lard) diet or control diet, with or without addition of buckwheat groats. In plasma biochemistry and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes were measured selected tissues: glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and the levels of total and reduced glutathione (GSH), free thiol groups (pSH), antioxidant potential of plasma (FRAP) and oxidant stress indices - proteins carbonyl groups (CO) and malonyldialdehyde concentration (MDA). Activity of catalase (CAT) in plasma of rats was significantly increased in buckwheat groats groups and activity of GPx3 in plasma of rats was decreased in buckwheat groups as compared to control group. The reduced glutathione (GSH) in plasma of rats was significantly increased and protein CO was significantly decreased in buckwheat groups as compared to controls. The lowered concentration of GSH was found in serum of rats fed buckwheat groats addition but it accompanied in 7-fold increase in reduced-to-oxidized glutatione ratio, significant increase in HDL and decrease in nonHDL concentration. Conclusions: Buckwheat groats indicate a beneficial effect in inhibiting protein and lipid peroxidation in rats and improved lipid profile. These results suggest that buckwheat groats exert a significant antioxidant potential and may be used as normal food constituent to ameliorate the oxidant-induced damage in organism.
Abstract: There are three possible effects of Special Theory of
Relativity (STR) on a thermodynamic system. Planck and Einstein
looked upon this process as isobaric; on the other hand Ott saw it as
an adiabatic process. However plenty of logical reasons show that the
process is isotherm. Our phenomenological consideration
demonstrates that the temperature is invariant with Lorenz
transformation. In that case process is isotherm, so volume and
pressure are Lorentz covariant. If the process is isotherm the Boyles
law is Lorentz invariant. Also equilibrium constant and Gibbs energy,
activation energy, enthalpy entropy and extent of the reaction became
Lorentz invariant.
Abstract: Opportunistic Data Forwarding (ODF) has drawn much attention in mobile adhoc networking research in recent years. The effectiveness of ODF in MANET depends on a suitable routing protocol which provides a powerful source routing services. PLSR is featured by source routing, loop free and small routing overhead. The update messages in PLSR are integrated into a tree structure and no need to time stamp routing updates which reduces the routing overhead.
Abstract: Isobaric and cooling zone of iron ore reactor have been
simulated. In this paper, heat and mass transfer equation are
formulated to perform the temperature and concentration of gas and
solid phase respectively. Temperature profile for isobaric zone is
simulated on the range temperature of 873-1163K while cooling zone
is simulated on the range temperature of 733-1139K. The simulation
results have a good agreement with the plant data. Total carbon
formation in the isobaric zone is only 30% of total carbon contained in
the sponge iron product. The formation of Fe3C in isobaric zone
reduces metallization degree up to 0.58% whereas reduction of
metallization degree in cooling zone up to 1.139%. The decreasing of
sponge iron temperature in the isobaric and cooling zone is around 300
K and 600 K respectively.
Abstract: In this paper, fully developed flow and heat transfer of
viscoelastic materials in curved ducts with square cross section under
constant heat flux have been investigated. Here, staggered mesh is
used as computational grids and flow and heat transfer parameters
have been allocated in this mesh with marker and cell method.
Numerical solution of governing equations has being performed with
FTCS finite difference method. Furthermore, Criminale-Eriksen-
Filbey (CEF) constitutive equation has being used as viscoelastic
model. CEF constitutive equation is a suitable model for studying
steady shear flow of viscoelastic materials which is able to model
both effects of the first and second normal stress differences. Here, it
is shown that the first and second normal stresses differences have
noticeable and inverse effect on secondary flows intensity and mean
Nusselt number which is the main novelty of current research.
Abstract: The advances in location-based data collection
technologies such as GPS, RFID etc. and the rapid reduction of their
costs provide us with a huge and continuously increasing amount of
data about movement of vehicles, people and goods in an urban area.
This explosive growth of geospatially-referenced data has far
outpaced the planner-s ability to utilize and transform the data into
insightful information thus creating an adverse impact on the return
on the investment made to collect and manage this data. Addressing
this pressing need, we designed and developed DIVAD, a dynamic
and interactive visual analytics dashboard to allow city planners to
explore and analyze city-s transportation data to gain valuable
insights about city-s traffic flow and transportation requirements. We
demonstrate the potential of DIVAD through the use of interactive
choropleth and hexagon binning maps to explore and analyze large
taxi-transportation data of Singapore for different geographic and
time zones.