http://www.hindawi.com The latest articles from Hindawi Publishing Corporation © 2013 , Hindawi Publishing Corporation . All rights reserved. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:18:22 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/263742/ The thermal and dielectric anomalies of window-type glasses at low temperatures ( K) are rather successfully explained by the two-level systems (2LS) standard tunneling model (STM). However, the magnetic effects discovered in the multisilicate glasses in recent times, magnetic effects in the organic glasses, and also some older data from mixed (SiO2)1−x(K2O)x and (SiO2)1−x(Na2O)x glasses indicate the need for a suitable extension of the 2LS-STM. We show that—not only for the magnetic effects, but also for the mixed glasses in the absence of a field—the right extension of the 2LS-STM is provided by the (anomalous) multilevel tunnelling systems (ATS) proposed by one of us for multicomponent amorphous solids. Though a secondary type of TS, different from the standard 2LS, was invoked long ago already, we clarify their physical origin and mathematical description and show that their contribution considerably improves the agreement with the experimental data. In spite of dealing with low-temperature properties, our work impinges on the structure and statistical physics of glasses at all temperatures. Giancarlo Jug and Maksym Paliienko Copyright © 2013 Giancarlo Jug and Maksym Paliienko. All rights reserved. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:16:59 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/729525/ Subcontractor performance directly affects project success. The use of inappropriate subcontractors may result in individual work delays, cost overruns, and quality defects throughout the project. This study develops web-based Evolutionary Fuzzy Neural Networks (EFNNs) to predict subcontractor performance. EFNNs are a fusion of Genetic Algorithms (GAs), Fuzzy Logic (FL), and Neural Networks (NNs). FL is primarily used to mimic high level of decision-making processes and deal with uncertainty in the construction industry. NNs are used to identify the association between previous performance and future status when predicting subcontractor performance. GAs are optimizing parameters required in FL and NNs. EFNNs encode FL and NNs using floating numbers to shorten the length of a string. A multi-cut-point crossover operator is used to explore the parameter and retain solution legality. Finally, the applicability of the proposed EFNNs is validated using real subcontractors. The EFNNs are evolved using 22 historical patterns and tested using 12 unseen cases. Application results show that the proposed EFNNs surpass FL and NNs in predicting subcontractor performance. The proposed approach improves prediction accuracy and reduces the effort required to predict subcontractor performance, providing field operators with web-based remote access to a reliable, scientific prediction mechanism. Chien-Ho Ko Copyright © 2013 Chien-Ho Ko. All rights reserved. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:37:06 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/174392/ We evaluated effect of dual gene silencing of Hsp27 and c-FLIP in doxazosin-induced apoptosis of PC-3 cell. After transfection using Hsp27 and c-FLIP siRNA mixture (dual silencing), doxazosin treatment was done at the concentrations of 1, 10, and 25 μM. We checked apoptosis of PC-3 cells with and TUNEL staining. We also checked interaction between Hsp27 and C-FLIP in the process of apoptosis inhibition. Spontaneous apoptotic index was 5% under single gene silencing of Hsp27 and c-FLIP and 7% under dual silencing of Hsp27 and c-FLIP. When doxazosin treatment was added, apoptotic indices increased in a dose-dependent manner (1, 10, and 25 μM): nonsilencing 10, 27, and 52%; Hsp27-silencing: 14, 35, and 68%; c-FLIP silencing: 21, 46, and 78%; dual silencing: 38, 76, and 92%. While c-FLIP gene expression decreased in Hsp27- silenced cells, Hsp27 gene expression showed markedly decreased pattern in the cells of c-FLIP silencing. The knockout of c-FLIP and Hsp27 genes together enhances apoptosis even under 1 μM, rather than low concentration, of doxazosin in PC-3 cells. This finding suggests a new strategy of multiple knockout of antiapoptotic and survival factors in the treatment of late-stage prostate cancer refractory to conventional therapy. Sang Soo Kim, Hee-Ju Cho, Jeong-Man Cho, Jung Yoon Kang, Hyun-Won Yang, and Tag Keun Yoo Copyright © 2013 Sang Soo Kim et al. All rights reserved. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:25:15 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/217972/ Construction site managers could benefit from being able to visualize on-site construction objects. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has been shown to improve the efficiency of construction object management. The objective of this study is to develop a 3D-Web-GIS RFID location sensing system for construction objects. An RFID 3D location sensing algorithm combining Simulated Annealing (SA) and a gradient descent method is proposed to determine target object location. In the algorithm, SA is used to stabilize the search process and the gradient descent method is used to reduce errors. The locations of the analyzed objects are visualized using the 3D-Web-GIS system. A real construction site is used to validate the applicability of the proposed method, with results indicating that the proposed approach can provide faster, more accurate, and more stable 3D positioning results than other location sensing algorithms. The proposed system allows construction managers to better understand worksite status, thus enhancing managerial efficiency. Chien-Ho Ko Copyright © 2013 Chien-Ho Ko. All rights reserved. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:22:32 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/206734/ Monitor is a portable vibrotactile aid to improve the ability of people with severe hearing impairment or deafblindness to detect, identify, and recognize the direction of sound-producing events. It transforms and adapts sounds to the frequency sensitivity range of the skin. The aid was evaluated in the field. Four females (44–54 years) with Usher Syndrome I (three with tunnel vision and one with only light perception) tested the aid at home and in traffic in three different field studies: without Monitor, with Monitor with an omnidirectional microphone, and with Monitor with a directional microphone. The tests were video-documented, and the two field studies with Monitor were initiated after five weeks of training. The detection scores with omnidirectional and directional microphones were 100% for three participants and above 57% for one, both in their home and traffic environments. In the home environment the identification scores with the omnidirectional microphone were 70%–97% and 58%–95% with the directional microphone. The corresponding values in traffic were 29%–100% and 65%–100%, respectively. Their direction perception was improved to some extent by both microphones. Monitor improved the ability of people with deafblindness to detect, identify, and recognize the direction of events producing sounds. Parivash Ranjbar and Ingeborg Stenström Copyright © 2013 Parivash Ranjbar and Ingeborg Stenström. All rights reserved. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:23:26 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/547563/ Arianna Azzellino, Daniel Conley, Diego Vicinanza, and Jens Peter Kofoed Copyright © 2013 Arianna Azzellino et al. All rights reserved. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:29:15 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/848549/ Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) sedimentation volume has long been used to characterize wheat flours and meals with the aim of predicting processing and end-product qualities. In order to survey the influence of low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) at Glu-B3 locus on wheat SDS sedimentation volume, a total of 283 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties including landraces and improved and introduced cultivars were analyzed using 10 allele-specific PCR markers at the Glu-B3 locus. The highest allele frequency observed in the tested varieties was Glu-B3i with 21.9% in all varieties, 21.1% in landraces, 25.5% in improved cultivars, and 12% in introduced cultivars. Glu-B3 locus represented 8.6% of the variance in wheat SDS sedimentation volume, and Glu-B3b, Glu-B3g, and Glu-B3h significantly heightened the SDS sedimentation volume, but Glu-B3a, Glu-B3c, and Glu-B3j significantly lowered the SDS sedimentation volume. For the bread-making quality, the most desirable alleles Glu-B3b and Glu-B3g become more and more popular and the least desirable alleles Glu-B3a and Glu-B3c got less and less in modern improved cultivars, suggesting that wheat grain quality in China has been significantly improved through breeding effort. Hongqi Si, Manli Zhao, Fuxia He, and Chuanxi Ma Copyright © 2013 Hongqi Si et al. All rights reserved. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:11:04 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/146092/ The removal of lead (II) ions from aqueous solutions was carried out using an activated carbon prepared from a waste biomass. The effects of various parameters such as pH, contact time, initial concentration of lead (II) ions, and temperature on the adsorption process were investigated. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis after adsorption reveals the accumulation of lead (II) ions onto activated carbon. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to analyze equilibrium data. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of activated carbon was found to be 476.2 mg g−1. The kinetic data were evaluated and the pseudo-second-order equation provided the best correlation. Thermodynamic parameters suggest that the adsorption process is endothermic and spontaneous. Murat Erdem, Suat Ucar, Selhan Karagöz, and Turgay Tay Copyright © 2013 Murat Erdem et al. All rights reserved. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:51:06 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/593848/ In recent days, self-assembling swarm robots have been studied by a number of researchers due to their advantages such as high efficiency, stability, and scalability. However, there are still critical issues in applying them to practical problems in the real world. The main objective of this study is to develop a novel self-assembling swarm robot algorithm that overcomes the limitations of existing approaches. To this end, multitree genetic programming is newly designed to efficiently discover a set of patterns necessary to carry out the mission of the self-assembling swarm robots. The obtained patterns are then incorporated into their corresponding robot modules. The computational experiments prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Jong-Hyun Lee, Chang Wook Ahn, and Jinung An Copyright © 2013 Jong-Hyun Lee et al. All rights reserved. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:12:30 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/810175/ Simulations of supersonic turbulent flow over an open rectangular cavity are performed to observe the effects of length to depth ratio () of the cavity on the flow structure. Two-dimensional compressible time-dependent Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with k- turbulence model are solved. A reduced order modeling approach, Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) method, is used to further analyze the flow. Results are obtained for cavities with several ratios at a Mach number of 1.5. Mostly, sound pressure levels (SPL) are used for comparison. After a reduced order modeling approach, the number of modes necessary to represent the systems is observed for each case. The necessary minimum number of modes to define the system increases as the flow becomes more complex with the increase in the ratio. This study provides a basis for the control of flow over supersonic open cavities by providing a reduced order model for flow control, and it also gives an insight to cavity flow physics by comparing several simulation results with different length to depth ratios. Ibrahim Yilmaz, Ece Ayli, and Selin Aradag Copyright © 2013 Ibrahim Yilmaz et al. All rights reserved. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:40:26 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/637086/ Purpose. Truncated tissue factor (tTF) fusion protein targeting tumor vasculature can induce tumor vascular thrombosis and necrosis. Here, we generated (RGD)3-tTF in which three arginine-glycine-aspartic (RGD) targeting integrin and tTF induce blood coagulation in tumor vessels. Methods. The bioactivities of (RGD)3-tTF including coagulation activity, activation, and binding with integrin were performed. The fluorescent labeled (RGD)3-tTF was intravenously injected into tumor-bearing mice and traced in vivo. The tumor growth, volume, blood vessel thrombosis, tumor necrosis, and survival time of mice treated with (RGD)3-tTF were evaluated. Results. The clotting time and activation of (RGD)3-tTF were similar to that of TF () but different with that of RGD (). (RGD)3-tTF presented a higher binding with than that of RGD and TF at the concentration of 0.2 mol/L (). (RGD)3-tTF could specifically assemble in tumor and be effective in reducing tumor growth by selectively inducing tumor blood vessels thrombosis and tumor necrosis which were absent in mice treated with RGD or TF. The survival time of mice treated with (RGD)3-tTF was higher than that of mice treated with TF or RGD (). Conclusion. (RGD)3-tTF may be a promising strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Zheng-jie Huang, Yilin Zhao, Wei-yuan Luo, Jun You, Shui-wen Li, Wen-cheng Yi, Sheng-yu Wang, Jiang-hua Yan, and Qi Luo Copyright © 2013 Zheng-jie Huang et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:51:24 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/971592/ This study proposes an intelligent algorithm that can realize information fusion in reference to the relative research achievements in brain cognitive theory and innovative computation. This algorithm treats knowledge as core and information fusion as a knowledge-based innovative thinking process. Furthermore, the five key parts of this algorithm including information sense and perception, memory storage, divergent thinking, convergent thinking, and evaluation system are simulated and modeled. This algorithm fully develops innovative thinking skills of knowledge in information fusion and is a try to converse the abstract conception of brain cognitive science to specific and operable research routes and strategies. Furthermore, the influences of each parameter of this algorithm on algorithm performance are analyzed and compared with those of classical intelligent algorithms trough test. Test results suggest that the algorithm proposed in this study can obtain the optimum problem solution by less target evaluation times, improve optimization effectiveness, and achieve the effective fusion of information. Huimin Lu, Liang Hu, Gang Liu, and Jin Zhou Copyright © 2013 Huimin Lu et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:43:00 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/680425/ Dwarf hygro (Hygrophila polysperma) is an ornamental aquatic plant that changes its leaf colours to pinkish in high light. It is listed as a medicinal plant in medicinal plant lists of Indian states of West Bengal and Karnataka. It is also used as a screening tool for toxicities and a bioindicator to detect and control algae. The study reported in vitro adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf explants cultured on MS medium containing 0.10–1.60 mg/L Kin/TDZ with or without 0.10 mg/L IBA and 500 mg/L Amoklavin to eradicate endogenic bacterial contamination. Direct adventitious shoot regeneration started within one week from both culture mediums followed by late callus induction which was more prominent on TDZ containing media compared to Kin containing media. Addition of 0.10 mg/L IBA with both Kin and TDZ increased shoot regeneration frequency, mean number of shoots per explant, and mean shoot length. Maximum number of 16.33 and 20.55 shoots per explant was obtained on MS medium containing  mg/L Kin-IBA and  mg/L TDZ-IBA, respectively. Regenerated shoots were rooted on MS medium containing 0.20–1.00 mg/L IBA followed by successfull acclimatization in aquariums. Regenerated plantlets were also tested in jars containing distilled water that showed the pH 6–9 for the best plant growth and development. Mehmet Karataş, Muhammad Aasim, Ayşegül Çınar, and Muhammet Dogan Copyright © 2013 Mehmet Karataş et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:42:17 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/459147/ Purpose. The use of an S-type oblique excision with a bilateral gluteus maximus advancement flap has recently been described for the surgical treatment of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus (SPS). Its use in wide lesions has been limited due to the need for a full-thickness flap. We describe the use of an S-type oblique incision together with the Dufourmentel flap in wide lesions. Method. Twenty-one patients were treated using a technique including an S-shaped oblique excision of the sinus tract and a broad-pedicled full-thickness flap resembling a Dufourmentel flap to close the defect. Results. Of the 21 patients, 19 (90.5%) were male and 2 (9.5%) were female. Their mean age was (range 15–36) years. The mean follow-up period was (range 6–23) months. The postoperative complication rate was 4.8% (one patient), and recurrence was seen in one patient (4.8%). The mean return-to-work time was (range 10–18) days. None of the patients reported dissatisfaction with the cosmetic results. Conclusions. This new technique achieved low morbidity and recurrence rates. We anticipate that this will become an important technique in the surgical treatment of SPS if the observed success is confirmed by randomized prospective trials. Murat Yildar, Faruk Cavdar, and Mehmet Kamil Yildiz Copyright © 2013 Murat Yildar et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:41:27 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/414398/ A simple and efficient method was established for the determination of synthetic antioxidants in beverages by using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Butylated hydroxy toluene, butylated hydroxy anisole, and tert-butylhydroquinone were the antioxidants evaluated. Experimental parameters including extraction solvent, dispersive solvent, pH of sample solution, salt concentration, and extraction time were optimized. Under optimal conditions, the extraction recoveries ranged from 53 to 96%. Good linearity was observed by the square of correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9975 to 0.9997. The relative standard deviations ranged from 1.0 to 5.2% for all of the analytes. Limits of detection ranged from 0.85 to 2.73 ng mL−1. The method was successfully applied for determination of synthetic antioxidants in undiluted beverage samples with satisfactory recoveries. Hasan Çabuk and Mustafa Köktürk Copyright © 2013 Hasan Çabuk and Mustafa Köktürk. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:38:55 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/175280/ Edaravone is a free radical scavenger that protects the adjacent cortex during cerebral infarction. We created a hemiparetic model of cerebral thrombosis from a photochemically induced infarction with the photosensitive dye, rose bengal, in rats. We examined the effects of edaravone on recovery in the model. A total of 36 adult Wistar rats were used. The right sensorimotor area was irradiated with green light with a wavelength of 533 nm (10 mm diameter), and the rose bengal was injected intravenously to create an infarction. The edaravone group was injected intraperitoneally with edaravone (3 mg/kg), and the control group was injected with saline. The recovery process of the hemiplegia was evaluated with the 7-step scale of Fenny. The infarcted areas were measured after fixation. The recovery of the paralysis in the edaravone-treated group was significantly earlier than that in the untreated group. Seven days later, both groups were mostly recovered and had scores of 7, and the infarction region was significantly smaller in the edaravone-treated group. Edaravone reduced the infarction area and promoted the functional recovery of hemiparesis from cerebral thrombosis in a rat model. These findings suggest that edaravone treatment would be effective in clinical patients recovering from cerebral infarction. Satoshi Ikeda, Katsuhiro Harada, Akihiko Ohwatashi, and Yurie Kamikawa Copyright © 2013 Satoshi Ikeda et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:03:58 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/231768/ Surface water quality models can be useful tools to simulate and predict the levels, distributions, and risks of chemical pollutants in a given water body. The modeling results from these models under different pollution scenarios are very important components of environmental impact assessment and can provide a basis and technique support for environmental management agencies to make right decisions. Whether the model results are right or not can impact the reasonability and scientificity of the authorized construct projects and the availability of pollution control measures. We reviewed the development of surface water quality models at three stages and analyzed the suitability, precisions, and methods among different models. Standardization of water quality models can help environmental management agencies guarantee the consistency in application of water quality models for regulatory purposes. We concluded the status of standardization of these models in developed countries and put forward available measures for the standardization of these surface water quality models, especially in developing countries. Qinggai Wang, Shibei Li, Peng Jia, Changjun Qi, and Feng Ding Copyright © 2013 Qinggai Wang et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:22:01 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/426492/ This study is aimed at assessing atmospheric deposition of heavy metals using the epiphytic moss genera Fabronia ciliaris collected from six urban sites in the Metropolitan Zone of the Toluca Valley in Mexico. The concentrations of K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, and Pb were determined by total reflection X-ray fluorescence technique. Results show that the average metal concentration decrease in the following order: Fe (8207 mg/Kg) > Ca (7315 mg/Kg) > K (3842 mg/Kg) > Ti (387 mg/Kg) > Mn, Zn (191 mg/Kg) > Sr (71 mg/Kg) > Pb (59 mg/Kg) > Cu, V (32 mg/Kg) > Cr (24 mg/Kg) > Rb (13 mg/Kg) > Ni (10 mg/Kg). Enrichment factors show a high enrichment for Cr, Cu, Zn, and Pb which provides an evidence of anthropogenic impact in the industrial and urban areas, mainly due to the intense vehicular traffic and the fossil fuel combustion. Monitoring techniques in mosses have proved to be a powerful tool for determining the deposition of heavy metals coming from diverse point sources of pollution. Graciela Zarazúa-Ortega, Josefina Poblano-Bata, Samuel Tejeda-Vega, Pedro Ávila-Pérez, Carmen Zepeda-Gómez, Huemantzin Ortiz-Oliveros, and Guadalupe Macedo-Miranda Copyright © 2013 Graciela Zarazúa-Ortega et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:46:02 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/963986/ We present adaptive neural control design for a class of perturbed nonlinear MIMO time-varying delay systems in a block-triangular form. Based on a neural controller, it is obtained by constructing a quadratic-type Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, which efficiently avoids the controller singularity. The proposed control guarantees that all closed-loop signals remain bounded, while the output tracking error dynamics converge to a neighborhood of the desired trajectories. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. Ruliang Wang, Jie Li, Shanshan Zhang, Dongmei Gao, and Huanlong Sun Copyright © 2013 Ruliang Wang et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:32:45 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/467276/ A novel algorithm is developed based on fractional signal processing approach for parameter estimation of input nonlinear control autoregressive (INCAR) models. The design scheme consists of parameterization of INCAR systems to obtain linear-in-parameter models and to use fractional least mean square algorithm (FLMS) for adaptation of unknown parameter vectors. The performance analyses of the proposed scheme are carried out with third-order Volterra least mean square (VLMS) and kernel least mean square (KLMS) algorithms based on convergence to the true values of INCAR systems. It is found that the proposed FLMS algorithm provides most accurate and convergent results than those of VLMS and KLMS under different scenarios and by taking the low-to-high signal-to-noise ratio. Naveed Ishtiaq Chaudhary, Muhammad Asif Zahoor Raja, Junaid Ali Khan, and Muhammad Saeed Aslam Copyright © 2013 Naveed Ishtiaq Chaudhary et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:02:56 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/204315/ Black holes have the peculiar and intriguing property of having an event horizon, a one-way membrane causally separating their internal region from the rest of the Universe. Today, astrophysical observations provide some evidence for the existence of event horizons in astrophysical black hole candidates. In this short paper, I compare the constraint we can infer from the nonobservation of electromagnetic radiation from the putative surface of these objects with the bound coming from the ergoregion instability, pointing out the respective assumptions and limitations. Cosimo Bambi Copyright © 2013 Cosimo Bambi. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:53:53 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/750580/ The present paper examines the functional diversity-environment relation in a placer rich tropical bay. Understanding the environmental variables that determine the biodiversity pattern will help in the effective conservation plans of coastal habitat. However, few studies have been carried out on the biodiversity-environment relation from the diverse tropical coastal ecosystem. The geographic location of Kalbadevi Bay along the west coast of India provides an opportunity to study the functional diversity pattern of macrofauna along an environmental gradient. Additionally, the area is also a potential placer mining site. Seasonal sampling was carried out for macrofauna and environmental variables. Macrofaunal functional diversity showed significant temporal variation related to the environmental parameters. The most important environmental variables were organic matter and sediment texture. Filter feeders dominated during postmonsoon which is a period when the water column is enriched with sinking detritus. The deposit feeders which rapidly ingest the settled detritus and also transport it to deeper sediment for the subsurface deposit feeders dominated during premonsoon. Abundance of carnivores was high during premonsoon, a response to increase in food in terms of deposit feeders. The result thus indicates that the temporal environmental variation influenced the macrofaunal functional diversity pattern in the Kalbadevi Bay. S. K. Sivadas, B. S. Ingole, and C. E. G. Fernandes Copyright © 2013 S. K. Sivadas et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:31:09 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/306535/ This paper presents a numerical model based on one-dimensional Beji and Nadaoka's Extended Boussinesq equations for simulation of periodic wave shoaling and its decomposition over morphological beaches. A unique Galerkin finite element and Adams-Bashforth-Moulton predictor-corrector methods are employed for spatial and temporal discretization, respectively. For direct application of linear finite element method in spatial discretization, an auxiliary variable is hereby introduced, and a particular numerical scheme is offered to rewrite the equations in lower-order form. Stability of the suggested numerical method is also analyzed. Subsequently, in order to display the ability of the presented model, four different test cases are considered. In these test cases, dispersive and nonlinearity effects of the periodic waves over sloping beaches and barred beaches, which are the common coastal profiles, are investigated. Outputs are compared with other existing numerical and experimental data. Finally, it is concluded that the current model can be further developed to model any morphological development of coastal profiles. Mohammad Hadi Jabbari, Parviz Ghadimi, Mesbah Sayehbani, and Arsham Reisinezhad Copyright © 2013 Mohammad Hadi Jabbari et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:38:41 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/402196/ This paper presents the next step in the evolution of multi-sensor wireless network systems in the early automatic detection of forest fires. This network allows remote monitoring of each of the locations as well as communication between each of the sensors and with the control stations. The result is an increased coverage area, with quicker and safer responses. To determine the presence of a forest wildfire, the system employs decision fusion in thermal imaging, which can exploit various expected characteristics of a real fire, including short-term persistence and long-term increases over time. Results from testing in the laboratory and in a real environment are presented to authenticate and verify the accuracy of the operation of the proposed system. The system performance is gauged by the number of alarms and the time to the first alarm (corresponding to a real fire), for different probability of false alarm (PFA). The necessity of including decision fusion is thereby demonstrated. I. Bosch, A. Serrano, and L. Vergara Copyright © 2013 I. Bosch et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:32:27 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/838176/ The occurrence and distribution of microcystins were investigated in Lake Taihu, the third largest lake in China. An extensive survey, larger and broader in scale than previous studies, was conducted in summer 2010. The highest microcystin concentration was found at southern part of Taihu, which was newly included in this survey. In northern coastal areas, total cellular concentrations of 20 to 44 g/L were observed. In northern offshore waters, levels were up to 4.8 g/L. Microcystin occurrence was highly correlated with chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, and chlorophyll-a. Extracellular/total cellular microcystin (E/T) ratios were calculated and compared to other water quality parameters. A higher correlation was found using E/T ratios than original microcystin values. These results show that algal blooms are having a severe impact on Lake Taihu, and further and extensive monitoring and research are required to suppress blooms effectively. Hiroshi Sakai, Aimin Hao, Yasushi Iseri, Song Wang, Takahiro Kuba, Zhenjia Zhang, and Hiroyuki Katayama Copyright © 2013 Hiroshi Sakai et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:13:42 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/793013/ The three-stage human brain memory model is incorporated into a multiagent coevolutionary process for finding the best match of the appearance of an object, and a memory-based multiagent coevolution algorithm for robust tracking the moving objects is presented in this paper. Each agent can remember, retrieve, or forget the appearance of the object through its own memory system by its own experience. A number of such memory-based agents are randomly distributed nearby the located object region and then mapped onto a 2D lattice-like environment for predicting the new location of the object by their coevolutionary behaviors, such as competition, recombination, and migration. Experimental results show that the proposed method can deal with large appearance changes and heavy occlusions when tracking a moving object. It can locate the correct object after the appearance changed or the occlusion recovered and outperforms the traditional particle filter-based tracking methods. Yanjiang Wang, Yujuan Qi, and Yongping Li Copyright © 2013 Yanjiang Wang et al. All rights reserved. Sat, 15 Jun 2013 17:41:05 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/851839/ Today, many studies are conducted in order to determine bullying behaviors and to resolve conflicts with the purpose of increasing and maintaining organizational success in developed countries. According to these studies, bullying cases are more common in public institutions when compared to other sectors. In public institutions, bullying generally occurs when successful workers are discouraged and/or harassed by their managers, thus leaving them feeling distressed and dissatisfied with their jobs. The present study examines whether forest engineers working in the seven geographical regions of Turkey are exposed to bullying behaviors, the level of any bullying, and whether there are any regional differences (). Through statistical analysis, a significant relationship was determined between bullying and demographic characteristics. The results of the present study were evaluated along with the results of other studies, and some suggestions were made in order to prevent bullying behaviors in forestry organizations. Devlet Toksoy and Mahmut Muhammet Bayramoğlu Copyright © 2013 Devlet Toksoy and Mahmut Muhammet Bayramoğlu. All rights reserved. Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:52:42 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/437926/ Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are presented as proper solution for wildfire monitoring. However, this application requires a design of WSN taking into account the network lifetime and the shadowing effect generated by the trees in the forest environment. Cooperative communication is a promising solution for WSN which uses, at each hop, the resources of multiple nodes to transmit its data. Thus, by sharing resources between nodes, the transmission quality is enhanced. In this paper, we use the technique of reinforcement learning by opponent modeling, optimizing a cooperative communication protocol based on RSSI and node energy consumption in a competitive context (RSSI/energy-CC), that is, an energy and quality-of-service aware-based cooperative communication routing protocol. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm performs well in terms of network lifetime, packet delay, and energy consumption. Mohamed Maalej, Sofiane Cherif, and Hichem Besbes Copyright © 2013 Mohamed Maalej et al. All rights reserved. Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:31:53 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/125896/ Regression analysis is applied to quantitatively analyze the impact of different ambient temperature characteristics on the transformer life at different locations of Chinese mainland. 200 typical locations in Chinese mainland are selected for the study. They are specially divided into six regions so that the subsequent analysis can be done in a regional context. For each region, the local historical ambient temperature and load data are provided as inputs variables of the life consumption model in IEEE Std. C57.91-1995 to estimate the transformer life at every location. Five ambient temperature indicators related to the transformer life are involved into the partial least squares regression to describe their impact on the transformer life. According to a contribution measurement criterion of partial least squares regression, three indicators are conclusively found to be the most important factors influencing the transformer life, and an explicit expression is provided to describe the relationship between the indicators and the transformer life for every region. The analysis result is applicable to the area where the temperature characteristics are similar to Chinese mainland, and the expressions obtained can be applied to the other locations that are not included in this paper if these three indicators are known. Cui-fen Bai, Wen-Sheng Gao, and Tong Liu Copyright © 2013 Cui-fen Bai et al. All rights reserved. Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:35:33 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2013/916178/ The peer-reviewed literature investigating the relationship between pain expression and perception of pain in individuals with ASD is sparse. The aim of the present systematic PRIMSA review was twofold: first, to see what evidence there is for the widely held belief that individuals with ASD are insensitive to pain or have a high pain threshold in the peer-reviewed literature and, second, to examine whether individuals with ASD react or express pain differently. Fifteen studies investigating pain in individuals with ASD were identified. The case studies all reported pain insensitivity in individuals with ASD. However, the majority of the ten experimental studies reviewed indicate that the idea that individuals with ASD are pain insensitive needs to be challenged. The findings also highlight the strong possibility that not all children with ASD express their physical discomfort in the same way as a neurotypical child would (i.e., cry, moan, seek comfort, etc.) which may lead caregivers and the medical profession to interpret this as pain insensitivity or incorrectly lead them to believe that the child is in no pain. These results have important implications for the assessment and management of pain in children with ASD. C. S. Allely Copyright © 2013 C. S. Allely. All rights reserved.