Sharif Digital Repository

A computational approach to predict the main binding modes of two adrenalin derivatives, arachidonoyl adrenalin (AA-AD) and arachidonoyl noradrenalin (AA-NOR) with the β-lactoglubuline (BLG) as a nano-milk protein carrier is presented and assessed by comparison to the UV-Vis absorption spectroscopic data using chemometric analysis. Analysis of the spectral data matrices by using the multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) algorithm led to the pure concentration calculation and spectral profiles resolution of the chemical constituents and the apparent equilibrium constants computation. The negative values of entropy and enthalpy changes for both compound indicated... 

To quantify the core barrel motion (CBM) in a pressurized water reactor, a scaling factor can be calculated to convert the Root Mean Square (RMS) value of the ex-core signals (%) to the core barrel motion amplitude (mil) (Thompson et al., 1980). In the current paper, a scaling factor is calculated using the direct and adjoint methods for a typical VVER-1000 reactor. The scaling factor is calculated using the perturbed parameters that result from CBM. The results show that the calculated scaling factors are not the same in one and two-dimensional modeling, and strongly depend on the ex-core detector location. The linearity assumption of relative detector response versus the small displacement... 

Cloud Computing has become popular nowadays. Cloud providers with scalable infrastructures can offer cloud-based services which reduce investment of organizations and diminish most of their operational costs. Therefore, traditional services need to be renovated in the spirit of cloud environments. In this paper, Decision Support-as-a-Service (DSaaS) which is a cloud-based decision support system is introduced. The DSaaS can help managers to make fast and precise decisions. Also, the important challenges of such a system are discussed and a proper energy-aware resource allocation policy is proposed as the solution for the main challenge. A wide range of simulation results show that the policy... 

ADI have been used for a wide variety of applications in automotive, rail, and heavy engineering industry because of its excellent mechanical properties such as high strength with good ductility, good wear resistance, and good fatigue properties. The properties of austempered ductile iron are dependent on both chemistry and heat treatment, which has lead to invention of MADI (machinable austempered ductile iron). MADI is a new class of ductile iron with superior mechanical property than regular ductile iron with the same machinability characteristic. In this study Different cycle of austempering process (austenitization and austempering cycle) applied Due to the effect of heat treatment... 

A Multi-level asynchronous delta sigma modulator consist of several Schmitt-triggers and a novel time-to-digital converter is presented as a core of a delta sigma modulation based analog to digital converter (ADC). The modulator firstly modulates the amplitude of its analog input signal to a multilevel asynchronous duty-cycle modulated signal. Then a time to digital converter (TDC) must be applied to generate digital representation of the received signal from the multi-level asynchronous duty-cycle modulated signal. A multi-level structure has been developed in this work while the prior works often used a single Schmitt. One of the most important limitations in conventional asynchronous... 

Using the ground state candidates for Hydrophobic-Polar lattice model on a two dimensional square lattice, we exactly enumerate the native states of proteins with length up to 20 for a wide range of energy parameters. We find the reduced set of contact maps, ground state candidates, perfectly stable sequences and designability of configurations  

Synchronization of fractional-order hyperchaotic complex systems is an interesting phenomenon since it has several applications in applied sciences. Based on the complexity of hyperchaotic dynamical systems and unpredictability of hidden attractors, which may exist in their phase spaces and could be beneficial in secure communications, a scheme to derive the analytical formula of the control functions is stated to study active control synchronization. Further comparison of this analytical formula with numerical experiments yields an interesting agreement. A novel fractional-order complex Sprott system is proposed to study this kind of synchronization and its dynamics. A secure communication... 

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is used in many wireless communication. The important drawback of this modulation is its high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). In this paper, a new modulation scheme of constant-envelope OFDM (CE-OFDM) is proposed. This scheme uses a combination of OFDM, quantizer and continuous phase modulation (CPM) to achieves 0 dB PAPR. The statistical signatures of signals, based on system parameters such as the length of discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and the number of quantization levels are presented. There are two sources of noise in proposed CE-OFDM scheme: quantization noise and channel noise. The theoretical analysis of these noises is... 

This paper proposes a constrained stochastic successive convex approximation (CSSCA) algorithm to find a stationary point for a general non-convex stochastic optimization problem, whose objective and constraint functions are non-convex and involve expectations over random states. Most existing methods for non-convex stochastic optimization, such as the stochastic (average) gradient and stochastic majorization-minimization, only consider minimizing a stochastic non-convex objective over a deterministic convex set. The proposed CSSCA algorithm can also handle stochastic non-convex constraints in optimization problems, and it opens the way to solving more challenging optimization problems that... 

New advances in mobile-computer technology, together with the advent of wireless networking, introduce new requirements, capabilities and concerns to the computer science and industry. In this paper, we discuss the special requirements of file sharing in mobile environments. Then our proposed architecture for mobile file sharing (MobFish) is presented. Finally, we present an implementation of the proposed architecture based on its special design tactics. © 2006 by Knowledge Systems Institute Graduate School. All rights reserved  

This paper deals with defining the concept of agent-based time delay margin and computing its value in multi-agent systems controlled by event-triggered based controllers. The agent-based time delay margin specifying the time delay tolerance of each agent for ensuring consensus in event-triggered controlled multi-agent systems can be considered as complementary for the concept of (network) time delay margin, which has been previously introduced in some literature. In this paper, an event-triggered control method for achieving consensus in multi-agent systems with time delay is considered. It is shown that the Zeno behavior is excluded by applying this method. Then, in a multi-agent system... 

Liquid interfaces are met everywhere in our daily life. The corresponding interfacial properties and their modification play an important role in many modern technologies. Most prominent examples are all processes involved in the formation of foams and emulsions, as they are based on a fast creation of new surfaces, often of an immense extension. During the formation of an emulsion, for example, all freshly created and already existing interfaces are permanently subject to all types of deformation. This clearly entails the need of a quantitative knowledge on relevant dynamic interfacial properties and their changes under conditions pertinent to the technological processes. We report on the... 

We study the problem of selling an item to strategic buyers in the presence of positive historical externalities, where the value of a product increases as more people buy and use it. This increase in the value of the product is the result of resolving bugs or security holes after more usage. We consider a continuum of buyers that are partitioned into types where each type has a valuation function based on the actions of other buyers. Given a fixed sequence of prices, or price trajectory, buyers choose a day on which to purchase the product, i.e. they have to decide whether to purchase the product early in the game or later after more people already own it. We model this strategic setting as... 

In this study, ternary MWCNTs/CoFe2O4/FeCo nanocomposite coated with conductive PEDOT-polyaniline (PA@MW/F/C) co-polymers were synthesized by microwave-assisted sol-gel followed in-situ polymerization methods. The phases, crystal structures, morphologies, magnetic and electromagnetic features of the as-prepared samples were identified via XRD, SEM, XPS, VSM, and VNA respectively. Absorption characteristics were investigated in the frequency (12–18 GHz) Ku band. XRD, VSM and SEM analysis confirmed the partial reduction process of CoFe2O4 and successfully decorated magneto-dielectric particles with co-polymers. By measuring electromagnetic features of the samples, it was found that coating... 

The oscillating drop and bubble analyzer (ODBA) is an experimental set-up based on the measurement of capillary pressure under static and dynamic conditions. It allows studies of slow and fast dynamic surface and interfacial tensions, following different growing and oscillating drop or bubble protocols, as well as determination of the dilational interfacial visco-elasticity of liquid interfacial layers. For the visco-elasticity studies, drops or bubbles are subjected to harmonic oscillations of area or volume in a broad frequency range, and the resulting harmonic capillary pressure response is analyzed by Fourier analysis. Also, transient relaxations can be easily performed, which are of... 

Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune disease, in which the role of Th17 cytokines needs to be further explored. This study was performed to assess serum levels of three interleukins (IL) required for Th17 differentiation (IL-β, IL-6 and IL-23) and two specific Th17 cytokines (IL- 17 and IL-22) in a group of patients with pemphigus vulgaris, at baseline, 3 weeks and 6 months after of treatment. Correlations between anti-desmogleins and cytokines with disease severity as well as the influence of therapy on the above factors were assessed. Forty-three first-admitted pemphigus vulgaris patients with the active disease entered the study, but only 31 completed the study. Forty-five healthy... 

We study the problem of selling an item to strategic buyers in the presence of positive historical externalities, where the value of a product increases as more people buy and use it. This increase in the value of the product is the result of resolving bugs or security holes after more usage. We consider a continuum of buyers that are partitioned into types where each type has a valuation function based on the actions of other buyers. Given a fixed sequence of prices, or price trajectory, buyers choose a day on which to purchase the product, i.e., they have to decide whether to purchase the product early in the game or later after more people already own it. We model this strategic setting... 

Segmentation of the human airway tree from volumetric computed tomography images is an important stage for many clinical applications such as virtual bronchoscopy. The main challenges of previously developed methods are to deal with two problems namely, leaking into the surrounding lung parenchyma during segmentation and the need to manually adjust the parameters. To overcome these problems, a multi-seeded fuzzy based region growing approach in conjuction with the spatial information of voxels is proposed. Comparison with a commonly used region growing segmentation algorithm shows that the proposed method retrieves more accurate results by achieving the specificity and sensitivity of 98.81%... 

In this paper, the Line-Modulated Fixed Off-Time method is used as the current control strategy for a Power Factor Corrector (PFC) pre-regulator. A zero voltage switching PWM (ZVS-PWM) auxiliary circuit is configured to perform ZVS in the switches. Soft commutation of the main switch is achieved without additional current stress. A significant reduction in the total conduction loss is achieved, since the circulating current for the soft switching flows only through the auxiliary circuit and a minimum number of switching devices are involved in the circulating current path .The proposed rectifier uses a single converter instead of the conventional configuration composed of a four-diode... 

A simple functional form for a general equation of state based on an effective near-neighbor pair interaction of an extended Lennard-Jones (12,6,3) type is given and tested against experimental data for a wide variety of fluids and solids. Computer simulation results for ionic liquids are used for further evaluation. For fluids, there appears to be no upper density limitation on the equation of state. The lower density limit for isotherms near the critical temperature is the critical density. The equation of state gives a good description of all types of fluids, nonpolar (including long-chain hydrocarbons), polar, hydrogen-bonded, and metallic, at temperatures ranging from the triple point...