bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Making pull-based graph processing performant
Authors: Grossman Samuel , Litz Heiner , Kozyrakis Christos
Published: March 2019

Graph processing engines following either the push-based or pull-based pattern conceptually consist of a two-level nested loop structure. Parallelizing and vectorizing these loops is critical for high overall performance and memory bandwidth utilization. Outer loop parallelization is simple for both engine types but suffers from high load imbalance. This work focuses on inner loop parallelization for pull engines, which when performed naively leads to a significant increase in conflicting memory writes that must be synchronized.

Our first contribution is a
scheduler-aware
interface for parallel loops that allows us to optimize for the common case in which each thread executes several consecutive iterations. This eliminates most write traffic and avoids all synchronization, leading to speedups of up to 50X.

Our second contribution is the
Vector-Sparse
format, which addresses the obstacles to vectorization that stem from the commonly-used Compressed-Sparse data structure. Our new format eliminates unaligned memory accesses and bounds checks within vector operations, two common problems when processing low-degree vertices. Vectorization with Vector-Sparse leads to speedups of up to 2.5X.

Our contributions are embodied in
Grazelle
, a hybrid graph processing framework. On a server equipped with four Intel Xeon E7-4850 v3 processors, Grazelle respectively outperforms Ligra, Polymer, GraphMat, and X-Stream by up to 15.2X, 4.6X, 4.7X, and 66.8X.
High-performance genomic analysis framework with in-memory computing
Authors: Li Xueqi , Tan Guangming , Wang Bingchen , Sun Ninghui
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we propose an in-memory computing framework (called GPF) that provides a set of genomic formats, APIs and a fast genomic engine for large-scale genomic data processing. Our GPF comprises two main components: (1) scalable genomic data formats and API. (2) an advanced execution engine that supports efficient compression of genomic data and eliminates redundancies in the execution engine of our GPF. We further present both system and algorithm-specific implementations for users to build genomic analysis pipeline without any acquaintance of Spark parallel programming. To test the performance of GPF, we built a WGS pipeline on top of our GPF as a test case. Our experimental data indicate that GPF completes Whole-Genome-Sequencing (WGS) analysis of 146.9G bases Human Platinum Genome in running time of 24 minutes, with over 50% parallel efficiency when used on 2048 CPU cores. Together, our GPF framework provides a fast and general engine for large-scale genomic data processing which supports in-memory computing.
Griffin
Authors: Liu Yang , Wang Jianguo , Swanson Steven
Published: March 2019

Interactive information retrieval services, such as enterprise search and document search, must provide relevant results with consistent, low response times in the face of rapidly growing data sets and query loads. These growing demands have led researchers to consider a wide range of optimizations to reduce response latency, including query processing parallelization and acceleration with co-processors such as GPUs. However, previous work runs queries either on GPU or CPU, ignoring the fact that the best processor for a given query depends on the query's characteristics, which may change as the processing proceeds.

We present Griffin, an IR systems that dynamically combines GPU- and CPU-based algorithms to process individual queries according to their characteristics. Griffin uses state-of-the-art CPU-based query processing techniques and incorporates a novel approach to GPU-based query evaluation. Our GPU-based approach, as far as we know, achieves the best available GPU search performance by leveraging a new compression scheme and exploiting an advanced merge-based intersection algorithm. We evaluate Griffin with real world queries and datasets, and show that it improves query performance by 10x compared to a highly optimized CPU-only implementation, and 1.5x compared to our GPU-approach running alone. We also find that Griffin helps reduce the 95th-, 99th-, and 99.9th-percentile query response time by 10.4x, 16.1x, and 26.8x, respectively.
swSpTRSV
Authors: Wang Xinliang , Liu Weifeng , Xue Wei , Wu Li
Published: March 2019

Sparse triangular solve (SpTRSV) is one of the most important kernels in many real-world applications. Currently, much research on parallel SpTRSV focuses on level-set construction for reducing the number of inter-level synchronizations. However, the out-of-control data reuse and high cost for global memory or shared cache access in inter-level synchronization have been largely neglected in existing work.

In this paper, we propose a novel data layout called Sparse Level Tile to make all data reuse under control, and design a Producer-Consumer pairing method to make any inter-level synchronization only happen in very fast register communication. We implement our data layout and algorithms on an SW26010 many-core processor, which is the main building-block of the current world fastest supercomputer Sunway Taihulight. The experimental results of testing all 2057 square matrices from the Florida Matrix Collection show that our method achieves an average speedup of 6.9 and the best speedup of 38.5 over parallel level-set method. Our method also outperforms the latest methods on a KNC many-core processor in 1856 matrices and the latest methods on a K80 GPU in 1672 matrices, respectively.
V
erified
FT
Authors: Wilcox James R. , Flanagan Cormac , Freund Stephen N.
Published: March 2019

Dynamic data race detectors are valuable tools for testing and validating concurrent software, but to achieve good performance they are typically implemented using sophisticated concurrent algorithms. Thus, they are ironically prone to the exact same kind of concurrency bugs they are designed to detect. To address these problems, we have developed V
erified
FT, a clean slate redesign of the F
ast
T
rack
race detector [19]. The V
erified
FT analysis provides the same precision guarantee as F
ast
T
rack
, but is simpler to implement correctly and efficiently, enabling us to mechanically verify an implementation of its core algorithm using CIVL [27]. Moreover, V
erified
FT provides these correctness guarantees without sacrificing any performance over current state-of-the-art (but complex and unverified) F
ast
T
rack
implementations for Java.
Reducing transaction aborts by looking to the future
Authors: Cohen Nachshon , Petrank Erez , Larus James R.
Published: March 2019

Transactions are widely used in database engines and they becoming increasingly useful as a general synchronization technique for multicore machines [1]. Transactional systems allow a programmer to encapsulate multiple operations inside a transaction. All these operations appear to be executed atomically or not at all.
SecureMR
Authors: Dong Yao , Milanova Ana , Dolby Julian
Published: March 2019

In cloud computing customers upload data and computation to cloud providers. As they cede their data to the cloud provider, they may cede data confidentiality. We develop SecureMR, a system that analyzes and transforms MapReduce programs to operate over encrypted data. SecureMR makes use of partially homomorphic encryption and a trusted client. We evaluate SecureMR on a set of MapReduce benchmarks.
A scalable distance-1 vertex coloring algorithm for power-law graphs
Authors: Firoz Jesun Sahariar , Zalewski Marcin , Lumsdaine Andrew
Published: March 2019

We propose a distributed, unordered, label-correcting distance-1 vertex coloring algorithm, called Distributed Control (DC) coloring algorithm. DC eliminates the need for vertex-centric barriers and global synchronization for color refinement, relying only on atomic operations and local termination detection to update vertex color. We implement our DC coloring algorithm and the well-known Jones-Plassmann algorithm in the AM++ AMT runtime and compare their performance. We show that, with runtime support, the elimination of waiting time of vertex-centric barriers and investing this time for local ordering results in better execution time for power-law graphs with dense local subgraphs.
A scalable queue for work distribution on GPUs
Authors: Kerbl Bernhard , Müller Jörg , Kenzel Michael , Schmalstieg Dieter , Steinberger Markus
Published: March 2019

Harnessing the power of massively parallel devices like the graphics processing unit (GPU) is difficult for algorithms that show dynamic or inhomogeneous workloads. To achieve high performance, such advanced algorithms require scalable, concurrent queues to collect and distribute work. We present a new concurrent work queue, the
Broker Queue
, a highly efficient, linearizable queue for fine-granular work distribution on the GPU. We evaluate its usability and benefits in contrast to existing queuing algorithms. Our queue is up to one order of magnitude faster than non-blocking queues, and outperforms simpler queue designs that are unfit for fine-granular work distribution.
Designing scalable FPGA architectures using high-level synthesis
Authors: de Fine Licht Johannes , Blott Michaela , Hoefler Torsten
Published: March 2019

Massive spatial parallelism at low energy gives FPGAs the potential to be core components in large scale high performance computing (HPC) systems. In this paper we present four major design steps that harness high-level synthesis (HLS) to implement scalable spatial FPGA algorithms. To aid productivity, we introduce the open source library
hlslib
to complement HLS. We evaluate kernels designed with our approach on an FPGA accelerator board, demonstrating high performance and board utilization with enhanced programmer productivity. By following our guidelines, programmers can use HLS to develop efficient parallel algorithms for FPGA, scaling their implementations with increased resources on future hardware.
Layrub
Authors: Liu Bo , Jiang Wenbin , Jin Hai , Shi Xuanhua , Ma Yang
Published: March 2019

Growing accuracy and robustness of
Deep Neural Networks
(DNN) models are accompanied by growing model capacity (going deeper or wider). However, high memory requirements of those models make it difficult to execute the training process in one GPU. To address it, we first identify the memory usage characteristics for deep and wide convolutional networks, and demonstrate the opportunities of memory reuse on both intra-layer and inter-layer levels. We then present Layrub, a runtime data placement strategy that orchestrates the execution of training process. It achieves layer-centric reuse to reduce memory consumption for extreme-scale deep learning that cannot be run on one single GPU.
Quantifying and reducing execution variance in STM via model driven commit optimization
Authors: Mururu Girish , Gavrilovska Ada , Pande Santosh
Published: March 2019

Simplified parallel programming coupled with an ability to express speculative computation is realized with Software Transactional Memory (STM). Although STMs are gaining popularity because of significant improvements in parallel performance, they exhibit enormous variation in transaction execution with non-repeatable performance behavior which is unacceptable in many application domains, especially in which frame rates and responsiveness should be predictable. Thus, reducing execution variance in STM is an important performance goal that has been mostly overlooked. In this work, we minimize the variance in execution time of threads in STM by reducing non-determinism exhibited due to speculation by first quantifying non-determinism and generating an automaton that models the behavior of STM. We used the automaton to guide the STM to a less non-deterministic execution that reduced the variance in frame rate by a maximum of 65% on a version of real-world Quake3 game.
Stamp-it
, amortized constant-time memory reclamation in comparison to five other schemes
Authors: Pöter Manuel , Träff Jesper Larsson
Published: March 2019

The
memory reclamation problem
is to determine, for any given allocated
memory node
, when there are no more references to the node, allowing it to be safely returned to the memory management system. In a concurrent context, the memory reclamation problem is highly non-trivial, since there may be more than one thread referencing an allocated node unbeknownst to the other threads.
A predictable synchronisation algorithm
Authors: Reif Stefan , Schröder-Preikschat Wolfgang
Published: March 2019

Interaction with physical objects often imposes
latency
requirements to multi-core embedded systems. One consequence is the need for synchronisation algorithms that provide predictable latency, in addition to high throughput. We present a synchronisation algorithm that needs at most 7 atomic memory operations per
asynchronous critical section.
The performance is competitive, at least, to locks.
Automated code acceleration targeting heterogeneous openCL devices
Authors: Riebler Heinrich , Vaz Gavin , Kenter Tobias , Plessl Christian
Published: March 2019

Accelerators can offer exceptional performance advantages. However, programmers need to spend considerable efforts on acceleration, without knowing how sustainable the employed programming models, languages and tools are. To tackle this challenge, we propose and demonstrate a new runtime system called HT
r
OP that is able to automatically generate and execute OpenCL code from sequential CPU code. HT
r
OP transforms suitable data-parallel loops into independent OpenCL-typical work-items and handles concrete calls to these devices through a mix of library components and application-specific OpenCL host code. Computational hotspots are identified and can be offloaded to different resources (CPU, GPGPU and Xeon Phi). We demonstrate the potential of HT
r
OP on a broad set of applications and are able to improve the performance by 4.3X on average.
Graph partitioning applied to DAG scheduling to reduce NUMA effects
Authors: Sánchez Barrera Isaac , Casas Marc , Moretó Miquel , Ayguadé Eduard , Labarta Jesús , Valero Mateo
Published: March 2019

The complexity of shared memory systems is becoming more relevant as the number of memory domains increases, with different access latencies and bandwidth rates depending on the proximity between the cores and the devices containing the data. In this context, techniques to manage and mitigate non-uniform memory access (NUMA) effects consist in migrating threads, memory pages or both and are typically applied by the system software.

We propose techniques at the runtime system level to reduce NUMA effects on parallel applications. We leverage runtime system metadata in terms of a task dependency graph. Our approach, based on graph partitioning methods, is able to provide parallel performance improvements of 1.12X on average with respect to the state-of-the-art.
Fiber type-selective exercise effects on AS160 phosphorylation
Authors: Wang Haiyan , Arias Edward B. , Oki Kentaro , Pataky Mark W. , Almallouhi Jalal A. , Cartee Gregory D.
Published: March 2019

Earlier research using muscle tissue demonstrated that postexercise elevation in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (ISGU) occurs concomitant with greater insulin-stimulated Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160) phosphorylation (pAS160) on sites that regulate ISGU. Because skeletal muscle is a heterogeneous tissue, we previously isolated myofibers from rat epitrochlearis to assess fiber type-selective ISGU. Exercise induced greater ISGU in type I, IIA, IIB, and IIBX but not IIX fibers. This study tested if exercise effects on pAS160 correspond with previously published fiber type-selective exercise effects on ISGU. Rats were studied immediately postexercise (IPEX) or 3.5 h postexercise (3.5hPEX) with time-matched sedentary controls. Myofibers dissected from the IPEX experiment were analyzed for fiber type (myosin heavy chain isoform expression) and key phosphoproteins. Isolated muscles from the 3.5hPEX experiment were incubated with or without insulin. Myofibers (3.5hPEX) were analyzed for fiber type, key phosphoproteins, and GLUT4 protein abundance. We hypothesized that insulin-stimulated pAS160 at 3.5hPEX would exceed sedentary controls only in fiber types characterized by greater ISGU postexercise. Values for phosphorylation of AMP-activated kinase substrates (acetyl CoA carboxylaseSer79and AS160Ser704) from IPEX muscles exceeded sedentary values in each fiber type, suggesting exercise recruitment of all fiber types. Values for pAS160Thr642and pAS160Ser704from insulin-stimulated muscles 3.5hPEX exceeded sedentary values for type I, IIA, IIB, and IIBX but not IIX fibers. GLUT4 abundance was unaltered 3.5hPEX in any fiber type. These results advanced understanding of exercise-induced insulin sensitization by providing compelling support for the hypothesis that enhanced insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of AS160 is linked to elevated ISGU postexercise at a fiber type-specific level independent of altered GLUT4 expression.
A study over the Formulation of the Parameters 5 or Less Independent Variables of Multiple Linear Regression
Authors: Korkmaz Mehmet
Published: March 2019

As is known, finding the parameters of multiple linear regression is an important case. Of course, these parameters can be easily found with the help of the computer. In this study, in addition to the formula of the parameters of linear regression, the general formulas of the parameters of 5 and less independent variables of multiple linear regression are given with a certain order. The derivations of the formulas presented are given step by step. In addition to classical matrix form, these new formulas for estimation of the parameters of multiple linear regression could be proposed especially to the researchers not using computer program for calculating the complex operations. By using these formulas, the researcher can estimate easily the parameters of multiple linear regression without using a computer and so the researcher can compose easily the table of variance analysis to interpret the regression made. Since for 6 and more independent variables, the tables of the parameters of multiple linear regression are too long and they take up too much space, the general formulas of the parameters of 6 and more independent variables of multiple linear regression could not be given in this study.
Some Properties of Chemical Cross-Linking Biohydrogel from Starch and Chitosan
Authors: Sunarti Titi Candra , Febrian M. Irsan , Ruriani Eka , Yuliasih Indah
Published: March 2019

Chemical cross-linking was developed to prepare starch and chitosan-based hydrogels. First, the precursor of starch was synthesized through the reaction of carboxymethylation with sodium monochloroacetate, and then chitosan was grafted by using methacrylic acid as cross-linker. In this research, sago and cassava starches were used and mixed with chitosan, and the effect of methacrylic acid concentration was investigated to determine the grafting parameters and hydrogel characteristics. Compared to native starch and carboxymethylated starch, hydrogels from both starches have high ability to swell and high capacity to absorb water and oil. The highest grafting yield, grafting efficiency, and monomer conversion were achieved by experiment using 0.550 g of methacrylic acid per g of CMS-chitosan mixture. These hydrogels have a good potency as biodegradable absorbents for pharmaceutical and industrial application.
Proposal of an Adaptive Neurofuzzy System to Control Flow Power in Distributed Generation Systems
Authors: Espitia Helbert Eduardo , Machón-González Iván , López-García Hilario , Díaz Guzmán
Published: March 2019

Systems of distributed generation have shown to be a remarkable alternative to a rational use of energy. Nevertheless, the proper functioning of them still manifests a range of challenges, including both the adequate energy dispatch depending on the variability of consumption and the interaction between generators. This paper describes the implementation of an adaptive neurofuzzy system for voltage control, regarding the changes observed in the consumption within the distribution system. The proposed design employs two neurofuzzy systems, one for the plant dynamics identification and the other for control purposes. This focus optimizes the controller using the model achieved through the identification of the plant, whose changes are produced by charge variation; consequently, this process is adaptively performed. The results show the performance of the adaptive neurofuzzy system via statistical analysis.
Activated Macrophages of Monocytic Origin Predominantly Express Proinflammatory Cytokine Genes, Whereas Kupffer Cells Predominantly Express Anti-Inflammatory Cytokine Genes
Authors: Lokhonina Anastasia , Elchaninov Andrey , Fatkhudinov Timur , Makarov Andrey , Arutyunyan Irina , Grinberg Maria , Glinkina Valeria , Surovtsev Viktor , Bolshakova Galina , Goldshtein Dmitry , Sukhikh Gennady
Published: March 2019

In the central nervous system and in the liver, the macrophage populations are represented exclusively by descendants of the hematopoietic progenitor cells of the yolk sac. The reasons for such differential distribution of macrophages are not fully understood. We found that, as can be judged by corresponding changes in the expression of CD86 and CD163 markers, the transient macrophages of monocytic lineage are more sensitive to activating stimuli. The two macrophage populations have distinct patterns of gene expression, which is particularly noticeable for M1- and M2-associated genes. For instance, Kupffer cells more readily develop and longer maintain the elevated expression levels of Il4, Il10, and Il13 upon the activation; by contrast, the macrophages of monocytic lineage express Il1b, Il12a, and Tnfα upon the activation. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the in vitro activated Kupffer cells of the liver are committed to M2 phenotype, whereas the in vitro activated monocyte-derived macrophages show a typical M1 behavior. These observations are likely to reflect the situation in the in vivo microenvironments.
Adjuvant Treatment of Crohn’s Disease with Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Yue , Li Ming , Zha An-Sheng
Published: March 2019

The objective of the meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the treatment of Crohn’s disease (CD). Pubmed, Embase, Medline, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature, Wanfang Database, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched (through October 2018). The quality of randomized clinical trials meeting the inclusion criteria was assessed and the data were extracted according to the Cochrane Review Handbook v5.0 by two evaluators. A meta-analysis was performed using the software Stata 12.0. Twelve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected. The studies were of low methodological quality. The meta-analysis indicated that treatment with TCM and Western Medicine (WM) was significantly superior compared to treatment with WM alone with regard to total effective rate, remission maintenance rate, reduction of C-reactive protein (CRP), reduction of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), clinical score reduction, and reduction of adverse events. Mucosal healing was improved in both the TCM-WM and WM groups; however, there were no significant differences between the two groups. There was a certain publication bias in the studies with regard to efficiency, adverse reactions, mucosal healing, and recurrence rate; however, there was no obvious publication bias with regard to other indicators. TCM, as an adjuvant therapy with WM, shows advantages in inducing remission in CD. The current evidence suggests that TCM-WM treatment might be more efficient in terms of total effective rate, remission maintenance rate, CRP reduction, ESR reduction, clinical score reduction, and reduction of adverse events than treatment with WM alone. Because of the low quality of the included RCTs, high quality confirmatory evidence is needed to assess the clinical value of TCM in the treatment of CD.
Laparoscopic versus Open Surgery in Lateral Lymph Node Dissection for Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ouyang Manzhao , Liao Tianyou , Lu Yan , Deng Leilei , Luo Zhentao , Wu Jinhao , Ju Yongle , Yao Xueqing
Published: March 2019

Aim. To compare the clinical efficacies between laparoscopic and conventional open surgery in lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) for advanced rectal cancer. Methods. We comprehensively searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wanfang Data and performed a cumulative meta-analysis. According to inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, all eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or retrospective or prospective comparative studies assessing the two techniques were included, and then a meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software to assess the difference in clinical and oncological outcomes between the two treatment approaches. Results. Eight studies involving a total of 892 patients were finally selected, with 394 cases in the laparoscopic surgery group and 498 cases in the traditional open surgery group. Compared with the traditional open group, the laparoscopic group had a longer operative time (WMD=81.56, 95% CI (2.09, 142.03), P=0.008), but less intraoperative blood loss (WMD=−452.18, 95% CI (-652.23, -252.13), P<0.00001), shorter postoperative hospital stay (WMD=−5.30, 95% CI (-8.42, -2.18), P=0.0009), and higher R0 resection rate (OR=2.17, 95% CI (1.14, 4.15), P=0.02). There was no significant difference in the incidence of surgical complications between the two groups (OR=0.52, 95% CI (0.26, 1.07), P=0.08). Lateral lymph node harvest, lateral lymph node metastasis, local recurrence, 3-year overall survival, and 3-year disease-free survival did not differ significantly between the two approaches (P>0.05). Conclusion. Laparoscopic LLND has a similar efficacy in oncological outcomes and postoperative complications to the conventional open surgery, with the advantages of reduced intraoperative blood loss, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and higher R0 resection rate, and tumor radical cure is similar to traditional open surgery. Laparoscopic LLND is a safe and feasible surgical approach, and it may be used as a standard procedure in LLND for advanced rectal cancer.
Cx43 Inhibition Attenuates Sepsis-Induced Intestinal Injury via Downregulating ROS Transfer and the Activation of the JNK1/Sirt1/FoxO3a Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zou Zhaowei , Liu Bin , Zeng Lisi , Yang Xianzi , Huang Renli , Wu Cheng , Zhu Huijuan , Gao Yi , Yuan Dongdong , Yu Jinlong
Published: March 2019

Intestinal injury has long been considered to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of sepsis and has even been characterized as the “motor” of it. Thus, we explored the effects of connexin43 (Cx43) on sepsis-induced intestinal injury in order to provide potential therapeutic strategies. Rat cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) models in vivo and cell models (IEC-6 cells) pretreated with LPS in vitro were used in the current study. Firstly, different methods, such as Cx43 inhibitors (18-α-GA and oleamide) or siRNA targeting Cx43 and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) (a kind of ROS scavenger), were used to observe the effects of Cx43 channels mediating ROS transfer on intestinal injury. Secondly, the influence of ROS content on the activity of the JNK1/Sirt1/FoxO3a signaling pathway was explored through the application of NAC, sp600125 (a JNK1 inhibitor), and nicotinamide (a Sirt1 inhibitor). Finally, luciferase assays and ChIP were used to determine the direct regulation of FoxO3a on proapoptotic proteins, Bim and Puma. The results showed that sepsis-induced intestinal injury presented a dynamic change, coincident with the alternation of Cx43 expression. The inhibition of Cx43 attenuated CLP-induced intestinal injury in vivo and LPS-induced IEC-6 injury in vitro. The changes of Cx43 channel function regulated ROS transfer between the neighboring cells, which mediated the activation of the JNK1/Sirt1/FoxO3a signaling pathway. FoxO3a directly affected its downstream target genes, Bim and Puma, which are responsible for cell or tissue apoptosis. In summary, our results suggest that Cx43 inhibition suppresses ROS transfer and inactivates the JNK1/Sirt1/FoxO3a signaling pathway to protect against sepsis-induced intestinal injury.
Urothelial Carcinoma Recurrence in an Orthotopic Neobladder without Urethral or Upper Urinary Tract Involvement
Authors: Doshi Chirag P. , Barkan Guliz A. , Quek Marcus L.
Published: March 2019

We describe a case of a 71-year-old male with an isolated recurrence of urothelial carcinoma in an ileal neobladder without involvement of the upper urinary tract or urethra. He was diagnosed with high grade urothelial carcinoma involving a bladder diverticulum with associated carcinoma in situ. He underwent a radical cystectomy and orthotopic Studer ileal neobladder. On routine follow-up, 11 years following cystectomy, voided urine cytology was positive for high grade urothelial carcinoma. Further workup revealed normal upper urinary tracts, normal urethra, and a solitary lesion at the left anteroinferior wall of the neobladder. He subsequently underwent resection of the neobladder and conversion to an ileal conduit with pathology confirming the diagnosis of high grade urothelial carcinoma. Isolated recurrence of urothelial carcinoma within a neobladder without involvement of the upper urinary tract or urethra is rare. No guidelines exist regarding its management. Herein we present our management as well as the current literature published on this topic.
Buckling Analysis of Sandwich Plate Systems with Stiffening Ribs: Theoretical, Numerical, and Experimental Approaches
Authors: Zou Guangping , Wang Yuyang , Xue Qichao , Zhang Chunwei
Published: March 2019

This paper discusses a global buckling analysis approach for sandwich plates with stiffening ribs. The approach is based on theoretical study and is implemented by the finite element method (FEM). The equilibrium equation corresponding to critical global buckling of the sandwich plate with stiffening ribs under simple supported boundary condition is established by the energy method. The critical buckling solutions for a typical rectangular sandwich plate system (SPS) with a single stiffening rib in the longitudinal direction are then investigated while varying the potential influencing factors. The shear rigidity within the inner core exerts little effect on global buckling and can be neglected. An FEM study on elastic buckling was then conducted via ANSYS software. The advantages of the SPS were highlighted via its elastic eigenvalue buckling numerical analysis with multiple stiffeners. The ultimate buckling loads were computed similarly for different influential factors. Finally, an SPS specimen was tested in a compression test. The results showed that when the rib spacing is large, the local buckling of the plates in the grillage is controllable and the SPS is more resistant to both local and global buckling. The results based on our theoretical method agreed well with those of the FEM and experimental results.
Bright Alloy CdZnSe/ZnSe QDs with Nonquenching Photoluminescence at High Temperature and Their Application to Light-Emitting Diodes
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Zhang Xugu , Yang Peizhi , Bai Jinke , Chang Chun , Jin Xiao , Zhao Feng , Huang Yan , Li Feng
Published: March 2019

Stable luminance properties are essential for light-emitting devices with excellent performance. Thermal photoluminescence (PL) quenching of quantum dots (QDs) under a high temperature resulting from a surface hole or electron traps will lead to unstable and dim brightness. After treating CdZnSe/ZnSe QDs with TBP, which is a well-known passivation reagent of the anions, the excess Se sites on the surface of the QDs were removed and their PL quantum yields (QYs) was improved remarkable. Furthermore, after TBP treatment, the CdZnSe/ZnSe QDs exhibit no quenching phenomena even at a high temperature of 310°C. The electroluminescent light-mitting diodes based on the QDs with TBP treatment also demonstrated satisfied performance with a maximum current density of 1679.6 mA/cm2, a peak luminance of 89500 cd/m2, and the maximum values of EQE and luminescence efficiency are 15% and 14.9 cd/A, respectively. The performance of the fabricated devices can be further improved providing much more in-depth studies on the CdZnSe/ZnSe QDs.
Determination of Hydraulic Ram Pump Performance: Experimental Results
Authors: Asvapoositkul Wanchai , Juruta Jedsada , Tabtimhin Nattapong , Limpongsa Yosawat
Published: March 2019

The possibility of using a hydraulic ram pump (HRP) as a means of utilizing its energy to produce high head for pump has been investigated. To make such a system economically competitive, it is necessary to improve the performance of HRPs. To achieve this improvement, it is also necessary to understand the parameters that marked out the design of conventional HRPs. The performance is presented in dimensionless terms as the head ratio H∗ or discharge head to drive head and flow‐rate ratio Q∗ or discharge flow rate to drive flow rate. The experiments on HRPs were conducted by which each of the following factors could be varied independently: (a) supply head, (b) air chamber pressure, and (c) waste valve beats per minute. An increase in the supply head tends to increase the supply flow rate, delivery flow rate, delivery head, and the overall efficiency of the pump. An increase in air chamber pressure tends to decrease the overall efficiency of the pump. However, there was no significant difference on the HRP performance over a wide range of flow conditions when air chamber pressure was varied. An increase in waste valve beats per minute tends to decrease the supply flow rate, delivery flow rate, and delivery head. But it tends to increase the head ratio, the flow‐rate ratio, and the overall efficiency of the pump. The experimental data reveal that the HRP characteristics are functions of the waste valve beats per minute and the supply head.
Association of GDF-15 and Syntax Score in Patient with Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Liu Shiqiang , Chen Xu , Wang Hua , Ming Bo , Wu Mingle , Wang Yongjie , Liu Tao
Published: March 2019

Aims. GDF-15 is considered to be an important biomarker for cardiovascular events, but the differences in serum GDF-15 levels between acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients and non-AMI patients warrant further investigation. Methods. A cohort of 409 subjects was enrolled in the current study. The Syntax score was calculated from the baseline coronary angiography results by using online methods. Blood samples were obtained at the start of the study for an assessment of GDF-15 by using ELISA methods. Results. Patients with AMI had significantly higher levels of serum GDF-15 (Wilcox test, P < 0.001), Syntax scores (Wilcox test, P = 0.006), and left ventricular ejection fractions (LEVF, Wilcox test, P< 0.001). However, no significant differences were present among the other clinical characteristics. The logistical regression analysis indicated that serum GDF-15 levels (P=0.01534) were independent predictors of non-AMI and AMI after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and LVEF. Conclusions. Elevated serum levels of GDF-15 are independently associated with the risk of MI, and GDF-15 may serve as a protective factor for MI in the cardiovascular system.
Retrodifferentiation of Human Tumor Hepatocytes to Stem Cells Leads to Metabolic Reprogramming and Chemoresistance
Authors: Fekir Karim , Dubois-Pot-Schneider Hélène , Désert Romain , Daniel Yoann , Glaise Denise , Rauch Claudine , Morel Fabrice , Fromenty Bernard , Musso Orlando , Cabillic Florian , Corlu Anne
Published: March 2019

Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) heterogeneity promotes recurrence and therapeutic resistance. We recently demonstrated that inflammation favors hepatocyte retrodifferentiation into progenitor cells. Here, we identify the molecular effectors that induce metabolic reprogramming, chemoresistance, and invasiveness of retrodifferentiated HCC stem cells. Spheroid cultures of human HepaRG progenitors (HepaRG-Spheres), HBG-BC2, HepG2, and HuH7 cells and isolation of side population (SP) from HepaRG cells (HepaRG-SP) were analyzed by transcriptomics, signaling pathway analysis, and evaluation of chemotherapies. Gene expression profiling of HepaRG-SP and HepaRG-Spheres revealed enriched signatures related to cancer stem cells, metastasis, and recurrence and showed that HepaRG progenitors could retrodifferentiate into an immature state. The transcriptome from these stem cells matched that of proliferative bad outcome HCCs in a cohort of 457 patients. These HCC stem cells expressed high levels of cytokines triggering retrodifferentiation and displayed high migration and invasion potential. They also showed changes in mitochondrial activity with reduced membrane potential, low ATP production, and high lactate production. These changes were, in part, related to angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4)–induced upregulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4), an inhibitor of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase. Upregulation of ANGPTL4 and PDK4 paralleled that of stem cells markers in human HCC specimens. Moreover, the PDK4 inhibitor dichloroacetate reversed chemoresistance to sorafenib or cisplatin in HCC stem cells derived from four HCC cell lines. In conclusion, retrodifferentiated cancer cells develop enhanced invasion and therapeutic resistance through ANGPTL4 and PDK4. Therefore, restoration of mitochondrial activity in combination with chemotherapy represents an attractive therapeutic approach in HCC.

Significance:

Restoring mitochondrial function in human hepatocellular carcinomas overcomes cancer resistance.
Training Non-Native Consonant Production with Perceptual and Articulatory Cues
Authors: Cibelli Emily
Published: March 2019

Background/Aims:
Adult learners often struggle to produce novel phonemes in a second language and lack clear articulatory targets. This study investigates the combined efficacy of perceptual and articulatory training, the latter involving explicit instruction about tongue position and laryngeal control, for the production of non-native phonemes.
Methods:
Native English speakers were trained on a series of Hindi coronal stop consonants, with production assessed before, during, and after training sessions, on the basis of acoustic cues to place of articulation and voicing.
Results:
Improvement in production was most apparent during artic u­latory training, when cues to target articulation were available to learners. Some improvements were maintained after training was concluded.
Conclusion:
Articu­latory training can contribute useful cues to pronunciation for early learners. Improvement in acquisition of targets varies in stability across learners and targets.
Effects of Music Therapy in Frail Elderlies: Controlled Crossover Study
Authors: Murabayashi Nobuyuki , Akahoshi Takako , Ishimine Risa , Saji Nobuko , Takeda Chiyomi , Nakayama Hisako , Noro Megumi , Fujimoto Hiroko , Misaki Megumi , Miyamoto Keiko , Yamada Yukiko , Kohya Itaru , Kondo Mayu , Yamaguchi Haruyasu , Sasaki Daisuke , Murai Yasuji
Published: March 2019

Background: Music therapy (MT) may exert beneficial preventive effects in frail elderly individuals in psychophysiological health. Objectives: One hundred and fifteen frail elderly individuals (65–89 years old) participated. Methods: Subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups for a controlled crossover trial. The MT-first group participated in group sessions of 45–50 min conducted by a certified music therapist for 12 weeks, followed by a 12-week waiting period. The waiting-first group participated in the reverse order. Cognitive function was assessed by the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) and Yamaguchi Kanji Symbol Substitution Test (YKSST). Physical function was assessed by the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). Psychophysical health was assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item version (GDS-15), General Health Questionnaire 12-item version (GHQ-12), Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) scale, and Life Space Assessment (LSA) scale. We also evaluated the outcome of MT using the Clinical Global Impressions of Improvement (CGI-I) scale. Results: After 12 weeks of MT, significant improvements were observed in TUG, GDS-15, and GHQ-12 scores. However, no improvements were noted in other scores. CGI-I scores revealed the significant benefits of MT. Conclusions: MT may improve physical function, depressive mood, and quality of life in frail elderly individuals.
Needle-Free and Needle-Based Growth Hormone Therapy in Children: A Pooled Analysis of Three Long-Term Observational Studies
Authors: Rohrer Tilman R. , Ceplis-Kastner Sabine , Jorch Norbert , Müller Hermann L. , Pfäffle Roland , Reinehr Thomas , Richter-Unruh Annette , Weißenbacher Claudia , Holterhus Paul-Martin , Ferring Arzneimittel GmbH Dr. Sabine Clips-Kastner
Published: March 2019

Background: Treatment with growth hormone (GH) is standard clinical practice in children with GH deficiency (GHD) or Turner syndrome (TS). Hitherto, no long-term data on auxological outcome and safety of Zomacton® have been published. Data comparing needle-free administration (NF) and needle injection (NI) of GH are very sparse. Aims: To analyse longitudinal auxological outcome and safety data of GH treatment-naïve patients diagnosed with GHD or TS and to compare NF and NI in a real-life setting. Methods: Pooled auxological data and safety information from three consecutive prospective observational Zomacton® studies covering 22 years of treatment were analysed and NF was compared to NI. Results: The safety cohort comprised 1,595 patients who received at least one GH dose. The auxological outcome cohort comprised 856 treatment-naïve patients with follow-up data ≥12 months. Height-SDS and height velocity improved significantly during the first 3 years of treatment. Documented choice of device was available for 658 patients (NF 69.1%, NI 30.9%). NF administration was non-inferior to NI. No previously unknown safety signals occurred. Conclusion: Real-life data show that treatment with Zomacton® improves auxological outcome parameters without new safety concerns. NF administration of GH represents a useful alternative to NI in children with growth disorders.
Tomato Phytonutrients Balance UV Response: Results from a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study
Authors: Groten Katharina , Marini Alessandra , Grether-Beck Susanne , Jaenicke Thomas , Ibbotson Sally H. , Moseley Harry , Ferguson James , Krutmann Jean
Published: March 2019

Background: Our previous double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over study indicated that a nutritional supplement named lycopene-rich tomato nutrient complex (TNC) can protect from UVA1-induced (340–400 nm) and UVA- (320–400 nm)/UVB-induced (280–320 nm) upregulation of molecular markers associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and ageing. Objectives: in the current double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter study, we analyze whether a similar, synergistic carotenoid-rich TNC can protect from broadband UVB-induced threshold erythema formation assessed as increase in minimal erythemal dose (MED) reading, the intensity of erythema formation, and the upregulation of molecular markers associated with inflammation and immunosuppression, and whether this correlates with carotenoid blood levels. Methods: One hundred and forty-nine healthy volunteers were randomized to two groups and subjected to a 5-week washout phase, followed by a 12-week treatment phase receiving either 15 mg lycopene, 5.8 mg phytoene and phytofluene, 0.8 mg β-carotene, 5.6 mg tocopherols from tomato extract, and 4 mg carnosic acid from rosemary extract per day or placebo made from medium-chain triglycerides. At the end of each phase, MED determination, UVB irradiation, chromametry, biopsies, and blood samples were undertaken. Results: The active supplement was well tolerated. Interestingly, no significant difference was seen in the MED between the active-supplement and placebo groups, as determined by visual grading by expert assessors. Of note, the carotenoid-containing supplement significantly protected against UVB-induced erythema formation measured as Δa* after the intervention minus Δa* after the washout phase as compared to the placebo. Moreover, intake of the active supplement significantly protected against UVB-induced upregulation of IL6 and TNFα as compared with the intake of placebo. Lastly, carotenoid plasma levels were significantly increased. Conclusion: This well-tolerated carotenoid-containing supplement significantly protected against UVB-induced erythema formation and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines in healthy volunteers.
The other “Sch,” or When Damisch Met Schapiro
Authors: Koering Jérémie
Published: March 2019

French art-historian/philosopher Hubert Damisch and American art-historian Meyer Schapiro maintained an intellectual friendship of rare intensity for nearly forty years. Their many letters bear witness to this: From art history to psychoanalysis, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and literature, they exchanged ideas in almost every field of the humanities and social sciences. The special issue which this text introduces focuses on the years 1972 and 1973, a period during which Damisch spent much time in the United States and met, in addition to Schapiro, Michel Foucault, Max Black, M. H. Abrams, and Norman Malcolm. “The Other ‘sch,’ or When Damisch Met Schapiro” seeks to put into perspective the forty-four letters gathered here as well as the several essays devoted to the Freud-Signorelli case.
The identity of catfishes identified as Mystus cavasius (Hamilton, 1822) (Teleostei: Bagridae), with a description of a new species from Myanmar
Authors: CHAKRABARTY PROSANTA , NG HEOK HEE
Published: March 2019

The identity of South Asian riverine bagrid catfishes usually referred to as Mystus cavasius (Hamilton, 1822) is reviewed.  Three species comprise what is currently understood as M. cavasius: M. cavasius s. str. from northern India, M. seengtee from southern India and a new species, M. falcarius, from the Salween and Irrawaddy river drainages in Myanmar and the shorter river drainages in southern Myanmar.  Mystus seengtee is resurrected from synonymy with M. cavasius and both species are redescribed.  The three species differ from other congeners with a long-based adipose fin in having a combination of a black spot in front of the dorsal-spine base, a dark humeral mark, a body without distinct midlateral stripes, very long maxillary barbels reaching to caudal-fin base, dorsal spine short and feebly serrate, tall dorsal fin, and 13ñ29 gill rakers.  These species differ from each other in dorsal fin shape, shape of the predorsal profile, coloration, and number of rakers on the first gill arch.
Rhynchelmis aleutensis n. sp. (Clitellata: Lumbriculidae) from Adak Island, Alaska
Authors: FEND STEVEN V.
Published: March 2019

A new lumbriculid worm, Rhynchelmis aleutensis, is described from streams on Adak Island, Alaska. The new species does not resemble other Alaskan or Siberian Rhynchelmis species. The paired spermathecal diverticula and the morphology of the male pores and atria suggest that it is more closely related to a species group known only from the western United States, south of Canada. The latter group has been associated with Sutroa Eisen, 1888.