bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enjoy the Benefit of Network Coding: Combat Pollution Attacks in 5G Multihop Networks
Authors: Li Jian , Li Tongtong , Ren Jian , Chao Han-Chieh
Published: December 2018

In the upcoming 5G era, many new types of networks will greatly expand the connectivity of the world such as vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), Internet of Things (IoT), and device‐to‐device communications (D2D). Network coding is a promising technology that can significantly improve the throughput and robustness of these emerging 5G multihop networks. However, network coding is generally very fragile to malicious attacks such as message content corruption and node compromise attacks. To take advantage of network coding in performance gain while refraining malicious network attacks is an interesting and challenging research issue. In this paper, we propose a new error‐detection and error‐correction (EDEC) scheme that can jointly detect and remove the malicious attacks based on the underlying error‐control scheme for general multihop networks that can model the 5G multihop networks. The proposed scheme can increase the throughput for network with pollution attacks compared to existing error‐detection based schemes. Then we propose a low‐density parity check (LDPC) decoding based EDEC (LEDEC) scheme. Our theoretical analysis demonstrates that the LEDEC scheme can further increase the throughput for heavily polluted network environments. We also provide extensive performance evaluation and simulation results to validate the proposed schemes. This research ensures the expected performance gain for the application of network coding in the 5G network under malicious pollution attacks.
An Unintended Effect of Financing the University Education of the Most Brilliant and Poorest Colombian Students: The Case of the Intervention of the Ser Pilo Paga Program
Authors: Medina Pablo , Ariza Natalia , Navas Pablo , Rojas Fernando , Parody Gina , Valdivia Juan Alejandro , Zarama Roberto , Penagos Juan Felipe
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we show an unintended effect of the program Ser Pilo Paga (SPP) that was a flagship program of the Colombian government between 2014 and 2018. It was designed as an intervention in the Colombian Higher Education System (CHES) by awarding, in the steady state, individual funding to about 40,000 students. Every year, 10,000 new students were chosen from the best applicants in the top decile of the population in the entrance exam to higher education in Colombia that also came from families that live under the level of poverty according to a national survey. Our approach, based on an intensive study of the changes in the statistical distributions of the exam scores during these four years, provides evidence of student performance improvements not only of the beneficiaries of the program, but also of the whole student population. This shows that the program opened similar opportunities for all the students, especially for the poorest ones. The program drove a reduction in the gap between students of the upper strata of the population and those of the lowest strata that usually did not access a high quality institution of higher education due to the lack of funding. This result has opened a debate about the optimal way of funding higher education.
Exposure of Macrophages to Low-Dose Gadolinium-Based Contrast Medium: Impact on Oxidative Stress and Cytokines Production
Authors: Weng Te-I , Chen Huang Jen , Lu Chen-Wen , Ho Yu-Chin , Wu Jia-Lun , Liu Shing-Hwa , Hsiao Jong-Kai
Published: December 2018

The toxicity of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) has drawn a lot of attention. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), a lethal disease related to the use of GBCAs, is still not understood. Recently, gadolinium retention is found in brain tissues after repeated use of GBCAs in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, most of the works investigating the toxicity of GBCAs are focusing on its high-concentration (0.5–10 mM) part, which is not reflective of the physiological conditions in human beings. Macrophages play a regulatory role in immune responses and are responsible for the fibrosis process. Their role in gadolinium retention and the pathogenesis of NSF, however, has seldom been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the immune response generated by macrophages (RAW 264.7) exposing to low levels of GBCAs. The incubation concentration of GBCAs, including Omniscan®, Primovist®, Magnevist®, and Gadovist®, is proportional to the level of gadolinium uptake when detected via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and imaged by MRI, whereas Primovist® treatment groups have highest gadolinium uptake among all of the tested concentrations. Low-concentration (2.5 μmol/L) Gd chloride or GBCAs exposure promoted the reactive production of oxygen species (ROS), nitrate/nitrite, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and suppressed the potential of mitochondrial membrane. There was higher ROS, nitrate/nitrite, and PGE2 production in the Primovist®, Omniscan®, and Magnevist® groups compared to the Gadovist® group. In face of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, Primovist®, Omniscan®, and Magnevist® groups exhibited elevated nitrite/nitrate and suppressed IL-1βsecretion and IL-6 and IL-10 secretion. Moreover, upon LPS stimulation, there is decreased TNF-αsecretion 4 hours after Primovist® or Omiscan® exposure but the TNF-αsecretion increased at 24 hours. Our data suggest that there is upregulated inflammation even in the presence of low levels of GBCAs, even similar to the physiological condition in murine macrophage. Further investigation of GBCAs on the human macrophage orin vivoanimal study may clarify the role of macrophage on the pathogenesis of NSF and other GBCAs-related disease.
Countering Protection Rackets Using Legal and Social Approaches: An Agent‐Based Test
Authors: Székely Áron , Nardin Luis G. , Andrighetto Giulia
Published: December 2018

Protection rackets cause economic and social damage across the world. States typically combat protection rackets using legal strategies that target the racketeers with legislation, strong sentencing, and increasing the presence and involvement of police officers. Nongovernmental organizations, conversely, focus on the rest of the population and counter protection rackets using a social approach. These organisations attempt to change the actions and social norms of community members with education, promotional campaigns, and discussions. We use an agent‐based model, which draws on established theories of protection rackets and combines features of sociological and economic perspectives to modelling social interactions, to test the effects of legal and social approaches. We find that a legal approach is a necessary component of a policy approach, that social only approaches should not be used because they lead to large increases in violence, and that a combination of the two works best, although even this must be used carefully.
Effect of Organic Material Type and Proportion on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Vegetation‐Concrete
Authors: Liu Daxiang , Zhang Baohua , Yang Yueshu , Xu Wennian , Ding Yu , Xia Zhenyao
Published: December 2018

Vegetation‐concrete is one of the most widely used substrates in ecological slope protection engineering. The porosity of the vegetation‐concrete must be high enough to satisfy the growth needs of the plant roots, while the mechanical properties must be strong enough to satisfy the self‐stability requirement of the substrates on the slope. It is necessary to balance these two aspects in the design of vegetation‐concrete. As one of the main components in vegetation‐concrete, organic material has a remarkable effect on both the porosity and the mechanical properties of the substrate. In this paper, four types of common organic materials (rice husks, sawdust, and corn distillers’ and unhulled rice distillers’ grain) are chosen to research the effect of the organic material type and proportion on the porosity and mechanical properties of the substrate. The experimental results show that the porosity of samples containing corn distillers’ grain is clearly higher than those of the other samples types, while situation of the mechanical properties is the opposite. It can be concluded that organic material with a large grain size is not suitable for use in vegetation‐concrete directly and needs to be crushed before use to prevent crack formation. The research results also show that the rates of increase in porosity decrease with more organic material added, while the rates of decrease in the unconfined compressive strength and the elasticity modulus increase. From a comprehensive consideration of the required mechanical properties and plant growth, organic material with a small grain size is most suitable for use in vegetation‐concrete, and the suitable proportion is between 7% and 9%.
Challenges in the Clinical Environment: The Saudi Student Nurses’ Experience
Authors: Aboshaiqah Ahmad E. , Roco Irene M. , Pandaan Isabelita N. , Baker Omar G. , Tumala Regie B. , Silang John Paul Ben T.
Published: December 2018

Previous studies showed that student nurses faced difficulties in clinical practice; thus, this study examined the clinical challenges encountered by Saudi nationals and the implications to learning outcomes using the descriptive cross-sectional approach. The study was conducted in nursing college in a university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The survey questionnaires were completed by 220 conveniently selected student nurses who were enrolled in Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the academic level 5 to 8. Data analysis was done through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23. Clinical evaluation was perceived as the most common challenge, whereas competency development as the least. Significant associations were found between age and evaluation, academic level and competency development, and grade point average and learning outcomes. Nursing competency development significantly varied with civil status and stream of study. Students in the Regular Nursing Program faced more challenges in achieving learning outcomes then their counterparts. Overall, the challenges were perceived as occasional. Resolving clinical obstacles is crucial in helping student nurses achieve positive learning outcomes.
The Approximation of Bivariate Blending Variant Szász Operators Based Brenke Type Polynomials
Authors: Baxhaku Behar , Zejnullahu Ramadan , Berisha Artan
Published: December 2018

We have constructed a new sequence of positive linear operators with two variables by using Szasz-Kantorovich-Chlodowsky operators and Brenke polynomials. We give some inequalities for the operators by means of partial and full modulus of continuity and obtain a Lipschitz type theorem. Furthermore, we study the convergence of Szasz-Kantorovich-Chlodowsky-Brenke operators in weighted space of function with two variables and estimate the rate of approximation in terms of the weighted modulus of continuity.
Efficacy of Acupuncture for Treating Opioid Use Disorder in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Chen Zhihan , Wang Yitong , Wang Rui , Xie Jin , Ren Yulan
Published: December 2018

Objectives. To assess the efficacy of acupuncture in treating opioid use disorder (OUD). Design. Systematic review and meta‐analysis. Methods. PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Embase, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Clinicaltrials.gov, and who.int/trialsearch were searched from inception to 23 December 2017. The methodological quality of selected studies and the quality of evidence for outcomes were assessed, respectively, by the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool and the GRADE approach. Statistical analyses were conducted by RevMan 5.3. Results. A total of nine studies involving 1063 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The results showed that acupuncture could be more beneficial than no treatment/sham acupuncture in terms of changes in craving for opioid (MD ‐2.18, 95% CI ‐3.10 to ‐1.26), insomnia (MD 2.31, 95% CI 1.97 to 2.65), and depression (SMD ‐1.50, 95% CI ‐1.85 to ‐1.15). In addition, these findings showed that, compared to sham electroacupuncture (EA), EA had differences in alleviating symptoms of craving (SMD ‐0.50, 95% CI ‐0.94 to ‐0.05) and depression (SMD ‐1.07, 95% CI ‐1.88 to ‐0.25) and compared to sham transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TEAS), TEAS had differences in alleviating symptoms of insomnia (MD 2.31, 95% CI 1.97 to 2.65) and anxiety (MD ‐1.26, 95% CI ‐1.60 to ‐0.92) compared to no treatment/sham TEAS. Conclusions. Acupuncture could be effective in treating OUD. Moreover, EA could effectively alleviate symptoms of craving for opioid and depression, and TEAS could be beneficial in improving symptoms of insomnia and anxiety. Nevertheless, the conclusions were limited due to the low‐quality and small number of included studies. PROSPERO registration number is CRD42018085063.
Effects of UVC Irradiation on Growth and Apoptosis of Scedosporium apiospermum and Lomentospora prolificans
Authors: Muangkaew Watcharamat , Suwanmanee San , Singkum Pantira , Pumeesat Potjaman , Luplertlop Natthanej
Published: December 2018

Scedosporium apiospermum and Lomentospora prolificans are important fungal species isolated from immunocompromised patients. Previous studies have demonstrated that these filamentous fungi exist as saprophytes in the soil and showed the highest minimum inhibitory concentration to several drugs. We aimed to examine how UVC affects the S. apiospermum and L. prolificans by investigating the role of UVC on growth, induction of apoptosis by ethidium bromide (EB)/acridine orange (AO) staining, and transcriptomic study of caspase recruitment domain family, member 9 (CARD-9) gene. Our studies showed that 15 minutes of exposure to UVC light effectively increased reduction in both organisms and caused changes in colony morphology, color, and hyphal growth pattern. After 15 min of UVC irradiation, apoptotic cells were quantitated by EB/AO staining, and the percentage of apoptosis was 96.06% in S. apiospermum and 28.30% in L. prolificans. CARD-9 gene expression results confirmed that apoptosis was induced in S. apiospermum and L. prolificans after UVC treatment and that S. apiospermum showed a higher expression of apoptosis signaling than L. prolificans. Our study explored the effects of UVC in the inactivation of S. apiospermum and L. prolificans. We hope that our data is useful to other researchers in future studies.
A Nonlinear Strength Criterion for Frozen Sulfate Saline Silty Clay with Different Salt Contents
Authors: Zhao Yanhu , Lai Yuanming , Zhang Jing , Wang Chong
Published: December 2018

It has been proven that the mechanical properties of frozen saline soils are different from frozen soils and unfrozen saline soils. In this paper, in order to study the effects of the salt contents on the strength characteristics of frozen soils, a series of conventional triaxial compression tests are carried out for frozen saline silty clay with Na2SO4 contents 0.0, 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5% under confining pressures from 0 MPa to 18 MPa at −6°C, respectively. The experimental results show that the strength of frozen saline silty clay presents obvious nonlinearity, the strength of frozen saline silty clay increases with increasing confining pressures at first, but with a further increase in confining pressures, the strength decreases because of pressure melting and crushing phenomena under high confining pressures, and salt contents have an important influence on strength of frozen saline silty clay. A strength criterion is proposed on the basis of the experimental results. The strength criterion could well reflect the nonlinear strength characteristic of frozen saline silty clay and the influence of salt contents on frozen saline silty clay.
A Novel Dynamic Link Connectivity Strategy Using Hello Messaging for Maintaining Link Stability in MANETs
Authors: Naushad Alamgir , Abbas Ghulam , Abbas Ziaul Haq , Jiao Lei , Muhammad Fazal
Published: December 2018

Maintaining link stability among randomly deployed network nodes is one of the key challenges for effective communication in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). Under uniform speed and random trajectory of mobile nodes, there must be a unified model to determine an adequate strategy that addresses the issue of link stability in MANETs. We present a novel dynamic link connectivity (DLC) strategy that maintains link stability through efficient link connectivity among the neighboring nodes using Hello messaging. We also perform stochastic analysis of the proposed strategy, which predicts the future link status among the neighboring nodes at different time steps of a Markov process. We find that the link stability is affected by the received signal strength, signal‐to‐noise ratio, transition rates between the connection and disconnection states, and probabilities of link connectivity and disconnectivity at steady state. Analytical and simulation results indicate efficacy of the proposed strategy in terms of reduced communication overhead, lower propagation delay, and better energy efficiency of the network. The results also demonstrate that the proposed strategy minimizes the average response time, increases the throughput, and reduces the packet loss ratio, thereby, maintaining efficient link stability among the neighboring nodes.
Computer Vision with Error Estimation for Reduced Order Modeling of Macroscopic Mechanical Tests
Authors: Nguyen Franck , Barhli Selim M. , Muñoz Daniel Pino , Ryckelynck David
Published: December 2018

In this paper, computer vision enables recommending a reduced order model for fast stress prediction according to various possible loading environments. This approach is applied on a macroscopic part by using a digital image of a mechanical test. We propose a hybrid approach that simultaneously exploits a data‐driven model and a physics‐based model, in mechanics of materials. During a machine learning stage, a classification of possible reduced order models is obtained through a clustering of loading environments by using simulation data. The recognition of the suitable reduced order model is performed via a convolutional neural network (CNN) applied to a digital image of the mechanical test. The CNN recommend a convenient mechanical model available in a dictionary of reduced order models. The output of the convolutional neural network being a model, an error estimator, is proposed to assess the accuracy of this output. This article details simple algorithmic choices that allowed a realistic mechanical modeling via computer vision.
Fabrication of CuOx-Pd Nanocatalyst Supported on a Glassy Carbon Electrode for Enhanced Formic Acid Electro-Oxidation
Authors: Al-Akraa Islam M. , Mohammad Ahmad M. , El-Deab Mohamed S. , El-Anadouli Bahgat E.
Published: December 2018

Formic acid (FA) electro-oxidation (FAO) was investigated at a binary catalyst composed of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) and copper oxide nanowires (CuOxNWs) and assembled onto a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The deposition sequence of PdNPs and CuOxNWs was properly adjusted in such a way that could improve the electrocatalytic activity and stability of the electrode toward FAO. Several techniques including cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were all combined to report the catalyst’s activity and to evaluate its morphology, composition, and structure. The highest catalytic activity and stability were obtained at the CuOx/Pd/GC electrode (with PdNPs directly deposited onto the GC electrode followed by CuOxNWs with a surface coverage,Г, of ca. 49%). Such enhancement was inferred from the increase in the peak current of direct FAO (by ca. 1.5 fold) which associated a favorable negative shift in its onset potential (by ca. 30 mV). The enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability (decreasing the loss of active material by ca. 1.5-fold) of the CuOx/Pd/GC electrode was believed originating both from facilitating the direct oxidation (decreasing the time needed to oxidize a complete monolayer of FA, increasing turnover frequency, by ca. 2.5-fold) and minimizing the poisoning impact (by ca. 71.5%) at the electrode surface during FAO.
Patient Perspectives on Health Data Privacy and Management: “Where Is My Data and Whose Is It?”
Authors: Wetzels Mart , Broers Eva , Peters Peter , Feijs Loe , Widdershoven Jos , Habibovic Mirela
Published: December 2018

New technologies are increasingly evaluated for use within the clinical practice to monitor patients’ medical and lifestyle data. This development could contribute to a more personalized approach to patient care and potentially improve health outcomes. To date, patient perspective on this development has mostly been neglected in the literature. Hence, this study aims to shed more light on the patient perspective on health data privacy and management. Focus groups with cardiac patients were done at the Elizabeth TweeSteden Ziekenhuis (ETZ) in the Netherlands as part of the DoCHANGE project. The focus groups were conducted using a semistructured protocol which was organized around three themes: privacy regulations, data storage, and transparency and privacy management. Five focus groups with a total of 23 patients were conducted. The majority of the patients preferred to have access to their medical data; however, the knowledge on who has access to data was limited. Patients indicated that they do not want to share their medical data with health insurance companies or the pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, most patients do not see the added value of supplementing their medical dossier with lifestyle data. Current findings showed patients prefer access to and control over own data but that the knowledge concerning data privacy and management is limited. Sharing of non-medical health data (e.g.,, physical activity) was considered unnecessary. Future studies should address patient preferences and develop infrastructure which facilitates medical data access for patients.
A Hybrid Intelligent System Framework for the Prediction of Heart Disease Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Haq Amin Ul , Li Jian Ping , Memon Muhammad Hammad , Nazir Shah , Sun Ruinan
Published: December 2018

Heart disease is one of the most critical human diseases in the world and affects human life very badly. In heart disease, the heart is unable to push the required amount of blood to other parts of the body. Accurate and on time diagnosis of heart disease is important for heart failure prevention and treatment. The diagnosis of heart disease through traditional medical history has been considered as not reliable in many aspects. To classify the healthy people and people with heart disease, noninvasive-based methods such as machine learning are reliable and efficient. In the proposed study, we developed a machine-learning-based diagnosis system for heart disease prediction by using heart disease dataset. We used seven popular machine learning algorithms, three feature selection algorithms, the cross-validation method, and seven classifiers performance evaluation metrics such as classification accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, Matthews’ correlation coefficient, and execution time. The proposed system can easily identify and classify people with heart disease from healthy people. Additionally, receiver optimistic curves and area under the curves for each classifier was computed. We have discussed all of the classifiers, feature selection algorithms, preprocessing methods, validation method, and classifiers performance evaluation metrics used in this paper. The performance of the proposed system has been validated on full features and on a reduced set of features. The features reduction has an impact on classifiers performance in terms of accuracy and execution time of classifiers. The proposed machine-learning-based decision support system will assist the doctors to diagnosis heart patients efficiently.
Antimalarial Activity of Kaempferol and Its Combination with Chloroquine in Plasmodium berghei Infection in Mice
Authors: Somsak Voravuth , Damkaew Awatsada , Onrak Pinanong
Published: December 2018

The search for new antimalarial drugs has become an urgent requirement due to resistance to the available drugs and the lack of an effective vaccine. In this respect, the present study aimed to evaluate the antimalarial activity of kaempferol against Plasmodium berghei infection in mice as an in vivo model. Chronic toxicity and antimalarial activities of kaempferol alone and in combination with chloroquine were investigated in P. berghei ANKA infected ICR mice using standard procedures. The results showed that chronic administration of 2,000 mg/kg of kaempferol resulted in no overt signs of toxicity as well as no hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, or hematotoxicity. Interestingly, kaempferol exerted significant (P < 0.05) chemosuppressive, chemoprophylactic, and curative activities in a dose-dependent manner. The highest antimalarial activity was found at a dose of 20 mg/kg which resulted in a significantly (P < 0.05) prolonged survival of infected mice. Moreover, combination treatment of chloroquine and kaempferol also presented significant (P < 0.05) antimalarial effects, although the effects were not significantly different from the chloroquine treated group. From the results of the present study, it can be concluded that kaempferol possesses acceptable antimalarial activities. However, further investigation should be undertaken on the mechanism responsible for the observed antimalarial activity.
Potential of Duckweed (Lemna minor) for the Phytoremediation of Landfill Leachate
Authors: Daud M. K. , Ali Shafaqat , Abbas Zohaib , Zaheer Ihsan Elahi , Riaz Muhammad Ahsan , Malik Afifa , Hussain Afzal , Rizwan Muhammad , Zia-ur-Rehman Muhammad , Zhu Shui Jin
Published: December 2018

Phytoextraction of zinc, copper, lead, iron, and nickel from landfill leachate by duckweed (L. minor) was investigated every 3 days over a period of 2 weeks. Bioconcentration factor and removal efficiency were also calculated. Results of this study proved that L. minor significantly reduced the concentration of heavy metals in landfill leachate. Removal efficiency of L. minor, for all the metals, from landfill leachate was more than 70% with the maximum value for copper (91%). Reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) was observed by 39% and 47%, respectively. However, other physiochemical parameters like pH, total suspended solids, (TSS) and total dissolved solids (TDS) were reduced by 13%, 33%, and 41%, respectively. The value of bioconcentration factor (BCF) was less than 1 with the maximum figure for copper (0.84) and lead (0.81), showing that the plant is a moderate accumulator for these heavy metals. Duckweed (L. minor) appeared as a sustainable alternative candidate and is recommended for the treatment of landfill leachate waste water contaminants.
Study on the Failure of the Bolted Flange Connection Structure between Stages of Missiles (Rockets) under Transverse Impact Load
Authors: Tian Tonghui , Yuan Jiehong , Li Daokui , Wang Qingwen , Chen Baisheng
Published: December 2018

Based on the bolted flange connection structure between stages of the missiles, four experimental specimens are simplified and manufactured, and the transverse impact failure experiments of the drop hammer are designed and carried out in this study. During the experiments, a new signal sensor is designed to collect the data of the bolts force, and the response data such as the bolts force, the slotted displacement of the connecting interface, and the impact force are collected in the loading process. The sequential failure mechanism of the structure under transverse impact load is analyzed and demonstrated according to the experimental results and the measured data. Additionally, a finite element model to simulate the failure process of the connection structure has been established, and the precision of the model has been verified and validated according to the experimental results. Moreover, the comparison between the results of the experiments and the simulation shows that the precision of this model is reliable in the engineering.
Exploration of the Combination of PLK1 Inhibition with Immunotherapy in Cancer Treatment
Authors: Li Mengyuan , Liu Zhixian , Wang Xiaosheng
Published: December 2018

Background. PLK1 overexpression is oncogenic and is associated with poor prognosis in various cancers. However, the current PLK1 inhibitors have achieved limited clinical successes. On the other hand, although immunotherapies are demonstrating efficacy in treating many refractory cancers, a substantial number of patients do not respond to such therapies. The potential of combining PLK1 inhibition with immunotherapy for cancer treatment is worthy of exploration. Methods. We analyzed the associations of PLK1 expression with tumor immunity in 33 different cancer types. Moreover, we analyzed the associations of the drug sensitivities of PLK1 inhibitors with tumor immunity in cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we explored the mechanism underlying the significant associations between PLK1 and tumor immunity. Finally, we experimentally verified some findings from bioinformatics analysis. Results. The cancers with higher PLK1 expression levels tended to have lower immune activities, such as lower HLA expression and decreased B cells, NK cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes infiltration. On the other side, elevated tumor immunity likely increased the sensitivity of cancer cells to PLK1 inhibitors. The main mechanism underlying the associations between PLK1 and tumor immunity may lie in the aberrant cell cycle and p53 pathways in cancers. Conclusions. Our findings implicate that the PLK1 inhibition and immunotherapy combination may achieve a synergistic antitumor efficacy.
Heat Transport and Majorana Fermions in a Superconducting Dot-Wire System: An Exact Solution
Authors: Bohórquez Oscar , Macêdo A. M. S.
Published: December 2018

We obtain exact expressions for the first three moments of the heat conductance of a quantum chain that crosses over from a superconducting quantum dot to a superconducting disordered quantum wire. Our analytic solution provides exact detailed descriptions of all crossovers that can be observed in the system as a function of its length, which include ballistic-metallic and metallic-insulating crossovers. The two Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) symmetry classes with time-reversal symmetry are accounted for. The striking effect of total suppression of the insulating regime in systems with broken spin-rotation invariance is observed at large length scales. For a single channel system, this anomalous effect can be interpreted as a signature of the presence of the elusive Majorana fermion in a condensed matter system.
Complex Dynamics of the Fractional‐Order Rössler System and Its Tracking Synchronization Control
Authors: Wang Huihai , He Shaobo , Sun Kehui
Published: December 2018

Numerical analysis of fractional‐order chaotic systems is a hot topic of recent years. The fractional‐order Rössler system is solved by a fast discrete iteration which is obtained from the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) and it is implemented on the DSP board. Complex dynamics of the fractional‐order chaotic system are analyzed by means of Lyapunov exponent spectra, bifurcation diagrams, and phase diagrams. It shows that the system has rich dynamics with system parameters and the derivative order q. Moreover, tracking synchronization controllers are theoretically designed and numerically investigated. The system can track different signals including chaotic signals from the fractional‐order master system and constant signals. It lays a foundation for the application of the fractional‐order Rössler system.
Association between Traffic Related Air Pollution and the Development of Asthma Phenotypes in Children: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lau Nelson , Norman Alex , Smith Mary Jane , Sarkar Atanu , Gao Zhiwei
Published: December 2018

Introduction. Traffic related air pollution (TRAP) has long been associated with the onset of childhood asthma. The relationship between TRAP exposure and the development of childhood asthma phenotypes is less understood. To better understand this relationship, we performed a systematic review of the literature studying childhood TRAP exposure and the development of childhood asthma and wheezing phenotypes (transient, persistent, and late-onset asthma/wheezing phenotypes). Methods. A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases for current literature, returning 1706 unique articles. After screening and selection, 7 articles were included in the final review. Due to the low number of articles, no meta-analysis was performed. Results. TRAP exposure appears to be associated with both transient and persistent asthma/wheezing phenotypes. However, there was little evidence to suggest a relationship between TRAP exposure and late-onset asthma/wheezing. The differing results may be in part due to the heterogeneity in study methods and asthma/wheezing phenotype definitions, in addition to other factors such as genetics. Conclusion. TRAP exposure may be associated with transient and persistent asthma/wheezing phenotypes in children. The low number of studies and differing results suggest that further studies are warranted.
Optimization of Combustion Characteristics of Blended Coals Based on TOPSIS Method
Authors: Liu Yingchun , Zhang Hao , Zhang Xiaohui , Qing Shan , Zhang Aimin , Yang Shuping
Published: December 2018

The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is used to find optimal mixing scheme of Zhaotong lignite, Fuyuan bituminous coal, and Xiaolongtan lignite in terms of combustion performance. Comparative evaluation of different mixing schemes is also conducted, where the flammability index, comprehensive combustion characteristic index, burnout temperature, and economic costs can be used to measure the advantages and disadvantages of different mixing schemes with different parameters. Through analysis and optimization, it is found that when the lignite of Xiaolongtan, lignite of Zhaotong, and bituminous coal of Fuyuan are mixed with a ratio 2 : 1 : 2, the mixed coal has the best performance; when the lignite of Xiaolongtan, lignite of Zhaotong, and bituminous coal of Fuyuan are mixed with a ratio 0 : 2 : 1, the mixed coal has the worst performance.
Predicting Facial Biotypes Using Continuous Bayesian Network Classifiers
Authors: Ruz Gonzalo A. , Araya-Díaz Pamela
Published: December 2018

Bayesian networks are useful machine learning techniques that are able to combine quantitative modeling, through probability theory, with qualitative modeling, through graph theory for visualization. We apply Bayesian network classifiers to the facial biotype classification problem, an important stage during orthodontic treatment planning. For this, we present adaptations of classical Bayesian networks classifiers to handle continuous attributes; also, we propose an incremental tree construction procedure for tree like Bayesian network classifiers. We evaluate the performance of the proposed adaptations and compare them with other continuous Bayesian network classifiers approaches as well as support vector machines. The results under the classification performance measures, accuracy and kappa, showed the effectiveness of the continuous Bayesian network classifiers, especially for the case when a reduced number of attributes were used. Additionally, the resulting networks allowed visualizing the probability relations amongst the attributes under this classification problem, a useful tool for decision‐making for orthodontists.
Protective Role of Endogenous Kallistatin in Vascular Injury and Senescence by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
Authors: Chao Julie , Guo Youming , Chao Lee
Published: December 2018

Kallistatin was identified in human plasma as a tissue kallikrein‐binding protein and a serine proteinase inhibitor. Kallistatin exerts pleiotropic effects on angiogenesis, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, fibrosis, and tumor growth. Kallistatin levels are markedly reduced in patients with coronary artery disease, sepsis, diabetic retinopathy, inflammatory bowel disease, pneumonia, and cancer. Moreover, plasma kallistatin levels are positively associated with leukocyte telomere length in young African Americans, indicating the involvement of kallistatin in aging. In addition, kallistatin treatment promotes vascular repair by increasing the migration and function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Kallistatin via its heparin‐binding site antagonizes TNF‐α‐induced senescence and superoxide formation, while kallistatin’s active site is essential for inhibiting miR‐34a synthesis, thus elevating sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)/eNOS synthesis in EPCs. Kallistatin inhibits oxidative stress‐induced cellular senescence by upregulating Let‐7g synthesis, leading to modulate Let‐7g‐mediated miR‐34a‐SIRT1‐eNOS signaling pathway in human endothelial cells. Exogenous kallistatin administration attenuates vascular injury and senescence in association with increased SIRT1 and eNOS levels and reduced miR‐34a synthesis and NADPH oxidase activity, as well as TNF‐α and ICAM‐1 expression in the aortas of streptozotocin‐ (STZ‐) induced diabetic mice. Conversely, endothelial‐specific depletion of kallistatin aggravates vascular senescence, oxidative stress, and inflammation, with further reduction of Let‐7g, SIRT1, and eNOS and elevation of miR‐34a in mouse lung endothelial cells. Furthermore, systemic depletion of kallistatin exacerbates aortic injury, senescence, NADPH oxidase activity, and inflammatory gene expression in STZ‐induced diabetic mice. These findings indicate that endogenous kallistatin displays a novel role in protection against vascular injury and senescence by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation.
RBF Neural Network Backstepping Sliding Mode Adaptive Control for Dynamic Pressure Cylinder Electrohydraulic Servo Pressure System
Authors: Deng Pan , Zeng Liangcai , Liu Yang
Published: December 2018

According to the hydraulic principle diagram of the subgrade test device, the dynamic pressure cylinder electrohydraulic servo pressure system math model and AMESim simulation model are established. The system is divided into two parts of the dynamic pressure cylinder displacement subsystem and the dynamic pressure cylinder output pressure subsystem. On this basis, a RBF neural network backstepping sliding mode adaptive control algorithm is designed: using the double sliding mode structure, the two RBF neural networks are used to approximate the uncertainties in the two subsystems, provide design methods of RBF sliding mode adaptive controller of the dynamic pressure cylinder displacement subsystem and RBF backstepping sliding mode adaptive controller of the dynamic pressure cylinder output pressure subsystem, and give the two RBF neural network weight vector adaptive laws, and the stability of the algorithm is proved. Finally, the algorithm is applied to the dynamic pressure cylinder electrohydraulic servo pressure system AMESim model; simulation results show that this algorithm can not only effectively estimate the system uncertainties, but also achieve accurate tracking of the target variables and have a simpler structure, better control performance, and better robust performance than the backstepping sliding mode adaptive control (BSAC).
Coordinated Depth Control of Multiple Autonomous Underwater Vehicles by Using Theory of Adaptive Sliding Mode
Authors: Wang Yintao , Zhang Yani
Published: December 2018

This paper addresses the coordinated depth control problem of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles, which means to maneuver a group of underwater vehicles which move at the same depth synchronously. Firstly, a coordinated error of depth between vehicles and the common desired depth is defined by using extended graph theory in a distributed manner; then a deep‐pitch double loop control algorithm based on sliding mode is designed for each vehicle, by which each vehicle is driven to and move at the common depth coordinately. In particular, a pitch reference command is firstly calculated by the predefined coordinated depth error, which can be regarded as the outer loop control, and then, the input rudder angle for each vehicle is derived according to the pitch reference command being as the inner loop control. Considering the uncertainties of the model hydrodynamic parameters, an online parameter adaptive algorithm is introduced to improve the performance of the sliding mode control algorithm proposed. Simulations were performed to verify the theoretical results proposed.
A Novel Artificial Organic Control System for Mobile Robot Navigation in Assisted Living Using Vision- and Neural-Based Strategies
Authors: Ponce Hiram , Moya-Albor Ernesto , Brieva Jorge
Published: December 2018

Robots in assisted living (RAL) are an alternative to support families and professional caregivers with a wide range of possibilities to take care of elderly people. Navigation of mobile robots is a challenging problem due to the uncertainty and dynamics of environments found in the context of places for elderly. To accomplish this goal, the navigation system tries to replicate such a complicated process inspired on the perception and judgment of human beings. In this work, we propose a novel nature-inspired control system for mobile RAL navigation using an artificial organic controller enhanced with vision-based strategies such as Hermite optical flow (OF) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Particularly, the Hermite OF is employed for obstacle motion detection while CNNs are occupied for obstacle distance estimation. We train the CNN using OF visual features guided by ultrasonic sensor-based measures in a 3D scenario. Our application is oriented to avoid mobile and fixed obstacles using a monocular camera in a simulated environment. For the experiments, we use the robot simulator V-REP, which is an integrated development environment into a distributed control architecture. Security and smoothness metrics as well as quantitative evaluation are computed and analyzed. Results showed that the proposed method works successfully in simulation conditions.
An In Situ Evaluation of the Protective Effect of Nano Eggshell/Titanium Dioxide against Erosive Acids
Authors: Onwubu Stanley Chibuzor , Mdluli Phumlane Selby , Singh Shenuka , Nyembe Sanele , Thakur Rookmoney
Published: December 2018

Objectives. Enamel erosion caused by high consumption of acidic drinks poses a significant public health concern. This study was aimed to determine the protective effect of eggshell-titanium dioxide composite (EB@TiO2) against erosive acids on tooth enamel. Methods. Twenty prepared bovine tooth enamel specimens were randomly assigned to 5 sample groups (n=4): (1) unexposed tooth enamel; (2) exposed tooth enamel + HCI; (3) exposed tooth enamel + HCI + Colgate toothpaste; (4) exposed tooth enamel + HCI + Sensodyne toothpaste; and (5) exposed tooth enamel + HCI + EB@TiO2. The mean roughness value (Rrms) of the exposed and unexposed tooth was measured with atomic force microscope (AFM). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy techniques were used to evaluate the surface morphology and changes. ANOVA was used to analyze the mean square roughness (Rrms) values for all specimens. Bonferonni correction was used to identify the mean differences among the 5 groups (α=0.05). The Rrms values measured for the unexposed and exposed specimens in HCI alone were statistically significant (P<0.05). Results. No significant differences were found for the unexposed and exposed specimens in HCI + toothpaste and EB@TiO2. The tooth enamel specimens exposed to HCI + Sensodyne had the highest Rrms values, while specimens exposed to HCI + EB@TiO2 had the lowest Rrms values. Conclusions. This study confirms that the investigated toothpaste provides protection against acidic substances. The study results further suggests that EB@TiO2 could be used to provide enhanced protection for tooth enamel.
Zuo Jin Wan Reverses DDP Resistance in Gastric Cancer through ROCK/PTEN/PI3K Signaling Pathway
Authors: Sun Meng-Yao , Sun Jian , Tao Jie , Yuan Yu-Xia , Ni Zhen-Hua , Tang Qing-Feng
Published: December 2018

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer‐related death. Chemotherapy resistance remains the major reason for GC treatment failure and poor overall survival of patients. Our previous studies have proved that Zuo Jin Wan (ZJW), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, could significantly enhance the sensitivity of cisplatin (DDP)‐resistant gastric cancer cells to DDP by inducing apoptosis via mitochondrial translocation of cofilin‐1. However, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ROCK/PTEN/PI3K on ZJW‐induced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. We found that ZJW could significantly activate the ROCK/PTEN pathway, inhibit PI3K/Akt, and promote the apoptosis of SGC‐7901/DDP cells. Inhibition of ROCK obviously attenuated ZJW‐induced apoptosis as well as cofilin‐1 mitochondrial translocation, while inhibition of PI3K had the opposite effects. In vivo, combination treatment of DDP and ZJW (2000 mg/kg) significantly reduced tumor growth compared with DDP alone. Moreover, the combined administration of ZJW and DDP increased the expression of cleaved ROCK and p‐PTEN while it decreased p‐PI3K and p‐cofilin‐1, which was consistent with our in vitro results. These findings indicated that ZJW could effectively inhibit DDP resistance in GC by regulating ROCK/PTEN/PI3K signaling and provide a promising treatment strategy for gastric cancer.
Geoffrey: An Automated Schedule System on a Social Robot for the Intellectually Challenged
Authors: Cruz Edmanuel , Escalona Félix , Bauer Zuria , Cazorla Miguel , García-Rodríguez José , Martinez-Martin Ester , Rangel José Carlos , Gomez-Donoso Francisco
Published: December 2018

The accelerated growth of the percentage of elder people and persons with brain injury-related conditions and who are intellectually challenged are some of the main concerns of the developed countries. These persons often require special cares and even almost permanent overseers that help them to carry out diary tasks. With this issue in mind, we propose an automated schedule system which is deployed on a social robot. The robot keeps track of the tasks that the patient has to fulfill in a diary basis. When a task is triggered, the robot guides the patient through its completion. The system is also able to detect if the steps are being properly carried out or not, issuing alerts in that case. To do so, an ensemble of deep learning techniques is used. The schedule is customizable by the carers and authorized relatives. Our system could enhance the quality of life of the patients and improve their self-autonomy. The experimentation, which was supervised by the ADACEA foundation, validates the achievement of these goals.