bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decrease Product Rating Uncertainty Through Focused Reviews Solicitation
Authors: Le Nhat X. T. , Rivas Ryan , Flegal James M. , Hristidis Vagelis
Published: December 2019

Customer reviews are an essential resource to reduce an online product’s uncertainty, which has been shown to be a critical factor for its purchase decision. Existing e-commerce platforms typically ask users to write free-form text reviews, which are sometimes augmented by a small set of predefined questions, e.g. “rate the product description’s accuracy from 1 to 5.” In this paper, we argue that this “passive” style of review solicitation is suboptimal in achieving low-uncertainty “review profiles” for products. Its key drawback is that some product aspects receive a very large number of reviews while other aspects do not have enough reviews to draw confident conclusions. Therefore, we hypothesize that we can achieve lower-uncertainty review profiles by carefully selecting which aspects users are asked to rate. To test this hypothesis, we propose various techniques to dynamically select which aspects to ask users to rate given the current review profile of a product. We use Bayesian inference principles to define reasonable review profile uncertainty measures; specifically, via an aspect’s rating variance. We compare our proposed aspect selection techniques to several baselines on several review profile uncertainty measures. Experimental results on two real-world datasets show that our methods lead to better review profile uncertainty compared to aspect selection baselines and traditional passive review solicitations. Moreover, we present and evaluate a hybrid solicitation method that combines the advantages of both active and passive review solicitations.
An adaptive p-FEM for three-dimensional concrete aggregate models
Authors: Guo Ruiqi , Xiao Yingxiong
Published: December 2019

Numerical simulation for concrete aggregate models (CAMs) with different shape aggregates usually requires high accuracy and convergence near the material interfaces. But high memory usage will be needed for those traditional finite element methods such as the method by using mesh refinement throughout the domain. Thus, an adaptive [Formula: see text]-version finite element method ([Formula: see text]-FEM) is proposed in this paper for the solution of 3D CAM problems, and meanwhile the resulting adaptive computational algorithm and post-processing program are presented. We firstly focused two typical 3D weak discontinuity problems on the influence of different convergence criterions for the computational results of each point on the interface in order to verify the efficiency and convergence of the resulting [Formula: see text]-FEM, and then this method is successfully applied to the numerical simulation of CAMs with different shape aggregates. In addition, an efficient hybrid realization method which combines ANSYS and Hypermesh software is also presented in order to quickly establish the geometric models of 3D CAMs. The numerical results have been shown that the proposed [Formula: see text]-FEM can efficiently solve the concrete-like particle-reinforced composite problems and more accurate numerical results can be obtained under the case of fewer elements used in simulation of CAMs, even there being some elements with poor quality.
Jonscher indices for dielectric materials
Authors: Wang C. L.
Published: December 2019

Two parameters are proposed as Jonscher indices, named after A. K. Jonscher for his pioneering contribution to the universal dielectric relaxation law. Time domain universal dielectric relaxation law is then obtained from the asymptotic behavior of dielectric response function and relaxation function by replacing parameters in Mittag–Leffler functions with Jonscher indices. Relaxation types can be easily determined from experimental data of discharge current in barium stannate titanate after their Jonscher indices are determined.
Spiked sample covariance matrices with possibly multiple bulk components
Authors: Ding Xiucai
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we study the convergent limits and rates of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors for spiked sample covariance matrices whose spectrum can have multiple bulk components. Our model is an extension of Johnstone’s spiked covariance matrix model. Based on our results, we can extend many statistical applications based on Johnstone’s spiked covariance matrix model.
AN EFFICIENT VARIANCE REDUCTION-BASED SIMULATION ALGORITHM FOR PRICING ARITHMETIC ASIAN OPTIONS
Authors: MEHRDOUST FARSHID , NOORANI IDIN
Published: December 2019

This paper proposes a new hybrid algorithm to price the arithmetic Asian options under the geometric Brownian motion (GBM). The proposed algorithm is based on the control variate technique, such that the control variable is a combination of the barrier arithmetic Asian option and the geometric Asian option, which each one will be estimated by the importance sampling and the control variate techniques, respectively. Besides, we drive a conditional expectation for the estimator that it can reduce variance of simulations. The merits of the proposed algorithm for pricing arithmetic Asian options are illustrated by several examples.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Gateway to Central Asia
Authors: Khetran Mir Sher Baz , Khalid Muhammad Humayun
Published: December 2019

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); and its launch in 2015 was regarded as a landmark event in the history of the Sino-Pakistani relationship. With a budget amounting to over $62 billion, it has become the foremost regional integration initiative between China and Pakistan. The project is also open to all interested regional stakeholders, among which Central Asia is one of the most important in geopolitical terms. Located in a landlocked but resource-rich region, Central Asian countries need better access to regional markets including Pakistan, China, India, and the countries of West Asia. Pakistan and China have huge energy demands that can be satisfied by growing trade with Central Asia. Thus, the CPEC will not only benefit Pakistan and China, but it also presents a strategic opportunity for Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan to transport their goods more easily and gain competitiveness in regional and global markets.
Sequential Cross-Modal Hashing Learning via Multi-scale Correlation Mining
Authors: Ye Zhaoda , Peng Yuxin
Published: December 2019

Cross-modal hashing aims to map heterogeneous multimedia data into a common Hamming space through hash function, and achieves fast and flexible cross-modal retrieval. Most existing cross-modal hashing methods learn hash function by mining the correlation among multimedia data, but ignore the important property of multimedia data: Each modality of multimedia data has features of different scales, such as texture, object, and scene features in the image, which can provide complementary information for boosting retrieval task. The correlations among the multi-scale features are more abundant than the correlations between single features of multimedia data, which reveal finer underlying structures of the multimedia data and can be used for effective hashing function learning. Therefore, we propose the
M
ulti-scale
C
orrelation
S
equential
C
ross-modal
H
ashing (
MCSCH
) approach, and its main contributions can be summarized as follows: (1)
Multi-scale feature guided sequential hashing learning method
is proposed to share the information from features of different scales through an RNN-based network and generate the hash codes sequentially. The features of different scales are used to guide the hash codes generation, which can enhance the diversity of the hash codes and weaken the influence of errors in specific features, such as false object features caused by occlusion. (2)
Multi-scale correlation mining strategy
is proposed to align the features of different scales in different modalities and mine the correlations among aligned features. These correlations reveal the finer underlying structure of multimedia data and can help to boost the hash function learning. (3)
Correlation evaluation network
evaluates the importance of the correlations to select the worthwhile correlations, and increases the impact of these correlations for hash function learning. Experiments on two widely-used 2-media datasets and a 5-media dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed MCSCH approach.
Code Generation for Generally Mapped Finite Elements
Authors: Kirby Robert C. , Mitchell Lawrence
Published: December 2019

Many classical finite elements such as the Argyris and Bell elements have long been absent from high-level PDE software. Building on recent theoretical work, we describe how to implement very general finite-element transformations in FInAT and hence into the Firedrake finite-element system. Numerical results evaluate the new elements, comparing them to existing methods for classical problems. For a second-order model problem, we find that new elements give smooth solutions at a mild increase in cost over standard Lagrange elements. For fourth-order problems, however, the newly enabled methods significantly outperform interior penalty formulations. We also give some advanced use cases, solving the nonlinear Cahn-Hilliard equation and some biharmonic eigenvalue problems (including Chladni plates) using
C
1
discretizations.
Impact through alliances
Authors: Convertino Gregorio , Frishberg Nancy
Published: December 2019

This forum is dedicated to maximizing the success of HCI practitioners within the frenetic world of product and service design. It focuses on UX strategy approaches, leadership, management techniques, and above all the challenge of bringing HCI to peer-level status with longstanding business disciplines such as marketing and engineering. ---
Daniel Rosenberg, Editor
Declarative Loop Tactics for Domain-specific Optimization
Authors: Chelini Lorenzo , Zinenko Oleksandr , Grosser Tobias , Corporaal Henk
Published: December 2019

Increasingly complex hardware makes the design of effective compilers difficult. To reduce this problem, we introduce
Declarative Loop Tactics
, which is a novel framework of composable program transformations based on an internal tree-like program representation of a polyhedral compiler. The framework is based on a declarative C++ API built around easy-to-program matchers and builders, which provide the foundation to develop loop optimization strategies. Using our matchers and builders, we express computational patterns and core building blocks, such as loop tiling, fusion, and data-layout transformations, and compose them into algorithm-specific optimizations. Declarative Loop Tactics (Loop Tactics for short) can be applied to many domains. For two of them, stencils and linear algebra, we show how developers can express sophisticated domain-specific optimizations as a set of composable transformations or calls to optimized libraries. By allowing developers to add highly customized optimizations for a given computational pattern, we expect our approach to reduce the need for DSLs and to extend the range of optimizations that can be performed by a current general-purpose compiler.
ShiftsReduce
Authors: Khan Asif Ali , Hameed Fazal , Bläsing Robin , Parkin Stuart S. P. , Castrillon Jeronimo
Published: December 2019

Racetrack memories
(RMs) have significantly evolved since their conception in 2008, making them a serious contender in the field of emerging memory technologies. Despite key technological advancements, the access latency and energy consumption of an RM-based system are still highly influenced by the number of
shift
operations. These operations are required to move bits to the right positions in the racetracks. This article presents data-placement techniques for RMs that maximize the likelihood that consecutive references access nearby memory locations at runtime, thereby minimizing the number of shifts. We present an
integer linear programming
(ILP) formulation for optimal data placement in RMs, and we revisit existing offset assignment heuristics, originally proposed for random-access memories. We introduce a novel heuristic tailored to a realistic RM and combine it with a genetic search to further improve the solution. We show a reduction in the number of shifts of up to 52.5%, outperforming the state of the art by up to 16.1%.
Synthesizing family perspectives on health
Authors: Sandbulte Jomara , Beck Jordan , Whitaker Janice , Carroll John M.
Published: December 2019

The
Interactions
website (interactions.acm.org) hosts a stable of bloggers who share insights and observations on HCI, often challenging current practices. Each issue we'll publish selected posts from some of the leading and emerging voices in the field.
Robert C. Merton and the Science of Finance
Authors: Bodie Zvi
Published: December 2019

Starting with his 1970 doctoral dissertation and continuing to today, Robert C. Merton has revolutionized the theory and practice of finance. In 1997, Merton shared a Nobel Prize in Economics “for a new method to determine the value of derivatives.” His contributions to the science of finance, however, go far beyond that. In this article I describe Merton's main contributions. They include the following: 1.  The introduction of continuous-time stochastic models (the Ito calculus) to the theory of household consumption and investment decisions. Merton's technique of dynamic hedging in continuous time provided a bridge between the theoretical complete-markets equilibrium model of Kenneth Arrow and the real world of personal financial planning and management. 2.  The derivation of the multifactor Intertemporal Capital Asset Pricing Model (ICAPM). The ICAPM generalizes the single-factor CAPM and explains why that model might fail to properly account for observed market excess returns. It also provides a theory to identify potential forward-looking risk premia for use in factor-based investment strategies. It is therefore both a positive and normative theory. 3.  The invention of Contingent Claims Analysis (CCA) as a generalization of option pricing theory. CCA applies the technique of dynamic replication to the valuation and risk management of a wide range of corporate and government liabilities. Merton's CCA model for the valuation and analysis of risky debt is known among scholars and practitioners alike as the Merton Model. 4.  The development of financial engineering, which employs CCA to design and produce new financial products. Merton was the first to apply CCA to analyze government guaranty programs such as deposit insurance, and to suggest improvements in the way those programs are managed. He and his students have applied his insights at both the micro and macro policy levels. 5.  And finally, the development of a theory of financial intermediation that explains and predicts how financial systems differ across countries and change over time. Merton has applied that theory, called functional and structural finance, to guide the design and regulation of financial systems at the levels of the firm, the industry, and the nation. He has also used it to propose reforms in pensions, sovereign wealth funds, and macrostabilization policy.
Digital Disruption in Banking
Authors: Vives Xavier
Published: December 2019

This review surveys technological disruption in banking, examining its impact on competition and its potential to increase efficiency and customer welfare. It analyzes the possible strategies of the players involved—incumbents and FinTech and BigTech firms—and the role of regulation. The industry is facing radical transformation and restructuring, as well as a move toward a customer-centric platform-based model. Competition will increase as new players enter the industry, but the long-term impact is more open. Regulation will decisively influence to what extent BigTech will enter the industry and who the dominant players will be. The challenge for regulators will be to keep a level playing field that strikes the right balance between fostering innovation and preserving financial stability. Consumer protection concerns rise to the forefront.
A Review of China's Institutions
Authors: Allen Franklin , Qian Jun “QJ” , Qian Meijun
Published: December 2019

The spectacular economic growth in China during the past four decades has inspired a great deal of research to understand China's unconventional growth path. This review focuses on recent developments in China's institutions, financial markets, innovations, and government–business relations in the context of their roles in supporting China's growth. The government's role in finance and the economy has advantages and disadvantages in comparison to developed markets in the West. Alternative financing channels and governance mechanisms, rather than markets and banks, continue to promote growth in the most dynamic sectors of the economy, despite the fact that China has passed the early-development stage. More research is needed to understand the Chinese experience and determine whether similar mechanisms are behind the growth of other economies.
The Household Finance Landscape in Emerging Economies
Authors: Badarinza C. , Balasubramaniam V. , Ramadorai T.
Published: December 2019

We survey the household finance landscape in emerging economies. We first present statistics on household balance sheets from official microsurveys in countries constituting 45% of the global population: China, India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand, and South Africa. We contrast these patterns with those in data from advanced economies. We then survey the nascent literature on household finance in emerging economies and discuss areas of overlap with the better-established literature on household finance in advanced economies, as well as the large body of literature on development finance. We highlight useful directions for future research.
Proteasome inhibition in multiple myeloma: lessons for other cancers
Authors: Saavedra-García Paula , Martini Francesca , Auner Holger W.
Published: December 2019

Cellular protein homeostasis (proteostasis) depends on the controlled degradation of proteins that are damaged or no longer required by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). The 26S proteasome is the principal executer of substrate-specific proteolysis in eukaryotic cells and regulates a myriad of cellular functions. Proteasome inhibitors were initially developed as chemical tools to study proteasomal function but rapidly became widely used anticancer drugs that are now used at all stages of treatment for the bone marrow cancer multiple myeloma (MM). Here, we review the mechanisms of action of proteasome inhibitors that underlie their preferential toxicity to MM cells, focusing on endoplasmic reticulum stress, depletion of amino acids, and effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. We also discuss mechanisms of resistance to proteasome inhibition such as autophagy and metabolic rewiring and what lessons we may learn from the success and failure of proteasome inhibition in MM for treating other cancers with proteostasis-targeting drugs.
Rats genetically selected for low and high aerobic capacity exhibit altered soleus muscle myofilament functions
Authors: Biesiadecki B. J. , Brotto M. A. , Brotto L. S. , Koch L. G. , Britton S. L. , Nosek T. M. , Jin J.-P.
Published: December 2019

Aerobic exercise capacity is critical to bodily health. As a model to investigate the mechanisms that determine health and disease, we employed low (LCR) and high (HCR) capacity running rat models selectively bred to concentrate the genes responsible for divergent aerobic running capacity. To investigate the skeletal muscle contribution to this innate difference in running capacity we employed an approach combining examination of the myofilament protein composition and contractile properties of the fast fiber extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and slow fiber soleus (SOL) muscles from LCR and HCR rats. Intact muscle force experiments demonstrate that SOL, but not EDL, muscles from LCR rats exhibit a three times greater decrease in fatigued force. To investigate the mechanism of this increased fatigability in the LCR SOL muscle, we determined the myofilament protein composition and functional properties. Force-Ca2+ measurements demonstrate decreased Ca2+ sensitivity of single skinned SOL muscle fibers from LCR compared with that of HCR rats. Segregating SOL fibers into fast and slow types demonstrates that the decreased Ca2+ sensitivity in LCR SOL results from a specific decrease in slow-type SOL fiber Ca2+ sensitivity such that it was similar to that of fast-type fibers. These results identify that the altered myofilament contractile properties of LCR SOL slow-type fibers result in a fast muscle type Ca2+ sensitivity and the LCR muscle phenotype. Overall our findings demonstrate alterations of the myofilament proteins could contribute to fatigability of the SOL muscle and the decreased innate aerobic running performance of LCR compared with HCR rats.
Zhujie Hewei Granules Ameliorated Reflux Esophagitis in Rats
Authors: Qiu Yue , Hu Jia-liang , Zhao Chun-cao , Zhang Ji-quan , Wu Fei , Ma Bing-liang , Feng Yi , Ruan Ke-feng
Published: December 2019

Background. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERDs) is a common chronic digestive system disease, in which the symptoms of reflux esophagitis (RE) seriously affect the quality of life. Aims. We aimed to study the therapeutic effect of Zhujie Hewei granules (ZHG) on reflux esophagitis in model rats. Materials and Methods. A rat model of RE was established with the steps of half pylorus ligation, cardiotomy, and hydrochloric acid perfusion. The rats in treatment groups were orally administered with 1.30, 2.60, or 5.20 g/kg ZHG once daily for 28 days. Histopathological changes of the esophagus were observed with hematoxylin-eosin staining. The content of total bilirubin and pH in gastric juice was determined. Esophageal mucosal injury was assessed by macroscopic observation scores, mucosal injury index scores, and esophageal inflammation scores. The levels of gastrin (GAS), motilin (MTL), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in serum were evaluated by using ELISA kits. Results. After treatment with ZHG, the body weight of RE rats tended to increase drastically, the macroscopic observation scores of the esophagus mucous membrane decreased (P<0.05), the mucosal injury index scores decreased (P<0.05), the gastric pH values increased (P<0.05), and the levels of serum MTL and VIP decreased (P<0.05). In addition, the high dose of the ZHG-treated group showed lower serum GAS (P<0.05), while the high and middle doses of the ZHG-treated groups showed lower esophageal inflammation scores (P<0.05). Conclusions. ZHG was effective in treating RE in rats due using mechanisms including improving the pH value of gastric contents, decreasing the gastrointestinal hormones (including GAS, MTL, and VIP), and improving the inflammatory damage.
2 Hz EA Reduces Heroin Withdrawal-Induced Hyperalgesia and Heroin Relapse by Downregulating P2X3 Receptors in DRG Neurons
Authors: Chen Lin , Leng Changlong , Gong Xiaokang , Ma Baomiao , Ru Qin , Xiong Qi , Zhou Mei , Tian Xiang , Yue Kai , Li Chaoying , Wu Yuxiang
Published: December 2019

Electroacupuncture (EA) has effective analgesic effects. Our previous study demonstrated that the upregulation of P2X3 receptors in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) might participate in heroin withdrawal-induced hyperalgesia. The aim of this study is to further explore whether 2 Hz EA reduces heroin relapse associated with its analgesic effect and whether P2X3 receptors in the DRG are involved in this process. 2 Hz EA was adopted to treat the heroin SA rats in the present study. Heroin-seeking and pain sensitivity were evaluated. The expression of P2X3 receptors in the DRG was detected. Our results showed that compared with the control group, the reinstatement, thermal hyperalgesia, and mechanical allodynia of the heroin-addicted group were increased significantly. The expression of P2X3 receptors in the DRG was increased markedly. After being treated using 2 Hz EA, reinstatement was reduced, hyperalgesia was decreased, and the upregulated expression of P2X3 receptors in the DRG had decreased significantly compared to that in the heroin-addicted group. Consequently, our results indicated that 2 Hz EA was an effective method for treating heroin-induced hyperalgesia and helping prevent relapse, and the potential mechanism might be related to the downregulation of P2X3 receptor expression in the DRG.
Augmented Intention Model for Next-Location Prediction from Graphical Trajectory Context
Authors: Jin Canghong , Lin Zhiwei , Wu Minghui
Published: December 2019

Human trajectory prediction is an essential task for various applications such as travel recommendation, location-sensitive advertisement, and traffic planning. Most existing approaches are sequential-model based and produce a prediction by mining behavior patterns. However, the effectiveness of pattern-based methods is not as good as expected in real-life conditions, such as data sparse or data missing. Moreover, due to the technical limitations of sensors or the traffic situation at the given time, people going to the same place may produce different trajectories. Even for people traveling along the same route, the observed transit records are not exactly the same. Therefore trajectories are always diverse, and extracting user intention from trajectories is difficult. In this paper, we propose an augmented-intention recurrent neural network (AI-RNN) model to predict locations in diverse trajectories. We first propose three strategies to generate graph structures to demonstrate travel context and then leverage graph convolutional networks to augment user travel intentions under graph view. Finally, we use gated recurrent units with augmented node vectors to predict human trajectories. We experiment with two representative real-life datasets and evaluate the performance of the proposed model by comparing its results with those of other state-of-the-art models. The results demonstrate that the AI-RNN model outperforms other methods in terms of top-k accuracy, especially in scenarios with low similarity.
An Improved Bidirectional Shift-Based Reversible Data Hiding Scheme Using Double-Way Prediction Strategy
Authors: Li Lin , Chang Chin-Chen , Chen Hefeng
Published: December 2019

Reversible data hiding (RDH) is a method that allows a cover image to be completely recovered from its corresponding stego image without distortion after the embedded secret messages have been extracted. Prediction-error expansion (PEE), as a classic RDH scheme, has been studied extensively due to its high quality of stego images. Based on prediction errors, threshold values, and the relative distances between each bin and zero bin, we present a bidirectional shift and double-way prediction strategy to solve the multiple embedding problem. Compared with the original algorithm, this scheme only takes a little more time and reduces the PSNR slightly, but it improves the embedding capacity significantly and allows for reversible data hiding. When both threshold values of TH and TH∗ are equal to 2, the average ER value of 108 test images is 1.2 bpp which is ideal for medium data payload. At the same time, the PSNR is above 30 dB, making embedded information visually imperceptible. These data, together with other experimental results, show that the method proposed in this paper has obvious advantages in image quality and embedding capacity.
Baihu Jia Guizhi Decoction Improves Rheumatoid Arthritis Inflammation by Regulating Succinate/SUCNR1 Metabolic Signaling Pathway
Authors: Chen Huan , Pan Ting , Liu Panwang , Wang Ping , Xu Shijun
Published: December 2019

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by synovitis. Succinate is an inflammatory metabolic signal that exacerbates RA synovitis by activating succinate receptor 1 (SUCNR1) to amplify the release of IL-1β. Thus, inhibition of succinate activation of SUCRN1 could be an effective method to inhibit the inflammation of RA. Baihu Jia Guizhi decoction (BHGZ), which is composed of Gypsum Fibrosum, Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge., Cinnamomum cassia Presl., Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., and Oryza sativa L., is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescription used to treat RA in clinic. In addition, TCM believes that damp and heat environment is one of the causes of RA. In this study, we tested the role of damp and heat environments in exacerbating RA inflammation and the anti-inflammatory effect of BHGZ, based on succinate/SUCNR1/IL-1β pathway in the adjuvant arthritis (AA) model with damp and heat environment (AA + DHE). Results showed that paw swelling and synovial pathology were significantly increased in AA rats, and these results were aggravated by stimulation in damp and heat environment. BHGZ improved AA + DHE rats’ paw swelling, synovial hyperplasia, and inflammatory cell infiltration and reduced IL-1β. In addition, AA rats significantly increased the expression of SUCNR1, and the stimulation of damp and heat environment not only increased the expression of SUCNR1 but also promoted the accumulation of succinate. BHGZ simultaneously reduced the concentration of succinate and the expression of SUCNR1. Finally, SDH activity was decreased in AA rats and AA + DHE rats, while BHGZ increased SDH activity and then reduced succinate concentration. Therefore, we prove that damp and heat environment deteriorated the inflammation of RA which is the activation of succinate/SUCNR1 pathway, while BHGZ regulates SDH activity to reduce the accumulation of succinate and inhibit the activation of SUCNR1 that is the underlying mechanism of its treatment of RA.
Yiqihuoxue Formula Activates Autophagy and Offers Renoprotection in a Rat Model of Adenine-Induced Kidney Disease
Authors: Xia Chen Hui , Han Xue Ting , Zhang Xueqin , Zhu Ze Bing , Guo Jing , Cui Hai Lan , Jiang Han Xue , Huang Wei Jun , Chen Guo Zi , Liu Yu Ning , Liu Wei Jing
Published: December 2019

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide health problem for which effective therapeutic methods are still lacking. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been indicated as an effective alternative treatment for kidney disease. In this study, a clinically effective therapy, yiqihuoxue (YQHX) formula, was administrated to adenine-induced kidney disease rats for 6 weeks. We found that the adenine rats displayed a significant reduction in renal function as evidenced by the increased levels of serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and 24-h urinary albumin level, which were attenuated by the YQHX treatment. The glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, arteriolosclerosis, interstitial inflammation, and tubular dilatation were reversed by the YQHX treatment in the adenine rats. Furthermore, the hepatic damage characterized by increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase and inflammatory cell infiltration was improved by YQHX. In addition, the number of apoptotic cells in the adenine rats was obviously reduced by the YQHX treatment as manifested by the lower expression level of cleaved caspase-3 protein. Moreover, the YQHX treatment downregulated the expression levels of fibronectin, type I collagen, α-smooth muscle actin, and TGF-β1 in the adenine rats. Furthermore, autophagy was activated by the YQHX treatment, which manifested as an increased LC3-II and Beclin-1 expression levels and a decreased p62 level. In conclusion, the YQHX formula might retard the progression of kidney disease by activating autophagy.
Assessment of Postpartum Depression and Anxiety among Females Attending Primary Health Care Facilities in Qaliubeya Governorate, Egypt
Authors: Wassif Osama M. , Abdo Abdo S. , Elawady Mona A. , Abd Elmaksoud Abeer E. , Eldesouky Rasha Sh.
Published: December 2019

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that begins after childbirth and usually lasts beyond six weeks; depression is often comorbid with anxiety. The main objectives of this work were to measure the prevalence of postpartum depression and/or anxiety among females in the Qaliubeya governorate to explore the underlying factors of these disorders and find if progesterone level has a role. A crosssectional study was conducted upon 500 postpartum females attending primary health care facilities in the Qaliubeya governorate. Data were collected by an interview questionnaire which included data about sociodemographic, obstetric, and past history and the Arabic version of DASS for assessment of postpartum depression and/or anxiety. The results showed 1.6% of the studied females suffered postpartum depression alone, 10% suffered from anxiety alone, and 21.2% suffered from both. The mean age of female who suffered from comorbid depression and anxiety was significantly (p=0.01) higher than the normal group (26.9 and 25.1, respectively), and they had a significantly lower socioeconomic score than the normal ones (31.1 and 34.1, respectively),p<0.05. There was a significant association (p<0.001) between the past history of similar conditions and the current prevalence of postpartum disorders. ROC curve analysis showed that the progesterone level ≤4.6, ≤11.3, and ≤2.8 significantly predict depression alone, anxiety alone, and comorbid diseases, respectively. It was concluded that postpartum depression and/or anxiety affect 32.8% of females in the Qaliubeya governorate. Very low socioeconomic level, lower educational levels, past history of similar conditions, and low progesterone level are the significant predictors.
A New Buckling‐Restrained Brace with a Variable Cross‐Section Core
Authors: Li Liang , Zhou Tianhua , Chen Junwu , Chen Jianfeng
Published: December 2019

In this paper, a new type of buckling‐restrained brace characterized by a variable cross‐section core (BRB‐VCC) is proposed and investigated. The practical design equations of the BRB‐VCC are derived based on mechanical and mathematical theories. Six specimens are designed and tested to clarify the mechanical behaviours of the BRB‐VCC and to validate the reliability of the proposed equations. The test results show that (1) none of the specimens buckle under compression, as expected, and their ductilities and energy dissipation capacities are satisfactory; (2) the derived formulas are reliable and can be conveniently used in engineering practice; and (3) the yielding displacement of the BRB‐VCC is approximately 70% that of the traditional TJ‐1 buckling‐restrained brace (BRB‐TJ‐1), which may yield earlier than the BRB‐TJ‐1 in concrete structures under the action of an earthquake.
Texture Analysis of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI in Evaluating Pathologic Complete Response (pCR) of Mass-Like Breast Cancer after Neoadjuvant Therapy
Authors: Cao Kun , Zhao Bo , Li Xiao-Ting , Li Yan-Ling , Sun Ying-Shi
Published: December 2019

Objectives. MRI is the standard imaging method in evaluating treatment response of breast cancer after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), while identification of pathologic complete response (pCR) remains challenging. Texture analysis (TA) on post-NAT dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI was explored to assess the existence of pCR in mass-like cancer. Materials and Methods. A primary cohort of 112 consecutive patients (40 pCR and 72 non-pCR) with mass-like breast cancers who received preoperative NAT were retrospectively enrolled. On post-NAT MRI, volumes of the residual-enhanced areas and TA first-order features (19 for each sequence) of the corresponding areas were achieved for both early- and late-phase DCE using an in-house radiomics software. Groups were divided according to the operational pathology. Receiver operating characteristic curves and binary logistic regression analysis were used to select features and achieve a predicting formula. Overall diagnostic abilities were compared between TA and radiologists’ subjective judgments. Validation was performed on a time-independent cohort of 39 consecutive patients. Results. TA features with high consistency (Cronbach’s alpha >0.9) between 2 observers showed significant differences between pCR and non-pCR groups. Logistic regression using features selected by ROC curves generated a synthesized formula containing 3 variables (volume of residual enhancement, entropy, and robust mean absolute deviation from early-phase) to yield AUC = 0.81, higher than that of using radiologists’ subjective judgment (AUC = 0.72), and entropy was an independent risk factor (P<0.001). Accuracy and sensitivity for identifying pCR were 83.93% and 70.00%. AUC of the validation cohort was 0.80. Conclusions. TA may help to improve the diagnostic ability of post-NAT MRI in identifying pCR in mass-like breast cancer. Entropy, as a first-order feature to depict residual tumor heterogeneity, is an important factor.
Perception of Sleep Disturbances due to Bedtime Use of Blue Light-Emitting Devices and Its Impact on Habits and Sleep Quality among Young Medical Students
Authors: Jniene Asmaa , Errguig Leila , El Hangouche Abdelkader Jalil , Rkain Hanan , Aboudrar Souad , El Ftouh Mustapha , Dakka Taoufiq
Published: December 2019

Introduction. The use of blue light-emitting devices (smartphones, tablets, and laptops) at bedtime has negative effects on sleep due to light stimulation and/or problematic excessive use. We aimed to evaluate, among young medical students, if the perception of sleep disturbances due to bedtime use of these devices is consistent with healthier habits and a better sleep quality. Materials and methods. 294 medical students in medicine and pharmacy from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Morocco, took part in this anonymous and voluntary cross-sectional study and answered an electronic questionnaire. Student and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare variables between 2 groups based on their perception of sleep disturbances. The level of significance was p≤0.05. Results. 286 students (97.3%) used a blue light-emitting smart device at bedtime before sleep, and sleep quality was poor (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI > 5) in 101 students (35.3%). The perception of sleep disturbances due to this night usage was reported by 188 of them (65.7%). In this group, 154 (81.9%) used their device with all the lights turned off in the room (p=0.02), 34 (18.1%) put devices under pillows (p=0.04), 114 (60.6%) interrupted sleep to check messages (p<0.001), and the mean duration use of these technologies at bedtime was 2 h ± 23 min per night (p=0.02). Also, the mean sleep duration was 6.3 hours ± 1.25 (p=0.04), 119 (63.3%) presented fatigue on waking more than one time per week (p=0.04), and 76 (40.4%) presented poor sleep quality (75.2% of the students with PSQI > 5) (p=0.005). Conclusions. Despite the perception of sleep disturbances due to bedtime use of blue light-emitting devices, unhealthy sleep habits tend to be frequent in young medical students and worrying because it is associated to significant poor sleep quality.
Safety of Aqueous Extract of Calea ternifolia Used in Mexican Traditional Medicine
Authors: González-Yáñez Ma G. E. , Rivas-Morales Catalina , Oranday-Cárdenas María A. , Verde-Star María J. , Núñez-González María A. , Sanchez Eduardo , Leos-Rivas Catalina
Published: December 2019

There is a trend to use medicinal plants for primary medical care or as dietary supplements; however, the safety of many of these plants has not been studied. The objective of this work was to determine the toxic effect of the aqueous extract of Calea ternifolia (C. zacatechichi), known popularly as “dream herb” in vivo and in vitro in order to validate its safety. In vivo, the extract had moderate toxicity on A. salina. In vitro, the extract induced eryptosis of 73% at a concentration of 100 μg·mL−1 and it inhibited CYP3A by 99% at a concentration of 375 μg/mL. After administering 8.5 mg/kg of C. ternifolia to rats, we found a reduction in platelets and leukocytes and an increase in urea and the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Histological analysis showed spongiform changes in the proximal tubules of renal tissue and a lymphoid infiltrate in liver tissue. This plant is used in the treatment of diabetes, and it is commercialized as a dietary supplement in several countries. Our results show renal and hepatic toxicity; therefore, more profound research on the toxicity of this plant is needed.
Constrained Dual Graph Regularized Orthogonal Nonnegative Matrix Tri‐Factorization for Co‐Clustering
Authors: Ge Shaodi , Li Hongjun , Luo Liuhong
Published: December 2019

Coclustering approaches for grouping data points and features have recently been receiving extensive attention. In this paper, we propose a constrained dual graph regularized orthogonal nonnegative matrix trifactorization (CDONMTF) algorithm to solve the coclustering problems. The new method improves the clustering performance obviously by employing hard constraints to retain the priori label information of samples, establishing two nearest neighbor graphs to encode the geometric structure of data manifold and feature manifold, and combining with biorthogonal constraints as well. In addition, we have also derived the iterative optimization scheme of CDONMTF and proved its convergence. Clustering experiments on 5 UCI machine‐learning data sets and 7 image benchmark data sets show that the achievement of the proposed algorithm is superior to that of some existing clustering algorithms.
Characterization of Polysaccharides Extracted from Sargassum fusiforme and Its Effective Prevention of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy via Enhancing Antioxidant Capacity
Authors: Dai Min , Zhou Ying-Ling , Jiang Tao , Luo Cai-Dong , Wang Hu , Du Wei , Wang Min
Published: December 2019

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a common complication in patients with coronary arteriography, and oxidative stress is involved in the CIN pathogenesis. Sargassum fusiforme (SF) is a brown seaweed with medicinal value, and its polysaccharides have good antioxidant activity. In this study, the crude polysaccharides (cSFP-C) were extracted by cold water, precipitated by ethanol, purified by CaCl2, and detected with high contents of sulfate radical and fucose. cSFP-C is composed of glucose, glucuronic acid, xylose, rhamnose, mannose, galactose, and fucose with a molar ratio of 1.0 : 0.4 : 5.6 : 1.2 : 1.7 : 12.3 : 56.1. The cSFP-C has the typical absorption of polysaccharides. Antioxidation assays in vitro showed that cSFP-C exhibited superoxide radical scavenging activity which was better than the hot water-extracted crude polysaccharides (cSFP-H). 20 rats were divided into 4 groups (n=5): sham group; CIN group; CIN+cSFP-C group, and cSFP-C group. The CIN+cSFP-C group and cSFP-C group were pretreated intragastrically with cSFP-C at a dose of 9.45 g/kg twice daily for 5 consecutive days. Then, the CIN group and CIN+cSFP-C group were given indomethacin to develop CIN. The in vivo results showed that cSFP-C could decrease blood creatinine and urea nitrogen, inhibiting pathological injury in the renal tissues. The MDA content of renal tissues was decreased, while the activity of SOD was increased. The crude sulfated polysaccharides extracted from S. fusiforme have a renoprotective effect on oxidative stress to alleviate the kidney injury in CIN rats.
Tripartite Motif Containing 11 Interacts with DUSP6 to Promote the Growth of Human Osteosarcoma Cells through Regulating ERK1/2 Pathway
Authors: Wang Zhaofeng , Xu Xiaobo , Tang Wenxiao , Zhu Youcai , Hu Jichao , Zhang Xingen
Published: December 2019

Tripartite Motif Containing 11 (TRIM11), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is identified as a carcinogen causing certain human cancers. However, the specific role of TRIM11 is still uncovered in human osteosarcoma (OS) cells. To explore the role of TRIM11 in OS cells, TRIM11 was induced by silencing and overexpression in OS cells using RNA interference (RNAi) and lentiviral vector, respectively. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to examine the transcription and translation levels of the target gene. Cell count kit-8 (CCK-8) assays were established to analyze cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis ratio was determined via flow cytometry. In our analyses, TRIM11 was suggested to be upregulated, and it functioned as a pro-proliferation and antiapoptosis factor in OS cells. Moreover, the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) inhibitor PD98059 was used to examine the relationship between TRIM11 and ERK1/2 in OS cells. Results demonstrated that the role of TRIM11 was significantly disrupted by the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059. Interestingly, we found TRIM11 overexpression did not affect dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) transcription, but improved its translation in OS cells. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) analyses revealed that TRIM11 interacted with DUSP6. Importantly, overexpression of TRIM11 enhanced DUSP6 ubiquitination in OS cells. Therefore, TRIM11 might suppress the translation of DUSP6 via improving its ubiquitination. Additionally, TRIM11 silencing in OS cells significantly reduced its tumorigenicity in vivo. Overall, our findings firstly revealed that TRIM11 was an oncogene gene in the growth of OS cells and illustrated its potential function as a target in the treatment of OS.
PIN1 Inhibition Sensitizes Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancer Cells by Targeting Stem Cell–like Traits and Multiple Biomarkers
Authors: Zhang Zhen-Zhen , Yu Wei-Xing , Zheng Min , Liao Xin-Hua , Wang Ji-Chuang , Yang Da-Yun , Lu Wen-Xian , Wang Long , Zhang Sheng , Liu He-Kun , Zhou Xiao Zhen , Lu Kun Ping
Published: December 2019

Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Diffuse type gastric cancer has the worst prognosis due to notorious resistance to chemotherapy and enrichment of cancer stem-like cells (CSC) associated with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The unique proline isomerase PIN1 is a common regulator of oncogenic signaling networks and is important for gastric cancer development. However, little is known about its roles in CSCs and drug resistance in gastric cancer. In this article, we demonstrate that PIN1 overexpression is closely correlated with advanced tumor stages, poor chemo-response and shorter recurrence-free survival in diffuse type gastric cancer in human patients. Furthermore, shRNA-mediated genetic or all-trans retinoic acid–mediated pharmaceutical inhibition of PIN1 in multiple human gastric cancer cells potently suppresses the EMT, cell migration and invasion, and lung metastasis. Moreover, PIN1 genetic or pharmaceutical inhibition potently eliminates gastric CSCs and suppresses their self-renewal and tumorigenicity in vitro and in vivo. Consistent with these phenotypes, are that PIN1 biochemically targets multiple signaling molecules and biomarkers in EMT and CSCs and that genetic and pharmaceutical PIN1 inhibition functionally and drastically enhances the sensitivity of gastric cancer to multiple chemotherapy drugs in vitro and in vivo. These results demonstrate that PIN1 inhibition sensitizes chemotherapy in gastric cancer cells by targeting CSCs, and suggest that PIN1 inhibitors may be used to overcome drug resistance in gastric cancer.