bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Computation of Dynamic User Equilibrium in the Multiclass Transient Fluid Queue
Authors: Juneja S. , Shimkin N.
Published: March 2018

We consider the arrival timing problem faced by multiclass strategic customers to a single queue. The customers sensitivities to delay as well as service completion time preferences may be heterogeneous and the latter may vary non linearly with time. This captures many realistic settings where customers have preferences on when to arrive at a queue. We consider a fluid setup, so each customer is a point in a continuum and service rate is deterministic. This problem has been well studied in the transportation literature as the bottleneck model and the equilibrium customer arrival profile is shown to uniquely exist using intricate fixed point arguments. We develop a simple, elegant and geometrically insightful iterative method to arrive at this equilibrium profile, and provide an equally simple uniqueness proof. Further, under somewhat stringent assumptions, we arrive at the rate of convergence of the proposed algorithm. The simple geometric proof allows easy incorporation of useful extensions - to illustrate, we consider time varying service rates where the equilibrium profile is easily computed. Further, our results easily extend to the case of customers balking when their costs are above a class dependent threshold.
Lower Bounds for the Fair Resource Allocation Problem
Authors: Allybokus Zaid , Avrachenkov Konstantin , Leguay Jèrèmie , Maggi Lorenzo
Published: March 2018

The α-fair resource allocation problem has received remarkable attention and has been studied in numerous application fields. Several algorithms have been proposed in the context of α-fair resource sharing to distributively compute its value. However, little work has been done on its structural properties. In this work, we present a lower bound for the optimal solution of the weighted α-fair resource allocation problem and compare it with existing propositions in the literature. Our derivations rely on a localization property verified by optimization problems with separable objective that permit one to better exploit their local structures. We give a local version of the well-known midpoint domination axiom used to axiomatically build the Nash Bargaining Solution (or proportionally fair resource allocation problem). Moreover, we show how our lower bound can improve the performances of a distributed algorithm based on the Alternating Directions Method of Multipliers (ADMM). The evaluation of the algorithm shows that our lower bound can considerably reduce its convergence time up to two orders of magnitude compared to when the bound is not used at all or is simply looser.
Outlier Detection Using Robust Optimization with Uncertainty Sets Constructed from Risk Measures
Authors: Chen Ruidi , Paschalidis Ioannis
Published: March 2018

We consider a robust optimization formulation for the problem of outlier detection, with an uncertainty set determined by the risk preference of the decision maker. This connection between risk measures and uncertainty sets is established in 3. Inspired by this methodology for uncertainty set construction under a distortion risk measure, we propose a regularized optimization problem with a finite number of constraints to estimate a robust regression plane that is less sensitive to outliers. An alternating minimization scheme is applied to solve for the optimal solution. We show that in three different scenarios differentiated by the location of outliers, our Risk Measure-based Robust Optimization (RMRO) approach outperforms the traditionally used robust regression 12 in terms of the estimation accuracy and detection rates.
Azure Networking
Authors: Greenberg Albert
Published: March 2018

To create the Azure cloud, we imagined and built a massive cloud network, literally from the ground up. Azure creates and sustains a virtual data center for every tenant, under the tenant's control, meeting the tenant's goals for high security, reliability, ease of use, and performance. Building all this calls for innovation across hardware and software. I'll discuss key challenges and solutions, as well as demo new functionality.
Optimal Energy Procurement for Geo-distributed Data Centers in Multi-timescale Electricity Markets
Authors: Le Tan N. , Liang Jie , Liu Zhenhua , Sitaraman Ramesh K. , Nair Jayakrishnan , Choi Bong Jun
Published: March 2018

Multi-timescale electricity markets augment the traditional electricity market by enabling consumers to procure electricity in a futures market. Heavy power consumers, such as cloud providers and data center operators, can significantly benefit from multi-timescale electricity markets by purchasing some of the needed electricity ahead of time at cheaper rates. However, the energy procurement strategy for data centers in multi-timescale markets becomes a challenging problem when real world dynamics, such as spatial diversity of data centers and uncertainties of renewable energy, IT workload, and electricity price, are taken into account. In this paper, we develop energy procurement algorithms for geo-distributed data centers that utilize multitimescale markets to minimize the electricity procurement cost. We propose two algorithms. The first algorithm provides provably optimal cost minimization while the other achieves near-optimal cost at a much lower computational cost. We empirically evaluate our energy procurement algorithms using real-world traces of renewable energy, electricity prices, and workload demand. Our empirical evaluations show that our proposed energy procurement algorithms save up to 44% of the total cost compared to traditional algorithms that do not use multi-timescale electricity markets or geographical load balancing.
Heavy-Traffic Delay Insensitivity in Connection-Level Models of Data Transfer with Proportionally Fair Bandwidth Sharing
Authors: Wang Weina , Maguluri Siva Theja , Srikant R. , Ying Lei
Published: March 2018

Motivated by the stringent requirements on delay performance in data center networks, we study a connection-level model for bandwidth sharing among data transfer flows, where file sizes have phase-type distributions and proportionally fair bandwidth allocation is used. We analyze the expected number of files in steady-state by setting the steady-state drift of an appropriately chosen Lyapunov function equal to zero. We consider the heavy-traffic regime and obtain asymptotically tight bounds on the expected number of files in the system. Our results show that the expected number of files under proportionally fair bandwidth allocation is insensitive in heavy traffic to file size distributions, thus complementing the diffusion approximation result of Vlasiou et al. [20].
Towards a performance-aware power capping orchestrator for the Xen hypervisor
Authors: Arnaboldi Marco , Ferroni Matteo , Santambrogio Marco D.
Published: March 2018

In the last few years, multi-core processors entered into the domain of embedded systems: this, together with virtualization techniques, allows multiple applications to easily run on the same System-on-Chip (SoC). As power consumption remains one of the most impacting costs on any digital system, several approaches have been explored in literature to cope with power caps, trying to maximize the performance of the hosted applications. In this paper, we present some preliminary results and opportunities towards a performance-aware power capping orchestrator for the Xen hypervisor. The proposed solution, called XeMPUPiL, uses the Intel Running Average Power Limit (RAPL) hardware interface to set a strict limit on the processor's power consumption, while a software-level Observe-Decide-Act (ODA) loop performs an exploration of the available resource allocations to find the most power efficient one for the running workload. We show how
XeMPUPiL
is able to achieve higher performance under different power caps for almost all the different classes of benchmarks analyzed (e.g., CPU-, memory-and IO-bound).
A survey on shared disk I/O management in virtualized environments under real time constraints
Authors: Sañudo Ignacio , Cavicchioli Roberto , Capodieci Nicola , Valente Paolo , Bertogna Marko
Published: March 2018

In the embedded systems domain, hypervisors are increasingly being adopted to guarantee timing isolation and appropriate hardware resource sharing among different software components. However, managing concurrent and parallel requests to shared hardware resources in a predictable way still represents an open issue. We argue that hypervisors can be an effective means to achieve an efficient and predictable arbitration of competing requests to shared devices in order to satisfy real-time requirements. As a representative example, we consider the case for mass storage (I/O) devices like Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Disks (SSD), whose access times are orders of magnitude higher than those of central memory and CPU caches, therefore having a greater impact on overall task delays. We provide a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of the literature on I/O management within virtualized environments, focusing on software solutions proposed in the open source community, and discussing their main limitations in terms of realtime performance. Then, we discuss how the research in this subject may evolve in the future, highlighting the importance of techniques that are focused on scheduling not uniquely the processing bandwidth, but also the access to other important shared resources, like I/O devices.
Sigmoid colon mucosal gene expression supports alterations of neuronal signaling in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation
Authors: Videlock Elizabeth J. , Mahurkar-Joshi Swapna , Hoffman Jill M. , Iliopoulos Dimitrios , Pothoulakis Charalabos , Mayer Emeran A. , Chang Lin
Published: March 2018

Peripheral factors likely play a role in at least a subset of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. Few studies have investigated mucosal gene expression using an unbiased approach. Here, we performed mucosal gene profiling in a sex-balanced sample to identify relevant signaling pathways and gene networks and compare with publicly available profiling data from additional cohorts. Twenty Rome III+ IBS patients [10 IBS with constipation (IBS-C), 10 IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D), 5 men/women each), and 10 age-/sex-matched healthy controls (HCs)] underwent sigmoidoscopy with biopsy for gene microarray analysis, including differential expression, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), gene set enrichment analysis, and comparison with publicly available data. Expression levels of 67 genes were validated in an expanded cohort, including the above samples and 18 additional participants (6 each of IBS-C, IBS-D, HCs) using NanoString nCounter technology. There were 1,270 differentially expressed genes (FDR < 0.05) in IBS-C vs. HCs but none in IBS or IBS-D vs. HCs. WGNCA analysis identified activation of the cAMP/protein kinase A signaling pathway. Nine of 67 genes were validated by the NanoString nCounter technology (FDR < 0.05) in the expanded sample. Comparison with publicly available microarray data from the Mayo Clinic and University of Nottingham supports the reproducibility of 17 genes from the microarray analysis and three of nine genes validated by nCounter in IBS-C vs. HCs. This study supports the involvement of peripheral mechanisms in IBS-C, particularly pathways mediating neuronal signaling.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Peripheral factors play a role in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which, to date, has been mostly evident in IBS with diarrhea. Here, we show that sigmoid colon mucosal gene expression profiles differentiate IBS with constipation from healthy controls. These profiling data and analysis of additional cohorts also support the concept that peripheral neuronal pathways contribute to IBS pathophysiology.
The relationship between complement C3 expression and the MUC5B genotype in pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Okamoto Tsukasa , Mathai Susan K. , Hennessy Corinne E. , Hancock Laura A. , Walts Avram D. , Stefanski Adrianne L. , Brown Kevin K. , Lynch David A. , Cosgrove Gregory P. , Groshong Steve D. , Cool Carlyne D. , Schwarz Marvin I. , Banda Nirmal K. , Thurman Joshua M. , Yang Ivana V. , Holers V. Michael , Schwartz David A.
Published: March 2018

The common gain-of-function MUC5B promoter variant ( rs35705950 ) is the strongest risk factor for the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). While the role of complement in IPF is controversial, both MUC5B and the complement system play a role in lung host defense. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between complement component 3 (C3) and MUC5B in patients with IPF and in bleomycin-induced lung injury in mice. To do this, we evaluated C3 gene expression in whole lung tissue from 300 subjects with IPF and 175 healthy controls. Expression of C3 was higher in IPF than healthy controls {1.40-fold increase [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31–1.50]; P < 0.0001} and even greater among IPF subjects with the highest-risk IPF MUC5B promoter genotype [TT vs. GG = 1.59-fold (95% CI 1.15–2.20); P < 0.05; TT vs. GT = 1.66-fold (95% CI 1.20–2.30); P < 0.05]. Among subjects with IPF, C3 expression was significantly higher in the lung tissue without microscopic honeycombing than in the lung tissue with microscopic honeycombing [1.40-fold increase (95% CI 1.23– 1.59); P < 0.01]. In mice, while bleomycin exposure increased Muc5b protein expression, C3-deficient mice were protected from bleomycin-induced lung injury. In aggregate, our findings indicate that the MUC5B promoter variant is associated with higher C3 expression and suggest that the complement system may contribute to the pathogenesis of IPF.
IL-1 receptor activation undermines respiratory motor plasticity after systemic inflammation
Authors: Hocker Austin D. , Huxtable Adrianne G.
Published: March 2018

Inflammation undermines respiratory motor plasticity, yet we are just beginning to understand the inflammatory signaling involved. Because interleukin-1 (IL-1) signaling promotes or inhibits plasticity in other central nervous system regions, we tested the following hypotheses: 1) IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) activation after systemic inflammation is necessary to undermine phrenic long-term facilitation (pLTF), a model of respiratory motor plasticity induced by acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH), and 2) spinal IL-1β is sufficient to undermine pLTF. pLTF is significantly reduced 24 h after lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 μg/kg ip, 12 ± 18%, n = 5) compared with control (57 ± 25%, n = 6) and restored by peripheral IL-1R antagonism (63 ± 13%, n = 5, AF-12198, 0.5 mg/kg ip, 24 h). Furthermore, acute, spinal IL-1R antagonism (1 mM AF-12198, 15 μl it) restored pLTF (53 ± 15%, n = 4) compared with LPS-treated rats (11 ± 10%; n = 5), demonstrating IL-1R activation is necessary to undermine pLTF after systemic inflammation. However, in healthy animals, pLTF persisted after spinal, exogenous recombinant rat IL-1β (rIL-1β) (1 ng ± AIH; 66 ± 26%, n = 3, 10 ng ± AIH; 102 ± 49%, n = 4, 100 ng + AIH; 93 ± 51%, n = 3, 300 ng ± AIH; 37 ± 40%, n = 3; P < 0.05 from baseline). In the absence of AIH, spinal rIL-1β induced progressive, dose-dependent phrenic amplitude facilitation (1 ng; −3 ± 5%, n = 3, 10 ng; 8 ± 22%, n = 3, 100 ng; 31 ± 12%, P < 0.05, n = 4, 300 ng; 51 ± 17%, P < 0.01 from baseline, n = 4). In sum, IL-1R activation, both systemically and spinally, undermines pLTF after LPS-induced systemic inflammation, but IL-1R activation is not sufficient to abolish plasticity. Understanding the inflammatory signaling inhibiting respiratory plasticity is crucial to developing treatment strategies utilizing respiratory plasticity to promote breathing during ventilatory control disorders.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study gives novel insights concerning mechanisms by which systemic inflammation undermines respiratory motor plasticity. We demonstrate that interleukin-1 signaling, both peripherally and centrally, undermines respiratory motor plasticity. However, acute, exogenous interleukin-1 signaling is not sufficient to undermine respiratory motor plasticity.
A Seasonal Time-Series Model Based on Gene Expression Programming for Predicting Financial Distress
Authors: Cheng Ching-Hsue , Chan Chia-Pang , Yang Jun-He
Published: March 2018

The issue of financial distress prediction plays an important and challenging research topic in the financial field. Currently, there have been many methods for predicting firm bankruptcy and financial crisis, including the artificial intelligence and the traditional statistical methods, and the past studies have shown that the prediction result of the artificial intelligence method is better than the traditional statistical method. Financial statements are quarterly reports; hence, the financial crisis of companies is seasonal time-series data, and the attribute data affecting the financial distress of companies is nonlinear and nonstationary time-series data with fluctuations. Therefore, this study employed the nonlinear attribute selection method to build a nonlinear financial distress prediction model: that is, this paper proposed a novel seasonal time-series gene expression programming model for predicting the financial distress of companies. The proposed model has several advantages including the following: (i) the proposed model is different from the previous models lacking the concept of time series; (ii) the proposed integrated attribute selection method can find the core attributes and reduce high dimensional data; and (iii) the proposed model can generate the rules and mathematical formulas of financial distress for providing references to the investors and decision makers. The result shows that the proposed method is better than the listing classifiers under three criteria; hence, the proposed model has competitive advantages in predicting the financial distress of companies.
Driver and Path Detection through Time-Series Classification
Authors: Bernardi Mario Luca , Cimitile Marta , Martinelli Fabio , Mercaldo Francesco
Published: March 2018

Driver identification and path kind identification are becoming very critical topics given the increasing interest of automobile industry to improve driver experience and safety and given the necessity to reduce the global environmental problems. Since in the last years a high number of always more sophisticated and accurate car sensors and monitoring systems are produced, several proposed approaches are based on the analysis of a huge amount of real-time data describing driving experience. In this work, a set of behavioral features extracted by a car monitoring system is proposed to realize driver identification and path kind identification and to evaluate driver’s familiarity with a given vehicle. The proposed feature model is exploited using a time-series classification approach based on a multilayer perceptron (MLP) network to evaluate their effectiveness for the goals listed above. The experiment is done on a real dataset composed of totally 292 observations (each observation consists of a given person driving a given car on a predefined path) and shows that the proposed features have a very good driver and path identification and profiling ability.
Influence of Material Selection on the Marginal Accuracy of CAD/CAM-Fabricated Metal- and All-Ceramic Single Crown Copings
Authors: Rödiger Matthias , Schneider Lea , Rinke Sven
Published: March 2018

This study evaluated the marginal accuracy of CAD/CAM-fabricated crown copings from four different materials within the same processing route. Twenty stone replicas of a metallic master die (prepared upper premolar) were scanned and divided into two groups. Group 1 (n=10) was used for a pilot test to determine the design parameters for best marginal accuracy. Group 2 (n=10) was used to fabricate 10 specimens from the following materials with one identical CAD/CAM system (GAMMA 202, Wissner GmbH, Goettingen, Germany): A = commercially pure (cp) titanium, B = cobalt-chromium alloy, C = yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), and D = leucite-reinforced glass-ceramics. Copings from group 2 were evaluated for the mean marginal gap size (MeanMG) and average maximum marginal gap size (AMaxMG) with a light microscope in the “as-machined” state. The effect of the material on the marginal accuracy was analyzed by multiple pairwise comparisons (Mann–Whitney, U-test, α=0.05, adjusted by Bonferroni-Holmes method). MeanMG values were as follows: A: 46.92 ± 23.12 μm, B: 48.37 ± 29.72 μm, C: 68.25 ± 28.54 μm, and D: 58.73 ± 21.15 μm. The differences in the MeanMG values proved to be significant for groups A/C (p=0.0024), A/D (p=0.008), and B/C (p=0.0332). AMaxMG values (A: 91.54 ± 23.39 μm, B: 96.86 ± 24.19 μm, C: 120.66 ± 32.75 μm, and D: 100.22 ± 10.83 μm) revealed no significant differences. The material had a significant impact on the marginal accuracy of CAD/CAM-fabricated copings.
Advanced Glycation End Products Enhance Murine Monocyte Proliferation in Bone Marrow and Prime Them into an Inflammatory Phenotype through MAPK Signaling
Authors: Jin Xian , Liu Liang , Zhang Yaping , Xiang Yin , Yin Guizhi , Lu Yi , Shi Ludong , Dong Jian , Shen Chengxing
Published: March 2018

Objective. Increased monocytes, particularly the inflammatory subset, are associated with accelerated atherosclerosis in diabetes through thus far incompletely defined mechanisms. The present study tested the hypothesis that advanced glycation end products (AGEs) promote bone marrow monocytes to proliferate and drive them into an inflammatory phenotype.Methods and Results. In vivo, AGEs (25 mg/kg i.p. for 7 days) increased proportions of CD115+monocytes and the inflammatory subset, the CD115+Ly6Chighcells, in murine bone marrow (flow cytometry analysis (FCM)), and enhanced gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1βand TNF-α) but only slightly upregulated mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) (real-time PCR) in monocytes. In vitro, when the monocytes were treated with different dosages of AGEs (50, 150, and 300 μg/mL), we found that proliferation (CCK8) but not apoptosis (FCM) of the monocytes was induced; the mRNA expressions of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1βand TNF-α) and GM-CSF were upregulated in a dose-dependent manner while mRNA levels of IL-10 and M-CSF were changed much less in monocytes (real-time PCR). Furthermore, AGEs (300 μg/mL) significantly enhanced the expression of Ki67 in monocytes (immunofluorescence staining (IF)), and this dose of AGEs markedly increased secretion of GM-CSF but not that of M-CSF (ELISA). For a pathway study, the monocytes were stimulated by 300 μg/mL AGEs for different periods of time (0, 15, 30, and 120 min) and the activation of the MAPK pathway was tested (FCM); the results showed the p38 and ERK pathways were activated but not JNK signaling. Pretreatment with an inhibitor of p38 (SB203580) or ERK (U0126) attenuated AGE-induced gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines and GM-CSF (real-time PCR), as well as reversing AGE-induced Ki67 expression (IF).Conclusions. AGEs promote bone marrow monocytes to proliferate and drive them into an inflammatory phenotype through p38 and ERK activation.
Aerobic Interval Training Regulated SIRT3 Attenuates High-Fat-Diet-Associated Cognitive Dysfunction
Authors: Shi Zhaoling , Li Chen , Yin Yue , Yang Zheng , Xue Han , Mu Nan , Wang Yishi , Liu Manling , Ma Heng
Published: March 2018

Cognitive dysfunction is an important complicated disease in obesity. Exercise ameliorates obesity and the related cognitive dysfunction. However, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we investigated whether aerobic interval training (AIT) could attenuate high-fat-diet- (HFD-) associated cognitive dysfunction and the possible mechanism of SIRT3-MnSOD pathway. C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice and SIRT3 knockout (KO) mice were randomized into control (Con) or HFD group with or without AIT training for 6 weeks. The spatial learning and memory ability were impaired in HFD group compared to the control group. The levels of mitochondrial protein acetylation were increased in the hippocampus of HFD group. The acetylation level of antioxidative MnSOD was increased as well. As a result, the ROS and MDA levels were significantly increased, which leads to the neuron apoptosis in the hippocampus. SIRT3 deficiency further aggravated HFD-induced cognitive dysfunction and susceptibility to oxidative stress injury. However, AIT upregulated neuron SIRT3 expression and decreased the acetylation of MnSOD. The hippocampus neuron oxidative stress and apoptosis were both decreased compared to untrained HFD group, which finally improved cognitive function of HFD mice. Collectively, AIT attenuates HFD-associated cognitive dysfunction through SIRT3 upregulation and improvement of antioxidative MnSOD activity.
Effect of Timing of Initial Cataract Surgery, Compliance to Amblyopia Therapy on Outcomes of Secondary Intraocular Lens Implantation in Chinese Children: A Retrospective Case Series
Authors: Li Liuyang , Wang Yan , Xue Caihong
Published: March 2018

Purpose. As a secondary analysis, we reassess the association of initial congenital cataract surgery times, compliance to amblyopia therapy, and visual outcomes for a long-term follow-up in a secondary IOL implantation. Methods. Retrospective review of records of all infants with congenital cataracts who underwent secondary IOL implantation in the Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2007, and the minimum follow-up period was 5 years. Multiple regression analysis was used and the possible confounding factors were also analyzed to assess the effect on visual outcome. Results. A total of 110 patients (male: 59.1%) were included. The median (min–max) age at cataract extraction and IOL implantation was 7.5 (3.0–15.0) and 35.0 (22.0–184.0) months, respectively, and the average follow-up period was 99.3 ± 23.6 months. The median (min–max) BCVA at final follow-up was 0.20 (0.01–1.00). Compliance to amblyopia therapy was none, poor, and good in 21.8%, 24.5%, and 53.6%, respectively. Postoperative BCVA [logMAR, median (min–max) 0.70 (0.00–2.00)] linearly decreased with increasing cataract extraction time (per month) (β=0.04, 95% CI: 0.03–0.06, p<0.0001) in multivariable models with laterality and compliance to amblyopia therapy adjusted. Good compliance to amblyopia therapy was associated with better BCVA (logMAR) at last follow-up (β=−0.40, 95% CI = −0.53 to −0.27, p<0.0001) with laterality, opacity type, and extraction time adjusted. Conclusions. For Chinese infants with congenital cataract, an earlier primary congenital cataract surgery at an age of 3 to 15 months is associated with a better visual outcome. Good compliance to amblyopia therapy was also significant to visual outcome.
Correlation between Allergic Rhinitis and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
Authors: Alharethy Sami , Baqays Abdulsalam , Mesallam Tamer A. , Syouri Falah , Al Wedami Mawaheb , Aldrees Turki , AlQabbani Alhanouf
Published: March 2018

Background and Objectives.Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) exhibits nonspecific clinical presentations, and these symptoms may be associated with other conditions such as allergies, including allergic rhinitis and laryngitis. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the correlation of laryngopharyngeal reflux with allergic rhinitis/laryngitis. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore the correlation between these two conditions.Patients and Methods.A total of 126 patients with suggestive manifestations of laryngopharyngeal reflux were included in this study. Patients were classified into LPR positive and negative groups based on the results of a 24-hour oropharyngeal pH monitoring system while allergic rhinitis status was assessed with the score for allergic rhinitis (SFAR).The results of the two groups were compared regarding the SFAR score. Correlation between the pH results and SFAR score was explored. Results.The LPR positive group demonstrated significantly higher SFAR scores compared to the negative LPR group(p<0.0001). In addition, the Ryan score was significantly correlated with theSFAR total score and its symptomatology-related items (r ranged between 0.35 and 0.5). Conclusion.It seems that laryngopharyngeal reflux increases patients’ self-rating of allergic manifestations. It appears that there is an association between laryngopharyngeal reflux and allergic rhinitis/laryngitis.
Time Course of Detection of Human Male DNA from Stained Blood Sample on Various Surfaces by Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification and Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Kanchanaphum Panan
Published: March 2018

This study explores determining the sex of humans from blood stains taken from different surfaces and compares the time course of detection with the conventional PCR, Conventional Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), and LAMP-Lateral Flow Dipstick (LFD). For the DNA templates, 7 male and 7 female blood stained samples were extracted and added to LAMP and PCR reaction solution to amplify the SRY gene. The DNA samples were extracted from the following blood stained materials: cloth, wood, clay, and tile. Then, the samples were stored at room temperature for 1, 7, 30, and 60 day(s). After the DNA amplification, the gel electrophoresis process was applied to detect LAMP product. The LFD was combined with the LAMP to detect LAMP product on the male cloth samples. For the male samples, the time course of detection on the first and seventh days indicated positive for both LAMP and PCR products on all the surfaces while no DNA amplification was found on any of the female samples. On day 30, positive LAMP product was still found on all the male samples. However, it had faded on the tiles. Moreover, all the male samples, which had tested positive for PCR product, were blurred and unclear. On day 60, LAMP product was still found on all the male samples. Conversely, the PCR method resulted in no bands showing for any of the male samples. However, the LAMP-LFD method detected product on all the male samples of cloth. The results show that the LAMP is an effective, practical, and reliable molecular-biological method. Moreover, the LFD can increase the efficiency and sensitivity of the LAMP, making it more suitable for field studies because gel electrophoresis apparatus is not required.
A Clinical Study of Toxication Caused by Carbamazepine Abuse in Adolescents
Authors: Xu Wei , Chen Yu-Lin , Zhao Ying , Wang Li-Jie , Li Jiu-Jun , Liu Chun-Feng
Published: March 2018

Carbamazepine is known to produce the side effect of euphoria. As such, it lends itself to being a drug of abuse, particularly in the adolescent population. This retrospective study evaluated carbamazepine abuse, treatment course, and associated morbidity in Chinese adolescents. The median dose of carbamazepine resulting in overdose was 2,000 mg (800–5,000). Patients were largely from urban-rural fringe areas (76.47%, 52.94%) with school performance within the last 1/3 range and (52.94%) unsupervised by parents. 35.29% experienced an obvious sense of euphoria. All patients had nervous system symptoms, 6 (35.29%) cases developed coma (GCS < 8), and 5 (29.41%) cases experienced convulsion. Four cases were treated with hemodialysis. The incidence rate in young patients with repeat carbamazepine use and without the supervision of parents was higher than that in first-time users (5/7 versus 4/10), but the difference was not significant. The toxic dose of repeat users was 3428 ± 1035 mg, significantly higher than that of 1470 ± 646 mg in first-time users (P=0.001). Carbamazepine can produce a sense of euphoria, which is more likely to lead to its abuse and overdose in adolescents. To prevent carbamazepine abuse and overdose will be critical in educating at-risk adolescents and preventing associated morbidities in the future.
Counteraction of Oxidative Stress by Vitamin E Affects Epigenetic Regulation by Increasing Global Methylation and Gene Expression of MLH1 and DNMT1 Dose Dependently in Caco‐2 Cells
Authors: Zappe Katja , Pointner Angelika , Switzeny Olivier J. , Magnet Ulrich , Tomeva Elena , Heller Jutta , Mare George , Wagner Karl-Heinz , Knasmueller Siegfried , Haslberger Alexander G.
Published: March 2018

Obesity‐ or diabetes‐induced oxidative stress is discussed as a major risk factor for DNA damage. Vitamin E and many polyphenols exhibit antioxidative activities with consequences on epigenetic regulation of inflammation and DNA repair. The present study investigated the counteraction of oxidative stress by vitamin E in the colorectal cancer cell line Caco‐2 under normal (1 g/l) and high (4.5 g/l) glucose cell culture condition. Malondialdehyde (MDA) as a surrogate marker of lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was analyzed. Gene expression and promoter methylation of the DNA repair gene MutL homolog 1 (MLH1) and the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) as well as global methylation by LINE-1 were investigated. Results revealed a dose‐dependent counteracting effect of vitamin E on H2O2‐induced oxidative stress. Thereby, 10 μM vitamin E proved to be more efficient than did 50 μM in reducing MDA. Further, an induction of MLH1 and DNMT1 gene expression was noticed, accompanied by an increase in global methylation. Whether LINE-1 hypomethylation is a cause or effect of oxidative stress is still unclear. In conclusion, supplementation of exogenous antioxidants like vitamin E in vitro exhibits beneficial effects concerning oxidative stress as well as epigenetic regulation involved in DNA repair.
Vectors of Defects in Reinforced Concrete Structures in Onshore Oil and Gas Process Plants
Authors: Hammad Dabo Baba , Shafiq Nasir , Nuruddin Muhd Fadhil
Published: March 2018

There is a global outcry over the speedy deterioration of structures in oil and gas facilities. While marine environment is considered the leading factor in the deterioration of offshore structures, there is no single factor considered as the main cause of the problem in onshore structures. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present the result of global survey on the major factors causing the deterioration of concrete structures in onshore oil and gas facilities. To realize the objectives of the paper, an e‐questionnaire was administered through two International LinkedIn groups with a membership mainly dominated by experts in onshore oil and gas facilities. 159 respondents completed the questionnaires, and the reliability of the responses was calculated to be 0.950 which is considered excellent. Relative importance index was used in ranking the factors, and it was observed that environmental factors ranked as the dominant factors causing the deterioration of concrete structures in onshore process plants. Another important finding in the study is the role that experience plays on the perception of experts on the causes of defects on concrete structures.
JAZF1 Inhibits Adipose Tissue Macrophages and Adipose Tissue Inflammation in Diet-Induced Diabetic Mice
Authors: Meng Fanping , Lin Yao , Yang Min , Li Minyan , Yang Gangyi , Hao Po , Li Ling
Published: March 2018

Background. Juxtaposed with another zinc finger gene 1 (JAZF1) affects gluconeogenesis, insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, and inflammation, but its exact role in chronic inflammation remains unclear. This study aimed to examine JAZF1 overexpression in vivo on adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs). Methods. Mouse models of high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced insulin resistance were induced using C57BL/6J and JAZF1-overexpressing (JAZF1-OX) mice. The mice were randomized (8–10/group) to C57BL/6J mice fed regular diet (RD) (NC group), C57BL/6J mice fed HFD (HF group), JAZF1-OX mice fed RD (NJ group), and JAZF1-OX mice fed HFD (HJ group). Adipose tissue was harvested 12 weeks later. ATMs were evaluated by flow cytometry. Inflammatory markers were evaluated by ELISA. Results. JAZF1-OX mice had lower blood lipids, blood glucose, body weight, fat weight, and inflammatory markers compared with HF mice (all P<0.05). JAZF1 overexpression decreased ATM number and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. JAZF1 overexpression decreased total CD4+ T cells, active T cells, and memory T cells and increased Treg cells. JAZF1 overexpression downregulated IFN-γ and IL-17 levels and upregulated IL-4 levels. JAZF1 overexpression decreased MHCII, CD40, and CD86 in total ATM, CD11c+ ATM, and CD206+ ATM. Conclusions. JAZF1 limits adipose tissue inflammation by limiting macrophage populations and restricting their antigen presentation function.
Relationship of SNP rs2645429 in Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase 1 Gene Promoter with Susceptibility to Lung Cancer
Authors: Dehghani Mehdi , Samani Zahra , Abidi Hassan , Manzouri Leila , Mahmoudi Reza , Hosseini Teshnizi Saeed , Nikseresht Mohsen
Published: March 2018

Background and Purpose. The mevalonate pathway is one of the major metabolic pathways that use acetyl-CoA to produce sterols and isoprenoids. These compounds can be effective in the growth and development of tumors. One of the enzymes involved in the mevalonate pathway is FDFT1. Different variants of this gene are involved in the risk of suffering various diseases. The present study examined the relationship between FDFT1 rs2645429 polymorphism and the risk of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a population from southern Iran.Method. The genotypes of rs2645429 polymorphism of FDFT1 gene were examined in 95 samples: 34 patients with NSCLC and 61 healthy individuals by RFLP method.Results. The results of this study indicated that C allele of this polymorphism was effectively associated with the risk of NSCLC in the Iranian population (pvalue = 0.023; OR = 2.71; 95% CI = 1.12–6.59) and CC genotype has significant relation with susceptibility to NSCLC (pvalue = 0.029; OR = 3.02; 95% CI = 1.09–8.39). This polymorphism is located in the promoter region FDFT1 gene, and CC genotype may increase the activity of this promoter. This study also found a significant relationship between C allele and metastatic status. C allele was more common in NSCLC patients. (p=0.04).Conclusion. C allele of FDFT1 rs2645429 polymorphism gene can be a risk factor for NSCLC, whereas T allele probably has a low protective role.
The Effects of Curtain Airbag on Occupant Kinematics and Injury Index in Rollover Crash
Authors: Li Hongyun , Jiang Chengyue , Cui Dong , Lu Shuang
Published: March 2018

Background. Occupant injuries in rollover crashes are associated with vehicle structural performance, as well as the restraint system design. For a better understanding of the occupant kinematics and injury index in certain rollover crash, it is essential to carry out dynamic vehicle rollover simulation with dummy included. Objective. This study focused on effects of curtain airbag (CAB) parameters on occupant kinematics and injury indexes in a rollover crash. Besides, optimized parameters of the CAB were proposed for the purpose of decreasing the occupant injuries in such rollover scenario. Method and Material. The vehicle motion from the physical test was introduced as the input for the numerical simulation, and the 50% Hybrid III dummy model from the MADYMO database was imported into a simulation model. The restraint system, including a validated CAB module, was introduced for occupant kinematics simulation and injury evaluation. TTF setting, maximum inflator pressure, and protection area of the CAB were analysed. Results. After introducing the curtain airbag, the maximum head acceleration was reduced from 91.60 g to 49.52 g, and the neck Mx and neck Fz were reduced significantly. Among these CAB parameters, the TTF setting had the largest effect on the head acceleration which could reduce 8.6 g furthermore after optimization. The neck Fz was decreased from 3766.48 N to 2571.77 N after optimization of CAB protection area. Conclusions. Avoiding hard contact is critical for the occupant protection in the rollover crashes. The simulation results indicated that occupant kinematics and certain injury indexes were improved with the help of CAB in such rollover scenario. Appropriate TTF setting and inflator selection could benefit occupant kinematics and injury indexes. Besides, it was advised to optimize the curtain airbag thickness around the head contact area to improve head and neck injury indexes.
An Improved Scale-Adaptive Simulation Model for Massively Separated Flows
Authors: Liu Yue , Guan Xiaorong , Xu Cheng
Published: March 2018

A new hybrid modelling method termed improved scale-adaptive simulation (ISAS) is proposed by introducing the von Karman operator into the dissipation term of the turbulence scale equation, proper derivation as well as constant calibration of which is presented, and the typical circular cylinder flow at Re = 3900 is selected for validation. As expected, the proposed ISAS approach with the concept of scale-adaptive appears more efficient than the original SAS method in obtaining a convergent resolution, meanwhile, comparable with DES in visually capturing the fine-scale unsteadiness. Furthermore, the grid sensitivity issue of DES is encouragingly remedied benefiting from the local-adjusted limiter. The ISAS simulation turns out to attractively represent the development of the shear layers and the flow profiles of the recirculation region, and thus, the focused statistical quantities such as the recirculation length and drag coefficient are closer to the available measurements than DES and SAS outputs. In general, the new modelling method, combining the features of DES and SAS concepts, is capable to simulate turbulent structures down to the grid limit in a simple and effective way, which is practically valuable for engineering flows.
Security Feature Measurement for Frequent Dynamic Execution Paths in Software System
Authors: Wang Qian , Ren Jiadong , Yang Xiaoli , Cheng Yongqiang , Davis Darryl N. , Hu Changzhen
Published: March 2018

The scale and complexity of software systems are constantly increasing, imposing new challenges for software fault location and daily maintenance. In this paper, the Security Feature measurement algorithm of Frequent dynamic execution Paths in Software, SFFPS, is proposed to provide a basis for improving the security and reliability of software. First, the dynamic execution of a complex software system is mapped onto a complex network model and sequence model. This, combined with the invocation and dependency relationships between function nodes, fault cumulative effect, and spread effect, can be analyzed. The function node security features of the software complex network are defined and measured according to the degree distribution and global step attenuation factor. Finally, frequent software execution paths are mined and weighted, and security metrics of the frequent paths are obtained and sorted. The experimental results show that SFFPS has good time performance and scalability, and the security features of the important paths in the software can be effectively measured. This study provides a guide for the research of defect propagation, software reliability, and software integration testing.
Isolation and Characterisation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Rat Bone Marrow and the Endosteal Niche: A Comparative Study
Authors: Yusop Norhayati , Battersby Paul , Alraies Amr , Sloan Alastair J. , Moseley Ryan , Waddington Rachel J.
Published: March 2018

Within bone, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) exist within the bone marrow stroma (BM-MSC) and the endosteal niche, as cells lining compact bone (CB-MSCs). This study isolated and characterised heterogeneous MSC populations from each niche and subsequently investigated the effects of extensive cell expansion, analysing population doublings (PDs)/cellular senescence, colony-forming efficiencies (CFEs), MSC cell marker expression, and osteogenic/adipogenic differentiation. CB-MSCs and BM-MSCs demonstrated similar morphologies and PDs, reaching 100 PDs. Both populations exhibited consistent telomere lengths (12–17 kb), minimal senescence, and positive telomerase expression. CB-MSCs (PD15) had significantly lower CFEs than PD50. CB-MSCs and BM-MSCs both expressed MSC (CD73/CD90/CD105); embryonic (Nanog) and osteogenic markers (Runx2, osteocalcin) but no hematopoietic markers (CD45). CB-MSCs (PD15) strongly expressed Oct4 and p16INK4A. At early PDs, CB-MSCs possessed a strong osteogenic potency and low potency for adipogenesis, whilst BM-MSCs possessed greater overall bipotentiality for osteogenesis and adipogenesis. At PD50, CB-MSCs demonstrated reduced potency for both osteogenesis and adipogenesis, compared to BM-MSCs at equivalent PDs. This study demonstrates similarities in proliferative and mesenchymal cell characteristics between CB-MSCs and BM-MSCs, but contrasting multipotentiality. Such findings support further comparisons of human CB-MSCs and BM-MSCs, facilitating selection of optimal MSC populations for regenerative medicine purposes.
Stability Criteria of Interval Time-Varying Delay Systems and Their Application
Authors: Lu Zhanhui , Wang Chengyong , Wang Weijuan
Published: March 2018

The stability for a class of uncertain linear systems with interval time-varying delays is studied. Based on the delay-dividing approach, the delay interval is partitioned into two subintervals. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional and using the convex combination method and the improved integral inequality, the delay-dependent stability criteria with less conservation are derived. Finally, some numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.
The Phenolic Components of Gastrodia elata improve Prognosis in Rats after Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion by Enhancing the Endogenous Antioxidant Mechanisms
Authors: Shi Anhuan , Xiang Jianming , He Fangyan , Zhu Yanping , Zhu Gongbei , Lin Yuhan , Zhou Ningna
Published: March 2018

Pharmacological or spontaneous thrombolysis in ischemic stroke triggers an outbreak of reactive oxygen species and results in neuron death. Nrf2‐mediated antioxidation in cells has been proved as a pivotal target for neuroprotection. This research reports that phenolic components of Gastrodia elata Blume (PCGE), a traditional Chinese medicine, can alleviate the pathological lesions in the penumbra and hippocampus by increasing the survival of neurons and astrocytes and improve neurofunction and cognition after reperfusion in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion. LDH assay indicated that pretreatment of cells with PCGE (25 μg/ml) for 24 h significantly reduced H2O2‐induced cell death in astrocytes and SH‐SY5Y cells. Western blot showed that the nucleus accumulation of Nrf2 and the expression of cellular HO‐1 and NQO‐1, two of Nrf2 downstream proteins, were increased in both cells. BDNF, an Nrf2‐dependent neurotrophic factor, was also upregulated by PCGE in astrocytes. These results illustrated that PCGE can reduce the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and improve prognosis by remedying the cell damage within affected tissues. The protective effects of PCGE seem to be via activation of a Nrf2‐mediated cellular defense system. Therefore, PCGE could be a therapeutic candidate for ischemic stroke and other oxidative stress associated neurological disorders.