bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Online Optimization for Markets and the Cloud
Authors: Mirrokni Vahab
Published: September 2017

Internet applications provide interesting dynamic environments for online optimization techniques. In this talk, I will discuss a number of such problems in the context of online markets, and in serving cloud services. For online markets, I discuss problems in online advertising. Online ads are delivered in a real-time fashion under uncertainty in an environment with strategic agents. Making such real-time (or online) decisions without knowing the future is challenging for repeated auctions. In this context, I will first highlight the practical importance of considering "hybrid" models that can take advantage of forecasting, and at the same time, are robust against adversarial changes in the input. In particular, I discuss our recent results combining stochastic and adversarial input models. Then I will present more recent results concerning online bundling schemes that can be applied to repeated auction environments. In this part, I discuss ideas from our recent papers about online bundling, stateful pricing, bank account mechanisms, and Martingale auctions.

For problems on the cloud, I will touch upon two online load balancing problems: one in the context of consistent hashing with bounded loads for dynamic environments, and one in the context of multi-dimensional load balancing. Other than presenting theoretical results on these topics, we show how some of our new algorithmic techniques have been applied by Google and other companies, and confirm their significance in practice.
Investigation of the 2016 Linux TCP Stack Vulnerability at Scale
Authors: Quach Alan , Wang Zhongjie , Qian Zhiyun
Published: September 2017

To combat blind in-window attacks against TCP, changes proposed in RFC 5961 have been implemented by Linux since late 2012. While successfully eliminating the old vulnerabilities, the new TCP implementation was reported in August 2016 to have introduced a subtle yet serious security flaw. Assigned CVE-2016-5696, the flaw exploits the challenge ACK rate limiting feature that could allow an off-path attacker to infer the presence/absence of a TCP connection between two arbitrary hosts, terminate such a connection, and even inject malicious payload. In this work, we perform a comprehensive measurement of the impact of the new vulnerability. This includes (1) tracking the vulnerable Internet servers, (2) monitoring the patch behavior over time, (3) picturing the overall security status of TCP stacks at scale. Towards this goal, we design a scalable measurement methodology to scan the Alexa top 1 million websites for almost 6 months. We also present how notifications impact the patching behavior, and compare the result with the Heartbleed and the Debian PRNG vulnerability. The measurement represents a valuable data point in understanding how Internet servers react to serious security flaws in the operating system kernel.
Overcommitment in Cloud Services Bin packing with Chance Constraints
Authors: Cohen Maxime C. , Keller Philipp , Mirrokni Vahab , Zadimoghadddam Morteza
Published: September 2017

This paper considers a traditional problem of resource allocation, scheduling jobs on machines. One such recent application is cloud computing, where jobs arrive in an online fashion with capacity requirements and need to be immediately scheduled on physical machines in data centers. It is often observed that the requested capacities are not fully utilized, hence offering an opportunity to employ an
overcommitment policy
, i.e., selling resources beyond capacity. Setting the right overcommitment level can induce a significant cost reduction for the cloud provider, while only inducing a very low risk of violating capacity constraints. We introduce and study a model that quantifies the value of overcommitment by modeling the problem as a bin packing with chance constraints. We then propose an alternative formulation that transforms each chance constraint into a submodular function. We show that our model captures the risk pooling effect and can guide scheduling and overcommitment decisions. We also develop a family of online algorithms that are intuitive, easy to implement and provide a constant factor guarantee from optimal. Finally, we calibrate our model using realistic workload data, and test our approach in a practical setting. Our analysis and experiments illustrate the benefit of overcommitment in cloud services, and suggest a cost reduction of 1.5% to 17% depending on the provider's risk tolerance.
Optimal Service Elasticity in Large-Scale Distributed Systems
Authors: Mukherjee Debankur , Dhara Souvik , Borst Sem C. , van Leeuwaarden Johan S.H.
Published: September 2017

A fundamental challenge in large-scale cloud networks and data centers is to achieve highly efficient server utilization and limit energy consumption, while providing excellent user-perceived performance in the presence of uncertain and time-varying demand patterns. Auto-scaling provides a popular paradigm for automatically adjusting service capacity in response to demand while meeting performance targets, and queue-driven auto-scaling techniques have been widely investigated in the literature. In typical data center architectures and cloud environments however, no centralized queue is maintained, and load balancing algorithms immediately distribute incoming tasks among parallel queues. In these distributed settings with vast numbers of servers, centralized queue-driven auto-scaling techniques involve a substantial communication overhead and major implementation burden, or may not even be viable at all.

Motivated by the above issues, we propose a joint auto-scaling and load balancing scheme which does not require any global queue length information or explicit knowledge of system parameters, and yet provides provably near-optimal service elasticity. We establish the fluid-level dynamics for the proposed scheme in a regime where the total traffic volume and nominal service capacity grow large in proportion. The fluid-limit results show that the proposed scheme achieves asymptotic optimality in terms of user-perceived delay performance as well as energy consumption. Specifically, we prove that both the waiting time of tasks and the relative energy portion consumed by idle servers vanish in the limit. At the same time, the proposed scheme operates in a distributed fashion and involves only constant communication overhead per task, thus ensuring scalability in massive data center operations. Extensive simulation experiments corroborate the fluid-limit results, and demonstrate that the proposed scheme can match the user performance and energy consumption of state-of-the-art approaches that do take full advantage of a centralized queue.
Why "Some" Like It Hot Too
Authors: Gao Xing , Xu Zhang , Wang Haining , Li Li , Wang Xiaorui
Published: September 2017

A trend in modern data centers is to raise the temperature and maintain all servers in a relatively hot environment. While this can save on cooling costs given benign workloads running in servers, the hot environment increases the risk of cooling failure. In this work, we introduce the security concept of thermal attack on a data center that exploits thermal-intensive workloads to severely worsen the thermal conditions in the data center. To unveil the vulnerability of a data center to thermal attacks, we conduct thermal measurements and propose effective thermal attack vectors. To evaluate the impacts of thermal attacks inside a data center, we simulate datacenter-level thermal attacks using a real-world data center trace. Our evaluation demonstrates that thermal attacks can cause local hotspots, and even worse lead to cooling failures.
Scheduling Coflows in Datacenter Networks
Authors: Shafiee Mehrnoosh , Ghaderi Javad
Published: September 2017

Coflow
is a recently proposed networking abstraction to capture communication patterns in data-parallel computing frameworks. We consider the problem of efficiently scheduling coflows with release dates in a shared datacenter network so as to minimize the total weighted completion time of coflows. Specifically, we propose a randomized algorithm with approximation ratio of 3e ~ 8.155, which improves the prior best known ratio of 9+16 √2/3 ~ 16.542. For the special case when all coflows are released at time zero, we obtain a randomized algorithm with approximation ratio of 2e ~ 5.436 which improves the prior best known ratio of 3+2√2 ~ 5.828$. Simulation result using a real traffic trace is presented that shows improvement over the prior approaches.
Hieroglyph
Authors: Ju Xiaoen , Jamjoom Hani , Shin Kang G.
Published: September 2017

Mainstream graph processing systems (such as Pregel [3] and PowerGraph [1]) follow the bulk synchronous parallel model. This design leads to the tight coupling of computation and communication, where no vertex can proceed to the next iteration of computation until all vertices have been processed in the current iteration and graph states have been synchronized across all hosts. This coupling of computation and communication incurs significant performance penalty. Fully decoupling computation from communication requires (i) restricted access to only local state during computation and (ii) independence of inter-host communication from computation. We call the combination of both conditions local sufficiency. Local sufficiency is not efficiently supported by state of the art. Synchronous systems, by design, do not support local sufficiency due to their intrinsic computation-communication coupling. Even systems that implement asynchronous execution only partially achieve local sufficiency. For example, PowerGraph's asynchronous mode satisfies local sufficiency by distributed scheduling.
Histone deacetylase inhibition ameliorates hypertension and hyperglycemia in a model of Cushing’s syndrome
Authors: Lee Hae-Ahm , Kang Seol-Hee , Kim Mina , Lee Eunjo , Cho Hyun-Min , Moon Eun-Kyung , Kim Inkyeom
Published: September 2017

Cushing’s syndrome (CS) caused by hypercortisolism is occasionally accompanied by metabolic disorders such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, and central obesity. Thus morbidity and mortality, observed in cardiovascular disease, are elevated in patients with CS. We hypothesized that HDAC inhibition (HDACi) decreased transcriptional activity of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which ameliorates hypertension and hyperglycemia in patients with CS. To establish an animal model of hypercortisolism, Sprague-Dawley rats were infused with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH, 40 ng/day) or dexamethasone (Dex, 10 μg/day) via osmotic minipumps for 4 wk. Expression of GR target genes was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). GR enrichment on specific loci, and across the whole genome, was analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and ChIPseq, respectively. HDACi decreased blood pressure and expression of ion regulators in the kidneys of ACTH-infused rats. Additionally, HDACi reduced deposition of polysaccharide, fasting blood glucose level, glucose intolerance, and expression of gluconeogenesis genes in the livers and kidneys of ACTH- and Dex-infused rats. Among class I HDACs, HDAC1 and HDAC3 interacted with GR. HDAC1 knockdown resulted in increased level of acetylation and decreased transcriptional activity of GR. GR recruitment on the promoters of 2,754 genes, which include ion transporters, channels, and gluconeogenic genes, was significantly decreased by MS-275, a class I HDAC inhibitor. These results indicate that HDACi ameliorates hypertension and hyperglycemia in a model of CS by decreasing the transcriptional activity of GR via elevating its level of acetylation.
Cue-induced changes in the stability of finger force-production tasks revealed by the uncontrolled manifold analysis
Authors: Tillman Mitchell , Ambike Satyajit
Published: September 2017

A motor system configured to maximize the stability of its current state cannot dexterously transition between states. Yet, we routinely resolve the stability-dexterity conflict and rapidly change our current behavior without allowing it to become unstable before the desired transition. The phenomenon called anticipatory synergy adjustment (ASA) partly describes how the central nervous system handles this conflict. ASA is a continuous decrease in the stability of the current motor state beginning 150–400 ms before a rapid state transition accomplished using redundant sets of motor inputs (more input variables than task-specific output variables). So far, ASAs have been observed only when the timing of the upcoming transition is known. We utilized a multifinger, isometric force-production task to demonstrate that compared with a condition where no state transition is expected, the stability of the current state is lower by ~12% when a participant is cued to make a transition, even when the nature and timing of that transition are unknown. This result (stage 1 ASA) is distinct from its traditional version (stage 2 ASA), and it describes early destabilization that occurs solely in response to the expectation to move. Stage 2 ASA occurs later, only if the timing of the transition is known sufficiently in advance. Stage 1 ASA lasts much longer (~1.5 s) and may scale in response to the perceived difficulty of the upcoming task. Therefore, this work reveals a much refined view of the processes that underlie the resolution of the stability-dexterity conflict.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We compared the stability of multifinger, isometric force-production tasks for trials in which force changes of unknown direction and timing were expected with trials in which there was no expectation of any force change. Mere expectation of a change caused the stability of the current motor state to drop. This novel result provides a much refined view of the processes that facilitate dexterous switching between motor states.
Research on the Effects of Hydropneumatic Parameters on Tracked Vehicle Ride Safety Based on Cosimulation
Authors: Han Shousong , Chao Zhiqiang , Liu Xiangbo
Published: September 2017

Ride safety of a tracked vehicle is the key focus of this research. The factors that affect the ride safety of a vehicle are analyzed and evaluation parameters with their criteria are proposed. A multibody cosimulation approach is used to investigate the effects of hydropneumatic parameters on the ride safety and aid with design optimization and tuning of the suspension system. Based on the cosimulation environment, the vehicle multibody dynamics (MBD) model and the road model are developed using RecurDyn, which is linked to the hydropneumatic suspension model developed in Lab AMESim. Test verification of a single suspension unit is accomplished and the suspension parameters are implemented within the hydropneumatic model. Virtual tests on a G class road at different speeds are conducted. Effects of the accumulator charge pressure, damping diameter, and the track tensioning pressure on the ride safety are analyzed and quantified. This research shows that low accumulator charge pressure, improper damping diameter, and insufficient track tensioning pressure will deteriorate the ride safety. The results provide useful references for the optimal design and control of the parameters of a hydropneumatic suspension.
A GODFIP Control Algorithm for an IRC Grain Dryer
Authors: Dai Aini , Zhou Xiaoguang , Liu Xiangdong
Published: September 2017

Drying is an energy intensive and complex nonlinear process and it is difficult to control and make the traditional control meet the challenges. In order to effectively control the output grain moisture content of a combined infrared radiation and convection (IRC) grain dryer, taking into account the superiority of the fuzzy control method in dealing with complex systems, in this article, a genetic optimization dual fuzzy immune PID (Proportional‐Integral‐Derivative) (GODFIP) controller was proposed from the aspects of energy savings, stability, accuracy, and rapidity. The structure of the GODFIP controller consists of two fuzzy controllers, a PID controller, an immune algorithm, and a genetic optimization algorithm. In addition, a NARX model which can give relatively good predictive output information of the IRC dryer was established and used to represent the actual drying process to verify the control performance in the control simulation and anti‐interference tests. The effectiveness of this controller was demonstrated by computer simulations, and the anti‐interference performance comparative study with the other controllers further confirmed the superiority of the proposed grain drying controller which has the least value of performance objective function, the shortest rising time, and the best anti‐interference ability compared to the other three compared controllers.
Durability Improvement of Synthetic Dry Adhesives by Metal Coatings
Authors: Kim Gyuhe , Ahn Taechang , Hwang Hui Yun
Published: September 2017

Gecko-like synthetic dry adhesives (SDAs) have adhesion comparable to that of a real Gecko’s foot, but with very low durability. To address this problem, self-cleaning or stiff core embedding methods have been proposed. However, the proposed methods require special locomotion or complicated manufacturing. In this study, we suggested a metal coating on synthetic dry adhesives to improve durability. SDAs were fabricated via PDMS. Then, metals such as indium, zinc, and gold were coated on the SDAs. The adhesion tests show that the indium- and zinc-coated microstructures have a higher shear adhesion strength than the noncoated ones. Also, the shear adhesion strength of noncoated SDAs was only 14.5% of the initial strength while that of the zinc-coated ones was 35.6% after 200 times of attachment and detachment. We could find PDMS debris and fractures on noncoated SDAs, which results in weakening of the adhesion strength. On the other hand, a relatively high hardness, strength, and stiffness of the zinc coating layers reduced the wear and fractures of the micropatterns, which led to an improved durability in the SDAs. From these tests, we can conclude that the metal coating method could improve the durability of the SDAs.
A Neonatal Case of Glial Choristoma of the Tongue Causing Airway Obstruction
Authors: Machi Hajime , Karata Hiroki , Yamane Yusuke , Fukuoka Junya , Funakoshi Yasutomo , Moriuchi Hiroyuki
Published: September 2017

Glial choristoma is considered to be a type of brain heterotopia consisting of ectopic central nervous tissue. We herein report a neonate with glial choristoma of the tongue who developed respiratory distress due to airway obstruction. A male neonate presented with respiratory distress due to a soft mass on the midline region of the dorsal tongue base at birth. He was intubated using a flexible fiberoptic nasopharyngoscope. MRI showed a well-circumscribed mass measuring 25 × 23 × 27 mm in size in the same region. A histologic examination confirmed a pathological diagnosis of glial choristoma. He underwent tracheotomy at 22 days of age, and a subtotal resection of the tumor was performed at five months of age. The clinical behavior of oral glial choristoma varies depending on the age at onset as well as the location and size of the mass. The small size of the organ and the narrow operating field hamper the surgical approach in neonates. The optimal therapeutic strategy for neonatal cases of glial choristoma should thus be determined based on the condition of each individual patient.
The Proangiogenic Capabilities of Malignant Ascites Generated by Aggressive Ovarian Tumors
Authors: Mikuła-Pietrasik Justyna , Uruski Paweł , Szubert Sebastian , Maksin Konstantin , Moszyński Rafał , Szpurek Dariusz , Woźniak Aldona , Sajdak Stefan , Tykarski Andrzej , Książek Krzysztof
Published: September 2017

Here we examined whether malignant ascites may determine ovarian tumor angiogenesis, and if so whether ascites generated by highly aggressive serous and undifferentiated cancers are more proangiogenic than those from less aggressive clear cell and endometrioid tumors. Angiogenesis was analyzed according to expression of CD31, CD34, and connexin 43. Proliferation and migration of endothelial cells were tested using fluorescence-based methods. The quantification of angiogenic agents and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) was performed using specific immunoassays. Results showed that the expression of CD31 and CD34 in serous and undifferentiated tumors was greater, whereas endothelial expression of connexin 43 was lower than in clear cell and endometrioid lesions. Serous cancers that formed in the presence of ascites displayed increased expression of connexin 43 in vascular smooth muscles as compared with tumors developed in the fluid’s absence. Endothelial cells exposed to ascites from serous and undifferentiated tumors proliferated and migrated more vigorously than cells subjected to ascites from clear cell and endometrioid cancers. They also exhibited an increased level of HIF-1α and produced increased amounts of multiple proangiogenic agents. Our results indicate that high vascularization of aggressive ovarian tumors may be associated with profound angiogenic capabilities of ascites generated by these tumors.
Small Bowel Obstruction Secondary to a Metamucil Bezoar: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Abou Azar Sara , Wehbe Mohammad Rachad , Jamali Sarah , Hallal Ali
Published: September 2017

Bezoar-induced small bowel obstruction is a rare entity. It should be highly suspected in patients with gastric hypomotility disorders, psychiatric conditions, prior abdominal or bariatric surgery, or improper intake of medication. Their diagnosis is quite challenging and surgical exploration remains the best treatment of choice to ensure the viability of the small bowel tissue and relieve the obstruction. This is a case of a 48-year-old female with no previous abdominal surgery who presented with acute abdominal pain. The patient’s history was remarkable for the daily ingestion of 1.5 teaspoons of Metamucil with minimal amount of water. Computed tomography scan demonstrated dilated small bowel loops and a transition zone at the level of the mid jejunum. On laparoscopy, the patient was found to have a hard mass in the mid jejunum amenable to gentle fragmentation and breakdown. Metamucil bezoars are due to the solidification of psyllium-based substances in the gastrointestinal tract. The usual management of small bowel obstruction induced by a bezoar is exploratory laparotomy with enterotomy and primary anastomosis. Laparoscopic intervention has gained popularity among surgeons with good outcome and lower morbidity. In this unusual case, the small bowel obstruction induced by the Metamucil bezoar was safely treated with laparoscopic fragmentation alone.
Thermoplastic Cassava Starch-PVA Composite Films with Cellulose Nanofibers from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches as Reinforcement Agent
Authors: Fahma Farah , Sugiarto  , Sunarti Titi Candra , Indriyani Sabrina Manora , Lisdayana Nurmalisa
Published: September 2017

Thermoplastic starch-polyvinyl alcohol composite films were prepared by casting method with cellulose nanofibers as reinforcement agent and glycerol as plasticizer. The obtained cellulose nanofibers with a diameter of 27.23±8.21 nm were isolated from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFBs) by mechanical treatment. The addition of cellulose nanofibers until 3 wt% increased tensile strength and crystallinity of the composite films. In contrast, it decreased their elongation at break and water vapor transmission rate. Meanwhile, the addition of glycerol increased elongation at break and water vapor transmission rate of film matrix but lowers tensile strength of composite films.
Circulatory Immune Cells in Cushing Syndrome: Bystanders or Active Contributors to Atherometabolic Injury? A Study of Adhesion and Activation of Cell Surface Markers
Authors: Aranda Gloria , Lopez Cristina , Fernandez-Ruiz Rebeca , Esteban Yaiza , Garcia-Eguren Guillermo , Mora Mireia , Halperin Irene , Casals Gregori , Enseñat Joaquim , Hanzu Felicia A.
Published: September 2017

Glucocorticoids (GC) induce cardiometabolic risk while atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammation involving immunity. GC are immune suppressors, and the adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) has immune modulator activities. Both may act in atherothrombotic inflammation involving immune cells (IMNC).Aim. To investigate adhesion and activation surface cell markers (CDs) of peripheral IMNC in endogenous Cushing syndrome (CS) and the immune modulator role of ACTH.Material and Methods. 16 ACTH-dependent CS (ACTH-D), 10 ACTH-independent (ACTH-ID) CS, and 16 healthy controls (C) were included. Leukocytes (Leuc), monocytes (MN), lymphocytes (Lym), and neutrophils (N) were analyzed by flow cytometry for atherosclerosis previously associated with CDs.Results. Leuc, N, and MN correlated with CS (p<0.05), WC (p<0.001), WHR (p=0.003), BMI (p<0.001), and hs-CRP (p<0.001). CD14++CD16+(p=0.047); CD14+CD16++(p=0.053) MN; CD15+(p=0.027); CD15+CD16+(p=0.008) N; and NK-Lym (p=0.019) were higher in CS. CD14+CD16++MN were higher in ACTH-ID (8.9 ± 3.5%) versus ACTH-D CS (4.2 ± 1.9%) versus C (4.9 ± 2.3%). NK-Lym correlated with c-LDL (r = 0.433,p=0.039) and CD15+N with hs-CRP (r = 0.446,p=0.037). In multivariate analysis, Leuc, N, and MN depended on BMI (p=0.021), WC (p=0.002), and WHR (p=0.014), while CD15+and CD15+CD16+N on hypercortisolism and CS (p=0.035).Conclusion. In CS, IMNC present changes in activation and adhesion CDs implicated in atherothrombotic inflammation. ACTH-IDCS presents a particular IMNC phenotype, possibly due to the absence of the immune modulator effect of ACTH.
Demand-Based Optimal Design of Storage Tank with Inerter System
Authors: Zhang Shiming , Zhang Ruifu , Zhao Zhipeng
Published: September 2017

A parameter optimal design method for a tank with an inerter system is proposed in this study based on the requirements of tank vibration control to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of vibration control. Moreover, a response indicator and a cost control indicator are selected based on the control targets for liquid storage tanks for simultaneously minimizing the dynamic response and controlling costs. These indicators are reformulated through a random vibration analysis under virtual excitation. The problem is then transformed from a multiobjective optimization problem to a single-objective nonlinear problem using the ε-constraint method, which is consistent with the demand-based method. White noise excitation can be used to design the tank with the inerter system under seismic excitation to simplify the calculation. Subsequently, a MATLAB-based calculation program is compiled, and several optimization cases are examined under different excitation conditions. The effectiveness of the demand-based method is proven through a time history analysis. The results show that specific vibration control requirements can be met at the lowest cost with a simultaneous reduction in base shears and overturning base moments.
A Comparative Analysis of PID, Lead, Lag, Lead-Lag, and Cascaded Lead Controllers for a Drug Infusion System
Authors: Jadoon Zuwwar Khan , Shakeel Sobia , Saleem Abeera , Khaqan Ali , Shuja Sana , ul-Hasan Qadeer , Malik Shahzad A. , Ali Riaz Raja
Published: September 2017

Goal. The aim of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis between five different controllers for a drug infusion system in total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) administration. Methods. The proposed method models a dilution chamber with first order exponential decay characteristics to represent the pharmacokinetic decay of a drug. The dilution chamber is integrated with five different control techniques with a simulation-based comparative analysis performed between them. The design process is conducted using MATLAB SISOTOOL. Results. The findings show that each controller has its own merits and demerits. The results generated using MATLAB signify and confirm the effectiveness of PI and cascaded lead controllers, with cascaded lead controller as the best control technique to automate and control the propofol delivery. Conclusion. In this paper, different control techniques for measurement-based feedback-controlled propofol delivery is confirmed with promising results. Significance. The comparative analysis showed that this drug infusion platform, merged with the proper control technique, will perform eminently in the field of total intravenous anesthesia.
Improving Prediction Accuracy of “Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections” Using Data Mining Models
Authors: Noaman Amin Y. , Nadeem Farrukh , Ragab Abdul Hamid M. , Jamjoom Arwa , Al-Abdullah Nabeela , Nasir Mahreen , Ali Anser G.
Published: September 2017

Prediction of nosocomial infections among patients is an important part of clinical surveillance programs to enable the related personnel to take preventive actions in advance. Designing a clinical surveillance program with capability of predicting nosocomial infections is a challenging task due to several reasons, including high dimensionality of medical data, heterogenous data representation, and special knowledge required to extract patterns for prediction. In this paper, we present details of six data mining methods implemented using cross industry standard process for data mining to predict central line-associated blood stream infections. For our study, we selected datasets of healthcare-associated infections from US National Healthcare Safety Network and consumer survey data from Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. Our experiments show that central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs) can be successfully predicted using AdaBoost method with an accuracy up to 89.7%. This will help in implementing effective clinical surveillance programs for infection control, as well as improving the accuracy detection of CLABSIs. Also, this reduces patients’ hospital stay cost and maintains patients’ safety.
Structural Foams of Biobased Isosorbide-Containing Copolycarbonate
Authors: Zepnik Stefan , Sander Daniel , Kabasci Stephan , Hopmann Christian
Published: September 2017

Isosorbide-containing copolycarbonate (Bio-PC) is a partly biobased alternative to conventional bisphenol A (BPA) based polycarbonate (PC). Conventional PC is widely used in polymer processing technologies including thermoplastic foaming such as foam injection molding. At present, no detailed data is available concerning the foam injection molding behavior and foam properties of Bio-PC. This contribution provides first results on injection-molded foams based on isosorbide-containing PC. The structural foams were produced by using an endothermic chemical blowing agent (CBA) masterbatch and the low pressure foam injection molding method. The influence of weight reduction and blowing agent concentration on general foam properties such as density, morphology, and mechanical properties was studied. The test specimens consist of a foam core in the center and compact symmetrical shell layers on the sides. The thickness of the foam core increases with increasing weight reduction irrespective of the CBA concentration. The specific (mechanical) bending properties are significantly improved and the specific tensile properties can almost be maintained while reducing the density of the injection-molded parts.
Epithelial-Myoepithelial Carcinoma of the Base of Tongue with Possible Lung Metastases
Authors: Chen Michael Y. , Vyas Vipul , Sommerville Ryan
Published: September 2017

Background.Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinomas are rare neoplasms usually arising from the salivary glands. There is limited evidence in the literature on their prognosis in the base of the tongue but other cases have resolved without recurrence.Methods.The patient underwent biopsies demonstrating the diagnosis of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the base of tongue and a PET scan showed multiple bilateral rounded pulmonary nodules.Results.The patient declined chemotherapy and radiotherapy to maximise his quality of life and passed away under management from palliative care several months later.Discussion.This is the only case in the literature of this type of carcinoma in the base of the tongue resulting in metastases and a poor prognosis. The case highlights the importance of checking for metastases in such lesions and their potentially serious outcomes if left untreated.
The miRNA Pull Out Assay as a Method to Validate the miR-28-5p Targets Identified in Other Tumor Contexts in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Rizzo Milena , Berti Gabriele , Russo Francesco , Evangelista Monica , Pellegrini Marco , Rainaldi Giuseppe
Published: September 2017

miR-28-5p is an intragenic miRNA which is underexpressed in several tumor types showing a tumor suppressor (TS) activity. Routinely, the known miR-28-5p targets are validated in specific tumor contexts but it is unclear whether these targets are also being regulated in other tumor types. To this end, we adopted the miRNA pull out assay to capture the miR-28-5p targets in DU-145 prostate cancer (PCa) cells. Firstly, we demonstrated that miR-28-5p acts as a TS-miRNA in PCa, affecting cell proliferation, survival, and apoptosis. Secondly, we evaluated the enrichment of the 10 validated miR-28-5p targets in the pull out sample. We showed that E2F6, TEX-261, MAPK1, MPL, N4BP1, and RAP1B but not BAG1, OTUB1, MAD2L1, and p21 were significantly enriched, suggesting that not all the miR-28-5p targets are regulated by this miRNA in PCa. We then verified whether the miR-28-5p-interacting targets were regulated by this miRNA. We selected E2F6, the most enriched target in the pull out sample, and demonstrated that miR-28-5p downregulated E2F6 at the protein level suggesting that our approach was effective. In general terms, these findings support the miRNA pull out assay as a useful method to identify context-specific miRNA targets.
Generating Free‐Form Grid Truss Structures from 3D Scanned Point Clouds
Authors: Ding Hui , Xu Xian , Luo Yaozhi
Published: September 2017

Reconstruction, according to physical shape, is a novel way to generate free‐form grid truss structures. 3D scanning is an effective means of acquiring physical form information and it generates dense point clouds on surfaces of objects. However, generating grid truss structures from point clouds is still a challenge. Based on the advancing front technique (AFT) which is widely used in Finite Element Method (FEM), a scheme for generating grid truss structures from 3D scanned point clouds is proposed in this paper. Based on the characteristics of point cloud data, the search box is adopted to reduce the search space in grid generating. A front advancing procedure suit for point clouds is established. Delaunay method and Laplacian method are used to improve the quality of the generated grids, and an adjustment strategy that locates grid nodes at appointed places is proposed. Several examples of generating grid truss structures from 3D scanned point clouds of seashells are carried out to verify the proposed scheme. Physical models of the grid truss structures generated in the examples are manufactured by 3D print, which solidifies the feasibility of the scheme.
Spatial Navigation Impairment Is Associated with Alterations in Subcortical Intrinsic Activity in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Resting-State fMRI Study
Authors: Qing Zhao , Li Weiping , Nedelska Zuzana , Wu Wenbo , Wang Fangfang , Liu Renyuan , Zhao Hui , Chen Weibo , Chan Queenie , Zhu Bin , Xu Yun , Hort Jakub , Zhang Bing
Published: September 2017

Impairment of spatial navigation (SN) skills is one of the features of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) already at the stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We used a computer-based battery of spatial navigation tests to measure the SN performance in 22 MCI patients as well as 21 normal controls (NC). In order to evaluate intrinsic activity in the subcortical regions that may play a role in SN, we measured ALFF, fALFF, and ReHo derived within 14 subcortical regions. We observed reductions of intrinsic activity in MCI patients. We also demonstrated that the MCI versus NC group difference can modulate activity-behavior relationship, that is, the correlation slopes between ReHo and allocentric SN task total errors were significantly different between NC and MCI groups in the right hippocampus (interaction F=4.44, p=0.05), pallidum (F=8.97, p=0.005), and thalamus (F=5.95, p=0.02), which were negative in NC (right hippocampus, r=−0.49; right pallidum, r=−0.50; right thalamus, r=−0.45; all p<0.05) but absent in MCI (right hippocampus, r=0.21; right pallidum, r=0.32; right thalamus r=0.28; all p>0.2). These findings may provide a novel insight of the brain mechanism associated with SN impairment in MCI and indicated a stage specificity of brain-behavior correlation in dementia. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-BRC-17011316.
A Study of Polishing Feature of Ultrasonic-Assisted Vibration Method in Bamboo Charcoal
Authors: Lee Hsin-Min , Chen Tzung-Ming
Published: September 2017

Focusing on the feature of porosity in bamboo charcoal, this study applies the ultrasonic-assisted vibration method to perform surface polishing of the silicon wafer workpiece. The self-developed bamboo charcoal polishing spindle and ultrasonic- assisted vibration mechanism are attached to a single lapping machine. In the machining process, ultrasonic vibration enables the diamond slurry to smoothly pass through the microscopic holes of bamboo charcoal; the end of the bamboo charcoalis able to continue machining on the surface of the workpiece through the grasping force which exists in the microscopic holes. Under the polishing and machining parameters of ultrasonic-assisted vibration, with a diamond slurry concentration of 0.3%, the experimental results show a polishing time of 20 min, a loading of 25 N on the workpiece surface, a spindle speed of 1200 rpm, a vibration frequency of 30 kHz and the original surface roughness value of Ra 0.252 μm equals that of a mirror-like surface at Ra 0.017 μm. These research results prove that by using bamboo charcoal and ultrasonic-assisted vibration for polishing, a very good improvement can be achieved on the workpiece surface.
A Rare Association of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy with High-Degree Atrioventricular Block
Authors: Cativo Eder Hans , Valvani Rachna , Mene-Afejuku Tuoyo O. , Cativo Diana P. , Mushiyev Savi
Published: September 2017

Here we present a case of a patient who got trapped in an elevator; on initial evaluation patient was found with bradycardia; on further evaluation electrocardiogram (EKG) showed new onset 2nd-degree Mobitz type 2 AV block. On admission patient developed ischemic changes on EKG and troponin elevation. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed reduced ejection fraction as well as apical inferior, anterior, lateral, and septal hypokinesia. Coronary angiography showed nonobstructive coronary artery disease and ventriculogram demonstrated anterolateral and apical hypokinesia suggesting takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM). Atrioventricular block (AV) is rarely seen as initial presentation of TCM and has a prevalence of about 2.9%. AV block during early presentation of TCM poses a therapeutic dilemma with regard to the timing and the need to place a temporary or permanent pacemaker. The decision to place a permanent pacemaker may be on a case-by-case basis and more research is needed on formulating standardized recommendations in patients with TCM and conduction tissue abnormalities.
Dynamic Analysis of Functionally Graded Timoshenko Beams in Thermal Environment Using a Higher‐Order Hierarchical Beam Element
Authors: Nguyen Dinh Kien , Bui Van Tuyen
Published: September 2017

A higher‐order finite beam element for free and forced vibration analysis of functionally graded Timoshenko beams in thermal environment is formulated by using hierarchical functions to interpolate the kinematic variables. The shear strain is constrained to constant to improve the efficiency of the element. The effect of environmental temperature is taken into account in the element derivation by considering that the material properties are temperature‐dependent and the temperature is nonlinear distribution in the beam thickness. The accuracy of the derived formulation is confirmed by comparing the results obtained in the present work with the published data. Numerical investigations show that the formulated element is efficient, and it is capable of giving accurate vibration characteristics by a small number of elements. A parametric study is carried out to highlight the effect of the material inhomogeneity, temperature rise, and loading parameter on the dynamic behaviour of the beams. The influence of the aspect ratio on the dynamic behaviour of the beam is also examined and highlighted.
The Combination of Physical Exercise with Muscle‐Directed Antioxidants to Counteract Sarcopenia: A Biomedical Rationale for Pleiotropic Treatment with Creatine and Coenzyme Q10
Authors: Guescini Michele , Tiano Luca , Genova Maria Luisa , Polidori Emanuela , Silvestri Sonia , Orlando Patrik , Fimognari Carmela , Calcabrini Cinzia , Stocchi Vilberto , Sestili Piero
Published: September 2017

Sarcopenia represents an increasing public health risk due to the rapid aging of the world’s population. It is characterized by both low muscle mass and function and is associated with mobility disorders, increased risk of falls and fractures, loss of independence, disabilities, and increased risk of death. Despite the urgency of the problem, the development of treatments for sarcopenia has lagged. Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and decreased antioxidant (AO) defences seem to be important factors contributing to muscle impairment. Studies have been conducted to verify whether physical exercise and/or AOs could prevent and/or delay sarcopenia through a normalization of the etiologically relevant ROS imbalance. Despite the strong rationale, the results obtained were contradictory, particularly with regard to the effects of the tested AOs. A possible explanation might be that not all the agents included in the general heading of “AOs” could fulfill the requisites to counteract the complex series of events causing/accelerating sarcopenia: the combination of the muscle‐directed antioxidants creatine and coenzyme Q10 with physical exercise as a biomedical rationale for pleiotropic prevention and/or treatment of sarcopenia is discussed.
Gastroprotective Value of Berries: Evidences from Methanolic Extracts of Morus nigra and Rubus niveus Fruits
Authors: Nesello Luciane Angela Nottar , Beleza Maria Luisa Maes Lima , Mariot Marihá , Mariano Luísa Nathália Bolda , de Souza Priscila , Campos Adriana , Cechinel-Filho Valdir , Andrade Sérgio Faloni , da Silva Luísa Mota
Published: September 2017

This study evaluated the gastroprotective value of the methanol extracts from fruits of Morus nigra L. (black mulberry (MEMN)) and Rubus niveus Thunb (raspberry (MERN)). The total phenolic compounds and flavonoids were measured, as well as the in vitro 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenger activity. The gastroprotective effects of the extracts against 60% ethanol/0.3 M HCl were evaluated in mice. After that, the lipid hydroperoxides and reduced glutathione levels at ulcerated tissue were determined. The effects of extracts on H+/K+-ATPase activity were also verified. The extracts exhibited high contents of polyphenols; however, MERN presented 1.5-fold higher levels. The presence of flavonoids also was confirmed. In addition, MEMN (IC50 = 13.74 μg/mL) and MERN (IC50 = 14.97 μg/mL) scavenged DPPH radical. The MEMN reduced the ulcer area only at 300 mg/kg (p.o.) by 64.06%. Interestingly, MERN decreased the ulcer area in a superior potency (ED50 = 20.88 mg/kg), reducing the ulcer area by 81.86% at 300 mg/kg, and increased the gastric mucin levels. The antioxidant effects of extracts were evidenced by reduced lipoperoxides and increased reduction of glutathione amount in the gastric mucosa. However, MEMN or MERN did not change the H+/K+-ATPase activity. These results confirm that M. nigra and R. niveus are berries with a gastroprotective value by strengthening of gastric protective factors.
Edible Bird’s Nest Prevents Menopause‐Related Memory and Cognitive Decline in Rats via Increased Hippocampal Sirtuin‐1 Expression
Authors: Hou Zhiping , He Peiyuan , Imam Mustapha Umar , Qi Jiemen , Tang Shiying , Song Chengjun , Ismail Maznah
Published: September 2017

Menopause causes cognitive and memory dysfunction due to impaired neuronal plasticity in the hippocampus. Sirtuin‐1 (SIRT1) downregulation in the hippocampus is implicated in the underlying molecular mechanism. Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is traditionally used to improve general wellbeing, and in this study, we evaluated its effects on SIRT1 expression in the hippocampus and implications on ovariectomy‐induced memory and cognitive decline in rats. Ovariectomized female Sprague‐Dawley rats were fed with normal pellet alone or normal pellet + EBN (6, 3, or 1.5%), compared with estrogen therapy (0.2 mg/kg/day). After 12 weeks of intervention, Morris water maze (four‐day trial and one probe trial) was conducted, and serum estrogen levels, toxicity markers (alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, urea, and creatinine), and hippocampal SIRT1 immunohistochemistry were estimated after sacrifice. The results indicated that EBN and estrogen enhanced spatial learning and memory and increased serum estrogen and hippocampal SIRT1 expression. In addition, the EBN groups did not show as much toxicity to the liver as the estrogen group. The data suggested that EBN treatment for 12 weeks could improve cognition and memory in ovariectomized female rats and may be an effective alternative to estrogen therapy for menopause‐induced aging‐related memory loss.
Differentiation of Human Amniotic Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Human Anterior Cruciate Ligament Fibroblast Cells by In Vitro Coculture
Authors: Li Yuwan , Liu Ziming , Jin Ying , Zhu Xizhong , Wang Shengmin , Yang Jibin , Ren Youliang , Fu Qiang , Xiong Huazhang , Zou Gang , Liu Yi
Published: September 2017

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are common in humans, though cellular components of the knee have little regenerative or proliferation potential. This study investigated the differentiation of human amnion-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) into human anterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts (hACLFs) in vitro through induction with bFGF and TGF-β1 with coculture systems. Groups A and B comprised hAMSCs at the 3rd passage cultured with and without bFGF and TGF-β1, respectively; Groups C and D consisted of hAMSCs and hACLFs in monolayer coculture with and without bFGF and TGF-β1, respectively; Groups E and F were composed of hAMSCs and hACLFs in Transwell coculture with and without bFGF and TGF-β1, respectively. Cell morphology and proliferation were recorded. Protein expression and relative mRNA expression were evaluated in each group. Cell proliferation was significantly higher in the induced groups than in the noninduced groups. Protein expression increased over time with the highest expression observed in Group E. mRNA levels were significantly higher in Group E than in other groups. This study is the first to demonstrate the use of the Transwell coculture system for this purpose, and hAMSCs were successfully differentiated into hACLFs. Thus, hAMSCs may be a superior choice for hACLF differentiation via Transwell coculture.
Estimating and Interpreting Effects from Nonlinear Exposure-Response Curves in Occupational Cohorts Using Truncated Power Basis Expansions and Penalized Splines
Authors: Malloy Elizabeth J. , Kapellusch Jay M. , Garg Arun
Published: September 2017

Truncated power basis expansions and penalized spline methods are demonstrated for estimating nonlinear exposure-response relationships in the Cox proportional hazards model. R code is provided for fitting models to get point and interval estimates. The method is illustrated using a simulated data set under a known exposure-response relationship and in a data application examining risk of carpal tunnel syndrome in an occupational cohort.