bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parametrically Excited Stability of Periodically Supported Beams Under Longitudinal Harmonic Excitations
Authors: Ying Z. G. , Ni Y. Q. , Fan L.
Published: May 2019

A direct eigenvalue analysis approach for solving the stability problem of periodically supported beams with multi-mode coupling vibration under general harmonic excitations is developed based on the Floquet theorem, Fourier series and matrix eigenvalue analysis. The transverse periodic supports are considered for improving the parametrically excited stability of beams under longitudinal periodic excitations. The dynamic stability of parametrically excited vibration of the beam with transverse spaced supports under longitudinal harmonic excitations is studied. The partial differential equation of motion of the beam with spaced supports under harmonic excitations is given and converted into ordinary differential equations with time-varying periodic parameters using the Galerkin method, which describe the parametrically excited vibration of the beam with coupled multiple modes. The fundamental solution to the equations is expressed as the product of periodic and exponential components based on the Floquet theorem. The periodic component and periodic parameters are expanded into Fourier series, and the matrix eigenvalue equation is obtained which is used for directly determining the parametrically excited stability. The dynamic stability of parametrically excited vibration of the beam with spaced supports under harmonic excitations is illustrated by numerical results on unstable regions. The influence of the periodic supports and excitation parameters on the parametrically excited stability is explored. The parametrically excited stability of the beam with multi-mode coupling vibration can be improved by the periodic supports. The developed analysis method is applicable to more general period-parametric beams with multi-mode coupling vibration under various harmonic excitations.
Impact Dynamics of Single-Layered Graphene Sheets in Multibody Framework Using Nonlocal-Based-ANCF Modeling
Authors: Wang Qingtao , Zhang Yang , Zhu Qixin , Pang Zhaojun
Published: May 2019

A new nonlinear model based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) and the nonlocal elasticity theory is proposed to investigate the single-layered graphene sheets (SLGSs) impacted by nanoparticles. The geometrical definition of SLGSs is described by using the ANCF thin plate element, and the strain energy is expressed by using the nonlocal theory. The Lennard–Jones pair potential is adopted to model the van der Waals (vdW) force between SLGSs and nanoparticles. The impact dynamics of the system is simulated in multibody framework by using the generalized-alpha numerical integration method. The impact response of the gold atom–SLGSs system is simulated to validate the performance of the proposed model. Three impact dynamic simulations are conducted to investigate the influence of nanoparticles on the impact dynamics of SLGSs. The results show that the coupling of SLGSs vibration and vdW force led to the amplitude inconsistence of [Formula: see text]-position for nanoparticles.
Augmenting Data Quality through High-Precision Gender Categorization
Authors: Müller Daniel , Jain Pratiksha , Te Yieh-Funk
Published: May 2019

Mappings of first name to gender have been widely recognized as a critical tool for the completion, study, and validation of data records in a range of areas. In this study, we investigate how organizations with large databases of existing entities can create their own mappings between first names and gender and how these mappings can be improved and utilized. Therefore, we first explore a dataset with demographic information on more than 4 million people, which was provided by a car insurance company. Then, we study how naming conventions have changed over time and how they differ by nationality. Next, we build a probabilistic first-name-to-gender mapping and augment the mapping by adding nationality and decade of birth to improve the mapping's performance. We test our mapping in two-label and three-label settings and further validate our mapping by categorizing patent filings by gender of the inventor. We compare the results with previous studies’ outcomes and find that our mapping produces high-precision results. We validate that the additional information of nationality and year of birth improve the precision scores of name-to-gender mappings. Therefore, the proposed approach constitutes an efficient process for improving the data quality of organizations’ records, if the gender attribute is missing or unreliable.
Predicting Academic Performance for College Students
Authors: Yao Huaxiu , Lian Defu , Cao Yi , Wu Yifan , Zhou Tao
Published: May 2019

Detecting abnormal behaviors of students in time and providing personalized intervention and guidance at the early stage is important in educational management. Academic performance prediction is an important building block to enabling this pre-intervention and guidance. Most of the previous studies are based on questionnaire surveys and self-reports, which suffer from small sample size and social desirability bias. In this article, we collect longitudinal behavioral data from the smart cards of 6,597 students and propose three major types of discriminative behavioral factors, diligence, orderliness, and sleep patterns. Empirical analysis demonstrates these behavioral factors are strongly correlated with academic performance. Furthermore, motivated by the social influence theory, we analyze the correlation between each student’s academic performance with his/her behaviorally similar students’. Statistical tests indicate this correlation is significant. Based on these factors, we further build a multi-task predictive framework based on a learning-to-rank algorithm for academic performance prediction. This framework captures inter-semester correlation, inter-major correlation, and integrates student similarity to predict students’ academic performance. The experiments on a large-scale real-world dataset show the effectiveness of our methods for predicting academic performance and the effectiveness of proposed behavioral factors.
Neuromemrisitive Architecture of HTM with On-Device Learning and Neurogenesis
Authors: Zyarah Abdullah M. , Kudithipudi Dhireesha
Published: May 2019

Hierarchical temporal memory (HTM) is a biomimetic sequence memory algorithm that holds promise for invariant representations of spatial and spatio-temporal inputs. This article presents a comprehensive neuromemristive crossbar architecture for the spatial pooler (SP) and the sparse distributed representation classifier, which are fundamental to the algorithm. There are several unique features in the proposed architecture that tightly link with the HTM algorithm. A memristor that is suitable for emulating the HTM synapses is identified and a new Z-window function is proposed. The architecture exploits the concept of synthetic synapses to enable potential synapses in the HTM. The crossbar for the SP avoids dark spots caused by unutilized crossbar regions and supports rapid on-chip training within two clock cycles. This research also leverages plasticity mechanisms such as neurogenesis and homeostatic intrinsic plasticity to strengthen the robustness and performance of the SP. The proposed design is benchmarked for image recognition tasks using Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) and Yale faces datasets, and is evaluated using different metrics including entropy, sparseness, and noise robustness. Detailed power analysis at different stages of the SP operations is performed to demonstrate the suitability for mobile platforms.
Performance and Resource Utilization of FUSE User-Space File Systems
Authors: Vangoor Bharath Kumar Reddy , Agarwal Prafful , Mathew Manu , Ramachandran Arun , Sivaraman Swaminathan , Tarasov Vasily , Zadok Erez
Published: May 2019

Traditionally, file systems were implemented as part of operating systems kernels, which provide a limited set of tools and facilities to a programmer. As the complexity of file systems grew, many new file systems began being developed in user space. Low performance is considered the main disadvantage of user-space file systems but the extent of this problem has never been explored systematically. As a result, the topic of user-space file systems remains rather controversial: while some consider user-space file systems a “toy” not to be used in production, others develop full-fledged production file systems in user space. In this article, we analyze the design and implementation of a well-known user-space file system framework, FUSE, for Linux. We characterize its performance and resource utilization for a wide range of workloads. We present FUSE performance and also resource utilization with various mount and configuration options, using 45 different workloads that were generated using Filebench on two different hardware configurations. We instrumented FUSE to extract useful statistics and traces, which helped us analyze its performance bottlenecks and present our analysis results. Our experiments indicate that depending on the workload and hardware used, performance degradation (throughput) caused by FUSE can be completely imperceptible or as high as −83%, even when optimized; and latencies of FUSE file system operations can be increased from none to 4× when compared to Ext4. On the resource utilization side, FUSE can increase relative CPU utilization by up to 31% and underutilize disk bandwidth by as much as −80% compared to Ext4, though for many data-intensive workloads the impact was statistically indistinguishable. Our conclusion is that user-space file systems can indeed be used in production (non-“toy”) settings, but their applicability depends on the expected workloads.
Information Diffusion Prediction with Network Regularized Role-based User Representation Learning
Authors: Wang Zhitao , Chen Chengyao , Li Wenjie
Published: May 2019

In this article, we aim at developing a user representation learning model to solve the information diffusion prediction problem in social media. The main idea is to project the diffusion users into a continuous latent space as the role-based (sender and receiver) representations, which capture unique diffusion characteristics of users. The model learns the role-based representations based on a cascade modeling objective that aims at maximizing the likelihood of observed cascades, and employs the matrix factorization objective of reconstructing structural proximities as a regularization on representations. By jointly embedding the information of cascades and network, the learned representations are robust on different diffusion data. We evaluate the proposed model on three real-world datasets. The experimental results demonstrate the better performance of the proposed model than state-of-the-art diffusion embedding and network embedding models and other popular graph-based methods.
Exploiting the Value of the Center-dark Channel Prior for Salient Object Detection
Authors: Zhu Chunbiao , Zhang Wenhao , Li Thomas H. , Liu Shan , Li Ge
Published: May 2019

Saliency detection aims to detect the most attractive objects in images and is widely used as a foundation for various applications. In this article, we propose a novel salient object detection algorithm for RGB-D images using center-dark channel priors. First, we generate an initial saliency map based on a color saliency map and a depth saliency map of a given RGB-D image. Then, we generate a center-dark channel map based on center saliency and dark channel priors. Finally, we fuse the initial saliency map with the center dark channel map to generate the final saliency map. Extensive evaluations over four benchmark datasets demonstrate that our proposed method performs favorably against most of the state-of-the-art approaches. Besides, we further discuss the application of the proposed algorithm in small target detection and demonstrate the universal value of center-dark channel priors in the field of object detection.
Editors' introduction
Authors: Fu Hu , Weinberg Matt
Published: May 2019

This issue of SIGEcom Exchanges contains one brief announcement followed by four research letters. The 2019 SIGEcom Job Candidates Profiles, compiled last year again by Jason Hartline and Vasilis Gkatzelis, were published separately and are now officially included in the issue.
Recent developments in prophet inequalities
Authors: Correa Jose , Foncea Patricio , Hoeksma Ruben , Oosterwijk Tim , Vredeveld Tjark
Published: May 2019

The classic prophet inequality states that, when faced with a finite sequence of non-negative independent random variables, a gambler who knows their distribution and is allowed to stop the sequence at any time, can obtain, in expectation, at least half as much reward as a prophet who knows the values of each random variable and can choose the largest one. Following this classic theorem from the 70s, many results have been obtained for several related optimal stopping problems. Moreover, the recently uncovered connection between prophet inequalities and posted price mechanisms, has given the area a new surge. We survey some new developments and highlight some compelling open problems.
A report on the workshop on mechanism design for social good
Authors: Abebe Rediet , Goldner Kira
Published: May 2019

We present a report on the first Workshop on Mechanism Design for Social Good (MD4SG '17), which took place at the 18th ACM Conference on Economics and Computation (EC '17), and discuss unifying themes for research at this interface.
First-price auctions with general information structures
Authors: Bergemann Dirk , Brooks Benjamin , Morris Stephen
Published: May 2019

We explore the impact of private information in sealed-bid first-price auctions. For a given symmetric and arbitrarily correlated prior distribution over values, we characterize the impact that the structure of private information has on bidding behavior, and the sharing of surplus between the seller and the bidder. Our results provide lower bounds and upper bounds for bids and revenues across all information structures. Our work has implications for the identification of value distributions from data on winning bids and for the informationally robust comparison of alternative bidding mechanisms.
Normal Versus Pathological Mood: Implications for Diagnosis
Authors: Ruscio Ayelet Meron
Published: May 2019

Is there a clear line between normal and abnormal mood? Studies of manifest and latent structure provide strong support for a continuum that extends from asymptomatic to subsyndromal to syndromal cases of increasing severity. Subsyndromal symptoms are impairing, predict syndrome onset and relapse, and account for more doctor's visits and suicide attempts than the full syndromes, yet they are not recognized in the current classification. For most research and some clinical activities, dimensional diagnoses are recommended, and examples are offered for how such diagnoses could be made. For clinical activities requiring decisions, a multithreshold model is proposed in which both lower (e.g., mild depression, capturing subsyndromal cases) and upper (e.g., major depression, capturing clinically significant cases) diagnostic categories are used to inform clinical care. Beyond its implications for diagnosis, the dimensionality of depression and anxiety has implications for etiology and for research aimed at understanding how emotions become disrupted in psychopathology.
Emerging new role of NFAT5 in inducible nitric oxide synthase in response to hypoxia in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells
Authors: Serman Yair , Fuentealba Rodrigo A. , Pasten Consuelo , Rocco Jocelyn , Ko Ben C. B. , Carrión Flavio , Irarrázabal Carlos E.
Published: May 2019

We previously described the protective role of the nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5) during hypoxia. Alternatively, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is also induced by hypoxia. Some evidence indicates that NFAT5 is essential for the expression of iNOS in Toll-like receptor-stimulated macrophages and that iNOS inhibition increases NFAT5 expression in renal ischemia-reperfusion. Here we studied potential NFAT5 target genes stimulated by hypoxia in mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells. We used three types of MEF cells associated with NFAT5 gene: NFAT5 wild type (MEF-NFAT5+/+), NFAT5 knockout (MEF-NFAT5−/−), and NFAT5 dominant-negative (MEF-NFAT5Δ/Δ) cells. MEF cells were exposed to 21% or 1% O2 in a time course curve of 48 h. We found that, in MEF-NFAT5+/+ cells exposed to 1% O2, NFAT5 was upregulated and translocated into the nuclei, and its transactivation domain activity was induced, concomitant with iNOS, aquaporin 1 (AQP-1), and urea transporter 1 (UTA-1) upregulation. Interestingly, in MEF-NFAT5−/− or MEF-NFAT5Δ/Δ cells, the basal levels of iNOS and AQP-1 expression were strongly downregulated, but not for UTA-1. The upregulation of AQP-1, UTA-1, and iNOS by hypoxia was blocked in both NFAT5-mutated cells. The iNOS induction by hypoxia was recovered in MEF-NFAT5−/− MEF cells, when recombinant NFAT5 protein expression was reconstituted, but not in MEF-NFAT5Δ/Δ cells, confirming the dominant-negative effect of MEF-NFAT5Δ/Δ cells. We did not see the rescue effect on AQP-1 expression. This work provides novel and relevant information about the signaling pathway of NFAT5 during responses to oxygen depletion in mammalian cells and suggests that the expression of iNOS induced by hypoxia is dependent on NFAT5.
Ionospheric Clutter Model for HF Sky-Wave Path Propagation with an FMCW Source
Authors: Yang Xuguang , Liu Aijun , Yu Changjun , Wang Linwei
Published: May 2019

A theoretical model of the sky-wave path propagation with frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) source for high frequency (HF) radar is proposed in this paper. Based on the modeling of pulsed source, the expression of the received electric field with an FMCW source is derived for the reflection case from the ionospheric irregularities. Subsequently, the ionospheric reflection coefficient with different phase power spectrums for vertical and oblique backscattering propagation paths is incorporated into the ionospheric clutter model. Simulation results show that the peak power of FMCW in average is lower than that of pulsed waveform. Furthermore, different incident angles and magnetic field in mid-latitude can also influence the power density of the backscattering ionospheric clutter. Finally, the data analysis results from the high frequency surface wave radar (HFSWR) and Ionosonde collected in Yellow Sea preliminarily verify the inversion of the variance of the electron density fluctuation and the vertical drift velocity of the irregularities within ionosphere.
A Constrained Solution Update Strategy for Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm Based on Decomposition
Authors: Su Yuchao , Lin Qiuzhen , Wang Jia , Li Jianqiang , Chen Jianyong , Ming Zhong
Published: May 2019

This paper proposes a constrained solution update strategy for multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition, in which each agent aims to optimize one decomposed subproblem. Different from the existing approaches that assign one solution to each agent, our approach allocates the closest solutions to each agent and thus the number of solutions in an agent may be zero and no less than one. Regarding the agent with no solution, it will be assigned one solution in priority, once offspring are generated closest to its subproblem. To keep the same population size, the agent with the largest number of solutions will remove one solution showing the worst convergence. This improves diversity for one agent, while the convergence of other agents is not lowered. On the agent with no less than one solution, offspring assigned to this agent are only allowed to update its original solutions. Thus, the convergence of this agent is enhanced, while the diversity of other agents will not be affected. After a period of evolution, our approach may gradually reach a stable status for solution assignment; i.e., each agent is only assigned with one solution. When compared to six competitive multiobjective evolutionary algorithms with different population selection or update strategies, the experiments validated the advantages of our approach on tackling two sets of test problems.
A Simulation Study of GNSS-R Polarimetric Scattering from the Bare Soil Surface Based on the AIEM
Authors: Wu Xuerui , Jin Shuanggen
Published: May 2019

In the past two decades, global navigation satellite system-reflectometry (GNSS-R) has emerged as a new remote sensing technique for soil moisture monitoring. Some experiments showed that the antenna of V polarization is more favorable to receive the reflected signals, and the interference pattern technique (IPT) was used for soil moisture and retrieval of other geophysical parameters. Meanwhile, the lower satellite elevation angles are most impacted by the multipath. However, electromagnetic theoretical properties are not clear for GNSS-R soil moisture retrieval. In this paper, the advanced integral equation model (AIEM) is employed using the wave-synthesis technique to simulate different polarimetric scatterings in the specular directions. Results show when the incident angles are larger than 70°, scattering at RR polarization (the transmitted signal is right-hand circular polarization (RHCP), while the received one is also RHCP) is larger than that at LR polarization (the transmitted signal is RHCP, while the received one is left-hand circular polarization (LHCP)), while scattering at LR polarization is larger than that at RR polarization for the other incident angles (1°∼70°). There is an apparent dip for VV and VR scatterings due to the Brewster angle, which will result in the notch in the final receiving power, and this phenomenon can be used for soil moisture retrieval or vegetation corrections. The volumetric soil moisture (vms) effects on their scattering are also presented. The larger soil moisture will result in lower scattering at RR polarization, and this is very different from the scattering of the other polarizations. It is interesting to note that the surface correlation function only affects the amplitudes of the scattering coefficients at much less level, but it has no effects on the angular trends of RR and LR polarizations.
An Unexpected Case of Intrapartum Pneumomediastinum
Authors: Madhok Drishti , Smith Vinayak , Gunderson Erik
Published: May 2019

The dyad of spontaneous pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema is collectively known as Hamman’s syndrome. This rare complication is known to occur during the intrapartum period and its aetiology has been linked to the Valsalva maneuver in the second stage of labour. Nitrous oxide inhalation increases the risk. We present the case of a 21-year-old healthy woman who experienced these symptoms after nitrous oxide inhalation during the second stage of labour.
Grid‐Free Modelling Based on the Finite Particle Method for Incompressible Viscous Flow Problems
Authors: Lu Yu , Hu Ankang , Chang Xin , Li Ziying , Wei Yabo
Published: May 2019

In this paper, we present a grid‐free modelling based on the finite particle method for the numerical simulation of incompressible viscous flows. Numerical methods of interest are meshless Lagrangian finite point scheme by the application of the projection method for the incompressibility of the Navier–Stokes flow equations. The moving least squares method is introduced for approximating spatial derivatives in a meshless context. The pressure Poisson equation with Neumann boundary condition is solved by the finite particle method in which the fluid domain is discretized by a finite number of particles. Also, a continuous particle management has to be done to prevent particles from moving into configurations problematic for a numerical approximation. With the proposed finite particle technique, problems associated with the viscous free surface flow which contains the study on the liquid sloshing in tanks with low volumetric fluid type, solitary waves movement, and interaction with a vertical wall in numerical flume as well as the vortex patterns of the ship rolling damping are circumvented. These numerical models are investigated to validate the presented grid‐free methodology. The results have revealed the efficiency and stability of the finite particle method which could be well handled with the incompressible viscous flow problems.
Factors Associated with Singleton Preterm Birth in Shire Suhul General Hospital, Northern Ethiopia, 2018
Authors: Kelkay Bayew , Omer Awol , Teferi Yelfu , Moges Yohannes
Published: May 2019

Background. Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and significant health consequences to the newborn, families, and communities and tens of emotional and economic costs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of singleton preterm birth and associated factors in Shire Suhul General Hospital, Northern Ethiopia. Methods. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among systematically selected 325 postnatal mothers in Shire Suhul General Hospital, Northern Ethiopia, from January to March 2018. The data were collected through both face-to-face interview and chart review by using pretested semistructured questionnaires. SPSS version 20 was employed to enter and analyze the data. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were run to identify factors associated with singleton preterm birth at the level of P values ≤ 0.25 and <0.05 for each model, respectively. Result. The magnitude of singleton preterm birth in Suhul Hospital was 16.9%. Smoking cigarette/drinking alcohol during pregnancy [AOR=3.61: CI 95%; 1.59-8.23], previous abortion [AOR=2.37: CI 95%; 1.15-4.88], hemoglobin level < 11gm/dl [AOR=2.44: CI 95%; 1.14-5.22], visible physical neonatal congenital anomaly [AOR=10.42: CI 95%; 1.66-65.23] , and history of giving low birth weight baby [AOR: 2.78 CI 95%; 1.39-5.55] were the factors statistically associated with singleton preterm birth. Conclusion. The magnitude of preterm birth in this study was higher than the average prevalence of preterm birth reported in Ethiopia. Smoking cigarette/drinking alcohol during pregnancy, mothers who had previous abortion, low maternal hemoglobin level, presence of visible physical congenital anomalies of newborn baby, and history of bearing low birth weight baby were found to have statistically significant association with singleton preterm birth. Supplement of daily iron with folic acid (folic acid ideally before pregnancy) for all pregnant mothers with good adherence monitoring and giving attention to preconceptional health care service to avoid any cigarette smoking/alcohol drinking and risk detection were set as recommendations.
Epigenetics and Inflammatory Markers: A Systematic Review of the Current Evidence
Authors: Gonzalez-Jaramillo Valentina , Portilla-Fernandez Eliana , Glisic Marija , Voortman Trudy , Ghanbari Mohsen , Bramer Wichor , Chowdhury Rajiv , Nijsten Tamar , Dehghan Abbas , Franco Oscar H. , Nano Jana
Published: May 2019

Epigenetic mechanisms have been suggested to play a role in the genetic regulation of pathways related to inflammation. Therefore, we aimed to systematically review studies investigating the association between DNA methylation and histone modifications with circulatory inflammation markers in blood. Five bibliographic databases were screened until 21 November of 2017. We included studies conducted on humans that examined the association between epigenetic marks (DNA methylation and/or histone modifications) and a comprehensive list of inflammatory markers. Of the 3,759 identified references, 24 articles were included, involving, 17,399 individuals. There was suggestive evidence for global hypomethylation but better-quality studies in the future have to confirm this. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) (n=7) reported most of the identified differentially methylated genes to be hypomethylated in inflammatory processes. Candidate genes studies reported 18 differentially methylated genes related to several circulatory inflammation markers. There was no overlap in the methylated sites investigated in candidate gene studies and EWAS, except for TMEM49, which was found to be hypomethylated with higher inflammatory markers in both types of studies. The relation between histone modifications and inflammatory markers was assessed by one study only. This review supports an association between epigenetic marks and inflammation, suggesting hypomethylation of the genome. Important gaps in the quality of studies were reported such as inadequate sample size, lack of adjustment for relevant confounders, and failure to replicate the findings. While most of the studies have been focused on C-reactive protein, further efforts should investigate other inflammatory markers.
Mitochondria-Derived Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns in Sepsis: From Bench to Bedside
Authors: Li Sicheng , Hu Qiongyuan , Huang Jinjian , Wu Xiuwen , Ren Jianan
Published: May 2019

Sepsis is one of the most serious health hazards. Current research suggests that the pathogenesis of sepsis is mediated by both pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Mitochondria are among the most important organelles in cells and determine their life and death. A variety of mitochondria-derived DAMPs (mtDAMPs) are similar to bacteria because mitochondria are derived from bacteria according to the mitochondrial endosymbiotic theory. Their activated signaling pathways extensively affect organ functions, the immune system, and metabolic functions in sepsis. In this review, we describe the essential roles of mtDAMPs in sepsis and discuss their research prospects and clinical importance.
Effect of Codonopsis pilosula Polysaccharides on the Growth and Motility of Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells by Regulating β-Catenin/TCF4 Pathway
Authors: Zhang Yuan-yuan , Zhang Ying-mei , Xu Hai-yan
Published: May 2019

Objective. To study the effect of Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide (CPP) on the growth and motility of HepG2 cells and its possible mechanism. Methods. Cells were randomly divided into Control group, CPP (5 μM) group, CPP (10 μM) group, and CPP (20 μM) group. The proliferation, invasion, migration ability, and expression of proteins involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and signaling pathway of HepG2 cells were detected by CCK8 assay, BrdU staining, Transwell, Scratch test, and Western blot, respectively. Results. Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells cultured in vitro along with the expression level of Ki67 and PCNA protein (P<0.05), decreased the number of invasive cells (P<0.05), and reduced the scratch closure rate (P<0.05). It also adjusted the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), E-cadherin, and N-cadherin (P<0.05). Other than that, downregulation of β-catenin, TCF4, and c-Myc protein expression (P<0.05) was observed as well. Conclusion. Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide can inhibit the proliferation and motility of HepG2 cells cultured in vitro, and the underlying mechanism is proposed to be related to the inhibition of the β-catenin/TCF4 pathway.
Modified Suction-Assisted Cartilage Shaver for Axillary Osmidrosis
Authors: Tseng Yu-Ju , Lee Chih-Hung , Lin Shang-Hung
Published: May 2019

Apocrine osmidrosis (AO) is a chronic, recurrent, and disturbing disease characterized by malodorous secretion from apocrine glands. Despite various conservative and nonsurgical treatments, surgical removal of apocrine glands remains the cornerstone for AO treatment. Conventional suction-assisted cartilage shaver is effective; however, there are several risks and complications. Hence, we modified the conventional method to achieve better effectiveness and reduce complications. This paper aims to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and the complications arising from the modified suction-assisted cartilage shaver for AO. Thirty-nine patients (M/F=11/28, average age 26.3 years) received this surgical treatment for AO from 2013 to 2017 in the Department of Dermatology at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. A suction-assisted cartilage shaver was introduced for the ultimate removal of the subcutaneous tissue containing the apocrine glands. A 0.5 cm incision was made in the center of the identified elliptical surgical area at each axilla. After defatting, the incision was closed primarily. The defatting skin was anchored to the axillary fascia by using 4-0 sutures without drains. We then evaluated the clinical efficacy and complications. The mean duration of follow-up was 31.8 months (12–68 months). Among patients receiving the modified cartilage shaving for AO, 92.3% achieved excellent-to-good results, 5.1% had acceptable results, and 2.6% had fair results. None of them experienced poor clinical efficacy. There was no skin necrosis, hematoma, nor wound infection after the surgery. There were no recurrences in all these patients 2 years after the surgery. This modified suction-assisted cartilage shaver for AO results in good efficacy, a low complication rate, and a low recurrence rate. The method is superior to the conventional one due to tissue glue-free procedure, greater comfort in postoperative care, minimal wounds, less hematoma, and less skin necrosis. The clinical study registration number of this study is NCT03793374.
Endocrine Disruptor Degradation by UV/Chlorine and the Impact of Their Removal on Estrogenic Activity and Toxicity
Authors: Saggioro Enrico M. , Chaves Fernanda P. , Felix Louise C. , Gomes Giselle , Bila Daniele M.
Published: May 2019

Recently, chlorination disinfection technology applying ultraviolet radiation (Cl/UV) has received attention as an advanced oxidative process (AOP) for the generation of highly oxidant species. Many studies have evaluated its effects on pathogen inactivation, contaminant removal, and formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs). However, the degradation of three endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs), 17β-estradiol (E2), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), and bisphenol-A (BPA), associated with simultaneous disinfection and estrogenic activity and ecotoxicity assessments has not yet been reported. Compound degradation increased with increasing chlorine concentrations (2 mg·L-1 chlorine), with pseudo-first-order kinetics 1.86×10−2 s-1, 3.06×10−2 s-1, and 3.09×10−2 s-1 for BPA, E2, and EE2, respectively. The degradation kinetics in a WWTP effluent significantly decreased to 4.94×10−2 min-1, 4.75×10−2 min-1, and 4.84×10−2 min-1, for BPA, E2, and EE2, respectively. However, 45% TOC removal and disinfection of E. coli and total coliform bacteria (TCB) were observed in 10 min of treatment. The yeast estrogen screen (YES) revealed that the treatment did not form by-products with estrogenic activity, demonstrating cleavage or mineralization in the phenolic group, common to all assessed compounds. High cell growth inhibition and mortality for Raphidocelis subcapitata and Ceriodaphnia dubia, respectively, were observed during the photodegradation process. Thus, the formed DBPs may be responsible for the observed toxicity and should be taken into account in WWTP treatments in order to monitor the formation of chlorinated by-products.
Advanced Oxidation Protein Products and Carbonylated Proteins Levels in Endovascular and Open Repair of an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: The Effect of Pre-, Intra-, and Postoperative Treatment
Authors: Gryszczyńska Bogna , Budzyń Magdalena , Formanowicz Dorota , Formanowicz Piotr , Krasiński Zbigniew , Majewska Natalia , Iskra Maria , Kasprzak Magdalena P.
Published: May 2019

Background. In recent years, a rapid increase in studies focusing on the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has been observed. Oxidative modifications of proteins are infrequently evaluated in reference to AAA. Objectives. The intensity of oxidative protein modifications, presented as advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and carbonylated proteins (C=O), in AAA patients qualified for surgery was estimated. The effect of surgical techniques and intraoperative and postoperative treatment on AOPP and C=O levels was evaluated. Patients. The EVAR group, consisting of 30 patients, was classified for endovascular aneurysm repair, whereas 28 patients were classified for conventional open repair (OR). Methods. AOPP and C=O were measured using a colorimetric assay kit. Results. A significantly lower AOPP level obtained 2-4 days after EVAR surgery in comparison with the value found before surgery was noted. In the case of OR postoperative treatment, a tendency of AOPP level to increase was observed. The tendency of C=O to decrease after surgery in the EVAR group was indicated. However, the C=O level tended to increase after OR surgery and reached a significantly higher value 5-7 days after surgery compared with the value obtained before surgery. Conclusions. Based on our results, it may be concluded that AAA as well as surgical technique contribute to the formation of AOPP and C=O. The analysis of changes in AOPP and C=O values obtained after surgery revealed a significant effect of a patient’s condition before surgery as well as the choice of surgery technique on the values of the studied parameters revealed during postoperative treatment.
Inhibiting of Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Lung Cancer Induced by Silencing Interferon-Induced Transmembrane Protein 1 (IFITM1)
Authors: Yan Jun , Jiang Ying , Lu Jianfeng , Wu Jianhui , Zhang Mingfang
Published: May 2019

Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1), a 17-kDa membrane protein, is generally known as a modulator in many cellular functions. Recent studies showed overexpression of IFITM1 in cancers and relationship between IFITM1 overexpression and tumor progression. However, the role of IFITM1 in lung cancer remains unclear. Here, we presented the overexpression of IFITM1 in lung cancer tissues and cell lines A549 and H460 using quantitative Real-Time RT-PCR.In vitroassay indicated IFITM1 silencing inhibited lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Further,in vivoassay showed that IFITM1 silencing markedly suppressed cell growth and metastasis of lung cancer in tumor-bearing BALB/c nude mice. Mechanistically, we found that IFITM1 silencing significantly alleviated the protein levels ofβ-catenin, cyclin D1, and c-Mycin lung cancer cells and tumor samples. Taken together, our study revealed the role of IFITM1 as a tumor promoter during lung cancer development and the possible molecular mechanism.
Can Exercise-Induced Modulation of the Tumor Physiologic Microenvironment Improve Antitumor Immunity?
Authors: Zhang Xiaojie , Ashcraft Kathleen A. , Betof Warner Allison , Nair Smita K. , Dewhirst Mark W.
Published: May 2019

The immune system plays an important role in controlling cancer growth. However, cancers evolve to evade immune detection. Immune tolerance and active immune suppression results in unchecked cancer growth and progression. A major contributor to immune tolerance is the tumor physiologic microenvironment, which includes hypoxia, hypoglucosis, lactosis, and reduced pH. Preclinical and human studies suggest that exercise elicits mobilization of leukocytes into circulation (also known as “exercise-induced leukocytosis”), especially cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells. However, the tumor physiologic microenvironment presents a significant barrier for these cells to enter the tumor and, once there, properly function. We hypothesize that the effect of exercise on the immune system's ability to control cancer growth is linked to how exercise affects the tumor physiologic microenvironment. Normalization of the microenvironment by exercise may promote more efficient innate and adaptive immunity within the tumor. This review summarizes the current literature supporting this hypothesis.
Anti-CD105 Antibody Eliminates Tumor Microenvironment Cells and Enhances Anti-GD2 Antibody Immunotherapy of Neuroblastoma with Activated Natural Killer Cells
Authors: Wu Hong-Wei , Sheard Michael A. , Malvar Jemily , Fernandez G. Esteban , DeClerck Yves A. , Blavier Laurence , Shimada Hiroyuki , Theuer Charles P. , Sposto Richard , Seeger Robert C.
Published: May 2019

Purpose:

We determined whether elimination of CD105+ cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) with anti-CD105 antibodies enhanced anti-disialoganglioside (GD2) antibody dinutuximab therapy of neuroblastoma when combined with activated natural killer (aNK) cells.

Experimental Design:

The effect of MSCs and monocytes on antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated by dinutuximab with aNK cells against neuroblastoma cells was determined in vitro. ADCC with anti-CD105 mAb TRC105 and aNK cells against MSCs, monocytes, and endothelial cells, which express CD105, was evaluated. Anti-neuroblastoma activity in immunodeficient NSG mice of dinutuximab with aNK cells without or with anti-CD105 mAbs was determined using neuroblastoma cell lines and a patient-derived xenograft.

Results:

ADCC mediated by dinutuximab with aNK cells against neuroblastoma cells in vitro was suppressed by addition of MSCs and monocytes, and dinutuximab with aNK cells was less effective against neuroblastomas formed with coinjected MSCs and monocytes in NSG mice than against those formed by tumor cells alone. Anti-CD105 antibody TRC105 with aNK cells mediated ADCC against MSCs, monocytes, and endothelial cells. Neuroblastomas formed in NSG mice by two neuroblastoma cell lines or a patient-derived xenograft coinjected with MSCs and monocytes were most effectively treated with dinutuximab and aNK cells when anti-human (TRC105) and anti-mouse (M1043) CD105 antibodies were added, which depleted human MSCs and murine endothelial cells and macrophages from the TME.

Conclusions:

Immunotherapy of neuroblastoma with anti-GD2 antibody dinutuximab and aNK cells is suppressed by CD105+ cells in the TME, but suppression is overcome by adding anti-CD105 antibodies to eliminate CD105+ cells.
Illegal Trade of Wild-Captured Lemur catta within Madagascar
Authors: LaFleur Marni , Clarke Tara A. , Reuter Kim E. , Schaefer Melissa S. , terHorst Casey
Published: May 2019

Lemur catta is the most reported illegal captive lemur. We document 286 L. catta that were held in illegal captive conditions in Madagascar. Coastal tourist destinations are “hot spots” for sightings. Many of the L. catta reported were in businesses (49%) and were perceived to be held captive for the purpose of generating income (41%). Infant/juvenile L. catta were overwhelmingly observed annually in December (41%) and may suffer high mortality rates given that they are not weaned during this month of the year. Population growth modeling suggests that known capture rates may be sustainable in all but small populations of 500 individuals and when infants/juveniles are targeted. However, of the seven remaining populations of L. catta with more than 100 individuals, only one is known to contain more than 500 animals, and we present evidence here that infants/juveniles are targeted. Moreover L. catta face significant other threats including habitat loss, bushmeat hunting, and climate change. Several actions could reduce the illegal capture and ownership of L. catta in Madagascar such as tourist behavior change initiatives, enforcement of laws, and alternative livelihoods for local people. These interventions are urgently needed and could be adapted to protect other exploited wildlife in the future.
Influence of Arthropod and Fruit Abundance on the Dietary Composition of Highland Colombian Woolly Monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha lugens)
Authors: Fonseca Manuel L. , Cruz Diana M. , Acosta Rojas Diana C. , Crespo Johanna Páez , Stevenson Pablo R.
Published: May 2019

The woolly monkey’s (Lagothrix lagotricha) diet consists primarily of fruits, and for some populations fruit availability predicts its frequency in the diet. Woolly monkeys also eat new leaves, flowers, seeds and arthropods, but it is unclear whether arthropods are consumed in proportion to their environmental availability. We tested the hypothesis that arthropod consumption by woolly monkeys depends on availability. We studied a group of woolly monkeys for 10 months in 2013–2014, in Cueva de los Guácharos National Park, Colombia, in order to test the hypothesis that arthropod consumption by woolly monkeys depends on availability. We carried out surveys of plant phenology each month for 10 months to estimate fruit productivity, and every 2 months we also surveyed 3 canopy substrates (leaves, mosses and bromeliads) to quantify variation in arthropod biomass. During this time, we also quantified the diet of a woolly monkey group. The items most consumed were fruits (60%), followed by arthropods (24%), leaves (13%) and miscellaneous other items (3%). Arthropod biomass in the canopy did not vary considerably over the 10 months (0.014–0.037 g/g substrate) but was lower at the end of the second rainy season. A positive correlation was found between availability and entomophagy, but only when arthropods were relatively abundant. We did not find a relationship between arthropod and fruit feeding frequencies. Our results indicate that arthropods are prevalent in the diet of the woolly monkeys due to their abundance in Andean forest canopies.
Naringin Ameliorates Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes through Forkhead Box M1-Mediated Beta Cell Proliferation
Authors: Subramanian Manickam , Thotakura Balaji , Chandra Sekaran Swathi Priyadarshini , Jyothi Ashok Kumar , Sundaramurthi Indumathi
Published: May 2019

Background: Adult pancreatic beta cells, though quiescent, can proliferate in response to physiological need. This inherent character is used in exploring the possibilities of expanding the beta cell mass in the treatment of diabetes. Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) transcription factor is an important regulator in the proliferation and survival of adult beta cell mass. Naringin, a flavanone glycoside, is reported to have antidiabetic activity and exhibited an increase in insulin levels in diabetic animals. Objectives: The present study tried to evaluate the role of naringin in the regulation of FoxM1 in the pancreas of diabetic rats and to reascertain its antilipidemic and antioxidant properties. Methods: Diabetes was induced in male rats using streptozotocin and treated with naringin (100 mg/kg) orally for 4 and 8 weeks. Serum biochemical parameters, insulin, gene and protein expression of FoxM1, and antioxidant markers in rat pancreas were analyzed. Results: Naringin administration reduced the blood sugar, urea, creatinine, and cholesterol values and improved the pancreatic antioxidant status in diabetic rats. Naringin-treated diabetic rats showed a significant increase in mRNA and protein expression of FoxM1 compared to the diabetic control rats, indicating regeneration of cells. It also increased the insulin immunopositive cells, indicating functional beta cells. Conclusion: Naringin was found to upregulate the FoxM1 transcription factor in diabetic animals, which influenced the proliferation and functional status of beta cells.