bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Approximate Memristive In-memory Computing
Authors: Yantir Hasan Erdem , Eltawil Ahmed M. , Kurdahi Fadi J.
Published: September 2017

The bottleneck between the processing elements and memory is the biggest issue contributing to the scalability problem in computing. In-memory computation is an alternative approach that combines memory and processor in the same location, and eliminates the potential memory bottlenecks. Associative processors are a promising candidate for in-memory computation, however the existing implementations have been deemed too costly and power hungry. Approximate computing is another promising approach for energy-efficient digital system designs where it sacrifices the accuracy for the sake of energy reduction and speedup in error-resilient applications. In this study, approximate in-memory computing is introduced in memristive associative processors. Two approximate computing methodologies are proposed; bit trimming and memristance scaling. Results show that the proposed methods not only reduce energy consumption of in-memory parallel computing but also improve their performance. As compared to other existing approximate computing methodologies on different architectures (e.g., CPU, GPU, and ASIC), approximate memristive in-memory computing exhibits better results in terms of energy reduction (up to 80x) and speedup (up to 20x) on a variety of benchmarks from different domains when quality degradation is limited to 10% and it confirms that memristive associative processors provide a highly-promising platform for approximate computing.
Low-Cost Memory Fault Tolerance for IoT Devices
Authors: Gottscho Mark , Alam Irina , Schoeny Clayton , Dolecek Lara , Gupta Puneet
Published: September 2017

IoT devices need reliable hardware at low cost. It is challenging to efficiently cope with both hard and soft faults in embedded scratchpad memories. To address this problem, we propose a two-step approach:
FaultLink
and
Software-Defined Error-Localizing Codes
(SDELC). FaultLink avoids hard faults found during testing by generating a custom-tailored application binary image for each individual chip. During software deployment-time, FaultLink optimally packs small sections of program code and data into fault-free segments of the memory address space and generates a custom linker script for a lazy-linking procedure. During run-time, SDELC deals with unpredictable soft faults via novel and inexpensive
Ultra-Lightweight Error-Localizing Codes
(UL-ELCs). These require fewer parity bits than single-error-correcting Hamming codes. Yet our UL-ELCs are more powerful than basic single-error-detecting parity: they localize single-bit errors to a specific chunk of a codeword. SDELC then heuristically recovers from these localized errors using a small embedded C library that exploits observable
side information
(SI) about the application’s memory contents. SI can be in the form of redundant data (value locality), legal/illegal instructions, etc. Our combined FaultLink+SDELC approach improves min-VDD by up to 440 mV and correctly recovers from up to 90% (70%) of random single-bit soft faults in data (instructions) with just three parity bits per 32-bit word.
A DWM-Based Stack Architecture Implementation for Energy Harvesting Systems
Authors: Khouzani Hoda Aghaei , Yang Chengmo
Published: September 2017

Energy harvesting systems tend to use non-volatile processors to conduct computation under intermittent power supplies. While previous implementations of non-volatile processors are based on register architectures, stack architecture, known for its simplicity and small footprint, seems to be a better fit for energy harvesting systems. In this work, Domain Wall Memory (DWM) is used to implement ZPU, the world’s smallest working CPU. Not only does DWM offer ultra-high density and SRAM-comparable access latency, but the sequential access structure of DWM also makes it well suited for a stack whose accesses display high temporal locality. As the performance and energy of DWM are determined by the number of shift operations performed to access the stack, this paper further reduces shift operations through novel data placement and micro-code transformation optimizations. The impact of compiler optimization techniques on the number of shift operations is also investigated so as to select the most effective optimizations for DWM-based stack machine. Experimental studies confirm the effectiveness of the proposed DWM-based stack architectures in improving the performance and energy-efficiency of energy harvesting systems.
FlashKV
Authors: Zhang Jiacheng , Lu Youyou , Shu Jiwu , Qin Xiongjun
Published: September 2017

As the cost-per-bit of solid state disks is decreasing quickly, SSDs are supplanting HDDs in many cases, including the primary storage of key-value stores. However, simply deploying LSM-tree-based key-value stores on commercial SSDs is inefficient and induces heavy write amplification and severe garbage collection overhead under write-intensive conditions. The main cause of these critical issues comes from the triple redundant management functionalities lying in the LSM-tree, file system and flash translation layer, which block the awareness between key-value stores and flash devices. Furthermore, we observe that the performance of LSM-tree-based key-value stores is improved little by only eliminating these redundant layers, as the I/O stacks, including the cache and scheduler, are not optimized for LSM-tree’s unique I/O patterns.

To address the issues above, we propose FlashKV, an LSM-tree based key-value store running on open-channel SSDs. FlashKV eliminates the redundant management and semantic isolation by directly managing the raw flash devices in the application layer. With the domain knowledge of LSM-tree and the open-channel information, FlashKV employs a parallel data layout to exploit the internal parallelism of the flash device, and optimizes the compaction, caching and I/O scheduling mechanisms specifically. Evaluations show that FlashKV effectively improves system performance by 1.5× to 4.5× and decreases up to 50% write traffic under heavy write conditions, compared to LevelDB.
Online Scheduling of 2-Re-entrant Flexible Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Pinxten Joost Van , Waqas Umar , Geilen Marc , Basten Twan , Somers Lou
Published: September 2017

Online scheduling of operations is essential to optimize productivity of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) where manufacturing requests arrive on the fly. An FMS processes products according to a particular flow through processing stations. This work focusses on online scheduling of re-entrant FMSs with flows using processing stations where products pass twice and with limited buffering between processing stations. This kind of FMS is modelled as a re-entrant flow shop with due dates and sequence-dependent set-up times. Such flow shops can benefit from minimization of the time penalties incurred from set-up times. On top of an existing greedy scheduling heuristic we apply a meta-heuristic that simultaneously explores several alternatives considering trade-offs between the used metrics by the scheduling heuristic. We identify invariants to efficiently remove many infeasible scheduling options so that the running time of online implementations is improved. The resulting algorithm is much faster than the state of the art and produces schedules with on average 4.6% shorter makespan.
Edge-TM
Authors: Papagiannopoulou Dimitra , Marongiu Andrea , Moreshet Tali , Herlihy Maurice , Bahar R. Iris
Published: September 2017

Scaling of semiconductor devices has enabled higher levels of integration and performance improvements at the price of making devices more susceptible to the effects of static and dynamic variability. Adding safety margins (guardbands) on the operating frequency or supply voltage prevents timing errors, but has a negative impact on performance and energy consumption. We propose
Edge-TM
, an adaptive hardware/software error management policy that (
i
) optimistically scales the voltage beyond the edge of safe operation for better energy savings and (
ii
) works in combination with a Hardware Transactional Memory (HTM)-based error recovery mechanism. The policy applies dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) (while keeping frequency fixed) based on the feedback provided by HTM, which makes it simple and generally applicable. Experiments on an embedded platform show our technique capable of 57% energy improvement compared to using voltage guardbands and an extra 21-24% improvement over existing state-of-the-art error tolerance solutions, at a nominal area and time overhead.
GPU Performance Estimation using Software Rasterization and Machine Learning
Authors: O'neal Kenneth , Brisk Philip , Abousamra Ahmed , Waters Zack , Shriver Emily
Published: September 2017

This paper introduces a predictive modeling framework to estimate the performance of GPUs during pre-silicon design. Early-stage performance prediction is useful when simulation times impede development by rendering driver performance validation, API conformance testing and design space explorations infeasible. Our approach builds a Random Forest regression model to analyze DirectX 3D workload behavior when executed by a software rasterizer, which we have extended with a workload characterizer to collect further performance information via program counters. In addition to regression models, this work produces detailed feature rankings which can provide valuable architectural insight, and accurate performance estimates for an Intel integrated Skylake generation GPU. Our models achieve reasonable out-of-sample-error rates of 14%, with an average simulation speedup of 327x.
A Program Interference Error Aware LDPC Scheme for Improving NAND Flash Decoding Performance
Authors: Wu Fei , Zhang Meng , Du Yajuan , He Xubin , Huang Ping , Xie Changsheng , Wan Jiguang
Published: September 2017

By scaling down to smaller cell size, NAND flash has significantly increased the storage capacity in order to lower the unit cost down. However, the reliability is sacrificed due to much higher raw bit error rates. As a result, conventional error correction codes (ECCs), such as BCH codes, are not sufficient. Low-density parity check (LDPC) codes with stronger error correction capability are adopted in NAND flash to guarantee data reliability. However, read performance using LDPC is poor because of its decoding complexity. It has been found that flash cells with fewer electrons are more prone to program interference errors. As a result, program interference errors show the characteristic of value dependence. This characteristic can be exploited and translated into extra information facilitating the decoding convergence. Motivated by this observation, we propose PEAL: a flash program interference error aware LDPC scheme to enhance the decoding performance. PEAL integrates the obtained extra information from the value dependence into the soft-to-hard decision process in LDPC decoding to decrease decoding iterations and improve the decoding convergence speed. Simulation results show that decoding iterations are reduced by up to 69.37% and the decoding convergence speed is improved by up to 2.5×, compared with the normalized min-sum (NMS) algorithm with 2KB information lengths at an approximate raw bit error rate of 11.5 × 10
−3
.
COSMOS
Authors: Piccolboni Luca , Mantovani Paolo , Guglielmo Giuseppe Di , Carloni Luca P.
Published: September 2017

Hardware accelerators are key to the efficiency and performance of system-on-chip (SoC) architectures. With high-level synthesis (HLS), designers can easily obtain several performance-cost trade-off implementations for each component of a complex hardware accelerator. However, navigating this design space in search of the Pareto-optimal implementations at the system level is a hard optimization task. We present COSMOS, an automatic methodology for the design-space exploration (DSE) of complex accelerators, that coordinates both HLS and memory optimization tools in a compositional way. First, thanks to the co-design of datapath and memory, COSMOS produces a large set of Pareto-optimal implementations for each component of the accelerator. Then, COSMOS leverages compositional design techniques to quickly converge to the desired trade-off point between cost and performance at the system level. When applied to the system-level design (SLD) of an accelerator for wide-area motion imagery (WAMI), COSMOS explores the design space as completely as an exhaustive search, but it reduces the number of invocations to the HLS tool by up to 14.6×.
Power-Temperature Stability and Safety Analysis for Multiprocessor Systems
Authors: Bhat Ganapati , Gumussoy Suat , Ogras Umit Y.
Published: September 2017

Modern multiprocessor system-on-chips (SoCs) integrate multiple heterogeneous cores to achieve high energy efficiency. The power consumption of each core contributes to an increase in the temperature across the chip floorplan. In turn, higher temperature increases the leakage power exponentially, and leads to a positive feedback with nonlinear dynamics. This paper presents a power-temperature stability and safety analysis technique for multiprocessor systems. This analysis reveals the conditions under which the power-temperature trajectory converges to a stable fixed point. We also present a simple formula to compute the stable fixed point and maximum thermally-safe power consumption at
runtime
. Hardware measurements on a state-of-the-art mobile processor show that our analytical formulation can predict the stable fixed point with an average error of 2.6%. Hence, our approach can be used at runtime to ensure thermally safe operation and guard against thermal threats.
Link Modeling and Delay Analysis in Networks with Disruptive Links
Authors: Peyravi Hassan , Sehgal Rahul
Published: September 2017

Delay- and Disruption-Tolerant Networks (DTNs) refer to a range of networks with link intermittency that is mainly driven by mobility, predictable or unpredictable network environmental conditions. Examples of DTNs include interplanetary networks, battlefield networks, smart highways, remote sensing, and animal-movement outposts. There exist a number of mobility models describing the operation of various DTNs. One common characteristic that all mobility models share is the distribution of contact time and inter-contact time between nodes. Predicting an end-to-end delay in networks with disruptive links is more complicated than predicting the delay in connected networks. Disruptive patterns and underlying routing algorithms play a major role in an end-to-end delay modeling. In this article, we introduce a new model that can be used to estimate the end-to-end delay in networks with intermittent links. The model incorporates the two non-deterministic delay distributions, namely link intermittency and tandem queuing delay distributions. The model is based on an open queuing system with exponentially distributed link intermittency. The model gives a close approximation of the average end-to-end delay and the delay variance in closed forms. Simulation results on various networks and under different traffic conditions confirm the accuracy of the model within the conventional bounds of statistical significance.
Big data and algorithmic decision-making
Authors: de Laat Paul B.
Published: September 2017

Decision-making assisted by algorithms developed by machine learning is increasingly determining our lives. Unfortunately, full opacity about the process is the norm. Can transparency contribute to restoring accountability for such systems? Several objections are examined: the loss of privacy when data sets become public, the perverse effects of disclosure of the very algorithms themselves ('gaming the system' in particular), the potential loss of competitive edge, and the limited gains in answerability to be expected since sophisticated algorithms are inherently opaque. It is concluded that transparency is certainly useful, but only up to a point: extending it to the public at large is normally not to be advised. Moreover, in order to make algorithmic decisions understandable, models of machine learning to be used should either be interpreted ex post or be interpretable by design ex ante.
Subject-by-proxy
Authors: Breems Nick
Published: September 2017

As advances are made in artificial intelligence and machine learning, the distance between the activity of the designers/programmers of the system and the behavior of the system grows. This gap, between human action and the effects and consequences of that action, is not new, but emerging computing paradigms are presenting this challenge with a new urgency, and revealing the poverty of our tools for reasoning about what human responsibility means in a world with ubiquitous artificial agents. This paper proposes a new addition to our existing collection of frameworks for considering this issue.
SIGecom job market candidate profiles 2018
Authors: Gkatzelis Vasilis , Hartline Jason
Published: September 2017

This is the third annual collection of profiles of the junior faculty job market candidates of the SIGecom community. The eighteen candidates for 2018 are listed alphabetically and indexed by research areas that define the interests of the community. The candidates can be contacted individually or via the moderated mailing list ecom-candidates2018@acm.org.
Breathing above the brain stem: volitional control and attentional modulation in humans
Authors: Herrero Jose L. , Khuvis Simon , Yeagle Erin , Cerf Moran , Mehta Ashesh D.
Published: September 2017

Whereas the neurophysiology of respiration has traditionally focused on automatic brain stem processes, higher brain mechanisms underlying the cognitive aspects of breathing are gaining increasing interest. Therapeutic techniques have used conscious control and awareness of breathing for millennia with little understanding of the mechanisms underlying their efficacy. Using direct intracranial recordings in humans, we correlated cortical and limbic neuronal activity as measured by the intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) with the breathing cycle. We show this to be the direct result of neuronal activity, as demonstrated by both the specificity of the finding to the cortical gray matter and the tracking of breath by the gamma-band (40–150 Hz) envelope in these structures. We extend prior observations by showing the iEEG signal to track the breathing cycle across a widespread network of cortical and limbic structures. We further demonstrate a sensitivity of this tracking to cognitive factors by using tasks adapted from cognitive behavioral therapy and meditative practice. Specifically, volitional control and awareness of breathing engage distinct but overlapping brain circuits. During volitionally paced breathing, iEEG-breath coherence increases in a frontotemporal-insular network, and during attention to breathing, we demonstrate increased coherence in the anterior cingulate, premotor, insular, and hippocampal cortices. Our findings suggest that breathing can act as an organizing hierarchical principle for neuronal oscillations throughout the brain and detail mechanisms of how cognitive factors impact otherwise automatic neuronal processes during interoceptive attention.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Whereas the link between breathing and brain activity has a long history of application to therapy, its neurophysiology remains unexplored. Using intracranial recordings in humans, we show neuronal activity to track the breathing cycle throughout widespread cortical/limbic sites. Volitional pacing of the breath engages frontotemporal-insular cortices, whereas attention to automatic breathing modulates the cingulate cortex. Our findings imply a fundamental role of breathing-related oscillations in driving neuronal activity and provide insight into the neuronal mechanisms of interoceptive attention.
A Single Centre Experience of Day Case Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Outcomes by Body Mass Index Group
Authors: Bowling Kirk , Leong Samantha , El-Badawy Sarah , Massri Erfan , Rait Jaideep , Atkinson Jay , Srinivas Gandrapu , Andrews Stuart
Published: September 2017

Aim. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether patients with a high BMI can undergo safe day case LC for cholecystitis compared to groups of patients with a lower BMI. Setting. NHS District General Hospital, UK. Methods. A retrospective review of 2391 patients who underwent an attempted day case LC between 1 January 2009 and 15 August 2015 was performed. Patients were divided into five groups depending on their BMI. Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing elective day case laparoscopic cholecystectomy with cholecystitis on histology. The endpoints were complication requiring readmission and postoperative length of stay (LOS). Results. There were 2391 LCs performed in the time period of which 1646 were eligible for inclusion. These LCs were classified as 273 (16.9%), 608 (37.8%), 428 (26.6%), 208 (12.9%), and 91 (5.66%) patients in the groups with BMI values of 18.5–24.9, 25–29.9, 30–34.9, 35–39.9, and >40, respectively. Average BMI was 30.0 (±5.53, 19–51) with an average postoperative LOS of 0.86, and there was no difference between the BMI groups. Overall complication rate was 4.3%; there was no significance between BMI groups. Conclusions. Increased BMI was not associated with worse outcomes after day case LC.
Generation and Bioenergetic Profiles of Cybrids with East Asian mtDNA Haplogroups
Authors: Zhou Huaibin , Nie Ke , Qiu Ruyi , Xiong Jingting , Shao Xiaoli , Wang Bingqian , Shen Lijun , Lyu Jianxin , Fang Hezhi
Published: September 2017

Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants and haplogroups may contribute to susceptibility to various diseases and pathological conditions, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. To address this issue, we established a cytoplasmic hybrid (cybrid) system to investigate the role of mtDNA haplogroups in human disease; specifically, we examined the effects of East Asian mtDNA genetic backgrounds on oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). We found that mtDNA single nucleotide polymorphisms such as m.489T>C, m.10398A>G, m.10400C>T, m.C16223T, and m.T16362C affected mitochondrial function at the level of mtDNA, mtRNA, or the OxPhos complex. Macrohaplogroup M exhibited higher respiratory activity than haplogroup N owing to its higher mtDNA content, mtRNA transcript levels, and complex III abundance. Additionally, haplogroup M had higher reactive oxygen species levels and NAD+/NADH ratios than haplogroup N, suggesting difference in mitonuclear interactions. Notably, subhaplogroups G2, B4, and F1 appeared to contribute significantly to the differences between haplogroups M and N. Thus, our cybrid‐based system can provide insight into the mechanistic basis for the role of mtDNA haplogroups in human diseases and the effect of mtDNA variants on mitochondrial OxPhos function. In addition, studies of mitonuclear interaction using this system can reveal predisposition to certain diseases conferred by variations in mtDNA.
MicroRNA as a Therapeutic Target in Cardiac Remodeling
Authors: Chen Chao , Ponnusamy Murugavel , Liu Cuiyun , Gao Jinning , Wang Kun , Li Peifeng
Published: September 2017

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that contain 18–25 nucleotides. The alterations in their expression level play crucial role in the development of many disorders including heart diseases. Myocardial remodeling is the final pathological consequence of a variety of myocardial diseases. miRNAs have central role in regulating pathogenesis of myocardial remodeling by modulating cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyocytes injury, cardiac fibrosis, angiogenesis, and inflammatory response through multiple mechanisms. The balancing and tight regulation of different miRNAs is a key to drive the cellular events towards functional recovery and any fall in this leads to detrimental effect on cardiac function following various insults. In this review, we discuss the impact of alterations of miRNAs expression on cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyocytes injury, cardiac fibrosis, angiogenesis, and inflammatory response. We have also described the targets (receptors, signaling molecules, transcription factors, etc.) of miRNAs on which they act to promote or attenuate cardiac remodeling processes in different type cells of cardiac tissues.
Some New Volterra-Fredholm-Type Nonlinear Discrete Inequalities with Two Variables Involving Iterated Sums and Their Applications
Authors: Xu Run
Published: September 2017

Some generalized discrete Volterra-Fredholm-type inequalities were developed, which can be used as effective tools in the qualitative analysis of the solution to difference equations.
Rumor Identification with Maximum Entropy in MicroNet
Authors: Yu Suisheng , Li Mingcai , Liu Fengming
Published: September 2017

The widely used applications of Microblog, WeChat, and other social networking platforms (that we call MicroNet) shorten the period of information dissemination and expand the range of information dissemination, which allows rumors to cause greater harm and have more influence. A hot topic in the information dissemination field is how to identify and block rumors. Based on the maximum entropy model, this paper constructs the recognition mechanism of rumor information in the micronetwork environment. First, based on the information entropy theory, we obtained the characteristics of rumor information using the maximum entropy model. Next, we optimized the original classifier training set and the feature function to divide the information into rumors and nonrumors. Finally, the experimental simulation results show that the rumor identification results using this method are better than the original classifier and other related classification methods.
Protective Effects of Oral Astaxanthin Nanopowder against Ultraviolet‐Induced Photokeratitis in Mice
Authors: Harada Fumiya , Morikawa Tetsuro , Lennikov Anton , Mukwaya Anthony , Schaupper Mira , Uehara Osamu , Takai Rie , Yoshida Koki , Sato Jun , Horie Yukihiro , Sakaguchi Hiroyuki , Wu Ching-Zong , Abiko Yoshihiro , Lagali Neil , Kitaichi Nobuyoshi
Published: September 2017

Purpose. Astaxanthin (AST) has a strong antioxidant cellular membrane chaperone protective effect. Recently, a water‐soluble nanosized AST (nano‐AST) form was produced, which is expected to improve the efficacy of oral intake effects. The purpose of this study was to examine whether oral nano‐AST has therapeutic effects on UV‐induced photokeratitis in mice. Methods. C57BL/6 mice were administered twice with either nano‐AST, AST oil, lutein, or bilberry extracts 3 hours before and shortly before UV irradiation (dose: 400 mJ/cm2). The corneas were collected 24 hours after irradiation and stained with H&E and TUNEL. NF‐κB, dihydroethidium (DHE), COX‐2, p‐IκB‐α, TNFα, and CD45 expression were evaluated through immunohistochemistry, Western blot analysis, and qPCR. Results. Corneal epithelium was significantly thicker in mice orally administered with nano‐AST than in the others (p < 0.01), with significantly less NF‐κB nucleus translocation (p < 0.001), and significantly fewer TUNEL cells (p < 0.01). Weaker DHE signals were detected in the nano‐AST group (p < 0.05) relative to the others. Furthermore, reduced inflammation and decreased cell death in corneal tissue were observed in the nano‐AST group, as indicated by a reduction in the expression of COX‐2, p‐IκB‐α, TNFα, and CD45. Conclusions. Oral administration of nano‐AST demonstrated a protective effect on UV‐induced photokeratitis via antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, and antiapoptotic activity.
Evaluation of MRI/Ultrasound Fusion-Guided Prostate Biopsy Using Transrectal and Transperineal Approaches
Authors: Tewes Susanne , Peters Inga , Tiemeyer Ansgar , Peperhove Matti , Hartung Dagmar , Pertschy Stefanie , Kuczyk Markus A. , Wacker Frank , Hueper Katja
Published: September 2017

Purpose. To evaluate transrectal (TR) and transperineal (TP) approaches for MRI/ultrasound (MRI/US) fusion-guided biopsy to detect prostate cancer (PCa). Materials and Methods. 154 men underwent multiparametric MRI and MRI/US fusion-guided biopsy between July 2012 and October 2016. 79/154 patients were biopsied with a TR approach and 75/154 with a TP approach. MRI was retrospectively analyzed according to PI-RADS version 2. PI-RADS scores were compared with histopathological results. Descriptive statistics, accuracy, and negative and positive predictive values were calculated. Histopathological results of first, second, and third MRI targeted biopsy cores were compared to evaluate the impact of one verus multiple targeted cores. Results. Detection rates of PCa were 39% for TR biopsy and 75% for TP biopsy. Sensitivity/specificity for tumor detection with PI-RADS ≥ 4 were 81/69% for TR biopsy and 86/84% for TP biopsy. In 31% for TR biopsy and 19% for TP biopsy, PCa was found in the second or third MRI targeted biopsy core only. Conclusion. MRI/US fusion-guided biopsy may be conducted with the TR as well as the TP approach with high accuracy, giving more flexibility for diagnosis and the option for focal treatment of PCa.
Kidney‐Replenishing Herb Induces SOCS‐3 Expression via ERK/MAPK Pathway and Improves Growth of the First‐Trimester Human Trophoblast Cells
Authors: Xing Chang-ying , Zhang De-xiang , Gui Sui-qi , Tao Min-fang
Published: September 2017

Kidney‐replenishing herb is a traditional medicine formula in China which has been widely used for clinical treatment of recurrent miscarriage. Our previous study showed that Kidney‐replenishing herb could promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of the human first‐trimester trophoblasts. In the present study, we further explored the potential mechanism and signal pathway of Kidney‐replenishing herb on human trophoblast cells. Our research showed that Kidney‐replenishing herb stimulated proliferation and reduced apoptosis of human trophoblast cells in vitro, and this appeared to be positive correlation with SOCS‐3 transcription, suggesting that Kidney‐replenishing herb regulated biological functions of human trophoblast cells by inducing SCOS‐3 expression. Furthermore, the Kidney‐replenishing herb treatment stimulated the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, and blocking the signaling pathway by mitogen‐activated protein MAPK (MEK) inhibitor, U0126, inhibited Kidney‐replenishing herb‐induced SOCS‐3 transcription, depressed proliferation, and promoted apoptosis of human trophoblasts. Kidney‐replenishing herbs still induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation after SOCS‐3 siRNA silence. Overexpression of SOCS‐3 stimulated the proliferation of trophoblast. These findings suggest that SOCS‐3 expression is induced by Kidney‐replenishing herbs via activation of MAPK pathways, and this may possibly be involved in promoting human trophoblast cells growth which is contributed to embryo development.
Hand Passive Mobilization Performed with Robotic Assistance: Acute Effects on Upper Limb Perfusion and Spasticity in Stroke Survivors
Authors: Gobbo Massimiliano , Gaffurini Paolo , Vacchi Laura , Lazzarini Sara , Villafane Jorge , Orizio Claudio , Negrini Stefano , Bissolotti Luciano
Published: September 2017

This single arm pre-post study aimed at evaluating the acute effects induced by a single session of robot-assisted passive hand mobilization on local perfusion and upper limb (UL) function in poststroke hemiparetic participants. Twenty-three patients with subacute or chronic stroke received 20 min passive mobilization of the paretic hand with robotic assistance. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to detect changes in forearm tissue perfusion. Muscle tone of the paretic UL was assessed by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). Symptoms concerning UL heaviness, joint stiffness, and pain were evaluated as secondary outcomes by self-reporting. Significant (p=0.014) improvements were found in forearm perfusion when all fingers were mobilized simultaneously. After the intervention, MAS scores decreased globally, being the changes statistically significant for the wrist (from1.6±1.0to1.1±1.0;p=0.001) and fingers (from1.2±1.1to0.7±0.9;p=0.004). Subjects reported decreased UL heaviness and stiffness after treatment, especially for the hand, as well as diminished pain when present. This study supports novel evidence that hand robotic assistance promotes local UL circulation changes, may help in the management of spasticity, and acutely alleviates reported symptoms of heaviness, stiffness, and pain in subjects with poststroke hemiparesis. This opens new scenarios for the implications in everyday clinical practice. Clinical Trial Registration Number isNCT03243123.
In VivoMurine Model of Leukemia Cell-Induced Spinal Bone Destruction
Authors: Chen Jia-Jie , Zhou Wei , Cai Nan , Chang Gang
Published: September 2017

Osteolytic bone lesions can be a consequence of leukemic bone infiltration or focal bone destruction by inflammatory factors released from leukemic cells. Destructive bone lesions have a negative impact on the quality of life of leukemia patients, causing unbearable pain and, in some cases, limb paralysis. However, the mechanism, by which leukemic cells produce destructive bone lesions, and the effect of therapeutics on osteolytic lesions have not been fully elucidated yet and, thus, stand to benefit from anin vivomodel. To that end, HL-60 cells were transformed by retrovirus-mediated constitutively active (CA) STAT5 expression and injected into nonobese diabetic (NOD)/SCID mice via the tail vein. After three weeks, lumbar spines were subjected to histocytometric analysis. Xenograft mice developed hind limb paralysis in 2-3 weeks, which was consistent with the consequences of spinal bone destruction by extramedullary invasion of leukemia cells. Thein vivomodel will improve the understanding and treatment of osteolytic bone lesions caused by myeloid leukemic cells.
Research on Fluid Viscous Damper Parameters of Cable-Stayed Bridge in Northwest China
Authors: He Xiongjun , Yang Yongchao , Xiao Xiang , Deng Yulin
Published: September 2017

To optimize the aseismic performance of nonlinear fluid viscous dampers (FVD) of cable-stayed bridge in the highly seismic zone, Xigu Yellow River Bridge in northwest China is taken as an example. Nonlinear time-history analysis method is used to research on the relation among the internal forces, displacements, and damping parameters of the 650 tonnage FVD. The method of getting the minimum of binary functions is used to obtain the optimal parameters of FVD. Also, the 1 : 1 full-scale FVD model is made and used in the constitutive relation test. Then the test result of the damping parameters can be got by normal equation method. The optimized method to obtain the damping parameters is further verified. The results indicate that seismic response in key positions of the cable-stayed bridge can be reduced by installing longitudinal nonlinear FVD between the towers and girders if choosing reasonable damping parameters C and ξ. The optimal damping parameters can be calculated accurately by the proposed method of optimizing damping parameters of nonlinear FVD, and the constitutive relation test verifies the correctness of the optimization analysis method. Conclusions concerned can be applied to the design of nonlinear FVD for cable-stayed bridges.
A Distributed Relation Detection Approach in the Internet of Things
Authors: Zhu Weiping , Lu Hongliang , Cui Xiaohui , Cao Jiannong
Published: September 2017

In the Internet of Things, it is important to detect the various relations among objects for mining useful knowledge. Existing works on relation detection are based on centralized processing, which is not suitable for the Internet of Things owing to the unavailability of a server, one-point failure, computation bottleneck, and moving of objects. In this paper, we propose a distributed approach to detect relations among objects. We first build a system model for this problem that supports generic forms of relations and both physical time and logical time. Based on this, we design the Distributed Relation Detection Approach (DRDA), which utilizes a distributed spanning tree to detect relations using in-network processing. DRDA can coordinate the distributed tree-building process of objects and automatically change the depth of the routing tree to a proper value. Optimization among multiple relation detection tasks is also considered. Extensive simulations were performed and the results show that the proposed approach outperforms existing approaches in terms of the energy consumption.
Remarkable Preservation of Microfossils and Biofilms in Mesoproterozoic Silicified Bitumen Concretions from Northern China
Authors: Wang Xiaomei , Zhang Shuichang , Wang Huajian , Canfield Donald E. , Su Jin , Hammarlund Emma U. , Bian Lizeng
Published: September 2017

Prokaryotes, often generally referred to as “bacteria,” are the original and thus oldest life on Earth. They have shaped the chemical environment of the Earth, but they are difficult to find as ancient fossils due to their subtle structure. Here we report well-preserved fossilized microbial communities in silicified bitumen concretions from unit 3 of the Xiamaling Formation (1.39 Ga) in northern China. The numerous silicified bitumen concretions are in a variety of forms including ellipsoidal, spindle, and pancake ones, with diameters of 1~16 cm and thicknesses of 0.5~3 cm. The principal planes of the concretions are at low angle or directly parallel to the depositional plane level, showing obvious depositional characteristics. The concretions are silicified with abundant bitumen inside. Many different kinds of microbial fossils are found in the bitumen, including spherical forms, rods, and filaments, and some of the microbes are aggregated together in the forms of multicellular structures. These concretions preserve a delicate Mesoproterozoic biotic community.
The Importance of Connection to Others in QoL in MSA and PSP
Authors: Wiblin Louise , Durcan Rory , Lee Mark , Brittain Katie
Published: September 2017

Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) are atypical Parkinsonian disorders with extended morbidity and reduced lifespan, known to have marked and early impact upon quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to address the lack of studies in the literature regarding personal perspectives on QoL in MSA and PSP in both patients and carers. Participants took part in qualitative, in-depth interviews in the North East of England, exploring what impacts their QoL and their experiences of living with these complex conditions. Connection to others was found to be a prevailing theme, encompassing difficulty communicating, social isolation, impact on personal relationships, and stigma. This work is helpful in that it emphasises the personal experiences of these patients and carers, which can provide insights into important areas for clinical service planning and best clinical management of individual patients as well as considerations for future research into QoL in these rare disorders.
Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasm of the Pancreas: Clinicopathologic Feature, Risk Factors of Malignancy, and Survival Analysis of 53 Cases from a Single Center
Authors: Song He , Dong Ming , Zhou Jianping , Sheng Weiwei , Zhong Banghua , Gao Wei
Published: September 2017

Introduction. Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) of the pancreas is a rare tumor of low malignant potential. The aim of this study was designed to evaluate the clinicopathologic feature, predictive factors of malignancy, and survival from experience of a single center. Methods. 53 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for a pathologically definitive SPN were retrospectively reviewed. Results. A total of 53 cases included 7 male cases and 46 female cases with the median age of 35.4 years (14–67). Abdominal pain and mass were the most common clinical presentations. The radiological presentations were consistent with solid and cystic pattern in 18 cases, solid pattern in 25 cases, and cystic pattern in 10 cases. The predominant location of tumor was pancreatic body and tail. The mean size of the tumors was 6.4 cm. Aggressive en bloc resection combined with organ-preserving should be indicated whenever feasible. Follow-up information was available for 48 patients with a median follow-up time of 48 months. The 5-year disease-specific survival was 95.7%. Incomplete capsule was not only the predictive factor of malignancy but also the significant predictor of disease-specific survival. Conclusion. Incomplete capsule may suggest a malignant SPN and a prognostic indicator of disease-specific survival. We recommend that surgeons consider a more radical resection with an incomplete capsule of tumor.
Effect of Endocrown Restorations with Different CAD/CAM Materials: 3D Finite Element and Weibull Analyses
Authors: Gulec Laden , Ulusoy Nuran
Published: September 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two endocrown designs and computer aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) materials on stress distribution and failure probability of restorations applied to severely damaged endodontically treated maxillary first premolar tooth (MFP). Two types of designs without and with 3 mm intraradicular extensions, endocrown (E) and modified endocrown (ME), were modeled on a 3D Finite element (FE) model of the MFP. Vitablocks Mark II (VMII), Vita Enamic (VE), and Lava Ultimate (LU) CAD/CAM materials were used for each type of design. von Mises and maximum principle values were evaluated and the Weibull function was incorporated with FE analysis to calculate the long term failure probability. Regarding the stresses that occurred in enamel, for each group of material, ME restoration design transmitted less stress than endocrown. During normal occlusal function, the overall failure probability was minimum for ME with VMII. ME restoration design with VE was the best restorative option for premolar teeth with extensive loss of coronal structure under high occlusal loads. Therefore, ME design could be a favorable treatment option for MFPs with missing palatal cusp. Among the CAD/CAM materials tested, VMII and VE were found to be more tooth-friendly than LU.
Optimization of Consignment-Store-Based Supply Chain with Black Hole Algorithm
Authors: Bányai Ágota , Bányai Tamás , Illés Béla
Published: September 2017

The globalization of economy and market led to increased networking in the field of manufacturing and services. These manufacturing and service processes including supply chain became more and more complex. The supply chain includes in many cases consignment stores. The design and operation of these complex supply chain processes can be described as NP-hard optimization problems. These problems can be solved using sophisticated models and methods based on metaheuristic algorithms. This research proposes an integrated supply model based on consignment stores. After a careful literature review, this paper introduces a mathematical model to formulate the problem of consignment-store-based supply chain optimization. The integrated model includes facility location and assignment problems to be solved. Next, an enhanced black hole algorithm dealing with multiobjective supply chain model is presented. The sensitivity analysis of the heuristic black hole optimization method is also described to check the efficiency of new operators to increase the convergence of the algorithm. Numerical results with different datasets demonstrate how the proposed model supports the efficiency, flexibility, and reliability of the consignment-store-based supply chain.
Model Checking Temporal Logic Formulas Using Sticker Automata
Authors: Zhu Weijun , Feng Changwei , Wu Huanmei
Published: September 2017

As an important complex problem, the temporal logic model checking problem is still far from being fully resolved under the circumstance of DNA computing, especially Computation Tree Logic (CTL), Interval Temporal Logic (ITL), and Projection Temporal Logic (PTL), because there is still a lack of approaches for DNA model checking. To address this challenge, a model checking method is proposed for checking the basic formulas in the above three temporal logic types with DNA molecules. First, one-type single-stranded DNA molecules are employed to encode the Finite State Automaton (FSA) model of the given basic formula so that a sticker automaton is obtained. On the other hand, other single-stranded DNA molecules are employed to encode the given system model so that the input strings of the sticker automaton are obtained. Next, a series of biochemical reactions are conducted between the above two types of single-stranded DNA molecules. It can then be decided whether the system satisfies the formula or not. As a result, we have developed a DNA-based approach for checking all the basic formulas of CTL, ITL, and PTL. The simulated results demonstrate the effectiveness of the new method.
Massive Fluctuations in Deconfining SU(2) Yang-Mills Thermodynamics
Authors: Bischer Ingolf
Published: September 2017

We review how vertex constraints inherited from the thermal ground state strongly reduce the integration support of loop four-momenta associated with massive quasiparticles in bubble diagrams constituting corrections to the free thermal quasiparticle pressure. In spite of the observed increasingly suppressing effect when increasing 2-particle-irreducible (2PI) loop order, a quantitative analysis enables us to disprove the conjecture voiced in hep-th/0609033 that the loop expansion would terminate at a finite order. This reveals the necessity to investigate exact expressions of (at least some) higher-loop order diagrams. Explicit calculation shows that although the behaviour of the 2PI three-loop contribution at low temperatures displays hierarchical suppression compared to lower loop orders, its high-temperature expression instead dominates all lower orders. However, an all-loop-order resummation of a class of 2PI bubble diagrams is shown to yield an analytic continuation of the low-temperature hierarchy to all temperatures in the deconfining phase.
Priority-Based Dynamic Multichannel Transmission Scheme for Industrial Wireless Networks
Authors: Igarashi Yuichi , Matsuura Yoshiki , Koizumi Minoru , Wakamiya Naoki
Published: September 2017

Industrial wireless sensor network (IWSN) applications are required to provide precise measurement functions as feedback for controlling devices. Current industrial wireless communication protocols, such as ISA100.11a and wirelessHART, have difficulty, however, in guaranteeing latency for unpredictable on-demand communications. In this paper, a priority-based dynamic multichannel transmission scheme is proposed for IWSNs. In the proposed scheme, a root node controls the transmission timing of high-priority packets, while other nodes autonomously decide what channel to use and when to transmit packets to a neighbor. Simulation results show that real time control is possible where a response delay from transmission of a request to reception of a reply at a root node is within 1,140 ms at per-link communication success probability with a retry of higher than 93%.
Toeplitz Operators on Abstract Hardy Spaces Built upon Banach Function Spaces
Authors: Karlovich Alexei Yu.
Published: September 2017

Let X be a Banach function space over the unit circle T and let H[X] be the abstract Hardy space built upon X. If the Riesz projection P is bounded on X and a∈L∞, then the Toeplitz operator Taf=P(af) is bounded on H[X]. We extend well-known results by Brown and Halmos for X=L2 and show that, under certain assumptions on the space X, the Toeplitz operator Ta is bounded (resp., compact) if and only if a∈L∞ (resp., a=0). Moreover, aL∞≤TaB(H[X])≤PB(X)aL∞. These results are specified to the cases of abstract Hardy spaces built upon Lebesgue spaces with Muckenhoupt weights and Nakano spaces with radial oscillating weights.