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This paper proposes a prediction method based on chaos theory and an improved empirical-modal-decomposition particle-swarm-optimization long short-term-memory (EMD-PSO-LSTM)-combined optimization process for passenger flow data with high nonlinearity and dynamic space-time dependence, using EMD to process the original passenger flow data and generate several eigenmodal functions (IMFs) and residuals with different characteristic scales. Based on the chaos theory, each component of the PSO algorithm was improved by introducing an inertia factor to facilitate the adjustment of its search capability to improve optimization. Each subsequence of the phase-space reconstruction was built into an improved PSO-LSTM prediction model, and the output of each prediction model was summed to determine the final output. Experimental studies were performed using data from the North Railway Station of Chengdu Rail Transit, and the results showed that the proposed model can generate better prediction results. The proposed model obtained root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) of 16.0908 and 11.3704, respectively. Compared with the LSTM, the improved PSO-LSTM, the improved EMD-PSO-LSTM, and the model proposed in this paper improved the RMSE values by 25.53%, 29.97%, and 58.76%, respectively, and the MAE values by 30.41%, 40.13%, and 63.08%, respectively, of the prediction results.

Objective. This investigation probed the prognostic potential for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), melanoma inhibitory activity protein (MIA), and S-100B protein in cases of malignant melanoma. Methods. 84 cases were segregated into effective cohort (n = 64) and ineffective cohort (n = 20) depending on clinical efficacy. The cases were followed up for three years and segregated into mortality cohort (n = 29) and survival cohort (n = 55) depending upon 3-year survival. Serum LDH, MIA, and S-100B levels were compared across the effective and ineffective cohorts. Serum LDH, MIA, and S-100B levels in cases of different clinical stages were comparatively analyzed, with correlations of these indicators with the clinical stage being evaluated. ROC evaluated the prognostic potential of serum LDH, MIA, and S-100B. Cases were segregated into the high-level and low-level cohorts according to serum LDH, MIA, and S-100B levels, and the survival rates of cases were compared. Results. The levels of LDH, MIA, and S-100B in the effective cohort were significantly lower than those in the ineffective cohort. The AUC value of the composite indicator of serum LDH, MIA, and S-100B for effectiveness evaluation was (0.839). Serum LDH, MIA, and S-100B levels were positively linked to the clinical stage. AUC value of the composite indicator of serum LDH, MIA, and S-100B for prognosis evaluation prediction (0.942) was elevated compared to LDH (0.632), MIA (0.732), or S-100B (0.828) alone. Survival rate of cases of LDH ≥30.56 mg/L (57.14%, 32/56) was lower than that of cases of LDH P < 0.05 ). The survival rate of MIA ≥5.34 ng/mL cases was lower than that of MIA

A new assessment method is proposed considering shortcomings of the current investigations for the assessment of underground structures considering seismic load. First, the dynamic elastic modulus and damping ratio of sand are studied based on the dynamic characteristic experiment of the soil. Subsequently, a series of design acceleration time history curves are obtained using the proposed methods. Finally, the seismic response of underground structures is evaluated by a three-dimensional numerical simulation. The results indicate that the dynamic elastic modulus of sand decreases with the increase of dynamic elastic strain and increases with the increase of confining pressure. The influence of confining pressure on the damping ratio of sand is slight, but it can still be seen that the damping ratio decreases with the increase of confining pressure, especially when the dynamic elastic strain is relatively low. The interlayer displacement between the top and middle plate is 2.1 mm and the interlayer displacement angle is 1/2650. The interlayer displacement between the middle and bottom plate is 1.7 mm and the interlayer displacement angle is 1/4117. Under the action of fortification earthquake, the interlayer displacement angles of Taiyuan Street station are less than 1/550, indicating that the structure meets the seismic requirements.

This article is devoted to study the axial compression behaviour of recycled concrete-filled steel tubular (RCFST) columns after high temperature. Several axial compression members’ internal mechanisms are analyzed by combining experimental and finite element analysis (FEA). Firstly, the failure mode of axial compression members is studied by experiments. Then, based on the correct constitutive relationship between recycled concrete and steel, the finite element model is established by ABAQUS software, and theoretical analysis and experimental verification are carried out, which are in good agreement. The effects of different parameters such as temperature, substitution rate, and bond strength of the coefficient on the whole load-strain curve are compared. The results show that the bearing capacity of recycled concrete-filled steel tubular columns decreases with the increase in temperature and replacement rate. The bond coefficient between steel tubular and core concrete has little effect on the specimen’s overall axial compressive mechanical properties. The interaction force P rises slightly along the height after the high temperature at the peak load, as it gradually moves away from the cover. In the square section, corners show stress concentration, and bulge deformation occurs first under the condition of axial compression.

The distribution line network is the electric power infrastructure directly facing the users, with the characteristics of large coverage and complex network, and its operation safety is directly related to the stability and reliability of the power supply system, which is the key link to ensure the safety of power supply and the reliability of residential electricity consumption. In order to realize the autonomous obstacle avoidance and autonomous navigation of the live working manipulator for inspection and maintenance of the power grid equipment, a mobile manipulator intelligent control method combining SumTree-weighted sampling and deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) is proposed. Firstly, the traditional DDPG algorithm is improved to optimize the action value function of Q-learning to get a better control strategy, and the weighted sampling technique is used to add priority to each sample in the replay buffer, which improves the learning speed and accelerates the convergence speed. The corresponding environmental state space is designed, and simulation experiments are conducted to verify the proposed manipulator control method. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method performs better than traditional DDPG and DQN methods in obstacle avoidance and navigation tasks, with faster convergence, better path planning ability, and lower offset cost, which can provide theoretical and technical references for realizing fully autonomous power grid inspection operations.

The lower Wuerhe formation reservoir of the 8th district is a blocky, ultra-low-permeability gravel reservoir with poor waterflooding development, and it is urgent to attack the gas injection gravity flooding. The barrier property of seepage barriers such as interlayers developed inside the reservoir is very important for the study of gas injection gravity flooding. The mineral composition, pore throat structure, and physical characteristics of the interlayer rocks were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) whole-rock analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The gas injection breakthrough pressure of the interlayer was studied by core breakthrough experiment and digital core simulation. Based on the determination of the interlayer criteria, logging was used to interpret and characterize the interlayer. The effects of different types of interlayer combinations on gas injection were studied by combining the physical model and numerical simulation methods. The results showed that the lithology of the interlayer in the lower Wuerhe formation of the 8th district was mainly mud-bearing fine gravel with microporosity, average porosity of 6.1% and permeability of 0.0043 mD. The interlayer gas injection breakthrough pressure and permeability were in a logarithmic linear relationship, and the lower limit of gas injection breakthrough under reservoir conditions was 0.003 mD. Initially, it is difficult to flood the upper remaining oil of the gas injection due to the blockage of the interlayer, while in the middle and late stage, the gas-liquid interface gradually reached stability with the increase in injected gas, which has little impact on the final recovery. These results indicate that it is feasible to carry out gas injection gravity flooding in this reservoir.

Purpose. To evaluate the biomechanics of a novel fusion strategy (hybrid internal fixation+horizontal cage position) in minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF). Methods. MIS-TLIF finite element models for three fusion strategies were created based on computed tomography images, namely, Model-A, hybrid internal fixation (ipsilateral pedicle screw and contralateral translaminar facet screw fixation)+horizontal cage position; Model-B, bilateral pedicle screw (BPS) fixation+horizontal cage position; and Model-C, BPS fixation+oblique 45° cage position. A preload of 500 N and a moment of 10 Nm were applied to the models to simulate lumbar motion, and the models’ range of motion (ROM), peak stress of the internal fixation system, and cage were assessed. Results. The ROM for Models A, B, and C were not different ( P > 0.05 ) but were significantly lower than the ROM of Model-INT ( P < 0.0001 ). Although there were subtle differences in the ROM ratio for Models A, B, and C, the trend was similar. The peak stress of the internal fixation system was significantly higher in Model-A than that of Models B and C, but only the difference between Models A and B was significant ( P < 0.05 ). The peak stress of the cage in Model-A was significantly lower than that of Models B and C ( P < 0.01 ). Conclusion. Hybrid internal fixation with horizontal single cage implantation can provide the same biomechanical stability as traditional fixation while reducing peak stress on the cage and vertebral endplate.

This paper presents the numerical analysis of prestressed reinforced concrete (PRC) beams strengthened with near-surface mounted (NSM) carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP). ABAQUS finite element software was used to simulate the existing test beams to investigate the flexural behaviors of PRC beams strengthened with NSM CFRP strips. The finite element model of beams strengthened with NSM CFRP strips was established. The finite element calculation results were compared with the experimental results to verify the accuracy and effectiveness of the model. Based on this model, the influences of concrete strength grade and amount of CFRP strips on the flexural behaviors of directly strengthened beams and the cycle numbers and overload amplitude on the flexural behaviors of damaged strengthened beam were further analyzed, and the load-carrying capacity calculation formula of PRC beam strengthened with NSM CFRP strips was established. The results showed that the simulation results and the theoretical calculation were consistent with the test results. With the increase of concrete strength grade and amount of CFRP strips, the ultimate load of directly strengthened beams increased significantly, with a maximum increase of 21.3% and 23.0%, respectively. When the concrete strength grade exceeded C50, the improvement of the ultimate load was limited. When the overload amplitude was less than 60% of the ultimate load, the cycle numbers (within 500 times) had little effect on the yield load, ultimate load, and deformation. When the overload amplitude was higher than 60% of the ultimate load, the deformation increased, and the ultimate load decreased with the increase of the cycle numbers. The larger the overload amplitude, the smaller the ultimate load, and the larger the deformation under the same cycle numbers.

Objective. To investigate the expression and regulation mechanism of miR-29c-3p and cell division cycle associated 4 (CDCA4) in melanoma (MM). Data and Methods. Fifty-nine patients with MM admitted to our hospital were enrolled as the MM group. They were followed up for 3 years to analyze the prognostic factors; meanwhile, 51 healthy subjects were allocated into a normal group. MM cell lines (M21 and C8161) were transfected with miR-29c-3p-mimics, miR-29c-3p-inhibitor, miR-NC, si-CDCA4, and sh-CDCA4. The expression of miR-29c-3p, CDCA4, Bax, Caspase3, Bcl-2, N-cadherin, vimentin, and E-cadherin was quantified, and cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), were determined. Results. Serum miR-29c-3p was lowly expressed and CDCA4 was highly expressed in the MM group. The area under the curve (AUC) of both for diagnosing MM was greater than 0.9. miR-29c-3p and CDCA4 were related to regional lymph node staging (N staging), distant metastasis (M staging), tumor diameter, and pathological differentiation. Low miR-29c-3p and high CDCA4 were associated with poor prognosis of MM. Overexpression of miR-29c-3p and suppression of CDCA4 hindered cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and expression of Bax, Caspase3, N-cadherin, and vimentin, but cell apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2 and E-cadherin were enhanced. Dual-luciferase reporter (DLR) assay confirmed the targeted relationship between miR-29c-3p and CDCA4. After miR-29c-3p-mimics+sh-CDCA4 was transfected into M21 and C8161 cells, the proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis were not different from those in the miR-NC group transfected with unrelated sequences. Conclusion. Overexpression of miR-29c-3p suppresses CDCA4 expression and decreases proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and EMT of MM cells, thus hindering MM progression.

The free vibration characteristics of steel-concrete composite continuous beams (SCCCBs) are analyzed based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. A modified dynamic direct stiffness method has been developed, which can be used to analyze the SCCCBs with some lumped masses and elastic boundary conditions. The results obtained by the proposed method are exact due to the elimination of approximated displacement and force fields in derivation. The proposed method is verified by comparing its results with those obtained by ANSYS software and laboratory tests. Then, the influencing factors on the reduction of natural frequency are analyzed and discussed in detail using the proposed method. The results show that stronger interfacial interaction results in higher values of natural frequency as well as larger steel subbeam and thinner concrete slab. The smaller the natural frequency of the SCCCBs is, the more significant effect the interfacial interaction on the natural frequency is. The reduction of natural frequency is not affected by the different numbers of spans but the equal single-span length and various ratios of the side span to the main span but equal total length, but it is influenced by the extra single-span length and different ratios of the side span to the main span but equal main span length. And it is only affected by bending stiffness. Furthermore, the reasonable ratio of the side span to the main span is 0.9∼1.0.

This article investigates an asynchronous adaptive fault-tolerant control problem for Markov jump systems (MJSs) with actuator failures and absolutely unknown nonlinear disturbances. The hidden Markov model (HMM) is used to describe the asynchronization phenomenon between the controller and the modes of the original system. Moreover, by using the designed adaptive law, the values of actuator partial failures and the bounds of the unknown nonlinear disturbances can be estimated, respectively. Furthermore, the HMM-based asynchronous adaptive fault-tolerant controller is provided to ensure that the closed-loop system is asymptotically stable despite of unknown nonlinear disturbances. Finally, numerical examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Single image super-resolution (SISR) has been a very attractive research topic in recent years. Breakthroughs in SISR have been achieved due to deep learning and generative adversarial networks (GANs). However, the generated image still suffers from undesired artifacts. In this paper, we propose a new method named GMGAN for SISR tasks. In this method, to generate images more in line with human vision system (HVS), we design a quality loss by integrating an image quality assessment (IQA) metric named gradient magnitude similarity deviation (GMSD). To our knowledge, it is the first time to truly integrate an IQA metric into SISR. Moreover, to overcome the instability of the original GAN, we use a variant of GANs named improved training of Wasserstein GANs (WGAN-GP). Besides GMGAN, we highlight the importance of training datasets. Experiments show that GMGAN with quality loss and WGAN-GP can generate visually appealing results and set a new state of the art. In addition, large quantity of high-quality training images with rich textures can benefit the results.

Objective. Danshen, the root ofSalvia miltiorrhizaBunge, is a traditional herbal medicine in China, which has been used to treat irregular menstruation, cold hernia, and abdominal pain for thousands of years. Danshen is frequently used in combination with drugs to treat cardiovascular diseases. Clopidogrel is a commonly used drug for treating coronary heart disease, but clopidogrel resistance restricts its development. Therefore, the clinical efficacy of Danshen combined with clopidogrel treats coronary heart disease and the relationship between Danshen and clopidogrel metabolism enzymes is suggested for future investigations.Materials and Methods. The information was collected by searching online databases, and the RevMan 5.3 software was used to perform meta-analysis.Results. Twenty-two articles, including 2587 patients, were enrolled after the evaluation. Meta-analysis showed that Danshen combined with clopidogrel was more effective than clopidogrel alone in treating coronary heart disease by improving clinical curative effect, reducing the frequency of angina pectoris, improving electrocardiogram results, shortening the duration of angina pectoris, and easing adverse reactions. Danshen inhibited carboxylesterase 1 and most enzyme of cytochrome P450, especially cytochrome P450 1A2, which may affect the metabolism of clopidogrel.Conclusion. Danshen combined with clopidogrel may compensate for individual differences of clopidogrel resistance among individuals in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Meanwhile, the inhibitory effect of Danshen on cytochrome P450 and carboxylesterase 1 could be partly responsible for the synergistic and attenuating effects of Danshen combined with clopidogrel.

Assessing the demand hazards of structures is requested in the framework of performance-based earthquake engineering. An efficient method for estimating the seismic risk of structures is proposed in this paper. The relationship between multiple limit capacities and corresponding response parameters is denoted by using a generalized multidimensional limit state equation. The limit states of different components are described as random and convex mixed variables. The seismic responses of different components are considered dependent and follow a multidimensional lognormal distribution. The mathematical formula of multidimensional demand hazards of structures is then derived through combining the seismic fragility function and the seismic hazard curve. The proposed method is used to perform the demand hazard analysis and the parameter sensitivity analysis of a multispan continuous concrete girder bridge, selecting column ductility and bearing displacement as the two-dimensional seismic response parameters obtained by Incremental Dynamic Analysis. The results demonstrate that the coefficient of variation and correlation coefficient N, which are involved in the limit state equation, have an impact on the evaluation of the demand hazards.

A new formulation on seismic risk assessment for structures with both random and uncertain-but-bounded variables is investigated in this paper. Limit thresholds are regarded as random variables. The median of random variables is described through an improved multidimensional parallelepiped (IMP) convex model, in which the uncertain domain of the dependent bounded variables can be explicitly expressed. The corresponding Engineering Demand Parameters are taken to be dependent and follow a multidimensional lognormal distribution. Through matrix transformation, a given performance function is transformed into the regularized one. An effective method based on active learning Kriging model (ALK) is introduced to approximate the performance function in the region of interest rather than in the overall uncertain space. Based on ALK model, the failure probabilities for different limit states are calculated by using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). Further, the failure probabilities for different limit states in 50 years can be obtained through coupling the seismic failure probability with the ground motion hazard curve. A six-story reinforced concrete building subjected to ground motions is investigated to the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method. The interstory drift and the acceleration as two responses of the case study are, respectively, obtained by utilizing Incremental Dynamic Analysis and nonlinear history analysis.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) is spatially variable in accumulation landslide sites that exert significant effort onto landslide seepage and deformation behavior. To better understand spatial variability and the effect of Ks on the slide mass of an accumulation landslide, this study introduced the surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) technology to study a representative reservoir accumulation landslide field in the Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGRA), the Baishuihe landslide, to obtain a series of relative reliable spatial measurements of Ks effectively on the basis of calibration in terms of the field tests measurements. The estimated Ks values were distributed log-normally for the overall landslide mass site with a wide range of 3.00 × 10−6∼7.80 × 10−3 cm/s, which reaches about 3 orders of magnitude. Variogram analysis indicated that the Ks values have the range (A) of 295.89 m and 65.56 m for the overall site and major cross-sectional analysis, respectively. A finite-element seepage-stress analysis associated with a Kriging-interpolated spatial Ks variable calculation model based on the best-fitted theoretical variogram was subsequently performed to study the seepage and deformation behavior of the landslide. The available monitored data and simulated results of the finite-element seepage-stress analysis indicated that the Baishuihe landslide is a progressive landslide, and the main factor influencing the deformation is rainfall and reservoir water fluctuation. This study provides an unconventional framework for studying the heterogeneous geomaterial and contributes to a better understanding of the spatial variation of the hydraulic property of accumulation reservoir landslides at a field scale.

In this paper, by employing the Zhang neural network (ZNN) method, an effective continuous-time LU decomposition (CTLUD) model is firstly proposed, analyzed, and investigated for solving the time-varying LU decomposition problem. Then, for the convenience of digital hardware realization, this paper proposes three discrete-time models by using Euler, 4-instant Zhang et al. discretization (ZeaD), and 8-instant ZeaD formulas to discretize the proposed CTLUD model, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed models are used to perform the LU decomposition of three time-varying matrices with different dimensions. Results indicate that the proposed models are effective for solving the time-varying LU decomposition problem, and the 8-instant ZeaD LU decomposition model has the highest precision among the three discrete-time models.

A modified moving loads’ model is proposed for the vehicle-bridge coupling vibration simulation. Taking the vehicle-bridge interaction model (VBI) as the reference, the accuracy and applicability of the three calculation models, namely, moving loads’ model, moving mass model, and spring-damper-mass model, are compared using the frequently-used railway simply-supported beam with a span of 32 meters as the research object. Influencing factors such as vehicle speed, mass ratio of vehicle and beam, and primary spring stiffness on the dynamic response of the vehicle-bridge system are discussed in detail. The results show that the moving load model has the best performance on the stability of the deviation rate, but its calculation results are smaller than the other two methods as well as the VBI. The values of the deviation rate for the moving mass model and the spring-damper-mass model are large, and the stability of those are insufficient in the range of 80%∼120% of the first resonance velocity. Except for that, the results of the two models are in good agreement with the VBI model. According to above analysis, a modified moving loads’ model with two amplification coefficients, namely, 1.10 for the range of 90%∼105% of the first resonance velocity and 1.05 for other velocities, are proposed, which has higher calculation efficiency and accuracy.

Background. The Traditional Chinese Medicine NiuBeiXiaoHe (NBXH) is a valid antituberculosis (TB) prescription from the experience of clinical practice. However, the mechanism of NBXH extracts’ immunotherapy has been poorly understood. Herein, the immunotherapeutic efficacy and the differentially expressed (DE) genes of NBXH extracts were evaluated and identified in BALB/c mice. Methods. The total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and the DE genes were identified by gene chip. The enrichment and signaling pathway analyses were performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG database. Results. It was shown that the treatment of NBXH extracts (high dose) significantly reduced mycobacteria loads and histopathological lesions in mice infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and resulted in 3,454 DE upregulated genes and 3,594 downregulated DE genes. Furthermore, NBXH extracts killed mycobacteria by inhibiting the supply of necessary ingredients for their growth and proliferation. They restored the disordered immune microenvironments by up- or downregulating immune and inflammation-related pathways. Conclusions. Taken together, NBXH extracts not only efficiently decreased the mycobacteria loads but also balanced the immune disorders in mice. These new findings provide a fresh perspective for elucidating the immunotherapeutic mechanism of NBXH extracts and pointed out the direction for improving the treatment efficacy of NBXH extracts.

To determine the impact of influencing factors on unsupported roof stability in coal mine roadway, a mechanical model of the unsupported roof was built. FLAC 3D numerical simulation was utilized to study the stability of the unsupported roof under the influence of the depth of the roadway, the thickness of the roof, and the unsupported-support distance. In view of the key influencing factors, the geological conditions of the site, and the relationship between the tensile stress and tensile strength of the unsupported roof, the maximum unsupported roof distance during roadway excavation was determined. Considering the surplus safety factor of the unsupported roof, the reasonable unsupported roof distance during the excavation of roadway 150802 was finally determined to be 2.08 m. The comprehensive roadway excavation speed increased by 62.7%, achieving a monthly progress over 500 m.

Background. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for over 80% of all lung cancers. Serum microRNAs (miRNAs), due to their high stability, have the potential to become valuable noninvasive biomarkers. This present study was aimed to identify the serum miRNAs expression signatures for the diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLC using bioinformatics analysis. Methods. A total of 12 miRNAs profiling studies have been identified in Pubmed, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and ArreyExpress databases. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were analyzed according to GEO2R online tool and RRA method from R. Then, prediction of DEmiRNAs’ target genes from TargetScan, PicTar, miRDB, Tarbase, and miRanda database. Furthermore, we using reverse transcription– quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to evaluate the expression levels of DEmiRNAs in serum samples obtained from NSCLC patients and healthy controls. Subsequently, the clinical significance of the tested miRNAs was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Cox regression analysis. Results. A total of 27 DEmiRNAs were identified and 5 of them (miR-1228-3p, miR-1228-5p, miR-133a-3p, miR-1273f, miR-545-3p) were significantly up-regulated and 4 of them (miR-181a-5p, miR-266-5p, miR-361-5p, miR-130a-3p) were significantly down-regulated in NSCLC patients compared with healthy controls. RT-qPCR validated that miR-1228-3p (P =0.006) and miR-181a-5p (P =0.030) were significantly differentially expressed in the serum of NSCLC patients and healthy controls. ROC analysis on miR-1228-3p and miR-181a-5p revealed the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.685 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.563–0.806; P =0.006) and 0.647 (95% CI, 0.506–0.758; P =0.049). ROC analysis on miR-1228-3p combined miR-181a-5p revealed the AUC of 0.711 (95% CI, 0.593–0.828; P =0.002). Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the high serum miR-1228-3p level was an independent factor for the poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. Conclusions. Serum miR-1228-3p and miR-181a-5p are potential noninvasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLC patients.

The K-means algorithm is one of the ten classic algorithms in the area of data mining and has been studied by researchers in numerous fields for a long time. However, the value of the clustering number k in the K-means algorithm is not always easy to be determined, and the selection of the initial centers is vulnerable to outliers. This paper proposes an improved K-means clustering algorithm called the covering K-means algorithm (C-K-means). The C-K-means algorithm can not only acquire efficient and accurate clustering results but also self-adaptively provide a reasonable numbers of clusters based on the data features. It includes two phases: the initialization of the covering algorithm (CA) and the Lloyd iteration of the K-means. The first phase executes the CA. CA self-organizes and recognizes the number of clusters k based on the similarities in the data, and it requires neither the number of clusters to be prespecified nor the initial centers to be manually selected. Therefore, it has a “blind” feature, that is, k is not preselected. The second phase performs the Lloyd iteration based on the results of the first phase. The C-K-means algorithm combines the advantages of CA and K-means. Experiments are carried out on the Spark platform, and the results verify the good scalability of the C-K-means algorithm. This algorithm can effectively solve the problem of large-scale data clustering. Extensive experiments on real data sets show that the accuracy and efficiency of the C-K-means algorithm outperforms the existing algorithms under both sequential and parallel conditions.

The diffusion of codes is an important processing technology for big data networks. In previous scheme, data analysis was conducted for small samples of big data and complex problems that cannot be processed by big data technology. Due to the limited capacity of intelligence device, a better method is to select a set of nodes (intelligence device) to form a connected dominating set (CDS) to save energy, and constructing CDS is proved to be a complete NP problem. However, it is a challenge to reduce the communication delay and complexity for urgent data transmission in big data. In this paper, an appropriate duty cycle control (ADCC) scheme is proposed to reduce communication delay and complexity while improving energy efficient in CDS-based WSNs. In ADCC scheme, the method for constructing CDS is proposed at lower complexity. Nodes in CDS are selected according to the degree of nodes. Then, duty cycle of dominator nodes in CDS is higher than that of dominated nodes, so the communication delay in the proposed scheme is far less than that of previous scheme. The duty cycle of dominated nodes is small to save energy. This is because the number of dominator nodes in CDS is far less than the number of dominated nodes whose duty cycle is small; thus, the total energy consumption of the network is less than that of the previous scheme. As a result, the performance of energy consumption and communication delay and complex have been improved. Its complexity O∑i=0vm−i+2m−2v−s is reduced a lot for big data. The theoretical analysis shows that compared to the previous scheme, the transmission delay can be reduced 25–92% and the energy efficiency is improved by about 80% while retaining network lifetime.

Heart disease is one of the most common diseases in the world. The objective of this study is to aid the diagnosis of heart disease using a hybrid classification system based on the ReliefF and Rough Set (RFRS) method. The proposed system contains two subsystems: the RFRS feature selection system and a classification system with an ensemble classifier. The first system includes three stages: (i) data discretization, (ii) feature extraction using the ReliefF algorithm, and (iii) feature reduction using the heuristic Rough Set reduction algorithm that we developed. In the second system, an ensemble classifier is proposed based on the C4.5 classifier. The Statlog (Heart) dataset, obtained from the UCI database, was used for experiments. A maximum classification accuracy of 92.59% was achieved according to a jackknife cross-validation scheme. The results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed system is superior to the performances of previously reported classification techniques.

Many physiological activities such as cell survival, proliferation, defense, adaptation, and metabolism need to consume energy. Hepatoma cells can quickly start stress responses like multidrug resistance (MDR) requiring adenosine triphosphate (ATP) consumption after administration of chemotherapeutics. We employed CCK-8 assay to evaluate cell viability and the flow cytometry to confirm apoptosis and necrosis. ELISA kit was used to determine intracellular levels of ATP in lysates. Western blot was employed to analyze the expressions of key enzymes involved in energy metabolism. We found that doxorubicin (DOX) potently stimulated apoptosis at a low dose and even induced necrosis at a high dose in SMMC-7721. DHZCP combined with DOX at low or middle dose enhanced the synergistic antihepatoma effect. Results indicated that Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DHZCP) inhibited the expressions of several key enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and reduced intracellular ATP levels. The combination of DHZCP with DOX reversed the elevation of intracellular ATP levels, and a significantly synergistic antitumor effect was observed. DHZCP could not only strengthen the therapeutic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs but also decrease the doses of chemotherapeutic drugs and the incidences of adverse reactions, providing novel strategies for clinical treatment of liver cancer.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood glucose and/or high serum free fatty acids. Chronic hyperlipidemia causes the dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells, which is aggravated in the presence of hyperglycemia (glucolipotoxicity). Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been suggested to play key roles in type 1 diabetes mellitus development. However, their roles in glucolipotoxicity-induced beta cell dysfunction are not fully understood. In the present study, we identified the differentially expressed lncRNAs in INS-1 cells exposed to high glucose and palmitate (HG/PA). Among the dysregulated lncRNAs, NONRATT003679.2 (low expression in glucolipotoxicity-treated beta cells (LEGLTBC)) was involved in glucolipotoxicity-evoked rat islet beta cell damage. LEGLTBC functioned as a molecular sponge of miR-34a in INS-1 cells. Additionally, SIRT1 was identified as a target of miR-34a and LEGLTBC promoted SIRT1 expression by sponging miR-34a. The upregulation of LEGLTBC attenuated HG/PA-induced INS-1 cell injury through the promotion of SIRT1-mediated suppression of ROS accumulation and apoptosis. This is the first study to comprehensively identify the lncRNA expression profiling of HG/PA-treated INS-1 beta cells and to demonstrate that LEGLTBC functions as a competing endogenous RNA and regulates miR-34a/SIRT1-mediated oxidative stress and apoptosis in INS-1 cells undergoing glucolipotoxicity.

During organ culture of intact vessels, endothelin receptors (ETRs) were upregulated in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) by various stimuli, but whether inflammation alters ETR expression in vivo remains unclear. We aimed to explore the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge on ETR expression in the VSMC in vivo. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of LPS (5 mg/kg body weight) or normal saline (NS) for 6 hrs. The function and expression of ETR type A (ETA) and type B (ETB) were evaluated in the mesenteric arteries without endothelium, by using myograph system, real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level was assessed by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that, compared to control (NS) group, LPS treatment potently enhanced the vasoconstriction mediated by ETA or ETB in rat mesenteric artery, with elevated maximum effects. ETA and ETB expressions in the VSMC were increased at both mRNA and protein levels after LPS treatment, paralleled with activation of the NF-κB pathway and augmented serum TNF-α level. Conclusively, in the rat model of immediate systemic inflammation induced by LPS, ETA and ETB expressions were increased in the mesenteric arterial VSMC, paralleled with enhanced receptor-mediated vasoconstriction and activation of the NF-κB pathway. Our data has for the first time demonstrated the upregulation of ETRs in VSMCs by LPS-induced immediate inflammation in vivo.

Evidence from clinical data suggests that the stenotic side branch (SB) is one of the key predictors for SB occlusion-based adverse events. In this study, we hypothesized that coronary bifurcations with stenotic SB might lead to severe concentration polarization of atherogenic lipids, such as the low-density lipoproteins (LDL), motivating the adverse events in the clinic. To confirm this hypothesis, this work numerically investigated the transport of LDL in different bifurcation lesions based on the Medina classification with various location and stenosis severities. The results showed that the coronary bifurcations with stenotic SB might be suffering more serious concentration polarization of LDL on the luminal surface of the SB due to higher level of LDL concentrations. Moreover, compared to the other bifurcation lesion types, the type (1,0,1) had the highest luminal surface LDL concentration along the SB and the highest degree of risk to enhance the process of atherosclerosis. In addition, this study also showed that the luminal surface LDL concentration increased with elevated stenosis severity. The type (1,0,1) with the severe stenosis (75% diameter reduction) had the highest concentration at the SB. In conclusion, these results suggested that both location of lesions and stenosis severities had great influence on the distribution of LDL on the luminal surface of the SB. Therefore, the estimation of disease severity and the interventional therapy should be carried out not only according to the stenosis severities in clinic. Moreover, compared to the other bifurcation lesion types, the type (1,0,1), rather than the type (1,1,1) as usually considered, had the highest luminal surface LDL concentration along the SB and the highest degree of risk to enhance the process of atherosclerosis.

The aim of this study is to develop an ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography method coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry for simultaneous determination of tetrandrine, fangchinoline, atractylenolide I, atractylenolide III, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, glycyrrhizin, liquiritin, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquiritigenin in Fangji Huangqi Tang (FHT). The chromatographic separation was performed on a reversed-C18column, eluted with a mixture of 0.1% acetic acid and acetonitrile at 0.4 mL/min. The separation of these ten compounds was achieved by linear gradient elution. The method was strictly validated with respect to specificity, precision, accuracy, and repeatability. All the compounds showed good linearities (r≥0.999). The LOQs of the ten components were 0.36, 0.18, 0.09, 0.43, 0.02, 1.89, 0.26, 0.18, 0.61, and 0.48 ng/mL for tetrandrine, fangchinoline, atractylenolide I, atractylenolide III, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, glycyrrhizin, liquiritin, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquiritigenin, respectively. The LODs of the ten components were 0.11, 0.05, 0.03, 0.13, 0.01, 0.57, 0.08, 0.05, 0.18, and 0.14 ng/mL for tetrandrine, fangchinoline, atractylenolide I, atractylenolide III, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, glycyrrhizin, liquiritin, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquiritigenin, respectively. The method was proven to be specific and reliable, which would provide a meaningful basis for the quality control and evaluation of FHT during its clinical application.

Two-sided matching is a hot issue in the field of operation research and decision analysis. This paper reviews the typical two-sided matching models and their limitations in some specific contexts, and then puts forward a new decision model based on uncertain preference sequences. In this model, we first design a data processing method to get preference ordinal value in uncertain preference sequence, then compute the preference distance of each matching pair based on these certain preference ordinal values, set the optimal objectives as maximizing matching number and minimizing total sum of preference distances of all the matching pairs under the lowest threshold constraint of matching effect, and then solve it with branch-and-bound algorithm. Meanwhile, we take two numeral cases as examples and analyze the different matching solutions with one-norm distance, two-norm distance, and positive-infinity-norm distance, respectively. We also compare our decision model with two other approaches, and summarize their characteristics on two-sided matching.

Filter systems are widely used in petrochemical plants for removing solid impurities from hydrocarbon oils. The backwash is the cleaning process used to remove the impurities on the sieves of the filters without a need to interrupt the operation of the entire system. This paper presents a case study based on the actual project of a filter system in a petrochemical plant, to demonstrate the significant effect of vibration on the structural integrity of piping. The induced vibration had led to the structural fatigue failure of the pipes connecting the filter system. A preliminary assessment suggested that the vibrations are caused by the operation of backwashing of the filter system. A process for solving the vibration problem based on the modal analysis of the filter system using the commercial finite element software for simulation is therefore proposed. The computed natural frequencies of the system and the vibration data measured on site are assessed based on the resonance effect of the complete system including the piping connected to the filters. Several approaches are proposed to adjust the natural frequencies of the system in such a way that an optimal and a reasonable solution for solving the vibration problem is obtained. Published version

Consider dividend problems in the diffusion model with interest and exponentially distributed observation time where dividends are paid according to a barrier strategy. Assume that dividends can only be paid with a certain probability at each point of time; that is, on each observation, if the surplus exceeds the barrier level, the excess is paid as dividend. In this paper, integrodifferential equations for the moment-generating function, thenth moment function, and the Laplace transform of ruin time are derived; explicit expressions for the expected discounted dividends paid until ruin and the Laplace transform of ruin time are also obtained.

Market-oriented reverse auction is an efficient and cost-effective method for resource allocation in cloud workflow systems since it can dynamically allocate resources depending on the supply-demand relationship of the cloud market. However, during the auction the price of cloud resource is usually fixed, and the current resource allocation mechanisms cannot adapt to the changeable market properly which results in the low efficiency of resource utilization. To address such a problem, a dynamic pricing reverse auction-based resource allocation mechanism is proposed. During the auction, resource providers can change prices according to the trading situation so that our novel mechanism can increase the chances of making a deal and improve efficiency of resource utilization. In addition, resource providers can improve their competitiveness in the market by lowering prices, and thus users can obtain cheaper resources in shorter time which would decrease monetary cost and completion time for workflow execution. Experiments with different situations and problem sizes are conducted for dynamic pricing-based allocation mechanism (DPAM) on resource utilization and the measurement of Time⁎Cost (TC). The results show that our DPAM can outperform its representative in resource utilization, monetary cost, and completion time and also obtain the optimal price reduction rates.

During winter months, a novel overwintering mode of transferring juvenile abalones to open seawaters in southern China rather than keeping them in closed land-based nursery systems in northern China is a popular practice. The initial size, stocking density and sorting are among the first considerations when establishing an abalone culture system. This study aimed to investigate the effects of these factors on the growth of juvenile Pacific abalone, Haliotis discus hannai Ino, during overwintering. Juvenile abalones were reared in multi-tier basket form for overwintering in open seawaters in southern China for 106 days. The daily growth rates (DGRs) in the shell length of all experimental groups ranged from 67.08 to 135.75 mu m day(-1), while the specific growth rates (SGRs) were 0.2447-0.3259% day(-1). Variance analysis indicated that both DGRs and SGRs in shell length were significantly affected by the initial body size and stocking density. Furthermore, the effects of stocking density on DGRs and SGRs varied with the initial size. However, sorting abalones according to their initial sizes may not be necessary in practice as sorting did not alter growth significantly at all densities in this study. Factors potentially affecting abalone growth such as genetic control and intraspecific competition were discussed.