A dynamic graph optimization framework for multihop device-to-device communication underlaying cellular networks

With emerging demands for local area and popular content sharing services, multihop device-to-device communication is conceived as a vital component of next-generation cellular networks to improve spectral reuse, bring hop gains, and enhance system capacity. Ripening these benefits depends on fundamentally understanding its potential performance impacts and efficiently solving several main technical problems. Aiming to establish a new paradigm for the analysis and design of multihop D2D communications, in this article, we propose a dynamic graph optimization framework that enables the modeling of large-scale systems with multiple D2D pairs and node mobility patterns. By inherently modeling the main technological problems for multihop D2D communications, this framework benefits investigation of theoretical performance limits and studying the optimal system design. Furthermore, these achievable benefits are demonstrated by examples of simulations under a realistic multihop D2D communication underlaying cellular network

Dual-Functional PLGA Nanoparticles Co-Loaded with Indocyanine Green and Resiquimod for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Purpose: With the advance of screening techniques, there is a growing number of low-risk or intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa) cases, remaining a serious threat to men's health. To obtain better efficacy, a growing interest has been attracted to develop such emerging treatments as immunotherapy and focal therapy. However, few studies offer guidance on whether and how to combine these modalities against PCa. This study was designed to develop dual-functional nanoparticles (NPs) which combined photothermal therapy (PTT) with immunotherapy and determine the anti-tumor efficacy for PCa treatment. Methods: By a double emulsion technique, the drug nanocarrier, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) or PLGA, was applied for co-loading of a fluorescent dye, indocyanine green (ICG) and a toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonist resiquimod (R848) to synthesize PLGA-ICG-R848 NPs. Next, we determined their characteristic features and evaluated whether they inhibited the cell viability in multiple PCa cell lines. After treatment with PLGA-ICG-R848, the maturation markers of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) were detected by flow cytometry. By establishing a subcutaneous xenograft model of mouse PCa, we explored both the anti-tumor effect and immune response following the NPs-based laser ablation. Results: With a mean diameter of 157.7 nm, PLGA-ICG-R848 exhibited no cytotoxic effect in PCa cells, but they significantly decreased RM9 cell viability to (3.9 +/- 1.0)% after laser irradiation. Moreover, PLGA-ICG-R848 promoted BMDCs maturation with the significantly elevated proportions of CD11c+CD86+ and CD11c+CD80+ cells. Following PLGA-ICG-R848-based laser ablation in vivo, the decreased bioluminescent signals indicated a significant inhibition of PCa growth, while the ratio of splenic natural killer (NK) cells in PLGA-ICG-R848 was (3.96 +/- 1.88)% compared with (0.99 +/- 0.10)% in PBS group, revealing the enhanced immune response against PCa. Conclusion: The dual-functional PLGA-ICG-R848 NPs under laser irradiation exhibit the anti-tumor efficacy for PCa treatment by combining PTT with immunotherapy

Repurposing of posaconazole as a hedgehog/SMO signaling inhibitor for embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma therapy

Posaconazole (POS) is a novel antifungal agent, which has been repurposed as an anti-tumor drug for its potential inhibition of Hedgehog signaling pathway. Hedgehog pathway is reported to be abnormally activated in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS), this study aimed to reveal whether POS could inhibit Hedgehog signaling pathway in ERMS. Following POS treatment, XTT viability assay was used to determine the cell proliferation of ERMS cell lines. Protein changes related to Hedgehog signaling, cell cycle and autophagy were detected by Western blot. The cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry. Moreover, a subcutaneous tumor mouse model of ERMS was established to assess the anti-tumor effect of POS. POS was found to inhibit tumor progression by inducing G0/G1 arrest and autophagy of RD, RMS-YM, and KYM-1 cells dose-dependently. Western blot demonstrated that POS downregulated the expressions of SMO, Gli1, c-Myc, CDK4, and CDK6, while upregulated the expressions of autophagy-related proteins. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed a significant increase of LC3B puncta in POS-treated ERMS cells. Furthermore, POS treatment led to a significant inhibition of tumor growth in mice bearing ERMS. Our findings could provide a theoretical basis and have important clinical implications in developing POS as a promising agent against ERMS by targeting Hedgehog pathway

Dual-Functional PLGA Nanoparticles Co-Loaded with Indocyanine Green and Resiquimod for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Purpose: With the advance of screening techniques, there is a growing number of low-risk or intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa) cases, remaining a serious threat to men's health. To obtain better efficacy, a growing interest has been attracted to develop such emerging treatments as immunotherapy and focal therapy. However, few studies offer guidance on whether and how to combine these modalities against PCa. This study was designed to develop dual-functional nanoparticles (NPs) which combined photothermal therapy (PTT) with immunotherapy and determine the anti-tumor efficacy for PCa treatment. Methods: By a double emulsion technique, the drug nanocarrier, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) or PLGA, was applied for co-loading of a fluorescent dye, indocyanine green (ICG) and a toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonist resiquimod (R848) to synthesize PLGA-ICG-R848 NPs. Next, we determined their characteristic features and evaluated whether they inhibited the cell viability in multiple PCa cell lines. After treatment with PLGA-ICG-R848, the maturation markers of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) were detected by flow cytometry. By establishing a subcutaneous xenograft model of mouse PCa, we explored both the anti-tumor effect and immune response following the NPs-based laser ablation. Results: With a mean diameter of 157.7 nm, PLGA-ICG-R848 exhibited no cytotoxic effect in PCa cells, but they significantly decreased RM9 cell viability to (3.9 +/- 1.0)% after laser irradiation. Moreover, PLGA-ICG-R848 promoted BMDCs maturation with the significantly elevated proportions of CD11c+CD86+ and CD11c+CD80+ cells. Following PLGA-ICG-R848-based laser ablation in vivo, the decreased bioluminescent signals indicated a significant inhibition of PCa growth, while the ratio of splenic natural killer (NK) cells in PLGA-ICG-R848 was (3.96 +/- 1.88)% compared with (0.99 +/- 0.10)% in PBS group, revealing the enhanced immune response against PCa. Conclusion: The dual-functional PLGA-ICG-R848 NPs under laser irradiation exhibit the anti-tumor efficacy for PCa treatment by combining PTT with immunotherapy

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Dislocation nucleation facilitated by atomic segregation DOI: 10.1038/NMAT5034

This is a set of supplementary data and information supporting the Journal Publication 'Dislocation nucleation facilitated by atomic segregation', DOI: 10.1038/NMAT5034, and available at Journal article in Nature Materials

Aptitude-based methodology for agent-oriented software engineering

In order to build dynamic and open Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) for heterogeneous intelligent entities, we define aptitude model to abstract the intelligent properties for heterogeneous entities, and present an aptitude-based methodology (ABM). By the aptitude model and the methodology, dynamic agent model can be built as a platform and different kinds of entities can implement the agent model to act roles in application domain. In the MAS constructed by ABM, the organization is dynamic by different implementation for roles. In addition, we set a human-machine cooperative gobang system as example. As far as we know, ABM is the first Agent-Oriented Methodology to build dynamic and open MAS for heterogeneous intelligent entities. ? 2010 IEEE.EI

Theoretical and Practical Research on Boosting the High Quality Development of Higher Education by Technical Service Support System

Based on the development trend of higher education and society’s urgent demand for cross-compound talent training, the paper proposes to change the status quo of teachers and students’ weak innovation consciousness of practical teaching, lack of modern testing skills and weak ability of designing comprehensive innovative experiments by constructing the technical service support system and empirical analysis. On the basis of the optimization of experimental teaching conditions, constructing technical service support system and its connotation, the subjective initiative of teachers and students should be brought into full play, and the practical ability and operation ability of teachers and students should be further enhanced to enlighten their scientific and technological thinking. Then promote the construction of a hierarchical progressive system of experimental teaching in our university from basic experiments to comprehensive experiments and innovative experiments, and realize the high-quality development of higher education

A logic-based frame for knowledge reasoning in real-time security analysis

Continuous time Markov chains (CTMCs) have been used in real-time dependability and security analysis. However, existing approaches assume that the system is fully observable to a system attacker, which is not feasible for current large network systems. In this paper, we present a frame to model and specify the knowledge of attacker with partial observations. Firstly, we combine CTMCs and interpretation system as basic model. Then, a logic is defined to specify the knowledge for agents in the stochastic model. Further, we discuss the properties under different assumption for the model and agent. Finally, we present the model checking algorithms with a particular assumption and apply the frame to model the knowledge of attacker in intrusion-tolerant system. ? 2010 IEEE.EI

Congestion Prediction for ACOPF Framework using Quadratic Interpolation

This paper presents the following research works. First, numerical simulation is applied to verify the quadratic pattern of system status such as generator dispatches and line flows with respect to load changes. Second, an algorithm based on quadratic interpolation is proposed to reduce the intensive computation with brute-force simulation approach in calculating the coefficients of the quadratic pattern. Third, a heuristic algorithm to seek three load levels for the quadratic interpolation is proposed. This heuristic algorithm employs the DCOPF-based congestion prediction algorithm to estimate critical load levels. Fourth, the congestion prediction algorithm is presented using the quadratic properties of marginal unit generation and line flow. Last, the proposed algorithms are tested on the PJM 5-bus system, and results demonstrate the high effectiveness and high accuracy of the proposed approach