Joint Computation and Communication Cooperation for Mobile Edge Computing

This paper proposes a novel joint computation and communication cooperation approach in mobile edge computing (MEC) systems, which enables user cooperation in both computation and communication for improving the MEC performance. In particular, we consider a basic three-node MEC system that consists of a user node, a helper node, and an access point (AP) node attached with an MEC server. We focus on the user's latency-constrained computation over a finite block, and develop a four-slot protocol for implementing the joint computation and communication cooperation. Under this setup, we jointly optimize the computation and communication resource allocation at both the user and the helper, so as to minimize their total energy consumption subject to the user's computation latency constraint. We provide the optimal solution to this problem. Numerical results show that the proposed joint cooperation approach significantly improves the computation capacity and the energy efficiency at the user and helper nodes, as compared to other benchmark schemes without such a joint design.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Gene Expression-Based Predictive Markers for Paclitaxel Treatment in ER+ and ER− Breast Cancer

One of the objectives of precision oncology is to identify patient’s responsiveness to a given treatment and prevent potential overtreatments through molecular profiling. Predictive gene expression biomarkers are a promising and practical means to this purpose. The overall response rate of paclitaxel drugs in breast cancer has been reported to be in the range of 20–60% and is in the even lower range for ER-positive patients. Predicting responsiveness of breast cancer patients, either ER-positive or ER-negative, to paclitaxel treatment could prevent individuals with poor response to the therapy from undergoing excess exposure to the agent. In this study, we identified six sets of gene signatures whose gene expression profiles could robustly predict nonresponding patients with precisions more than 94% and recalls more than 93% on various discovery datasets (n = 469 for the largest set) and independent validation datasets (n = 278), using the previously developed Multiple Survival Screening algorithm, a random-sampling-based methodology. The gene signatures reported were stable regardless of half of the discovery datasets being swapped, demonstrating their robustness. We also reported a set of optimizations that enabled the algorithm to train on small-scale computational resources. The gene signatures and optimized methodology described in this study could be used for identifying unresponsiveness in patients of ER-positive or ER-negative breast cancers

Family function and adolescent altruistic behavior: the multiple mediating effects of self-affirmation and psychological resilience

IntroductionThe current study aimed to explore the relationship between family function and adolescent altruistic behavior, as well as the mediating effects of self-affirmation and psychological resilience in this relationship.MethodsA survey was conducted on 972 high school students in Guangdong Province using the Family APGAR, GHQSense of Adequacy, Chinese version of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Altruistic Behavior Scale.ResultsResults found that the score of psychological resilience of males was significantly higher than that of females, but the score of altruistic behavior was significantly lower than that of females. Family function had a positive predictive effect on altruistic behavior. Psychological resilience played a mediating role between family function and altruistic behavior. Self-affirmation and psychological resilience played chain mediating roles between family function and altruistic behavior.DiscussionThis study indicated that family care is crucial for the development of adolescent altruistic behavior, and that it can promote the development of altruistic behavior through the enhancement of self-affirmation and psychological resilience

Leucine zipper transcription factor-like 1 expression in gastric cancer and its relationship to relative adhesion molecule

Purpose: To evaluate the expression of leucine zipper transcription factor-like1 (LZTFL1) molecule in the gastric cancer tissues, and its relationship to cellular adhesion protein.Methods: Expressions of LZTFLl, E-cadherin, β-catenin, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) as well as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the 133 gastric cancer samples and 40 gastritis samples were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Levels of mRNA in gastric cancer and latero-cancer tissue were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results: Protein levels in gastric tissue decreased. The expression of LZTFL1in gastric cancer tissue correlated with tumor stage (tumor node metastasis staging), degree of tumor differentiation and invasion depth (p < 0.05). Protein expression correlated with E-cadherin positively, and correlated with β-catenin and ICAM-1 negatively, but had no correlation with VCAM-1. Compared with tissues remote to the cancer, mRNA level of LZTFL1 in gastric cancer decreased significantly. There was no significant difference in LZTFL1 mRNA levels in the various clinical pathological tissues. LZTFL1 mRNA expression did not correlation with various adhesion factors.Conclusion: LZTFL1 is expressed at a low level in gastric cancer tissue. Its protein expression is related to cellular adhesion protein, but not to mRNA level. As a suppressor of invasion of cancer cells, LZTFL1 may be a potential target for targeted therapy of gastric cancer.Keywords: Leucine zipper transcription factor-like1 expression, Gastric cancer, Relative adhesion molecule, Protein expressio

An On-demand Photonic Ising Machine with Simplified Hamiltonian Calculation by Phase-encoding and Intensity Detection

Photonic Ising machine is a new paradigm of optical computing, which is based on the characteristics of light wave propagation, parallel processing and low loss transmission. Thus, the process of solving the combinatorial optimization problems can be accelerated through photonic/optoelectronic devices. In this work, we have proposed and demonstrated the so-called Phase-Encoding and Intensity Detection Ising Annealer (PEIDIA) to solve arbitrary Ising problems on demand. The PEIDIA is based on the simulated annealing algorithm and requires only one step of optical linear transformation with simplified Hamiltonian calculation. With PEIDIA, the Ising spins are encoded on the phase term of the optical field and only intensity detection is required during the solving process. As a proof of principle, several 20 and 30-dimensional Ising problems have been solved with high ground state probability

The Role of Reactive Iron in the Preservation of Terrestrial Organic Carbon in Estuarine Sediments

To better understand the role of reactive Fe (FeR) in the preservation of sedimentary OC (SOC) in estuarine sediments, we examined specific surface area (SSA), grain size composition, total OC (TOC), lignin phenols, FeR, FeR-associated OC (Fe-OC) and lignin phenols (Fe-lignin), and δ13C of FeR-associated OC (δ13 CFe-OC) in surface sediments of the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent shelf. An estimated 7.4 ± 3.5% of the OC was directly bound with FeR in the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent shelf. Unusually low TOC/SSA loadings and Fe-OC/Fe ratios in mobile-muds suggest that frequent physical reworking may reduce FeR binding with OC, with selective loss of marine OC. More depleted 13CFe-OC relative to 13C of TOC (13 Cbulk) in deltaic regions and mobile-muds showed that FeR was largely associated with terrestrial OC, derived from extensive riverine C and Fe inputs. A higher proportion of hematite in the mobile muds compared to the offshore samples indicated that Fe oxides are likely subjected to selective sorting and/or become mature during long-term sediment transport. When considering the percentage of Fe-OC to SOC and SOC burial rates in different marine environments (e.g., non deltaic shelf, anoxic basins, slope and deep sea), our findings suggest that about 15.6 ± 6.5% of SOC is directly bound to FeR on a global scale, which is lower than the previous estimation (~21.5%). This work further supports the notion of a “Rusty Sink” where, in this case FeR plays an important role in the preservation and potential transport of terrestrial OC in the marine environment

The cause analysis of benign uretero-ileal anastomotic stricture after radical cystectomy and urinary diversion

BackgroundBenign uretero-ileal anastomotic stricture (UIAS) is a major complication following radical cystectomy (RC) and ileal orthotopic bladder substitution, and it can occur in combination with other complications. But risk factors for patients with UIAS have not been well described.Material and methodsWe retrospectively reviewed 198 patients treated with RC for bladder cancer from 2014 to 2019 at the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital. Patient demographic and clinical variables were examined to determine the risk factors associated with UIAS by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsA total of 180 patients into the group standards and in all 360 uretero-ileal anastomoses. Among the above cases, 22 patients developed UIAS, including 10 cases of left UIAS, nine cases of right UIAS, and three cases of bilateral UIAS. There was no difference in demographic, operative, or perioperative variables between patients with and without UIAS. In a multivariate analysis, after adjusting for gender, age, surgical methods, and underlying diseases, intraoperative or postoperative blood transfusion (HR = 0.144, P <0.01), postoperative urinary tract infection (HR = 3.624, P <0.01), and extracorporeal bladder anastomosis (HR = 3.395, P = 0.02) significantly increased the risk of UIAS.ConclusionsIn our experience, intraoperative or postoperative blood transfusion, postoperative urinary tract infection, and extracorporeal neobladder anastomoses increased the risk of UIAS after radical cystectomy and ileal orthotopic bladder substitution surgery. Further studies with larger samples are necessary to validate this result

Effectiveness of intravenous r-tPA versus UK for acute ischaemic stroke: a nationwide prospective Chinese registry study

BACKGROUND Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) and urokinase (UK) are both recommended for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) in China, but with few comparative outcome data being available. We aimed to compare the outcomes of these two thrombolytic agents for the treatment of patients within 4.5 hours of onset of AIS in routine clinical practice in China. METHODS A pre-planned, prospective, nationwide, multicentre, real-world registry of consecutive patients with AIS (age ≥18 years) who received r-tPA or UK within 4.5 hours of symptom onset according to local decision-making and guideline recommendations during 2017-2019. The primary effectiveness outcome was the proportion of patients with an excellent functional outcome (defined by modified Rankin scale scores 0 to 1) at 90 days. The key safety endpoint was symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage according to standard definitions. Multivariable logistic regression was used for comparative analysis, with adjustment according to propensity scores to ensure balance in baseline characteristics. RESULTS Overall, 4130 patients with AIS were registered but 320 had incomplete or missing data, leaving 3810 with available data for analysis of whom 2666 received r-tPA (median dose 0.88 (IQR 0.78-0.90) mg/kg) and 1144 received UK (1.71 (1.43-2.00)×10 international unit per kilogram). There were several significant intergroup differences in patient characteristics: r-tPA patients were more educated, had less history of stroke, lower systolic blood pressure, greater neurological impairment and shorter treatment times from symptom onset than UK patients. However, in adjusted analysis, the frequency of excellent outcome (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.40, p=0.052) and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.47, p=0.344) were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS UK may be as effective and carry a similar safety profile as r-tPA in treating mild to moderate AIS within guidelines in China. REGISTRATION: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. unique identifier: NCT02854592