Resource Allocation for Device-to-Device Communications Underlaying Heterogeneous Cellular Networks Using Coalitional Games

Heterogeneous cellular networks (HCNs) with millimeter wave (mmWave) communications included are emerging as a promising candidate for the fifth generation mobile network. With highly directional antenna arrays, mmWave links are able to provide several-Gbps transmission rate. However, mmWave links are easily blocked without line of sight. On the other hand, D2D communications have been proposed to support many content based applications, and need to share resources with users in HCNs to improve spectral reuse and enhance system capacity. Consequently, an efficient resource allocation scheme for D2D pairs among both mmWave and the cellular carrier band is needed. In this paper, we first formulate the problem of the resource allocation among mmWave and the cellular band for multiple D2D pairs from the view point of game theory. Then, with the characteristics of cellular and mmWave communications considered, we propose a coalition formation game to maximize the system sum rate in statistical average sense. We also theoretically prove that our proposed game converges to a Nash-stable equilibrium and further reaches the near-optimal solution with fast convergence rate. Through extensive simulations under various system parameters, we demonstrate the superior performance of our scheme in terms of the system sum rate compared with several other practical schemes.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure

Resource Allocation for Device-to-Device Communications in Multi-Cell Multi-Band Heterogeneous Cellular Networks

Heterogeneous cellular networks (HCNs) with millimeter wave (mm-wave) communications are considered as a promising technology for the fifth generation mobile networks. Mm-wave has the potential to provide multiple gigabit data rate due to the broad spectrum. Unfortunately, additional free space path loss is also caused by the high carrier frequency. On the other hand, mm-wave signals are sensitive to obstacles and more vulnerable to blocking effects. To address this issue, highly directional narrow beams are utilized in mm-wave networks. Additionally, device-to-device (D2D) users make full use of their proximity and share uplink spectrum resources in HCNs to increase the spectrum efficiency and network capacity. Towards the caused complex interferences, the combination of D2D-enabled HCNs with small cells densely deployed and mm-wave communications poses a big challenge to the resource allocation problems. In this paper, we formulate the optimization problem of D2D communication spectrum resource allocation among multiple micro-wave bands and multiple mm-wave bands in HCNs. Then, considering the totally different propagation conditions on the two bands, a heuristic algorithm is proposed to maximize the system transmission rate and approximate the solutions with sufficient accuracies. Compared with other practical schemes, we carry out extensive simulations with different system parameters, and demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed scheme. In addition, the optimality and complexity are simulated to further verify effectiveness and efficiency.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technolog

Impact of drug-eluting stents with different coating strategies on stent thrombosis: A meta-analysis of 19 randomized trials

Background: Whether drug-eluting stents with biodegradable polymers (BP-DES) improve safety, especially with respect to stent thrombosis (ST) compared with permanent polymers DES (PP-DES), remains uncertain. We aimed to compare the short- and long-term outcomes and the ST risk in patients treated with BP-DES vs. PP-DES.Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, Web of science, CENTRAL databases, and conferenceproceedings/abstracts for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing BP-DES with PP-DES. The primary endpoint was to compare the risks of overall and different temporalc ategories of definite/probable ST. Other clinical outcomes were target lesion revascularization (TLR), myocardial infarction (MI), and all-cause death in short-term (≤ 1 year) and long-term follow-up. The meta-analyses were performed by computing odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model.Results: Nineteen RCTs including 20,229 patients were analyzed. Overall, BP-DES significantly decreased the risks of very late definite/probable ST (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.16–0.70), and TLR in long-term follow-up (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.52–0.95) compared with PP-DES. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding MI incidence and mortality during both short and long follow-up periods. In stratified analyses, the long-term superiority of BP-DES was maintained only by using first-generation DES as the comparators.Conclusions: The present meta-analysis indicated that BP-DES were more efficacious than PP-DES at reducing the risks of very late ST and long-term TLR, but it could vary by heterogeneities in the use of PP-DES comparators. Additional rigorous RCTs with longer follow-up periods are warranted to verify these very promising long-term endpoints.

Identification and validation of prognostically relevant gene signature in melanoma

Background. Currently, effective genetic markers are limited to predict the clinical outcome of melanoma. High-throughput multiomics sequencing data have provided a valuable approach for the identification of genes associated with cancer prognosis. Method. The multidimensional data of melanoma patients, including clinical, genomic, and transcriptomic data, were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). These samples were then randomly divided into two groups, one for training dataset and the other for validation dataset. In order to select reliable biomarkers, we screened prognosis-related genes, copy number variation genes, and SNP variation genes and integrated these genes to further select features using random forests in the training dataset. We screened for robust biomarkers and established a gene-related prognostic model. Finally, we verified the selected biomarkers in the test sets (GSE19234 and GSE65904) and on clinical samples extracted from melanoma patients using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry analysis. Results. We obtained 1569 prognostic-related genes and 1101 copy-amplification, 1093 copy-deletions, and 92 significant mutations in genomic variants. These genomic variant genes were closely related to the development of tumors and genes that integrate genomic variation. A total of 141 candidate genes were obtained from prognosis-related genes. Six characteristic genes (IQCE, RFX6, GPAA1, BAHCC1, CLEC2B, and AGAP2) were selected by random forest feature selection, many of which have been reported to be associated with tumor progression. Cox regression analysis was used to establish a 6-gene signature. Experimental verification with qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining proved that these selected genes were indeed expressed at a significantly higher level compared with the normal tissues. This signature comprised an independent prognostic factor for melanoma patients. Conclusions. We constructed a 6-gene signature (IQCE, RFX6, GPAA1, BAHCC1, CLEC2B, and AGAP2) as a novel prognostic marker for predicting the survival of melanoma patients

A 5-year review of invasive fungal infection at an academic medical center

Background: Invasive fungal infection (IFI) is one of the most common nosocomial infections. However, data on the epidemiology of IFI and susceptibility to antifungal agents in China are quite limited, and in particular, no current data exist on the microbiological, and clinical characteristics of IFI patients in Northeast China. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to provide a retrospective review of the clinical characteristics, laboratory test results, and risk factor predictions of inpatients diagnosed with IFI. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess prognostic factors associated with the mortality of these patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the results from 509 patients with IFI extracted from the First Hospital of China Medical University from January 2013 to January 2018. Results: Neutrophil numbers, total bilirubin, length of stay in the ICU, renal failure, use of immunosuppressants within the past 30 days, stomach tube placement and septic shock were risk factors for death from IFI. Recent surgery (within 2 weeks) and drainage tube placement did not increase mortality in these IFI patients. Increased serum levels of PCT (AUC 0.601, 95% CI 0.536–0.665, P = 0.003) and CRP (AUC 0.578, 95% CI 0.512–0.644, P = 0.020) provided effective predictors of 30-day mortality rates. Conclusions: We report for the first time epidemiological data on invasive fungal infections in Northeast China over the past 5 years. Despite the limited available clinical data, these findings will greatly aid clinical health care workers with regard to the identification, prevention, and treatment of IFI in hospitalized patients

LncRNA BASP1-AS1 interacts with YBX1 to regulate Notch transcription and drives the malignancy of melanoma

Melanoma is a fatal skin malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. We found that long noncoding RNA BASP1-AS1 is essential for the development and prognosis of melanoma. The methylation, RNA sequencing, copy number variation, mutation data, and sample follow-up information of melanoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed using weighted gene co-expression network analysis and 366 samples common to the three omics were selected for multigroup clustering analysis. A four-gene prognostic model (BASP1-AS1, LOC100506098, ARHGAP27P1, and LINC01532) was constructed in the TCGA cohort and validated using the GSE65904 series. The expression of BASP1-AS1 was upregulated in melanoma tissues and various melanoma cell lines. Functionally, the ectopic expression of BASP1-AS1 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in both A375 and SK-MEL-2 cells. Mechanically, BASP1-AS1 interacted with YBX1 and recruited it to the promoter of NOTCH3, initiating its transcription process. The activation of the Notch signaling then resulted in the transcription of multiple oncogenes, including c-MYC, PCNA, and CDK4, which contributed to melanoma progression. Thus, BASP1-AS1 could act as a potential biomarker for cutaneous malignant melanoma

Prognostic and therapeutic significance of microbial cell-free DNA in plasma of people with acutely decompensated cirrhosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although the effect of bacterial infection on cirrhosis has been well-described, the effect of non-hepatotropic virus (NHV) infection is unknown. This study evaluated the genome fragments of circulating microorganisms using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in cirrhosis patients with acute decompensation (AD), focusing on NHVs and related the findings to clinical outcomes. METHODS: Plasma mNGS was performed in 129 cirrhosis patients with AD in study cohort. Ten healthy volunteers and 20, 39, and 81 patients with stable cirrhosis, severe sepsis and hematological malignancies, respectively, were enrolled as controls. Validation assays for human cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation in a validation cohort (n = 58) were performed and exploratory treatment instituted. RESULTS: In study cohort, 188 microorganisms were detected in 74.4% (96/129) patients, including viruses (58.0%), bacteria (34.1%), fungi (7.4%) and chlamydia (0.5%). Patients with AD had an NHV signature, and CMV was the most frequent NHV, which correlated with the clinical effect of empirical antibiotic treatment, progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), and 90-day mortality. The NHV signature in ACLF patients was similar to patients with sepsis and hematological malignancies. The treatable NHV, CMV was detected in 24.1% (14/58) patients in the validation cohort. Of the 14 cases with detectable CMV by mNGS, 9 were further validated by DNA RT-PCR or pp65 antigenemia testing. Three patients with CMV reactivation received ganciclovir therapy in exploratory manner with clinical resolutions. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggests that NHVs may have a pathogenic role in complicating the course of AD. Further validation is needed to define whether this should be incorporated in the routine management of AD patients. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: ●Cirrhosis patients with acute decompensation have a non-hepatotropic virus (NHV) signature, which is similar to that in sepsis and hematological malignancies patients. ●The detected viral signature had clinical correlates, including clinical efficacy of empirical antibiotic treatment, progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure and short-term mortality. ●The treatable NHV, CMV reactivation may be involved in the clinical outcomes of decompensated cirrhosis. ●Routine screening for NHVs, especially CMV, may be useful for the management of patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis

Establishment of an efficient plant regeneration culture protocol and achievement of successful genetic transformation in Jatropha curcas L.

An efficient and reproducible protocol is described for shoot-bud regeneration and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation of J. curcas. Treating the explants with high concentrations (5–120 mg/L) of TDZ for short durations (5–80 min) before inoculation culture increased significantly the regeneration frequency and improved the quality of the regenerated buds. The highest shoot-buds induction rate (87.35%) was achieved when petiole explants were treated with 20 mg/L TDZ solution for 20 min and inoculated on hormone-free MS medium for 30 days. Regenerated shoots of 0.5 cm or a little longer were isolated and grafted to seedling stocks of the same species, and then the grafted plantlets were planted on half-strength MS medium containing 0.1 mg/L IBA and 2 mg/L sodium nitroprusside (SNP). This grafting strategy was found to be very effective, to obtain that healthy grafted plantlets ready for acclimatization within 20 days. By the above mentioned protocol and with general Agrobacterium – mediated genetic transformation methods only 65 days were needed to obtain intact transgenic plants