PyPop7: A Pure-Python Library for Population-Based Black-Box Optimization

In this paper, we present a pure-Python open-source library, called PyPop7, for black-box optimization (BBO). It provides a unified and modular interface for more than 60 versions and variants of different black-box optimization algorithms, particularly population-based optimizers, which can be classified into 12 popular families: Evolution Strategies (ES), Natural Evolution Strategies (NES), Estimation of Distribution Algorithms (EDA), Cross-Entropy Method (CEM), Differential Evolution (DE), Particle Swarm Optimizer (PSO), Cooperative Coevolution (CC), Simulated Annealing (SA), Genetic Algorithms (GA), Evolutionary Programming (EP), Pattern Search (PS), and Random Search (RS). It also provides many examples, interesting tutorials, and full-fledged API documentations. Through this new library, we expect to provide a well-designed platform for benchmarking of optimizers and promote their real-world applications, especially for large-scale BBO. Its source code and documentations are available at https://github.com/Evolutionary-Intelligence/pypop and https://pypop.readthedocs.io/en/latest, respectively.Comment: 5 page

Highlights of the 2nd International Symposium on Tribbles and Diseases: Tribbles tremble in therapeutics for immunity, metabolism, fundamental cell biology and cancer

The Tribbles (TRIB) family of pseudokinase proteins has been shown to play key roles in cell cycle, metabolic diseases, chronic inflammatory disease, and cancer development. A better understanding of the mechanisms of TRIB pseudokinases could provide new insights for disease development and help promote TRIB proteins as novel therapeutic targets for drug discovery. At the 2nd International Symposium on Tribbles and Diseases held on May 7‒9, 2018 in Beijing, China, a group of leading Tribbles scientists reported their findings and ongoing studies about the effects of the different TRIB proteins in the areas of immunity, metabolism, fundamental cell biology and cancer. Here, we summarize important and insightful overviews from 4 keynote lectures, 13 plenary lectures and 8 short talks that took place during this meeting. These findings may offer new insights for the understanding of the roles of TRIB pseudokinases in the development of various diseases

Anisotropic hyperelastic behavior of soft biological tissues

International audienceConstitutive laws are fundamental to the studies of the mechanically dominated clinical interventions involving soft biological tissues which show a highly anisotropic hyperelastic mechanical properties. The purpose of this paper was to develop an improved constitutive law based on the Holzapfel–Gasser–Ogden's model: to replace the isotropic part with Gent constitutive law so as to model the noncollagenous matrix of the media due to its generality and capability to reproduce the Neo-Hookean model. This model is implemented into an in-house finite element program. A uniaxial tension test is considered to study the influence of material parameter (Formula presented.) in Gent model and (Formula presented.) which represents the angle between the collagen fibers and the circumferential direction. A simulation of an adventitial strip specimen under tension is performed to show the applicability of this constitutive law

Finite element modeling of interactions between pelvic organs due to pressure

National audiencePelvic floor (pelvic support) disorders occur only in women and become more common aswomen age. However, the surgical practices remain poorly evaluated. The realization of a simulator ofthe dynamic behavior of the pelvic organs is an identified need. To determine the strain and stress inthe biological soft tissues hyperelastic constitutive laws are often used in the context of finite elementanalysis. In our work, the Mooney-Rivlin model was taken into consideration to simulate the interactionsbetween these organs due to pressure

FER/Mesh: un logiciel de génération automatique de maillages

International audienceL'objet de cette communication est de présenter, de manière succincte, un prototype du logiciel FER/Mesh-un logiciel de génération automatique de maillages pour le calcul par éléments finis. L'algorithme du maillage est basé sur la méthode frontale. Ce logiciel est développé sur PC en langage C++ avec le support graphique OpenGL. Une organisation orientée-objets en langage C++, ayant une architecture souple et ouverte, facilite des nouveaux développements futurs

Numerical modelling of soft tissue injury due to impact

International audienceSoft tissue injuries due to impact loading are a major health problem. The objective of this study was to simulate the impact of projectiles onto human body area and to show the validity of the model developed, based on a finite element model of the flash-ball impact on the human leg. To determine realistically the strain and stress in the biological soft tissues, anisotropic hyperelastic constitutive laws are necessary in the context of finite element analysis. The contact between impacting bodies is solved by the bi-potential method which consists of projecting the displacement equations onto the constraining directions associated to contact points. The time integration of the equation of motion is achieved by means of a first order algorithm. The algorithm is implemented into the finite element code FER/Impact using C++ Object Oriented Programming techniques. © 2010 International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering

Arsenic Sulfide Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis by Suppressing the HIF-1α/VEGF Pathway

Background: Metastasis is one of the principal reasons of cancer mortality from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The goal of our investigation was to examine the mechanism by which arsenic sulfide (As4S4) represses the metastasis of HCC. Methods: The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was conducted to observe cell viability of HCC cell lines HepG2 and Hep3B following As4S4 treatment, and their metastasis was studied using the wound-healing and transwell assays. HCC-induced angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was assessed by tube formation assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence staining were utilized to evaluate key molecules involved in metastasis, including hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Vimentin, N-cadherin and E-cadherin. Results: As4S4 suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of HepG2 and Hep3B cell lines in a concentration-dependent pattern, and inhibited HCC cell-induced angiogenesis of HUVEC in the tube formation assay. Treatment with As4S4 also decreased the expression of crucial elements involved in the metastasis of HCC cells, including HIF-1α and VEGF, while reducing epithelial–mesenchymal transition, as shown by Western blot, ELISA and immunofluorescence staining. Conclusions: Overall, results above indicate that As4S4 suppresses the metastasis of HCC cells via the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway

Dietary pattern and precocious puberty risk in Chinese girls: a case-control study

Abstract Background The role of dietary intake on precocious puberty remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the amount and frequency of dietary intake and the risk of precocious puberty in Chinese girls. Methods In this case-control study, we enrolled 185 precocious puberty girls and 185 age-matched controls. Their dietary intake was assessed through a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Their sociodemographic and lifestyle data were collected. The associations between dietary intake and risk of precocious puberty were assessed by conditional logistic regression models. Results After multivariate adjustment, consuming a higher amount of red meat was associated with higher precocious puberty risk (OR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.25–6.02), while a higher frequency of fruit ( P for trend = 0.024) and amount of vegetable intake was associated with a lower risk of precocious puberty (P for trend = 0.002). The high vegetable and protein dietary pattern was significantly negatively associated with precocious puberty (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.63–0.97), whereas the high animal food and fruits dietary pattern was remarkably positively associated with precocious puberty (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.09–1.69), after adjusting for age and body mass index. Conclusions High vegetable and protein dietary pattern is a protective factor against precocious puberty, while high animal food and fruits dietary pattern is a risk factor for precocious puberty in Chinese girls. Attentions should be paid to a reasonable intake of red meat, eggs, and fruits in children’s daily diet, increase their intake of vegetables, in order to reduce the risk of precocious puberty

Female patient-specific finite element modeling of pelvic organ prolapse (POP)

International audiencePelvic organ prolapse (POP) occurs only in women and becomes more common as women age. However, the surgical practices remain poorly evaluated. The realization of a simulator of the dynamic behavior of the pelvic organs is then identified as a need. It allows the surgeon to estimate the functional impact of his actions before his implementation. In this work, the simulation will be based on a patient-specific approach in which each geometrical model will be carried out starting from magnetic resonance image (MRI) acquisition of pelvic organs of one patient. To determine the strain and stress in the soft biological tissues, hyperelastic constitutive laws are used in the context of finite element analysis. The Yeoh model has been implemented into an in-house finite element code FER to model these organ tissues taking into account large deformations with multiple contacts. The 2D and 3D models are considered in this preliminary study and the results show that our method can help to improve the understanding of different forms of PO