Stochastic Stabilization of Dual-Layer Rumor Propagation Model with Multiple Channels and Rumor-Detection Mechanism.

With the development of information technology, individuals are able to receive rumor information through various channels and subsequently act based on their own perceptions. The significance of the disparity between media and individual cognition in the propagation of rumors cannot be underestimated. In this paper, we establish a dual-layer rumor propagation model considering the differences in individual cognition to study the propagation behavior of rumors in multiple channels. Firstly, we obtain the threshold for rumor disappearance or persistence by solving the equilibrium points and their stability. The threshold is related to the number of media outlets and the number of rumor debunkers. Moreover, we have innovatively designed a class of non-periodic intermittent noise stabilization methods to suppress rumor propagation. This method can effectively control rumor propagation based on a flexible control scheme, and we provide specific expressions for the control intensity. Finally, we have validated the accuracy of the theoretical proofs through experimental simulations.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Active and Passive Safety Measures in Preventing Ship-Bridge Collision.

The risk of ship-bridge collisions should be evaluated using advanced models to consider different anti-collision and bridge-protection measures. This study aimed to propose a method to evaluate the effectiveness of active and passive safety measures in preventing ship-bridge collision. A novel ship-bridge collision probability formulation taking into consideration different safety measures was proposed. The model was applied at Jintang Bridge in China where the surrounding vessel traffic is ultra-crowded. We calculated the collision probability between the bridge and passing traffic using automatic identification system (AIS) data, Monte Carlo simulation, and Bayesian networks. Results under four different safety measures (i.e., active measures, passive measures, both measures and none) were analyzed and compared. The analysis concluded that both active and passive safety measures are effective in reducing the ship-bridge collision probability. Active measures, if deployed properly, can provide protection at an equivalent level than passive measures against collision risks. However, passive measures, such as setting arresting cables, are necessary in cases where the response time of the active measures is long. The proposed method and the results obtained from the case study may be useful for robust and systematic effectiveness evaluation of safety measures in other cases worldwide.

A Novel Epidemic Model Base on Pulse Charging in Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Networks.

As wireless rechargeable sensor networks (WRSNs) are gradually being widely accepted and recognized, the security issues of WRSNs have also become the focus of research discussion. In the existing WRSNs research, few people introduced the idea of pulse charging. Taking into account the utilization rate of nodes' energy, this paper proposes a novel pulse infectious disease model (SIALS-P), which is composed of susceptible, infected, anti-malware and low-energy susceptible states under pulse charging, to deal with the security issues of WRSNs. In each periodic pulse point, some parts of low energy states (LS nodes, LI nodes) will be converted into the normal energy states (S nodes, I nodes) to control the number of susceptible nodes and infected nodes. This paper first analyzes the local stability of the SIALS-P model by Floquet theory. Then, a suitable comparison system is given by comparing theorem to analyze the stability of malware-free T-period solution and the persistence of malware transmission. Additionally, the optimal control of the proposed model is analyzed. Finally, the comparative simulation analysis regarding the proposed model, the non-charging model and the continuous charging model is given, and the effects of parameters on the basic reproduction number of the three models are shown. Meanwhile, the sensitivity of each parameter and the optimal control theory is further verified.

Epidemic Analysis of Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Networks Based on an Attack-Defense Game Model.

Energy constraint hinders the popularization and development of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). As an emerging technology equipped with rechargeable batteries, wireless rechargeable sensor networks (WRSNs) are being widely accepted and recognized. In this paper, we research the security issues in WRSNs which need to be addressed urgently. After considering the charging process, the activating anti-malware program process, and the launching malicious attack process in the modeling, the susceptible-infected-anti-malware-low-energy-susceptible (SIALS) model is proposed. Through the method of epidemic dynamics, this paper analyzes the local and global stabilities of the SIALS model. Besides, this paper introduces a five-tuple attack-defense game model to further study the dynamic relationship between malware and WRSNs. By introducing a cost function and constructing a Hamiltonian function, the optimal strategies for malware and WRSNs are obtained based on the Pontryagin Maximum Principle. Furthermore, the simulation results show the validation of the proposed theories and reveal the influence of parameters on the infection. In detail, the Forward-Backward Sweep method is applied to solve the issues of convergence of co-state variables at terminal moment.

A Modified Sparrow Search Algorithm with Application in 3d Route Planning for UAV.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) route planning problem mainly centralizes on the process of calculating the best route between the departure point and target point as well as avoiding obstructions on route to avoid collisions within a given flight area. A highly efficient route planning approach is required for this complex high dimensional optimization problem. However, many algorithms are infeasible or have low efficiency, particularly in the complex three-dimensional (3d) flight environment. In this paper, a modified sparrow search algorithm named CASSA has been presented to deal with this problem. Firstly, the 3d task space model and the UAV route planning cost functions are established, and the problem of route planning is transformed into a multi-dimensional function optimization problem. Secondly, the chaotic strategy is introduced to enhance the diversity of the population of the algorithm, and an adaptive inertia weight is used to balance the convergence rate and exploration capabilities of the algorithm. Finally, the Cauchy-Gaussian mutation strategy is adopted to enhance the capability of the algorithm to get rid of stagnation. The results of simulation demonstrate that the routes generated by CASSA are preferable to the sparrow search algorithm (SSA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), artificial bee colony (ABC), and whale optimization algorithm (WOA) under the identical environment, which means that CASSA is more efficient for solving UAV route planning problem when taking all kinds of constraints into consideration.

Dynamics Analysis of a Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Network for Virus Mutation Spreading.

Virus spreading problems in wireless rechargeable sensor networks (WSNs) are becoming a hot topic, and the problem has been studied and discussed in recent years. Many epidemic spreading models have been introduced for revealing how a virus spreads and how a virus is suppressed. However, most of them assumed the sensors are not rechargeable sensors. In addition, most of existing works do not consider virus mutation problems. This paper proposes a novel epidemic model, including susceptible, infected, variant, low-energy and dead states, which considers the rechargeable sensors and the virus mutation factor. The stability of the proposed model is first analyzed by adopting the characteristic equation and constructing Lyapunov functions methods. Then, an optimal control problem is formulated to control the virus spread and decrease the cost of the networks by applying Pontryagin's maximum principle. Finally, all of the theoretical results are confirmed by numerical simulation.

Modelling and Analysis of the Epidemic Model under Pulse Charging in Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Networks.

With the development of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), energy constraints and network security have become the main problems. This paper discusses the dynamic of the Susceptible, Infected, Low-energy, Susceptible model under pulse charging (SILS-P) in wireless rechargeable sensor networks. After the construction of the model, the local stability and global stability of the malware-free T-period solution of the model are analyzed, and the threshold R0 is obtained. Then, using the comparison theorem and Floquet theorem, we obtain the relationship between R0 and the stability. In order to make the conclusion more intuitive, we use simulation to reveal the impact of parameters on R0. In addition, the paper discusses the continuous charging model, and reveals its dynamic by simulation. Finally, the paper compares three charging strategies: pulse charging, continuous charging and non-charging and obtains the relationship between their threshold values and system parameters.

A Novel Epidemic Model for Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Network Security.

With the development of wireless rechargeable sensor networks (WRSNs ), security issues of WRSNs have attracted more attention from scholars around the world. In this paper, a novel epidemic model, SILS(Susceptible, Infected, Low-energy, Susceptible), considering the removal, charging and reinfection process of WRSNs is proposed. Subsequently, the local and global stabilities of disease-free and epidemic equilibrium points are analyzed and simulated after obtaining the basic reproductive number R0. Detailedly, the simulations further reveal the unique characteristics of SILS when it tends to being stable, and the relationship between the charging rate and R0. Furthermore, the attack-defense game between malware and WRSNs is constructed and the optimal strategies of both players are obtained. Consequently, in the case of R0<1 and R0>1, the validity of the optimal strategies is verified by comparing with the non-optimal control group in the evolution of sensor nodes and accumulated cost.

[Survival analysis for high-grade glioma patients who received comprehensive treatment].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the curative effect and prognostic factors for comprehensive therapy in patients with high-grade glioma.
 Methods: Patients with high-grade glioma (WHO grade III, grade IV) were chosen from July 2008 to May 2016 in the Hunan Cancer Hospital, and a retrospective analysis was performed in 64 patients with complete follow-up data.
 Results: The follow-up time was 3-111 (median 29.5) months, the median overall survival time was 36.00 (95% CI 22.85 to 49.16) months, the median progression-free survival time (PFS) was 21.00 (95% CI 9.72 to 32.28) months. The 1-year, 2-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rates of high-grade glioma patients were 87.50%, 56.25%, 40.63% and 17.19%, respectively. The univariate analysis of Log-Rank test and the Cox regression model analysis showed that the prognostic factors related to the prognosis of high-grade glioma patients were pathological grade, resection degree, and concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (P<0.05).
 Conclusion: The overall survival time, progression-free survival time and the 5-year survival rate of patients with high-grade glioma after comprehensive treatment is partially improved. The factors relevant to the prognosis of patients with high-grade glioma are pathological grade, resection degree, and concurrent chemo-radiotherapy, indicating that the glioma patients (WHO grade III) received total resection of the tumor and concurrent chemo-radiotherapy have better clinical effect.

Modulation of dendritic cell function and immune response by cysteine protease inhibitor from murine nematode parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus.

Modulation and suppression of the immune response of the host by nematode parasites have been reported extensively and the cysteine protease inhibitor (CPI or cystatin) is identified as one of the major immunomodulators. In the present study, we cloned and produced recombinant CPI protein from the murine nematode parasite Heligmosomoides polygyrus (rHp-CPI) and investigated its immunomodulatory effects on dendritic cell (DC) function and immune responses in mice. Bone-marrow-derived CD11c(+) DC (BMDC) that were exposed to rHp-CPI during the differentiation stage showed reduced MHC-II molecule expression compared with BMDC that were generated in normal culture conditions. The BMDC generated in the presence of rHp-CPI also exhibited reduced expression of CD40, CD86 and MHC-II molecules and reduced interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α cytokine production when stimulated with Toll-like receptor ligand CpG. Activation of BMDC generated in normal conditions induced by lipopolysaccharide and CpG was also suppressed by rHp-CPI, as shown by reduced co-stimulatory molecule expression and cytokine production. Furthermore, BMDC treated with rHp-CPI before ovalbumin (OVA) antigen pulsing induced a weaker proliferation response and less interferon-γ production of OVA-specific CD4(+) T cells compared with BMDC without rHp-CPI pre-treatment. Adoptive transfer of rHp-CPI-treated and OVA-loaded BMDC to mice induced significantly lower levels of antigen-specific antibody response than the BMDC loaded with antigen alone. These results demonstrated that the CPI from nematode parasites is able to modulate differentiation and activation stages of BMDC. It also interferes with antigen and MHC-II molecule processing and Toll-like receptor signalling pathway, resulting in functionally deficient DC that induce a suboptimum immune response.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of a cysteine protease inhibitor from the human nematode parasite Ascaris lumbricoides.

The cysteine protease inhibitor from Ascaris lumbricoides, a roundworm that lives in the human intestine, may be involved in the suppression of human immune responses. Here, the molecular cloning, protein expression and purification, preliminary crystallization and crystallographic characterization of the cysteine protease inhibitor from A. lumbricoides are reported. The rod-shaped crystal belonged to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 99.40, b = 37.52, c = 62.92 Å, ß = 118.26°. The crystal diffracted to 2.1 Šresolution and contained two molecules in the asymmetric unit.

Postoperative intensity-modulated radiation therapy reduces local recurrence and improves overall survival in III-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer: A single-center, retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To determine the postoperative effects of radiotherapy (PORT) on the local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and overall survival (OS) of stage III-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 183 patients with resected stage III-pN2 NSCLC from Hunan Cancer Hospital between 2013 and 2016 were divided into two groups for postoperative chemotherapy (POCT) (n = 105) or combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy (POCRT) (n = 78). The LRFS and OS were compared and the factors affecting local recurrence were illustrated in these two groups. The sites of failure based on the lobe of the primary tumor in two groups were described. RESULTS: PORT leads to a strikingly lower risk for local recurrence and brought superior OS benefit. For different pN2 Subclassification, Patients with multiple-station pN2 ± pN1 disease had the worst LRFS (11 months) and single-station pN2 + multiple station pN1 disease had a relatively short LRFS (24 months) in group POCT. Short LRFS is correlated with multiple-station pN2, older age (Y > 55), patients with a high positive LN ratio > 1/3 and a poor tumor histological differentiation degree. In group POCT, the most frequent failure site occurs at the ipsilateral hilum (21.0%), the bronchial stump (20.0%), followed by LNs4R (19.0%), LNs4L (18.1%), LNs7 (15.2%), most of left-sided tumors more frequently involved the contralateral mediastinum, whereas the ipsilateral recurrences dominated for right-sided tumors, especially for LNs4R. In group POCRT, the highest failure site was the bronchial stump (11.5%), followed by LNs4L (8.97%), LNs1 (7.69%), the ipsilateral hilum (6.41%) and LNs4R (6.41%). CONCLUSION: PORT remarkably reduced local recurrence and improved OS in stage III-pN2 NSCLC, especially in the multiple-station pN2 group.

Treatment of Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma by Helical Tomotherapy: An Observational, Prospective Analysis.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic in southern China. Due to the unique anatomical and biological properties of NPCs, radiotherapy or combined modality based on radiotherapy is an effective treatment option. Helical tomotherapy (HT) is an emerging intensity modulated radiotherapy technology. The advantages of dose homogeneity, steepness of dose gradient, and protection of normal organs are reflected in the treatment of head and neck cancers. We present the preliminary (2-year) clinical outcomes of HT in 85 patients with locally advanced NPC (LA-NPC). Of these patients, 3 patients (3.5%) experienced treatment interruption due to severe pulmonary infection, and 82 (96.5%) completed radiation treatments. The 2-year estimate of progression-free survival, local relapse-free survival, nodal relapse-free survival, distant metastases-free survival, and overall survival rate were 90%, 96.3%, 98.8%, 96.3%, and 96.3%, respectively. Among the three patients that died, one had stage III disease and died from fatal nasopharyngeal bleeding after radiotherapy, while the other two patients succumbed to local recurrence. Our experience suggests that HT can achieve promising disease control and survival in the treatment of LA-NPC patients with mild acute and late toxicity profiles.

c-Fos over-expression promotes radioresistance and predicts poor prognosis in malignant glioma.

c-Fos is a major component of activator protein (AP)-1 complex. It has been implicated in cell differentiation, proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. To investigate the role of c-Fos in glioma radiosensitivity and to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms, we downregulated c-Fos gene expression by lentivirus-mediated shRNA in glioma cell lines and subsequently analyzed the radiosensitivity, DNA damage repair capacity, and cell cycle distribution. Finally, we explored its prognostic value in 41 malignant glioma patients by immunohistochemistry. Our results showed that silencing c-Fos sensitized glioma cells to radiation by increasing radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), disturbing the DNA damage repair process, promoting G2/M cell cycle arrest, and enhancing apoptosis. c-Fos protein overexpression correlated with poor prognosis in malignant glioma patients treated with standard therapy. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanism of radioresistance in malignant glioma and identify c-Fos as a potentially novel therapeutic target for malignant glioma patients.

Structural basis for the immunomodulatory function of cysteine protease inhibitor from human roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides.

Immunosuppression associated with infections of nematode parasites has been documented. Cysteine protease inhibitor (CPI) released by the nematode parasites is identified as one of the major modulators of host immune response. In this report, we demonstrated that the recombinant CPI protein of Ascaris lumbricoides (Al-CPI) strongly inhibited the activities of cathepsin L, C, S, and showed weaker effect to cathepsin B. Crystal structure of Al-CPI was determined to 2.1 Å resolution. Two segments of Al-CPI, loop 1 and loop 2, were proposed as the key structure motifs responsible for Al-CPI binding with proteases and its inhibitory activity. Mutations at loop 1 and loop 2 abrogated the protease inhibition activity to various extents. These results provide the molecular insight into the interaction between the nematode parasite and its host and will facilitate the development of anthelmintic agents or design of anti-autoimmune disease drugs.

[Rapid change in structure of Brachionus calyciflorus complex collected from Jiulian Pond and its ecological mechanism].

In order to investigate the rapid variation in the structure of Brachionus calyciflorus complex and the fitness traits of the two sibling species, the rotifers were collected once a week from Jiulian Pond during 16 July and 6 August, their COI genes were sequenced and analyzed, and their fitness parameters (average lifespan, net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of population increase and proportion of sexual offspring) were calculated at 28 degrees C and 32 degrees C with 1.0 x 10(6), 3.0 x 10(6) and 5.0 x 10(6) cells x mL(-1) of Scenedesmus obliquus as food. In total of 35 samples, 22 haplotypes were defined, among which two distinct lineages (Lineage I and II) were revealed by phylogenetic analysis. Sequence divergence was 14.8%-15.6% between the two lineages, indicating the occurrence of two sibling species (sibling species I and II). Sibling species II occurred only in the second event of sample collection, and its relative abundance in the density of the species complex was lower (1/35). In the population of sibling species I, the clones of three shared haplotypes showed overlap, while the others showed displacement. Three-way ANOVA indicated that temperature affected the net reproductive rate, the intrinsic rate of population increase and the proportion of sexual offspring, food level affected the average lifespan, the net reproductive rate and the intrinsic rate of population increase, sibling species affected the average lifespan, the intrinsic rate of population increase and the proportion of sexual offspring. The interaction between temperature and sibling species affected the net reproductive rate and the intrinsic rate of population increase (P < 0.05), the interaction between temperature and food level affected the proportion of sexual offspring (P < 0.01), and the interaction between food level and sibling species affected the intrinsic rate of population increase of the rotifers (P < 0.05). Sibling species I had a higher intrinsic rate of population increase, a shorter average lifespan and a lower proportion of sexual offspring than sibling species II.

Hormonal and reproductive factors and risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese postmenopausal women: a case-control study.

AIM: Since any relationship between hormonal and reproductive factors and risk of esophageal cancer is unclear, we investigated this question in Shandong province of China. METHODS: A hospital-based 1:1 matched case-control study was conducted from January 2008 to November 2010, with face to face interviews conducted for 132 cases and 132 controls. All cases recruited in this study were confirmed by endoscopy and histological examination. Controls were first-visit outpatients who visited the same hosptial during the same period and were confirmed to have no malignancy. Conditional logistic regression analysis was employed to calculate risk of potential factors. RESULTS: Esophageal cancer positive women had a higher prevalence of reflux, smoking status, lower BMI and less education than health controls (p<0.05). Women whose age of periods ended above 50 years and breastfed for more than 12 months had lower risk of esophageal cancer, with ORs (95% CI) of 0.42 (0.20-0.89) and 0.46 (0.21-0.98). Sensitivity analysis for the histological types of esophageal cancer showed no great difference between adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: In summary, our findings suggest an inverse association between later age of menopause and duration of breastfeeding and risk of esophageal cancer. However, many reproductive and sex hormonal factors did not seem to be associated with esophageal cancer, supporting the need to further evaluate reproductive factors in prospective studies.

The phenotype and function of naturally existing regulatory dendritic cells in nematode-infected mice.

Immunosuppression associated with chronic helminth infections has been documented in many studies and regulatory T (Treg) cells have been shown to mediate the nematode-induced immunosuppression, but the role of dendritic cells (DCs) in the induction of Treg cell response and immunosuppression has not yet been fully determined. We analysed the response and function of DCs in mesenteric lymph node (MLNs) of mice infected with a gastrointestinal nematode, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, and observed a substantial expansion of DCs in MLNs following the infection. The CD11c(+) DCs in MLNs of infected mice showed reduced expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD40, CD86 and MHC-II, and production of inflammatory cytokines IL-12 and IL-6. Analysis of MLN DC subsets defined by CD11c and CD45RB expression showed that the CD11c(low)CD45RB(mid) subset increased rapidly following H. polygyrus infection and the CD11c(mid)CD45RB(high) subset expanded from the third week after infection. In the co-culture of sorted DC subsets with ovalbumin-(OVA-)specific T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic CD4(+) T cells, CD11c(low)CD45RB(mid) DCs induced a low proliferation response and a high level of IL-10 production in CD4(+) T cells, whereas CD11c(mid)CD45RB(high) DCs induced more IFN-γ and IL-4 producing CD4(+) T cells. Intracellular staining revealed that CD11c(low)CD45RB(mid) DCs promoted CD4(+) Foxp3(+) differentiations. These results indicate that nematode infections selectively induce expansion of the CD11c(low)CD45RB(mid) regulatory DC subset that promotes development of Foxp3(+) and IL-10 producing Treg cells. The Treg cell responses and immunoregulatory cytokines induced by this regulatory DC subset in turn play an important role in mediation of the nematode-induced immunosuppression.

[Morphological characteristics of resting eggs produced by different Brachionus calyciflorus].

In this paper, the Qingdao and Wuhu strains of Brachionus calyciflorus were cultured at 20 degrees C, 25 degrees C and 30 degrees C, and fed with 1.0 x 10(6) and 5.0 x 10(6) cells x ml(-1) of Scenedesmus obliquus. The morphological study of their produced resting eggs showed that at the two food concentrations, the resting eggs produced at 20 degrees C were the largest in length, width and volume, while those produced at 25 degrees C and 30 degrees C were the smallest. The effects of strain on the morphological characteristics of resting eggs also depended on food concentration. When the food concentration was 1.0 x 10(6) cells x ml(-1), the length, width and volume of the resting eggs produced by Wuhu strain and Qingdao strain were 156.00 microm, 99.95 microm and 12 269.11 microm3, and 145. 13 microm, 91.97 microm and 10 498. 19 microm3, respectively, while when the food concentration was 5.0 x 10(6) cells x ml(-1), the corresponding values were 155. 68 microm, 100.85 microm and 12 348.59 microm, and 156.63 microm, 98.04 microm and 12 054. 20 microm3, respectively. For test strains, only Wuhu strain showed a marked curvilinear correlation in the length, width and volume of its resting eggs with temperature. At the same temperature, the volumes of the resting eggs produced by both Qingdao and Wuhu strains were increased with increasing food concentration, with the exception that the resting eggs produced by Wuhu strain at 30 degrees C decreased with increasing food concentration.

[Accumulation and distribution of lead in Macrobrachium nipponense].

The accumulation and distribution of lead granules in the major organs of Macrobrachium nipponense were studied by means of histochemistry, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) analysis. The results showed that many high electronic dense lead granules (EDG) were found primarily in the antennal gland of this species exposed to 0.625 mg.L-1 Pb2+ for 10 days. Under TEM, lead granules were deposited in lysosome, then gradually accumulated in cell apex, and finally individually discharged into gland lumen by apocrine secretion and excreted with urine. There was a small quantity of lead granules in the cells of midgut. Many vacuolus were observed in the cytoplasm of the cells, and the nuclear membranes and cristae in mitochondria were disintegrated partially. The structure of hepatopancreas cells basically remained intact, although there were a few of lead granules in the cells. No lead granule was found in the cells of gills, but a few of lead granules adsorbed on the surface of gill filaments among the gill filaments. The highest concentration (637.6 mg.kg-1) of lead was found in antennal gland by AAS, suggesting that the antennal gland might play an important role in detoxifying process of lead.