I/O Efficient Early Bursting Cohesive Subgraph Discovery in Massive Temporal Networks.

Temporal networks are an effective way to encode temporal information into graph data losslessly. Finding the bursting cohesive subgraph (BCS), which accumulates its cohesiveness at the fastest rate, is an important problem in temporal networks. The BCS has a large number of applications, such as representing emergency events in social media, traffic congestion in road networks and epidemic outbreak in communities. Nevertheless, existing methods demand the BCS lasting for a time interval, which neglects the timeliness of the BCS. In this paper, we design an early bursting cohesive subgraph (EBCS) model based on the k-core to enable identifying the burstiness as soon as possible. To find the EBCS, we first construct a time weight graph (TWG) to measure the bursting level by integrating the topological and temporal information. Then, we propose a global search algorithm, called GS-EBCS, which can find the exact EBCS by iteratively removing nodes from the TWG. Further, we propose a local search algorithm, named LS-EBCS, to find the EBCS by first expanding from a seed node until obtaining a candidate k-core and then refining the k-core to the result subgraph in an optimal time complexity. Subsequently, considering the situation that the massive temporal networks cannot be completely put into the memory, we first design an I/O method to build the TWG and then develop I/O efficient global search and local search algorithms, namely I/O-GS and I/O-LS respectively, to find the EBCS under the semi-external model. Extensive experiments, conducted on four real temporal networks, demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of our proposed algorithms. For example, on the DBLP dataset, I/O-LS and LS-EBCS have comparable running time, while the maximum memory usage of I/O-LS is only 6.5 MB, which is much smaller than that of LS-EBCS taking 308.7 MB. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11390-022-2367-3.

[Expressions of transforming growth factor-beta(1) and Smad4 in rat models of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis and their clinical significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of transforming growth factor-beta(1) and Smad4 in the prostatic tissue of rat models of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP), and to explore the mechanisms of CNP and its fibrosis. METHODS: Sixty 6-month-old SD rats were randomly allocated into three groups of equal number: normal control, 30 d CNP model and 45 d CNP model, the models made by castration + high-dose intramuscular injection of estradiol benzoate. The expressions of TGF-beta1 and Smad4 in the prostatic tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the normal controls, the 30 d and 45 d CNP rat models showed a significantly increased expression of TGF-beta1 and decreased expression of Smad4 (P < 0.05), even more significantly in the 45 d than in the 30 d group. And the expression of TGF-beta1 was negatively correlated with that of Smad4 in the CNP rat models. CONCLUSION: TGF-beta1 and Smad4 may be involved in the pathogenesis of CNP, and prostatic fibrosis may make the condition difficult to cure.

Allodynia and hyperalgesia suppression by a novel analgesic in experimental neuropathic pain.

SCP-1, n-[alpha-(benzisothiazol-3(2ho-ona,1-dioxide-2yl)-acetyl]-p-aminophenol (100 nmol), when intrathecally injected, suppressed tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in a rat neuropathic pain model. The tactile allodynia suppression lasted for at least 4h and SCP-M1 (100 nmol), the main metabolite of SCP-1, displayed similar suppression as SCP-1, but shorter latency, indicating SCP-M1 may be the bioactive component of SCP-1. Acetaminophen was less potent than SCP-1 and SCP-M1. To study mechanisms underlying SCP-1 action, we recorded voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel currents in acutely isolated dorsal root ganglion neurons using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. SCP-1 and SCP-M1 inhibited non-L-type calcium channel currents up to 23.0+/-2.3% and 23.1+/-3.5%, respectively, at a depolarized pulse to -10 mV from a holding potential of -80 mV. Acetaminophen only induced 6.8+/-1.0% inhibition. The results suggest SCP-1 possesses anti-nociceptive activity in the rat model involving calcium channel blocking properties.