IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1078: Linguistic Multi-Attribute Group Decision Making with Risk Preferences and Its Use in Low-Carbon Tourism Destination Selection

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1078: Linguistic Multi-Attribute Group Decision Making with Risk Preferences and Its Use in Low-Carbon Tourism Destination Selection

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph14091078

Authors: Hui Lin Zhou-Jing Wang

Low-carbon tourism plays an important role in carbon emission reduction and environmental protection. Low-carbon tourism destination selection often involves multiple conflicting and incommensurate attributes or criteria and can be modelled as a multi-attribute decision-making problem. This paper develops a framework to solve multi-attribute group decision-making problems, where attribute evaluation values are provided as linguistic terms and the attribute weight information is incomplete. In order to obtain a group risk preference captured by a linguistic term set with triangular fuzzy semantic information, a nonlinear programming model is established on the basis of individual risk preferences. We first convert individual linguistic-term-based decision matrices to their respective triangular fuzzy decision matrices, which are then aggregated into a group triangular fuzzy decision matrix. Based on this group decision matrix and the incomplete attribute weight information, a linear program is developed to find an optimal attribute weight vector. A detailed procedure is devised for tackling linguistic multi-attribute group decision making problems. A low-carbon tourism destination selection case study is offered to illustrate how to use the developed group decision-making model in practice.

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Follow-Up and Risk Assessment in Patients with Myocardial Infarction Using Artificial Neural Networks

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are machine learning technique, inspired by the principles found in biological neurons. This technique has been used for prediction and classification problems in many areas of medical signal processing. The aim of this paper was to identify individuals with high risk of death after acute myocardial infarction using ANN. A training dataset for ANN was 1705 consecutive patients who underwent 24-hour ECG monitoring, short ECG analysis, noninvasive beat-to-beat heart-rate variability, and baroreflex sensitivity that were followed for 3 years. The proposed neural network classifier showed good performance for survival prediction: 88% accuracy, 81% sensitivity, 93% specificity, 0.85 -measure, and area under the curve value of 0.77. These findings support the theory that patients with high sympathetic activity (reduced baroreflex sensitivity) have an increased risk of mortality independent of other risk factors and that artificial neural networks can indicate the individuals with a higher risk.

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Molecular Dynamics Modeling of the Effect of Nanotwins on the Superelasticity of Single-Crystalline NiTi Alloys

The objective of this work is to simulate the superelasticity and shape-memory effect in a single-crystalline nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy through a molecular dynamics (MD) study. Cooling and heating processes for this material are reproduced to investigate the temperature-induced phase transformation in its microstructure. It is found that the martensitic transformation and its reverse process occur accompanied by an abrupt volume change, and the transformed variants lead to the appearance of the (001) type compound twin. In addition, the transform temperatures for martensite start () and austenite finish () are determined, respectively. The results indicate that when the temperature is beyond during the compressive loading-unloading, the superelastic behavior becomes pronounced, which is attributed to the role of nanotwins on the transformation from the austenitic phase (B2) to martensitic phase (B19′). Compared to existing experimental data, a reasonable agreement is achieved through the modeling results, highlighting the importance of the compound twins for dominating the superelasticity of nanostructured NiTi alloys.

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Chronic Open Infective Lateral Malleolus Bursitis Management Using Local Rotational Flap

Background. Using a sinus tarsi rotational flap is an uncommon approach to treating chronic open infective lateral malleolus bursitis. Methods. We treated eight patients, including six males, using this approach. First, we debrided all the infected tissues and used a negative pressure wound closure system where needed. After acute infection had been controlled, the local rotational flap was used for cases where the wound could not be closed by a simple suture or bone exposure. The rotational flap was detached with a curved skin incision at the sinus tarsi next to the open wound and sutured to the defect, paying careful attention to the superficial peroneal nerve. The donor site was managed with a split-thickness skin graft. Results. The patients' mean age was 74.1 years. Six patients had a wound after suppurative infection, but two patients had ulcer-type bursitis. Six patients demonstrated full flap healing, but two patients had venous congestion necrosis. Conclusion. A sinus tarsi rotational flap is a useful method to ensure healing and coverage of chronic open lateral malleolus bursitis, especially for small to medium wounds with cavity and bone exposure.

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Pulpo-Periodontal Regeneration: Management of Partial Failure Revascularization

The aim of this work is to present a case of management of an open apex on a lower molar by using tissue engineering, with two endodontic procedures in the same tooth. We had to resort to pulp regeneration on the distal root and apexification with MTA on the mesial roots after the failure of regenerative therapy on those ones. The management consisted in scheduling regular follow-ups combined with X-rays. After 24 months, the radiological control has shown pulpo-periodontal regeneration associated with walls thickening and distal root elongation and periapical ad integrum healing.

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Impact of resveratrol on bone repair in rats exposed to cigarette smoke inhalation: histomorphometric and bone-related gene expression analysis

Publication date: Available online 15 September 2017
Source:International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Author(s): F.C. Franck, B.B. Benatti, D.C. Andia, F.R. Cirano, R.C. Casarin, M.G. Corrêa, F.V. Ribeiro
This study investigated the effect of resveratrol on bone healing and its influence on the gene expression of bone-related markers in rats exposed to cigarette smoke. Two calvarial defects were created in each of 60 rats, which were assigned equally (n=20) to three groups: (1) resveratrol (10mg/kg)+smoke exposure (SMK+RESV); (2) placebo+smoke exposure (SMK+PLA); or (3) placebo+no smoke exposure (NS+PLA). Substances were administered daily for 30days following surgery. Smoke inhalation was started 7days before surgery and continued for 30days after surgery. One defect was processed for histomorphometric analysis and the other was used for mRNA quantification of bone-related gene expression by qPCR. The remaining defect was smaller in the SMK+RESV (2.27±0.61mm, P=0.0003) and NS+PLA (2.17±0.74mm, P=0.0005) groups than in the SMK+PLA group (3.12±0.47mm). Higher levels of Runx2 were observed in the NS+PLA group than in the smoke exposure groups (vs. SMK+PLA, P=0002; vs. SMK+RESV, P=0.052); levels of Lrp-5 were also higher in the no smoke exposure group (vs. SMK+RESV, P=0.009; vs. SMK+PLA, P=0.003). Resveratrol therapy decreased RANKL/OPG expression when compared to placebo (SMK+RESV vs. SMK+PLA, P=0.017). Dkk1 levels were decreased in the SMK+RESV group when compared to the SMK+PLA (P=0.006) and NS+PLA groups (P=0.005). In conclusion, resveratrol optimizes the repair of critical-sized bone defects, up-regulating the gene expression of important bone remodelling markers in rats exposed to cigarette smoke inhalation.



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Biatractylolide Modulates PI3K-Akt-GSK3β-Dependent Pathways to Protect against Glutamate-Induced Cell Damage in PC12 and SH-SY5Y Cells

Biatractylolide, isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of Atractylodes macrocephala, has shown various pharmacological activities such as antitumor and antioxidant activities. In this work, we aim to study the protective effect of biatractylolide on glutamate-induced rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cell (PC12) and human bone marrow neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) injury and preliminarily explore its mechanism. The results showed that glutamate was cytotoxic with an inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) of 8.5 mM in PC12 and 10 mM in SH-SY5Y cells. In this work, the preincubation with biatractylolide (10, 15, and 20 M) observably improved cell viability, inhibited the apoptosis of cells induced by glutamate, and reduced the activity of LDH. AO staining revealed that apoptosis of cells was decreased. Additionally, the results of western blotting manifested that pretreatment with biatractylolide could downregulate GSK3 protein expression and upregulate p-Akt protein expression, thereby protecting PC12 and SH-SY5Y cells from injury. All these findings indicate that biatractylolide has a neuroprotective effect on glutamate-induced injury in PC12 and SH-SY5Y cells through a mechanism of the PI3K-Akt-GSK3-dependent pathways.

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Constrained Quadratic Programming and Neurodynamics-Based Solver for Energy Optimization of Biped Walking Robots

The application of biped robots is always trapped by their high energy consumption. This paper makes a contribution by optimizing the joint torques to decrease the energy consumption without changing the biped gaits. In this work, a constrained quadratic programming (QP) problem for energy optimization is formulated. A neurodynamics-based solver is presented to solve the QP problem. Differing from the existing literatures, the proposed neurodynamics-based energy optimization (NEO) strategy minimizes the energy consumption and guarantees the following three important constraints simultaneously: (i) the force-moment equilibrium equation of biped robots, (ii) frictions applied by each leg on the ground to hold the biped robot without slippage and tipping over, and (iii) physical limits of the motors. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed strategy is effective for energy-efficient biped walking.

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Increased Melting Heat Transfer in the Latent Heat Energy Storage from the Tube-and-Shell Model to the Combine-and-Shell Model

The melting of paraffin in thermal storage tube-and-shell and combine-and-shell models was conducted with the numerical research aim of decreasing the charge time through changing the shape of the tube into combining form. The results discussed are temperature contour, liquid-solid interface contour, temperature distribution, liquid fraction, and the average Nusselt number. The results show that the charge time in the tube-and-shell model is 2000 s, while the combine-and-shell model is 1200 s, meaning an overall decrease in charge time in the combine-and-shell model by 40% when compared to that of the tube-and-shell model.

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Royal Jelly Inhibits Pseudomonas aeruginosa Adherence and Reduces Excessive Inflammatory Responses in Human Epithelial Cells

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium and causes respiratory infection especially in elderly patients. Royal jelly has been used worldwide as a traditional remedy and as a nutrient; however, the effect against P. aeruginosa is unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze antibacterial, antiadherent, and anti-inflammatory effects of royal jelly against P. aeruginosa. Wild-type strain PAO1 and clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were used for antibacterial assay and antiadherent assay to abiotic surface and epithelial cells, which are pharynx (Detroit 562) and lung (NCI-H292) epithelial cells. In anti-inflammatory assay, epithelial cells were pretreated with royal jelly before bacterial exposure to investigate its inhibitory effect on interleukin (IL-8) and macrophage inflammatory protein-3α/CCL20 overproduction. Although royal jelly did not have antibacterial activity at concentration of 50% w/v, antiadherent activity was confirmed on the abiotic surface and epithelial cells under concentration of 25%. Pretreatment with royal jelly significantly inhibited overproduction of IL-8 and CCL20 from both cells. These results demonstrated that royal jelly inhibits P. aeruginosa adherence and protects epithelial cells from excessive inflammatory responses against P. aeruginosa infection. Our findings suggested that royal jelly may be a useful supplement as complementary and alternative medicine for preventing respiratory infection caused by P. aeruginosa.

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Optimal Computing Resource Management Based on Utility Maximization in Mobile Crowdsourcing

Mobile crowdsourcing, as an emerging service paradigm, enables the computing resource requestor (CRR) to outsource computation tasks to each computing resource provider (CRP). Considering the importance of pricing as an essential incentive to coordinate the real-time interaction among the CRR and CRPs, in this paper, we propose an optimal real-time pricing strategy for computing resource management in mobile crowdsourcing. Firstly, we analytically model the CRR and CRPs behaviors in form of carefully selected utility and cost functions, based on concepts from microeconomics. Secondly, we propose a distributed algorithm through the exchange of control messages, which contain the information of computing resource demand/supply and real-time prices. We show that there exist real-time prices that can align individual optimality with systematic optimality. Finally, we also take account of the interaction among CRPs and formulate the computing resource management as a game with Nash equilibrium achievable via best response. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed distributed algorithm can potentially benefit both the CRR and CRPs. The coordinator in mobile crowdsourcing can thus use the optimal real-time pricing strategy to manage computing resources towards the benefit of the overall system.

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Stochastic Models of Emerging Infectious Disease Transmission on Adaptive Random Networks

We presented adaptive random network models to describe human behavioral change during epidemics and performed stochastic simulations of SIR (susceptible-infectious-recovered) epidemic models on adaptive random networks. The interplay between infectious disease dynamics and network adaptation dynamics was investigated in regard to the disease transmission and the cumulative number of infection cases. We found that the cumulative case was reduced and associated with an increasing network adaptation probability but was increased with an increasing disease transmission probability. It was found that the topological changes of the adaptive random networks were able to reduce the cumulative number of infections and also to delay the epidemic peak. Our results also suggest the existence of a critical value for the ratio of disease transmission and adaptation probabilities below which the epidemic cannot occur.

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Desired Turbulence? Gut-Lung Axis, Immunity, and Lung Cancer

The microbiota includes different microorganisms consisting of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa distributed over many human body surfaces including the skin, vagina, gut, and airways, with the highest density found in the intestine. The gut microbiota strongly influences our metabolic, endocrine, and immune systems, as well as both the peripheral and central nervous systems. Recently, a dialogue between the gut and lung microbiota has been discovered, suggesting that changes in one compartment could impact the other compartment, whether in relation to microbial composition or function. Further, this bidirectional axis is evidenced in an, either beneficial or malignant, altered immune response in one compartment following changes in the other compartment. Stimulation of the immune system arises from the microbial cells themselves, but also from their metabolites. It can be either direct or mediated by stimulated immune cells in one site impacting the other site. Additionally, this interaction may lead to immunological boost, assisting the innate immune system in its antitumour response. Thus, this review offers an insight into the composition of these sites, the gut and the lung, their role in shaping the immune system, and, finally, their role in the response to lung cancer.

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Damage Identification of a Derrick Steel Structure Based on the HHT Marginal Spectrum Amplitude Curvature Difference

For the damage identification of derrick steel structures, traditional methods often require high-order vibration information of structures to identify damage accurately. However, the high-order vibration information of structures is difficult to acquire. Based on the technology of signal feature extraction, only using the low-order vibration information, taking the right front leg as an example, we analyzed the selection of HHT marginal spectrum amplitude and the calculation process of its curvature in practical application, designed the damage conditions of a derrick steel structure, used the index and intrinsic mode function (IMF) instantaneous energy curvature method to perform the damage simulation calculation and comparison, and verified the effect of identifying the damage location in a noisy environment. The results show that the index can accurately determine the location of the damage element and weak damage element and can be used to qualitatively analyze the damage degree of the element; under the impact load, the noise hardly affects the identification of the damage location. Finally, this method was applied to the ZJ70 derrick steel structure laboratory model and compared with the IMF instantaneous energy curvature method. We verified the feasibility of this method in the damage location simulation experiment.

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Cardiovascular Protective Effects of Salvianic Acid A on db/db Mice with Elevated Homocysteine Level

The onsets of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and endothelial dysfunction (ED) in diabetics, especially in those with elevated homocysteine (Hcy), precede the development of cardiovascular (CV) events. Salvianic acid A (SAA) is a renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that has been applied in the treatment of cardiovascular disease for many decades. In this study, we aimed (1) to investigate the CV protective effects of SAA on ameliorating LVH and ED in db/db mice with elevated blood Hcy level and (2) to decipher whether the observed CV protective effects of SAA are associated with Hcy metabolism by modulating the methylation potential and redox status in the liver of the db/db mice with elevated blood Hcy level. Our results found that the administration of SAA could significantly slow down the build-up of left ventricular mass and ameliorate ED. Immunological assay analysis on the mouse liver tissue also indicated that SAA treatment on db/db mice with elevated Hcy was associated with reduced methylation potential but improved redox status. In conclusion, we revealed that SAA has the potential to protect against the hyperglycemia- and hyperhomocysteinemia-induced oxidative stress on diabetic mice via modulation in Hcy metabolism.

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Guanxintai Exerts Protective Effects on Ischemic Cardiomyocytes by Mitigating Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress participates in numerous myocardial pathophysiological processes and is considered a therapeutic target for myocardial ischemia and heart failure. Guanxintai (GXT), a traditional Chinese medicine, is commonly used to treat cardiovascular disease on account of its numerous beneficial physiological activities, such as dilating coronary arteries, inhibiting platelet aggregation, and reducing the serum lipid content. However, the antioxidative properties of GXT and potential underlying mechanisms remain to be established. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of GXT on ischemic cardiomyocytes and the associated antioxidative mechanisms, both in vivo and in vitro. Notably, GXT treatment reduced the degree of cardiomyocyte injury, myocardial apoptosis, and fibrosis and partially improved cardiac function after myocardial infarction. Furthermore, GXT suppressed the level of ROS as well as expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX) and phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) proteins. Our results collectively suggest that the protective effects of GXT on ischemic cardiomyocytes are exerted through its antioxidative activity of NOX inhibition.

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Women Living with HIV over Age of 65: Cervical Cancer Screening in a Unique and Growing Population

Objective. Women living with HIV are at increased risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which can lead to cervical cancer. New guidelines recommend indefinite screening. The objective of this study is to describe cervical cancer screening practices and colposcopy results in a cohort of women living with HIV over age of 65 who were followed before the new guidelines. Comorbidities, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and other risk factors were evaluated. Methods. We conducted a retrospective chart review on 75 women aged 65 or older living with HIV with at least one Pap smear. Results. The mean age of the cohort was 66.5 and at HIV diagnosis was 56. The majority of women were immunocompetent. 80% had serial Pap smears. Of these, 86% of 238 were negative or ASCUS. No women progressed to HSIL. 92% of colposcopies had negative or CIN I results. Three women were treated successfully for high-grade dysplasia. More than half of women had other STIs. 72% were screened for HPV; 50% were positive. Conclusion. The majority of women had negative and low-grade Pap smears. Questions remain regarding the utility of continued Pap screening and the added value of HPV testing in this unique population of older women living with HIV.

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Mechanisms of MAGUK-mediated cellular junctional complex organization.

Mechanisms of MAGUK-mediated cellular junctional complex organization.

Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2017 Sep 13;48:6-15

Authors: Ye F, Zeng M, Zhang M

Abstract
Membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs) are a family of scaffold proteins that are enriched in cellular junctions and essential for tissue development and homeostasis. Mutations of MAGUKs are linked to many human diseases including cancers, psychiatric disorders, and intellectual disabilities. MAGUKs share a common PDZ-SH3-GK tandem domain organization at the C-terminal end. In this review, we summarize the mechanistic basis governing target recognition and regulations of this binding by the PDZ-SH3-GK tandem of various MAGUKs. We also discuss recent discoveries showing unique folding features of MAGUK PDZ-SH3-GK tandems that facilitate ligand-induced oligomerization of MAGUKs and phase transition of MAGUK-assembled synaptic signaling complexes.

PMID: 28917202 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Reconstruction of atmospheric trace metals pollution in Southwest China using sediments from a large and deep alpine lake: Historical trends, sources and sediment focusing.

Reconstruction of atmospheric trace metals pollution in Southwest China using sediments from a large and deep alpine lake: Historical trends, sources and sediment focusing.

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Sep 13;613-614:331-341

Authors: Lin Q, Liu E, Zhang E, Nath B, Shen J, Yuan H, Wang R

Abstract
Atmospheric pollution, one of the leading environmental problems in South and East Asia, and its impact on the terrestrial environmental quality remain poorly understood particularly in alpine areas where both historical and present-day mining and smelting operations might leave an imprint. Here, we reconstructed atmospheric trace metals pollution during the past century using core sediments from a large and deep alpine lake in Southwest China. The implication of in lake and/or in watershed sediment focusing in pollution quantification is discussed by analyzing 15 sediment cores. Factor analysis and enrichment factor indicated Cd, Pb and Sb as the typical pollutants. Distinct peaks of Pb and Sb pollution were observed around the 1920s, but little Pb pollution was detected in recent decades, different from other studies in similar regions. Cadmium pollution was observed until the mid-1980s synchronized with Sb. The distinctive variations in atmospheric trace metal pollution process in Southwest China highlight the regional and sub-regional sources of metal pollutants, which should be primarily attributed to non-ferrous metal smelting emissions. Both natural and anthropogenic metals showed wide concentration ranges though exhibited similar temporal trends in the 15 cores. Spatial variations of anthropogenic metals were influenced by the in-watershed pollutants remobilization, whereas, natural metals were regulated by the detrital materials in the sub-basin. In-lake sediment focusing had little influence on the spatial distributions of all metals, different from the traditional sediment focusing pattern observed in small lakes. Anthropogenic Cd accumulation in sediments ranged from 1.5 to 10.1mgm(-2) in a specific core with an average of 6.5mgm(-2) for the entire lake, highlighting that a reliable whole-lake pollutant budget requires an analysis of multiple cores. Our study suggests that the management of aquatic ecosystem health should take the remobilization of in-watershed stored pollutants into consideration especially under increasing human perturbation.

PMID: 28917172 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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