Evolutionary swarm cooperative optimization in dynamic environments

A hybrid approach called Evolutionary Swarm Cooperative Algorithm (ESCA) based on the collaboration between a particle swarm optimization algorithm and an evolutionary algorithm is presented. ESCA is designed to deal with moving optima of optimization problems in dynamic environments. ESCA uses three populations of individuals: two EA populations and one Particle Swarm Population. The EA populations evolve by the rules of an evolutionary multimodal optimization algorithm being used to maintain the diversity of the search. The particle swarm confers precision to the search process. The efficiency of ESCA is evaluated by means of numerical experiments.     

InGaN/GaN multi-quantum well distributed Bragg reflector laser diode with second-order gratings

Device fabrication and measurement results of an electrically injected distributed Bragg reflector InGaN/GaN laser operated at room temperature are presented. Using second-order gratings, the emission at 407.6 nm was achieved in the vertical direction, the device acting like a surface emitting laser. A voltage drop at threshold of 11.2 V and temperature stable emission with a wavelength shift of 0.0119 nm/K was obtained for the device.     

Single muscle fiber discharge transformations: fibrillation potential to positive sharp wave

It is presently believed that a fibrillation potential (FP) can transform into a positive sharp wave (PSW) by displaying a number of individual transitional potentials with a high degree of morphological variation between different sets of independent transformations. Clinically obtained examples of FP-to-PSW transformations and a myotonic discharge transformation are simulated by a finite fiber computer model. The simulations demonstrate that the two clinical FP-to-PSW examples may well be the result of two independent muscle fibers synchronously firing for a short period of time such that their separate waveforms summate at the electrode to create a false impression of one potential changing into another through a specific series of transitional waveforms. The transition characterized by the myotonic discharge is substantiated through modeling to define the most reasonable transitional series of waveform morphologies for a single muscle fiber. The combination of clinical examples, histological needle electrode muscle penetration studies, and simulations of single muscle fiber discharge transitions support the hypothesis that a needle recording electrode is capable of inducing a variable degree of mechanical compression with a commensurate amount of action potential blockade. The degree of action potential blockade directly contributes to the clinically observed configuration for the single muscle fiber discharge in both innervated and denervated tissues.     

PLOD2 Is a Prognostic Marker in Glioblastoma That Modulates the Immune Microenvironment and Tumor Progression

This study aimed to investigate the role of Procollagen-Lysine, 2-Oxoglutarate 5-Dioxygenase 2 (PLOD2) in glioblastoma (GBM) pathophysiology. To this end, PLOD2 protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in two independent cohorts of patients with primary GBM (n₁ = 204 and n₂ = 203, respectively). Association with the outcome was tested by Kaplan–Meier, log-rank and multivariate Cox regression analysis in patients with confirmed IDH wild-type status. The biological effects and downstream mechanisms of PLOD2 were assessed in stable PLOD2 knock-down GBM cell lines. High levels of PLOD2 significantly associated with (p₁ = 0.020; p₂ < 0.001; log-rank) and predicted (cohort 1: HR = 1.401, CI [95%] = 1.009–1.946, p₁ = 0.044; cohort 2: HR = 1.493; CI [95%] = 1.042–2.140, p₂ = 0.029; Cox regression) the poor overall survival of GBM patients. PLOD2 knock-down inhibited tumor proliferation, invasion and anchorage-independent growth. MT1-MMP, CD44, CD99, Catenin D1 and MMP2 were downstream of PLOD2 in GBM cells. GBM cells produced soluble factors via PLOD2, which subsequently induced neutrophils to acquire a pro-tumor phenotype characterized by prolonged survival and the release of MMP9. Importantly, GBM patients with synchronous high levels of PLOD2 and neutrophil infiltration had significantly worse overall survival (p < 0.001; log-rank) compared to the other groups of GBM patients. These findings indicate that PLOD2 promotes GBM progression and might be a useful therapeutic target in this type of cancer.     

Steady-state Green's functions for thermal stresses within rectangular region under point heat source

This article presents new steady-state Green's functions for displacements and thermal stresses for plane problem within a rectangular region. These results were derived on the basis of structural formulas for thermoelastic Green's functions which are expressed in terms of Green's functions for Poisson's equation. Structural formulas are formulated in a special theorem, which is proved using the author's developed harmonic integral representation method. Green's functions for thermal stresses within rectangle are obtained in the form of a sum of elementary functions and ordinary series. In the particular cases for a half-strip and strip, ordinary series vanish and Green's functions are presented by elementary functions. These concrete results for Green's functions and respective integration formulas for thermoelastic rectangle, half-strip and strip are presented in another theorem, which is proved on the basis of derived structural formulas. New analytical expressions for thermal stresses to a particular plane problem for a thermoelastic rectangle under a boundary constant temperature gradient also are derived. Analytical solutions were presented in the form of graphics. The fast convergence of the infinite series is demonstrated on a particular thermoelastic boundary value problem (BVP). The proposed technique of constructing thermal stresses Green's functions for a rectangle could be extended to many 3D BVPs for unbounded, semibounded, and bounded parallelepipeds.     

Doubly coupled systems of elliptic hemivariational inequalities: Existence and location

We develop an approach based on the subsolution–supersolution method for an elliptic system of hemivariational inequalities. The system exhibits full dependence on the gradient of the solution and is doubly coupled on both the source and multivalued terms. We prove the existence of solutions in a prescribed trapping region and, as an application, provide a criterion for obtaining positive solutions.     

An Agent-Based Model for Simulating Environmental Behavior in an Educational Organization

Neural Processing Letters - Agent-based modeling (ABM) is an increasingly popular technique for modeling organizations or societies. In this paper, an ABM of environmental decisions in an academic...     

Automatic brachytherapy seed placement under MRI guidance

The paper presents a robotic method of performing low dose rate prostate brachytherapy under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance. The design and operation of a fully automated MR compatible seed injector is presented. This is used with the MrBot robot for transperineal percutaneous prostate access. A new image-registration marker and algorithms are also presented. The system is integrated and tested with a 3T MRI scanner. Tests compare three different registration methods, assess the precision of performing automated seed deployment, and use the seeds to assess the accuracy of needle targeting under image guidance. Under the ideal conditions of the in vitro experiments, results show outstanding image-guided needle and seed placement accuracy.     

Computationally designed monomers for molecular imprinting of chemical warfare agents - Part V

The main objective of this research is to develop and apply state-of-the-art computational tools to achieve an understanding of intermolecular interactions in molecular imprinting of chemical warfare (CW) agents into complex monomeric systems. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were carried out for different monomeric molecular systems in order to predict the interaction energies, the closest approach distances and the active site groups between the simulated molecular systems and different CW agents. The minimized structures of CW agents have been obtained with the use of molecular mechanics approach. NVT MD simulations at room temperature were carried out to obtain equilibrated conformations in all cases. The simulated molecular systems consisted of a ligand (CW agents) and commonly used functional monomers.During this study, it was found that electrostatic interactions play the most significant role in the formation of molecular imprinting materials. The simulated systems indicate that the functional groups of monomers interacting with ligands tend to be either -COOH or CH₂CH-.     

新型锥差式液压马达的运动与效率分析

本文分析了新型锥差式液压马达的运动与效率.