How Cells Communicate with Each Other in the Tumor Microenvironment: Suggestions to Design Novel Therapeutic Strategies in Cancer Disease

Connexin- and pannexin (Panx)-formed hemichannels (HCs) and gap junctions (GJs) operate an interaction with the extracellular matrix and GJ intercellular communication (GJIC), and on account of this they are involved in cancer onset and progression towards invasiveness and metastatization. When we deal with cancer, it is not correct to omit the immune system, as well as neglecting its role in resisting or succumbing to formation and progression of incipient neoplasia until the formation of micrometastasis, nevertheless what really occurs in the tumor microenvironment (TME), which are the main players and which are the tumor or body allies, is still unclear. The goal of this article is to discuss how the pivotal players act, which can enhance or contrast cancer progression during two important process: “Activating Invasion and Metastasis” and the “Avoiding Immune Destruction”, with a particular emphasis on the interplay among GJIC, Panx-HCs, and the purinergic system in the TME without disregarding the inflammasome and cytokines thereof derived. In particular, the complex and contrasting roles of Panx1/P2X7R signalosome in tumor facilitation and/or inhibition is discussed in regard to the early/late phases of the carcinogenesis. Finally, considering this complex interplay in the TME between cancer cells, stromal cells, immune cells, and focusing on their means of communication, we should be capable of revealing harmful messages that help the cancer growth and transform them in body allies, thus designing novel therapeutic strategies to fight cancer in a personalized manner.     

Systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle: Case studies on laundry detergent and milk

This study presents systematic packaging design tools integrating functional and environmental consequences on product life cycle. To design packaging for sustainability, the trade-offs between functional and environmental aspects of packaging throughout the product life cycle should be considered. However, it is difficult for packaging designers to understand the overall trade-offs because the extent of the design consequences on the entire life cycle of packaging and its contents is unclear. We developed two tools for packaging design: the Life Cycle Association Matrix (LCAM) and the Function Network Diagram (FND). The following three steps, based on literature reviews and interviews with industrial experts, were applied. Firstly, we listed the product functions and design variables related to the functions as the attributes allocated to the product life cycle. Secondly, the attributes were connected appropriately based on causal relationships. Lastly, we identified the factors to support decision making in the packaging design procedure. As a result, the LCAM depicts the design consequences on the life cycle, and the FND determines the stakeholders affected by the design consequences. Two case studies were demonstrated to analyze the trade-offs by using our tools. In the case studies, a liquid laundry detergent bottle and a milk carton were redesigned. The tools identified the design consequences and stakeholders affected by the redesign of the usability and protective function for the detergent and milk cases, respectively. The results showed the significance of understanding the design consequences on the product life cycle by integrating the functional and environmental aspects.     

In vivo Kinetic Biodistribution of Nano‐Sized Outer Membrane Vesicles Derived from Bacteria

Evaluation of kinetic distribution and behaviors of nanoparticles in vivo provides crucial clues into their roles in living organisms. Extracellular vesicles are evolutionary conserved nanoparticles, known to play important biological functions in intercellular, inter‐species, and inter‐kingdom communication. In this study, the first kinetic analysis of the biodistribution of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs)—bacterial extracellular vesicles—with immune‐modulatory functions is performed. OMVs, injected intraperitoneally, spread to the whole mouse body and accumulate in the liver, lung, spleen, and kidney within 3 h of administration. As an early systemic inflammation response, increased levels of TNF‐α and IL‐6 are observed in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In addition, the number of leukocytes and platelets in the blood is decreased. OMVs and cytokine concentrations, as well as body temperature are gradually decreased 6 h after OMV injection, in concomitance with the formation of eye exudates, and of an increase in ICAM‐1 levels in the lung. Following OMV elimination, most of the inflammatory signs are reverted, 12 h post‐injection. However, leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid are increased as a late reaction. Taken together, these results suggest that OMVs are effective mediators of long distance communication in vivo.     

Low complexity quantum private queries protocol

Private information retrieval(PIR) is an important privacy protection issue of secure multi-party computation, but the PIR protocols based on classical cryptography are vulnerable because of new technologies,such as quantum computing and cloud computing. The quantum private queries(QPQ) protocols available, however, has a high complexity and is inefficient in the face of large database. This paper, based on the QKD technology which is mature now, proposes a novel QPQ protocol utilizing the key dilution and auxiliary parameter. Only N quits are required to be sent in the quantum channel to generate the raw key, then the straight k bits in the raw key are added bitwise to dilute the raw key, and a final key is consequently obtained to encrypt the database. By flexible adjusting of auxiliary parameters θ and k, privacy is secured and the query success ratio is improved. Feasibility and performance analyses indicate that the protocol has a high success ratio in first-trial query and is easy to implement, and that the communication complexity of O(N) is achieved.     

基于RFID标签阵列的睡眠期间呼吸量连续监测系统

睡眠期间连续且准确的呼吸量监测有助于推断用户的睡眠阶段以及提供一些慢性疾病的线索。现有工作主要针对呼吸频率进行感知和监测,缺乏对呼吸量进行连续监测的手段。针对上述问题提出了一种基于商用无线射频识别(RFID)标签的无线感知用户睡眠期间呼吸量的系统——RF-SLEEP。RF-SLEEP通过阅读器连续收集附着在胸部表面的标签阵列返回的相位值及时间戳数据,计算出呼吸引起的胸部不同点的位移量,基于广义回归神经网络(GRNN)构建胸部不同点的位移量与呼吸量之间的关系模型,从而实现对用户睡眠期间呼吸量的评估。RF-SLEEP通过在用户肩膀处附着双参考标签,消除用户睡眠期间翻转身体对胸部位移计算造成的误差。实验结果表明,RFSLEEP对不同用户睡眠期间的呼吸量连续监测的平均精确度为92.49%。     

面向航空通信应用的边沿触发器教学设计

研究和分析了面向航空通信应用的边沿触发器教学设计。以边沿触发电路实现原理为核心,引导边沿触发机制的探究式学习；以航空机载网络通信为具体应用背景,引入科学研究和工程实现中实际问题,设计曼切斯特码检测系统实验；使得边沿触发器教学成为“知识再创造”的过程和创新实践的新载体,以期培养新工科背景下的独立、创新和实践精神。     

Predictors of job seekers’ self-disclosure on social media

Social media-based screening is a well-known practice to both recruiters and job seekers. Little is known, however, about how job seekers present themselves on social media, i.e. ‘self-disclosure’, for employment purposes. This study builds on the theories of hyperpersonal computer-mediated communication, self-efficacy and social exchange to examine job seekers’ professional online image concerns, social media self-efficacy, and perceptions of social media effectiveness in the job search as predictors of inappropriate and career-oriented self-disclosures on these media. Findings from a sample of 3374 Italian respondents showed that career-oriented self-disclosure was predicted by all three factors, whereas inappropriate self-disclosure was only predicted by social media self-efficacy. Furthermore, the relationship between professional online image concerns and inappropriate self-disclosure was moderated by age, education and work experience, but not by gender. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.     

Regulatory RNAs: A Universal Language for Inter-Domain Communication

In eukaryotes, microRNAs (miRNAs) have roles in development, homeostasis, disease and the immune response. Recent work has shown that plant and mammalian miRNAs also mediate cross-kingdom and cross-domain communications. However, these studies remain controversial and are lacking critical mechanistic explanations. Bacteria do not produce miRNAs themselves, and therefore it is unclear how these eukaryotic RNA molecules could function in the bacterial recipient. In this review, we compare and contrast the biogenesis and functions of regulatory RNAs in eukaryotes and bacteria. As a result, we discovered several conserved features and homologous components in these distinct pathways. These findings enabled us to propose novel mechanisms to explain how eukaryotic miRNAs could function in bacteria. Further understanding in this area is necessary to validate the findings of existing studies and could facilitate the use of miRNAs as novel tools for the directed remodelling of the human microbiota.     

小型机载激光通信系统设计与验证

针对空空宽带高速通信的需求，设计了小型化机载激光通信系统。仿真分析了300 km、2.5 Gb/s无线激光链路性能，并通过运动仿真台模拟机动环境测试了系统的跟踪与通信性能，其中粗跟踪误差为533.2 μrad(1σ)，精跟踪误差为3.6 μrad(1σ)，测试数据传输240 s，通信误码率为2.82×10-9。仿真与实验验证了该系统用于远距离空空无线激光通信的可行性。     

基于时频域的卷积神经网络运动想象脑电信号识别方法

针对目前运动想象脑电（EEG）信号识别率较低的问题，考虑到脑电信号蕴含着丰富的时频信息，提出一种基于时频域的卷积神经网络（CNN）运动想象脑电信号识别方法。首先，利用短时傅里叶变换（STFT）对脑电信号的相关频带进行预处理，并将多个电极的时频图组合构造出一种二维时频图；然后，针对二维时频图的时频特性，通过一维卷积的方法设计了一种新颖的CNN结构；最后，通过支持向量机（SVM）对CNN提取的特征进行分类。基于BCI数据集的实验结果表明，所提方法的平均识别率为86.5%，优于其他传统运动想象脑电信号识别方法；同时将该方法应用在智能轮椅上，验证了其有效性。