Energy‐delay‐aware caching strategy in green CCN using markov approximation

One of the basic challenges in content‐centric networking (CCN) is how to optimize the overall energy consumption of content transmission and caching. Furthermore, designing an appropriate caching policy that considers both energy consumption and quality of service (QoS) is a major goal in green CCN. In this paper, the problem of minimizing the total CCN energy consumption while being aware of the end‐to‐end delay is formulated as an integer linear programming model. Since it is an Non‐deterministic Polynomial‐time (NP)‐hard problem, the Markov approximation method for an energy‐delay aware caching strategy (MAEDC) is proposed through a log‐sum‐exp function to find a near‐optimal solution in a distributed manner. The numerical results show that the MAEDC achieves near‐optimal energy consumption with better delay profile compared with the optimal solution. Moreover, due to the possibility of distributed and parallel processing, the proposed method is proper for the online situation where the delay is a crucial issue.     

CCN Energy-Delay Aware Cache Management Using Quantized Hopfield

Internet infrastructure is going to be re-designed as a core network layer, shifting from hosts to contents. To this end, content centric networking (CCN) as one of the most effective architectures has been proposed with significant features of in-network caching to open new possibilities for energy efficiency in content dissemination. However in energy-efficient CCN, less popular contents are cached near the origin server, and therefore in delay sensitive applications with less popularity, it leads to dropping delayed chunks, increasing energy waste, and degrading the quality of service (QoS). In the present paper, the energy consumption in CCN while being aware of QoS consideration in terms of imposed delay is minimized. The minimization is performed through integer linear programming by considering most of the energy consuming components. However, since this problem is NP-hard, a quantized Hopfield neural network with an augmented Lagrange multiplier method (MEDCCN-QHN) is proposed to derive the solution. The numerical results show that the MEDCCN-QHN achieves to better delay profile compared to the optimal energy-efficient algorithm, and near-optimal energy consumption. Moreover, the method is fast due to its parallel execution capability.     

Multiple Protective Roles of Nanoliposome-Incorporated Baicalein against Alpha-Synuclein Aggregates

Nanoparticles are useful for increasing drug stability, solubility, and availability. The small molecule baicalein inhibits fibrillation, and detoxifies aggregates of α-synuclein (αSN) associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), but it suffers from instability, low solubility and consequent low availability. Here it is demonstrated that incorporation of baicalein into zwitterionic nanoliposomes (NLP-Ba) addresses these problems. NLP-Ba inhibits αSN fibril initiation, elongation, secondary nucleation, and also depolymerizes mature fibrils more effectively than free baicalein and prevents soluble αSN aggregates from seeding new fibrils. Importantly, NLP-Ba perturbs oligomers’ capacity to permeabilize the membrane. The interaction between NLP-Ba and αSN is confirmed by different biophysical techniques. This nanosystem crosses the blood-brain barrier in vitro and is effective against rotenone neurotoxicity in vivo. The effect of NLP-Ba on αSN fibrillation/cytotoxicity is attributed to a combination of free baicalein and empty NLPs. The results indicate a neuroprotective role for NLP-Ba in decreasing αSN pathogenicity in PD and highlight the use of nanoliposomes to mobilize poorly soluble hydrophobic drugs.     

Advances in cryopreservation of spermatogonial stem cells and restoration of male fertility

Spermatogenesis is a highly complicated process which initiated by spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). SSCs are the only cell type that can restore fertility in infertile recipient after SSCs transplantation. SSCs damage during cancer diagnosis and therapy and their depletion may be cause of male infertility in cancer survivors. In this review, used experimental methods regarding SSCs and testis tissue cryopreservation have been reviewed with a special focus on animal models and human which have generated the majority of data about SSCs and the cryopreservation process. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:122–129, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Cuminaldehyde as the Major Component of Cuminum cyminum,a Natural Aldehyde with Inhibitory Effect on Alpha‐Synuclein Fibrillation and Cytotoxicity

Fibrillation of alpha‐synuclein (α‐SN) is a critical process in the pathophysiology of several neurodegenerative diseases, especially Parkinson's disease. Application of bioactive inhibitory compounds from herbal extracts is a potential therapeutic approach for this cytotoxic process. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effects of the Iranian Cuminum cyminum essential oil on the fibrillation of α‐SN. Analysis of different fractions from the total extract identified cuminaldehyde as the active compound involved in the antifibrillation activity. In comparison with baicalein, a well‐known inhibitor of α‐SN fibrillation, cuminaldehyde showed the same activity in some aspects and a different activity on other parameters influencing α‐SN fibrillation. The presence of spermidine, an α‐SN fibrillation inducer, dominantly enforced the inhibitory effects of cuminaldehyde even more intensively than baicalein. Furthermore, the results from experiments using preformed fibrils and monobromobimane‐labeled monomeric protein also suggest that cuminaldehyde prevents α‐SN fibrillation even in the presence of seeds, having no disaggregating impact on the preformed fibrils. Structural studies showed that cuminaldehyde stalls protein assembly into β‐structural fibrils, which might be achieved by the interaction with amine groups through its aldehyde group as a Schiff base reaction. This assumption was supported by FITC labeling efficiency assay. In addition, cytotoxicity assays on PC12 cells showed that cuminaldehyde is a nontoxic compound, treatment with cuminaldehyde throughout α‐SN fibrillation showed no toxic effects on the cells. Taken together, these results show for the first time that the small abundant natural compound, cuminaldehyde, can modulate α‐SN fibrillation. Hence, suggesting that such natural active aldehyde could have potential therapeutic applications.     

Optimization of machining parameters in rotary EDM process by using the Taguchi method

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is one of the advanced methods of machining. Most publications on the EDM process are directed towards non-rotational tools. But rotation of the tool provides a good flushing in the machining zone. In this study, the optimal setting of the process parameters on rotary EDM was determined. A total of three variables of peak current, pulse on time, and rotational speed of the tool with three types of electrode were considered as machining parameters. Then some experiments have been performed by using Taguchi's method to evaluate the effects of input parameters on material removal rate, electrode wear rate, surface roughness, and overcut. Moreover, the optimal setting of the parameters was determined through experiments planned, conducted, and analyzed using the Taguchi method. Results indicate that the model has an acceptable performance to optimize the rotary EDM process.     

Chondroitin/doxorubicin nanoparticulate polyelectrolyte complex for targeted delivery to HepG2 cells

Chondroitin (Chn) sulphate composed of N‐acetyl galactoseamine units was chosen to target doxorubicin (DOX) to asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPRs) overexpressed in HepG2 cells of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Two different ways of targeting the drug to the receptors were compared with each other; (i) by polyelectrolyte complex formation of DOX and Chn (DC), (ii) by loading the drug in gelatin nanoparticles (NPs) and then coating them by Chn. The characteristics of DC complexes were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and CHN analysis. The complexes and Chn coated NPs were characterised for their particles size, zeta potential, drug loading and release efficiency. The morphology of NPs was studied by transmission electron microscopy. The cytotoxicity of DC complex and Chn coated NPs were compared on HepG₂ cells by MTT assay. The results showed that the cytotoxicity of both Chn coated gelatin NPs and DC complexes were significantly increased in comparison with free DOX. However, the presence of Chn did not have significant effect on the cytotoxicity of DOX loaded NPs. It was concluded that polyelectrolyte complex of DC could successfully target the drug to the hepatic ASGPRs and may be a simple promising way for targeted drug delivery in HCC.Inspec keywords: drug delivery systems, drugs, polymer electrolytes, electrokinetic effects, nanoparticles, particle size, cellular biophysics, nanocomposites, nanofabrication, molecular biophysics, cancer, gelatin, coatings, Fourier transform infrared spectra, differential scanning calorimetry, filled polymers, transmission electron microscopy, toxicology, nanomedicine, biomedical materialsOther keywords: chondroitin‐doxorubicin nanoparticulate polyelectrolyte complex, HepG2 cells, N‐acetyl galactoseamine units, chondroitin sulphate, asialoglycoprotein receptors, hepatocellular carcinoma, drug targeted delivery, receptors, polyelectrolyte complex formation, gelatin nanoparticles, DC complexes, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, CHN analysis, Chn coated NPs, particle size, zeta potential, drug loading, drug release efficiency, morphology, transmission electron microscopy, cytotoxicity, MTT assay, hepatic ASGPRs     

Role of spermatogonial stem cells extract in transdifferentiation of 5‐Aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine‐treated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into germ‐like cells

As one of the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) methods, spermatogonial stem cells (SSC_S) extract is considered as new approach in stem cell therapy of infertility. 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine (5‐aza‐dC) inhibits methyltransferase enzyme, and induces gene reprogramming; herein, the effects of SSC_S extract incubation in 5‐aza‐dC‐treated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) has been surveyed. BMMSCs were isolated from femurs of three to four weeks old male NMRI mice, and the cells at passage three were treated with 2 µM 5‐aza‐dC for 72 hours. SSCs were isolated, cultured, and harvested at passage three to collect SSC_S extract; BMMSCs were then incubated with SSC_S extract in the three time periods: 72 hours, one week and two weeks. There were five groups: control, sham, extract, 5‐aza‐dC and extract‐5‐aza‐dC. After one week of incubation, flow cytometry and real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) exhibited high levels of expression for β1‐ and α6‐integrins and promyelocytic leukaemia zinc finger (PLZF) in extract and extract‐5‐aza‐dC groups (P < 0.05 vs. control and 5‐aza‐dC), and cells in these two groups had two forms of morphology, round and fusiform, similar to germ‐like cells. 5‐aza‐dC had no significant effects during the three time periods of evaluation. These data disclose the effectiveness of SSCs extract incubation in transdifferentiation of BMMSCs into germ‐like cells; this strategy could introduce a new approach for treatment of male infertility in clinic. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:365–373, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A particle swarm–BFGS algorithm for nonlinear programming problems

This article proposes a hybrid optimization algorithm based on a modified BFGS and particle swarm optimization to solve medium scale nonlinear programs. The hybrid algorithm integrates the modified BFGS into particle swarm optimization to solve augmented Lagrangian penalty function. In doing so, the algorithm launches into a global search over the solution space while keeping a detailed exploration into the neighborhoods. To shed light on the merit of the algorithm, we provide a test bed consisting of 30 test problems to compare our algorithm against two of its variations along with two state-of-the-art nonlinear optimization algorithms. The numerical experiments illustrate that the proposed algorithm makes an effective use of hybrid framework when dealing with nonlinear equality constraints although its convergence cannot be guaranteed.